Raia opened his eyes.
He could see himself in a classroom. He was sitting there like it was a normal day for class. He looked around and saw there was no one. He was wearing his college uniform while he sat quietly and calmly.
All of a sudden, screaming voices filled the room. Every time someone screamed, a memory projected into Raia's mind. In the blink of an eye, the setting changed. Now, everything was destroyed. Dead bodies piled up, blood scattered everywhere.
The bodies and faces of his loved ones were lying there, and blood filled his hands like a river. The bodies then spoke.
"Why did you kill us?""Why couldn't you control your anger?""You're a killer!""You are dangerous!""Everyone will hate you!""You're better off dead!""No one wants to have a friend like you!""Murderer!""DEVILLL!!!"
The bodies came to life slowly, trying to grab Raia. Raia stood there frozen in fear. He couldn't move.
"NO! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, I'll control myself! NO! NOOOO!"
"RAIA!" Arman shouted, waking Raia from his nightmare.
Raia jolted awake, beads of sweat covering his face. He sighed in relief, it was just a bad dream. He saw his friend at his side and asked him where they were.
"We are inside the Assembly Area, True Haven Dome," Arman replied.
Raia looked around and saw rows and columns of seats throughout the structure. Chairs surrounded most of the dome, but what caught his attention the most was the wide metal platform in the center.
"What happened?" Raia asked, trying to recall what had happened earlier.
"Well, thirty minutes ago, you lost consciousness while fighting someone named Elliot," Arman explained. Raia finally remembered the things he had done. He slammed his palm to his face at the thought of almost killing someone.
He had never thought he would go that far. He still couldn't control his anger. Inwardly, he cursed himself, berating his own stupidity. He had been trying so hard to keep his anger in check, especially toward anything that triggered him, but recently, it felt like he couldn't help but think about... killing whenever someone angered him.
As he was brooding, a mechanical sound echoed through the Dome. Raia looked at the metal platform below. It split open, and people began to rise up on another platform. As they emerged fully onto the surface, everyone in the Dome could see them clearly.
There were eight people in total, but only three stood out the most.
A woman in a sleek white dress, with Asian-brown skin and silky white hair. She looked like an Asian version of Storm from X-Men. Another person wore a scientist's lab coat and glasses that made him look more attractive and intellectual. He looked older than thirty, yet girls in the Dome swooned with every glance he gave.
The last one was someone Raia recognized. He squinted but kept his composure. It was the General.
The woman stepped forward and addressed the people in the Dome.
"Good morning, future warriors of the world. I am Elizabeth Fate, also known as Mistress Fate. I am one of the founders of this military base, True Haven. Behind me are the ones who will play major roles in guiding you all to become warriors that will eliminate the threats plaguing our world."
Mistress Fate paused and observed the crowd's reaction. They looked confused, and she could already tell what they were thinking.
"You all might be wondering what I mean or why you are here. But right now, I'm going to explain everything. So listen carefully, as this information could help preserve your life and help you survive," Mistress Fate said seriously.
"The world is undergoing a massive change. People have become too complacent, we've forgotten the original rule of the world; hunt or be hunted, eat or be eaten. That was before human writing existed, back when everything was primitive and all beings were equals. Now, nature is reclaiming its order. Unbelievably, ordinary animals today are beginning to evolve or mutate at a very... very fast pace... and it's disturbing.
"You might ask, how can they evolve so fast, when such changes should take millions of years? The answer is… The Origins."
The people in the Dome leaned in, listening closely. Mistress Fate could tell they were hooked, so she continued.
She explained the three types of Origins; Primal, Evolved, and the True Origin. She described what these Origins do to animals and plants, how they affect their biology, and the dangers they pose. Then, she shifted to their effects on humans.
"You might think it's impossible to defeat these creatures now that they've grown stronger, fiercer, scarier, and deadlier than ever. But... these mutated and evolved animals and plants can be fought back against. Fortunately, humans can also acquire Origins. How? I think most of you already know the answer," she said with a smile.
"Who here has killed a creature and eaten its flesh or organs in the last five days? Raise your hand," Mistress Fate asked.
Raia understood the question but something struck him. 'Five days?! I thought it was just the third day of the Great Catastrophe?'
He was confused. He guessed that maybe the paralyzing agent the General gave him made him sleep for two or three days straight. That would explain his headache.
What was strange was how calm the others were even Arman.
"Arman, did I really sleep for two or three days straight?" Raia asked, needing to confirm.
Arman nodded and explained that he had been taking care of Raia during those days.
Raia couldn't believe it.
He glanced around at the people who raised their hands in response to Mistress Fate's question. He and Arman raised their hands as well. Almost fifty percent of the people in the Dome had their hands up meaning half had already eaten mutated creatures.
"That's good," Mistress Fate said. "Well, those monsters you ate are filled with two kinds of Origins, Primal and Evolved. These Origins spread throughout the body or consolidate in specific parts. So, for humans to grow stronger, they must kill and eat those monsters, just like those monsters will eat humans to survive. As for the True Origin... well, it works the same way. The difference is that the True Origin is a very important tool to kill those monsters."
"Now… every one of you gathered here today has a True Origin inside your body. Each of you has a different and unique ability. Some may have already discovered their powers, while others have not. That's why we conducted that earlier task to pressure you into awakening your powers. And, I guess, it was successful."
Everyone nodded and began showcasing their abilities in excitement. Some displayed wings and took flight. Others, who couldn't yet control their powers, remained still for safety.
Mistress Fate was overjoyed to see them trying to harness their powers.
"You people, including me and the others behind me, are called T-Users, short for True Origin Users. With this power in our hands, we can survive this calamity and grow stronger, so we can protect the ones we love," she declared proudly.
"And now, your purpose here is to become students. You will train here for two years and be examined by our scientists so we can expand our knowledge. Honestly, we still don't know the true cause of this catastrophe but one thing is certain... in two years, it will get even more chaotic."
Mistress Fate paused, seeming hesitant.
"I have the power to see the future. And I've seen even greater calamities approaching. I saw them even before this catastrophe began. That's why True Haven was built in advance. This is your training ground, your opportunity to grow stronger. So, let me welcome you all as the Students of True Haven, the First T-User Generation."
She then introduced the people behind her, announcing that all seven of them would serve as Head Masters of the seven departments.
The Hunting Department
The Combat Department
The Weaponry Department
The Power Control Department
The Role Identification Department
The Defense Department
The Experimentation Department
All students at True Haven are required to take classes in each department over the next two years. If they graduate and pass all evaluations, they will be officially recognized as T-Warriors. They'll be deployed on missions and gain more opportunities to grow stronger. Those who don't pass will need to retake classes or fulfill any missing or incomplete requirements.
Each year will have two semesters and two major exams per semester. With this system, the students will focus heavily on training.
The crowd listened eagerly, excited by the potential benefits. They momentarily forgot that the Great Calamity had even occurred.
Raia, however, remained suspicious. Something didn't feel right.