Chapter 1

At the busy streets of Clover City, a teen in neatly ironed clothes was walking leisurely toward her school. The teen was wearing a blue jean and a baggy hoodie of brown colour with a red shirt underneath. The girl's appearance could be called above-average, but pretty much generic. She was walking while watching a news program about Death Seeker, a Neo-human vigilante who went after criminals in a Batman-style, just with a lot of dead bodies.

Neo-Humans are the term coined for a human who can wield Maya. This world was once a normal world, but everything changed when pure energy called Maya made its appearance. Nobody knew where this energy came from, just that it just came out one day and turned the world upside down. Maya was endless, tame, and versatile in nature, however, the most famous feature of the energy would be the creation of Neo-humans.

No one knows how one can become a Neo-human. However, people usually become Neo-humans after going through a process known as awakening. It was a mysterious process. Even those who were involved didn't know what it entailed. Some people just slept, and the following day they were already part of the Neo-human population. Some became it when they went through enlightenment or a trial of sorts. For some, it was painful, they became a Neo-human after getting through the worst thing life has to offer.

The one who the teen was watching about had awakened while dying to a blood loss due to ten bullet rounds to his body. Michael Burrow, also known as Death Seeker, was formerly a police officer. After a scuffle with "Clover City Blazers" a notorious gang despite its somewhat funny name, the police department was "warned" in the form of his wife and two kids being shot while the whole family were out on a picnic.

He was awakened in an ambulance with enhanced regeneration that made him effectively immortal. And from there on he sought his bloody vengeance. Nowadays, "Clover City Blazers" are just history. As the teen was watching with interest, someone rang her. She accepted the call.

"Hello".

"Ah, I finally got you. Where are you?! School was about to start, and I still haven't finished my assignment! Can you hurry your lazy ass, so I could copy your works?" a soft female voice with a fierce tone came out from the teen's phone. This was the teen's best friend, Esmeralda Star, a gentle and kind-looking blonde with the temper of a chihuahua.

"I am coming, Dara," the teen replied as she walked faster than before. Thankfully the walk to the school wasn't long as it was only a ten minutes walk away from her home. At the school gate, she saw Esmeralda waiting for her, crossing her hands and leaning against the wall.

"Finally, you took awfully long to get here for someone who lived near the school," Esmeralda said.

"I am here, aren't I? Let's go," the teen said as she walked in ahead, followed by a beautiful blonde girl.

"So, what am I saying again? Oh yes, I caved in that guy's skull using a crowbar, and he was like ahhhh," Esmeralda gestured to the teen who was listening intently, "what a pussy," she finished with her storytelling.

"That was so cool, I still couldn't believe you are the famous vigilante, Silent Night," the teen said in a fake awe.

"I am awesome, aren't I? So, what do you say? You wanna come with me to bash some skulls?" she asked with a huge smile.

"I am sorry, no. You know I have no power, yes? And even if I did go, which I won't, I wouldn't be able to do anything, my physical abilities are shit," the teen sighed as she said dejectedly.

"As I said, you should run with me, look at me," Esmeralda flexed her muscles. For a body so small, she packed quite a punch. The teen briefly wondered how to explain to her that Neo-humans and normal humans were different on fundamental levels and that it was not just that could be fixed with some running.

"No, waking that early would be the death of me," the teen deflected instantly. Esmeralda narrowed her eyes as she looked at the teen's face carefully, much to her protests.

"You, you are pulling all-nighter gaming, aren't you," Esmeralda said with an irritated tone. She was always telling the teen to live healthily, but the teen would just laze around all day, playing games and reading web novels. All of her concerns were waved off.

"Eep," the teen made an odd-sounding noise and smiled sheepishly at her best friend. "hehehe," The teen chuckled awkwardly as she was busted.

"How many times do I have to tell you that gaming all night long would damage both your physical and mental health?!" Esmeralda yelled, but she felt an icy stare laid on her.

"Be quiet," Miss Hooper, the librarian of the Astra High, glared at them as their necks shrunk under her eyes.

""Yes, ma'am"" they both said simultaneously.

Miss Hooper nodded in satisfaction and went back to her deck.

"I may be a neo-human, but she really scared me. Are we sure she isn't really a villain in hiding?" Esmeralda commented with an incredulous tone which made the teen chuckle.

"Don't be so dramatic, Miss Hooper was a nice person. I saw her feeding strays near the school," the teen defended the librarian.

Esmeralda rolled her eyes, "you are just defending her because you are her favourite. What? You took a fancy to her? While I will admit she is really beautiful, isn't she too old for you?"

"It was not like that!" the teen denied.

"Heh," Esmeralda chuckled.

"Aren't little old me enough for you anymore since you are looking at other women?" Esmeralda teased her some more.

"Wha-?! No, of course not. I mean- that was," the teen denied as her face became more red and red, which caused Esmeralda to smile in amusement.

"Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore. Let's go somewhere else. I can feel Miss Hooper's eyes boring into my skull," Esmeralda said as she stood up. Her smile, still, graced her face, which made it obvious that she was happy about something.

"Okay," the teen agreed as she followed her best friend.

As they were chatting, the school's bell rang.

"Ah shit, I have to go, meet you at Mrs. Garcia's class," Esmeralda said her goodbye as she hurriedly packed her books and walked toward Ms. Wall's classroom, quickly. Still. The teen couldn't fault her for that, after all, Ms. Wall was famous for her strictness and well, Esmeralda is..... Esmeralda. So, yes, saying Ms. Wall was annoyed with Esmeralda would be an underestimate of the year.

The teen also prepared herself as she packed her stuff and walked leisurely toward her classroom.

"Now, class, tell me about how the appearance of Neo-humans affected the world?," the world history teacher said as he pointed toward Kevin Nott, the up-and-running captain of the Football team.

"Uh, pretty bad?" the teacher stared at him unimpressively, which he returned with a sheepish smile. Meanwhile, the teen sat at her seat and began to tune out the rest of the world.