1 The beginning of the end

Nobody remembered when this whole story of powers and superheroes had begun. It had become so deeply woven into society that people no longer seemed to mind. Of course, it wasn't the entire population that possessed these miraculous abilities. Only a small percentage were graced with them. It was something many would kill to have.

Those who, through some genetic lottery, were born with something extraordinary became superstars. They would appear in newspapers, TV shows, and podcasts. They were all over the internet. Likewise, they were considered living legends—those who would bring peace to the world.

But not everything in life was as rosy as movies portrayed. Just as some used their powers to help people, others did the opposite. They used everything they had to cause chaos. Because they were threats that regular police officers couldn't handle, many heroes took the initiative to create their super agencies.

Supported by the government as a form of retaliation against villains, these agencies became indispensable in people's lives. And so, every child's dream is to become a superhero one day and make a difference in people's lives by fighting crime.

But there was one thing the media tried to hide at all costs: the fact that some supers weren't as good as they claimed. Many of them committed actions that could be seen as villainous acts, so vile they'd make anyone vomit with disgust. There were rumors about these deeds, and the internet was filled with horrifying and disgusting stories about the protectors of peace.

Because of this, various groups considered terrorists emerged. They had only one goal in mind: to stop the so-called miraculous progress and eradicate the super society from the face of the Earth.

It was in this context that the Prime emerged, an organization led by Titan, the man considered one of the most powerful among the living heroes. With this initiative, the so-called protectors of humanity once again gained an advantage over their oppressors.

 ***

Marcus Ravenclaw had just woken up due to all the commotion his siblings were making early that morning. Even though they didn't share the same blood, they all treated each other like family. They had been taken in by Theodore Ravenclaw, a retired hero who, in his prime, was known as the Prophet. He possessed the ability to foresee minor events in a person's life with a simple handshake. For a long time, he was considered the man closest to God.

That was until he had his hands ripped off during an attack on the Prime's base, where the Prophet himself was the target. Without his hands, his power to foresee the future at will had been tamed, and so Mr. Ravenclaw was forced to retire. Nevertheless, now and then, he would involuntarily catch glimpses of people's lives. In one of these flashes, he was enlightened by the divine word and decided to use the rest of his life and fortune to create a new era of heroes to protect the world. Thus, the Ravenclaw Orphanage and Academy for Bright Future Heroes.

The Prophet decided to reunite his old group to help him find these budding talents. That's how Marcus and his siblings were brought together, and the first class of super youngsters had been formed.

Marcus got up from his bed after lying down for a few minutes and trying to go back to sleep. Sunday was the only day he could sleep as much as he wanted, but as usual, his younger siblings were making that task difficult. He grabbed his pillow and threw it at the nearest child, causing them to tumble to the floor, which made everyone start laughing. Although he was slightly irritated at being woken up early, he knew he couldn't be angry with his younger brothers because they were children with a lot of energy to burn.

He headed to the kitchen. He needed a good cup of coffee to start his day off right. There, he found the patriarch himself, having his breakfast. Before Marcus could utter a word to his father, the man turned to him.

"Good morning, Marcus. Once you've finished your breakfast, gather your brothers from the main class. The announcement you've all been waiting for will be made today." He shifted in his chair with a slight look of discomfort, his hand prosthetics must have been bothering him a lot. "Starting tomorrow, you'll begin your hands-on hero training."