They referred to it as a miracle.
Initially.
Every channel was filled with news reports.
"Caught on camera: a boy floats in midair during class in Tokyo!"
"A Brazilian woman uses her bare hands to melt metal."
"Toddler turns into vapor to survive car crash?"
What began as strange viral content evolved into something else completely. Millions of people were awakening in less than a week.
Not everyone received something innocuous, either.
Week 2 of the Mass Awakening
A man screamed and broke all the windows on his block in Philadelphia.
A grandmother in Johannesburg raised a delivery truck for her grandchild.
A whole subway station vanished in Paris.
People who had exploded into flames, twisted into strange shapes, or just lost control of their bodies were crammed into hospitals.
They were no longer referred to as "miracles" by the media.
Governments fell or were overthrown. The country imposed martial law, quarantined entire cities, and stepped up surveillance. Rights vanished.
A few nations attempted to register the Awakened. Others attempted to eradicate them. Borders were no longer used to organize the world. It was split between those in and out of power.
Like fire, rumors spread. People talked about enigmatic Alpha, the "First Awakened," who started it all, and underground safe areas where Awakened trained peacefully.
The powers continued to spread.
No trend. No regulations. No justification.
Simply... mayhem.
In the meantime, let's return to Von.
Von hadn't used his gift since his mother's death three years prior.
Not intentionally.
He lowered his head. Avoided the news. Stayed away from people.
Powers, however, didn't wait.
And it refused to inquire as to whether he was prepared when the world at last knocked.