Chapter 1

489words2026-02-06 07:22

Panadamned City, a place drowned in crime, ruled by power, and crawling with wannabe heroes desperate to make a name for themselves. In fact, the entire world has become a playground for super-powered beings, each choosing their path: hero, villain, or citizen trying to survive the chaos.
Centuries ago, when people still bowed to kings and queens, wars ravaged the lands. Millions died. The rulers, once revered, abandoned their people in cowardice. Left with nothing, the desperate turned their prayers toward the sky, begging not for monarchs, but for gods.
Their pleas were answered.

A man and a woman descended from the heavens in a blinding light. So radiant were they that even with eyes closed, their glow could still burn through. Their names were Aelia and Cyrus, and with them came unimaginable power. In mere seconds, they ended the wars that had plagued the world for generations.
The people, awestruck, worshipped them. They begged them to stay, vowing to build temples in their honor. Tempted by glory, Aelia and Cyrus accepted. Over time, they built vast kingdoms and basked in adoration.
But not all bowed.
A rebellion emerged, led by cults and secret factions who found their own god: Octavian, a being as powerful as Aelia and Cyrus, but twisted by hatred. Under his command, war ignited again. Blood filled the rivers. Cities burned.
This war was called the Vultrenia — the Burning Blood.
Though the battle raged for years, Aelia and Cyrus ultimately triumphed. Octavian vanished, erased from scrolls, paintings, and memory. His followers are scattered across the world.

Peace returned, for a time.
Aelia and Cyrus bore sixteen children with different partners. Each child inherited fragments of their divine power. The gods eventually disappeared, and their children took control, ruling in their image... though many cared more for pleasure than responsibility.
As centuries passed, their bloodlines mixed with mortals. Powers spread. Kingdoms fell. Technology rose. The old ways faded, and soon, nearly everyone had abilities, everyone except a rare few.
These powerless ones were called Dull Bloods or, in crueler slang, Mundies.

By the year 3009, heroism had become a global industry. Companies marketed it like a brand. Kids grew up dreaming of capes and powers. Villains became a constant threat. And the few who had powers but chose not to use them were called Quiescentus, people with powers who wants to live ordinary lives.
Now, in the depths of Panadamned, a girl named Slyvian Blackbird lives on the edge of both history and survival.
Abused at home. Bullied at school. Powerless in a world that worships strength.
Slyvian is the only "Mundie" attending the elite Heroism Academy, where power is everything and she has none. She's been crushed since childhood, but she still clings to one impossible dream:
To become a true hero.
But in a city built on strength and powers...How long can a powerless girl survive?
Quiescentus: (kwee-es-SENT-us) Individuals with powers who preferred to live ordinary lives.
Panadamned: (pan-uh-damned) A city.
Mundie: (mun-dee) slang for someone with no powers.