Chapter 21: Chapter 19

The teacher droned on. Em's eyelids fell lower and lower due to the teacher's uniquely hypnotizing yet dry voice. It was history, and that by itself was boring and dry for most, and combined with the teacher, made it the perfect block to resist the urge to sleep and never wake up again. Em sighed. She already regretted her actions that fateful night, but during this block, it was magnified by several magnitudes.

She looked towards Storm, the Human Wall. Although her appearance was...different, it didn't faze her too much. She used to live in Central Ela, which was home to many people and Powered, though many of the Powered were people like Storm, whose powers had changed their physical appearance. There were a few other people like that in the school, but there were only a few. From lessons, Em had learned that ever since the Great Mutation 100 years ago, at first, people that had been mutated physically were treated as lesser, and treated as slaves, even though people should've known better with Columbus and America, one of the lost countries. The mutation had come from the tectonic plates below moving -though the scientists haven't figured out why or how due to the new layer of energy that prevented any type of EM waves from being transmitted from below ground- and releasing a type of gas that triggered a set of genes within every living thing. 

There were two outcomes for when that happened. The being mutated, or the being stayed the same. Suddenly, about half of the animals mutated, turning into vicious and new creatures. Suddenly, humans mutated. Some got they bones turned to a rubber-like substance that bent and stretched but won't break. Some had skin and hair vanish, leaving a walking muscle anatomy model. Some grew a third eye. Some went mad. Some melted into all sorts of substances. And some grew horns, wings, gills, claws, etc from various animals and creatures of legend.

After the few moments when the whole world changed, giant earthquakes came after, some going up to as far as 10.0 on the Richter scale, causing coastlines to flood and collapse, causing mountains to shake, and causing new land to form.

The continents suddenly shifted, completely and utterly. Water covered where there was once land, and land was left where there was once water. Suddenly, global warming wasn't that big of an issue compared to the change happening across the world, with many vehicles and technology destroyed, many farms flooded, and many humans lost. 

After that, when humans awoke to the new and apocalyptic world, those suited to leading gathered allies and followers, and carved their own territories into the wilderness and wastelands. 

Then the warring happened. People with no Power had no human rights. In some places, humans with a physically mutated appearance were not humans anymore. The various new territories warred. Signed treaties and alliances, then betrayed and backstabbed. Any type of modern weaponry was useless to some Powered, with their super regeneration or thick hide/scales/fur. The battles were fought quickly and viciously.

It was only when five factions were left that the leaders held negotiations. They first agreed on peace, and then decided on the new global laws that were needed.

One faction located in the northwest left immediately once peace was established, and formed Nugleisia, jealously guarding its borders. 

One in the south formed the states of Ela, known for its hatred of slavery and formed by normal humans and physically mutated Powered.

One in the east formed the nation of Yue, known for its delicacies and wonders, but also of its Powered supremacists.

One in the north formed the monarchy of Albadore, known for the abundance of mutated animals.

And one in the west formed Carilim, nicknamed as 'Modern America'.

Boooring. Boring. Em thought as she thought of what she had been thinking before. What exposition! Damn, that history teacher must've influenced me more than I thought.

"Em, class is finished. Next up is PE," Em heard Storm say.

"Oh." Em muttered. As she packed up her things, she looked up and saw that Storm had been waiting for her.

"You know that you don't have to wait for me, right?" Em said.

"But aren't we friends? Don't friends do this all the time? Or are we not friends?" Although Storm's face was still impassive, Em thought that she had caught a hint of worry in the Human Wall's tone.

"No, we're friends. I was just...surprised."

They then made their way to the gym. On the way, she saw people whispering and pointing at Storm and her.

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Once they had entered, the gym teacher -he had horns and wings, Em observed- turned towards them and said to Storm, "If you want to participate in PE, you have to play by the rules, and to hold back. Got it?"

"Yes." Storm replied.

Hold back? Em wondered.

During gym, she understood what the gym teacher had meant by 'hold back' and 'play by the rules'. It seemed that Storm had a special penchant of  breaking the rules or thinking around them with creative yet violent solutions. She was also gifted with enhanced strength, or maybe just a general enhancement to everything. Talk about OP, Em thought jealously. Her own power gave her minor telekinesis and a minor enhancement to speed and flexibility. 

I wonder where she got all those scars, though.

Their PE block was over, and they were now all in the showers. While Storm was showering, Em observed the contours of her muscles and the multitude of small and large scars, some faded and some standing out. Em eyed the droplets of water that slid down Storm's back.

"See something you like?" Em jumped as she heard a voice whisper behind her. She turned around and saw the same girl who had talked to her in class before. The girl had neck length blond hair, an average figure, wrapped in a towel, and was on the shorter side.

 "So how'd you become Storm's new friend?" She asked, plopping beside Em on the bench.

"It's none of your business. Besides, I don't even know your name."

"You don't?" The girl looked shocked. "Well, my name is Isabella, but you can cal me Bella."

"Hm," Em grunted.

"So how'd you end up as her friend?" Bella pestered. Em gave Bella a look, but answered. "I talked to her, and she suddenly said that we were friends."

"Ooh. And that's all? Just friends?" 

"Yes, just friends." 

"Hmmm." Bella looked between Em and Storm. "Well, whatever. Not my business." Damn right it isn't. Em thought. "Buuut, Storm always disappears at lunch, so do you wanna eat lunch with me?"

"Don't you have other friends to eat with?"

"Yes, but you're more interesting! I'll go back to eating with them when I get bored with you."

"Sure. Why not?" Em replied. And besides, what was the worse that can happen?

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