A blinding white light consumes the sky. Cities, towns, schools, and homes vanish in a heartbeat. Mykai Bowman wakes up on the coarse sand of a strange island, his body aching, heart pounding. He's not alone — thousands of others lie scattered along the shore, coughing, groaning, panicked.
"What… what just happened?"
Mykai mutters, struggling to sit up. The air smells different, salty, alive… like the sea itself is watching.
First Impressions
The island is small, with strange tropical flora unlike anything on Earth.
The horizon stretches endlessly into turquoise waters.
People begin screaming, some crying, some panicking. A few faintly glow — awakening their Unique Abilities immediately.
"No… I don't feel anything," Mykai realizes, watching a nearby teen summon a small fireball from his hands. His stomach drops.
He's one of the few who didn't immediately awaken a Soul Trait.
Conflict Introduced
A group of desperate survivors start fighting over food and supplies that washed ashore. Mykai tries to intervene, only to get knocked down by a larger, panicked young man.
"Stay back!" Mykai shouts, scrambling to his feet. But without a power, he can't push them away.
For the first time, Mykai feels real fear. Not just the fear of pain, but the fear of being powerless in a world full of people who now have extraordinary abilities.
Small Victory – First Glimmer of Potential
A wild animal, drawn to the commotion, attacks a small child. Everyone freezes, afraid to act. Mykai instinctively reacts — dodging, pushing the child out of the way, moving almost instinctively like he's learned from watching the chaos around him.
It's sloppy, imperfect, and he's injured, but he succeeds.
"Wait… that felt different," Mykai murmurs, clutching a bleeding arm. "I… I think I can learn… if I try."
This is his first taste of his Adaptive Spirit — raw, hidden, but waiting to grow.
Closing of Chapter
The sun sets, casting long shadows over the new world. The survivors gather around small fires, exhausted, scared, and confused.
Mykai sits alone, quietly observing others with powers manifesting around him. He clenches his fists:
"I don't know why I'm here… or why everyone else got powers. But I will survive. I will get stronger. No matter what it takes."
The stage is set. The weak human begins his journey into a world of pirates, powers, and danger — and his story has only just begun.