Power Dynasty

It wasn't my visions, it was the dark aura I felt from Magus before.

"Did you follow me?"

"Yes, but no. Hades asked me to come with you."

Apparently Hades saw Magus talking to me before, after I left, Magus went to the bunker where we stayed, and saw that I wasn't there.

I didn't have a choice. He kept following me even though I kept calling him names and telling him to go away.

"I don't know why you left, but you can't be sure that you actually want to go to the capitol alone? Where everyone is looking for you?"

I really don't have the luxury of trusting random people I just met, but he has a point.

I kept walking while ignoring all his ramblings.

I've never met someone as annoying as him.

Hades was never even that talkative to me.

I saw the train station, and turned around to look at Magus' face, "Why would I trust you, Magus? I just met you, and everything you've been saying to me seems suspicious."

"I told you, Kore. I hate the government too, and I imagined a hopeful future when I saw how you and your brother were powerful users, you have my full support."

"A lot of people make It seem like soldiers are weak, but I know a powerful user when I see one. Magus? Why are you here?"

…

We arrived at the capitol after a few hours on the train, it was 4:30am and I figured there wouldn't be a lot of people around this time.

I thought wrong.

The streets were full of people, some were asleep in the middle of the road, some were bickering with others, and some held signs with, "NO TO POWER DYNASTY"

Power Dynasty?

Another history lesson for you all.

Power Dynasty has been the system of the government ever since it came to be.

There is no election, the people cannot choose the leaders they want, leadership is chosen by how powerful ones power is.

Before the Power War happened, powerful kids even as young as five years old are chosen to become the next President, they are kept in close observation.

The President chooses a successor among them and trains them personally up until they retire.

Though after the Power War, with the coming of age ceremonies established, the President at that time didn't choose a group among the new power users, instead he announced that he chose a successor right off the bat. That new power user was Harold Malvado's father.

Like father, like son.

I somewhat felt relieved, seeing all these people disagreeing with the President gave me a sense of optimism. They were not scared of the government backfiring, and I am with them.

"I think its safe for us, with all of these people, the authorities are likely to focus their attention at the front of the mobs." Magus pointed out.

I agree, these mobs are probably scattered all over the capitol. I guess, they didn't like that Hades' was chosen. I'm not surprised if politicians are supporting the resistance.

Back at the train station, Magus showed me his power.

He was a plant type user, now I know why his father thought his power was useless.

The capitol being all concrete, meters of concrete going below sea level, there were no plants, only artificial ones that could produce oxygen as well as take the carbon dioxide the humans breathe out, there were no fresh soil available to the public since the agriculture sect is monopolized by the government though only in the capitol. They've created controlled ecosystems with anti-power gears so power users like Magus cannot use their ability to sabotage them.

"Father already knew what my power was even before my coming of age, he even registered me as an official low tier though I wasn't 18 yet, the capitol was his life, if I was useless there, what would he gain from me in the end? Nothing. So, he sent me to the Military Base when I was 13, now I'm 21, the base had a school for kids like me, we attended the coming of age ceremony, the Temple and the proper authorities deemed me as a mid-high tier though I already was an official low tier, I just didn't bother anymore."

I felt bad for calling him names, but I can't dismiss the fact that I feel and saw a dark aura coming from him. I decided to be neutral, though it meant I had to be on my toes around him all the time.

I consider myself as fairly tall, but Magus is way taller than me, he's lean but I notice he had a strong build under his uniform, I guess from all the years of training as a soldier.

We headed to my house, I knew it was a stupid idea but with everything that is happening, I don't expect to come back home anytime soon. I wanted to check if Mom was there too, but that's just an excuse. I just really wanted to see our home one last time.

"Stay here, I'll go check. People might have broken into your house, and are waiting for you to come back."

Since we both were wearing our fatigue uniforms, the people passing by didn't suspect us but they were obviously avoiding. The discrimination against powerless and low tiers are real.

My feet suddenly felt cold, I looked down and I was half frozen from the waist down!

"What???!!"

I'm so stupid to not notice, the passersby weren't avoiding me, they we're checking who I was.

"Persephone, welcome back to the capitol."

…

The High Priest was one of the most powerful water type users in this century.

He could manipulate water out from the humid atmosphere, turn water into ice, and manipulate any type of liquid, even blood.

"Why did you run away just to come back after a day or two?"

I bowed, "We didn't run away, High Priest."

He approached while looking at me from top to bottom, "Why the Military uniform, Miss Athanasios? Did you join the Military after knowing you are my successor?"

A few other priests arrived at the street of my house, they purposely blocked the paths to stop people from passing by.

He still kept his gaze at me, "Where is your brother, Hades? Are you keeping him away from the President? I'm surprised he's not with you, since you… are inseparable."

I saw Magus from the corner of my eyes, he was crossing his arms to make out an X sign. Mom wasn't home. If she's not here, she's probably at work or at the library where Grandma worked.

At the military base, they were growing various fruit trees and some other farm produce that could be a source of food. While I was roaming around, I saw weird looking plants that I've never encountered even on books.

"HIGH PRIEST! CATCH!!!"

Magus threw a fruit of some kind towards the High Priest, though the High Priest was faster, he froze the fruit mid way but it exploded into pieces in front of us.

The other priests looked at Magus, I saw Magus' eyes glow, and the exploded fruit on the ground suddenly started to vibrate.

Vines the size of trees with blade of thorns started to grow from the clumps of fruit at an alarming rate.

The vines looked like they had a mind of its own, it knew who the bad guys were, and chased them down, the other priests ran away as they saw their allies getting stabbed by sword like thorns.

Magus grabbed my hand, the ice enveloping me turned into pieces as the he dragged me away from the chaos.

The High Priest didn't know where to look with the plants growing all over the place.

Magus was throwing seeds behind us as we ran, and gigantic trees started to grow just with a blink of an eye.

We ran towards a mob and rammed our way in the middle.

The Capitol Police were lining the major roads to block the mobsters from occupying them.

The only way we can get out from the eyes of the government and the Temple, is to use the tunnel underground, but the only entrance I know is at school.

"We have to try the school, if people are there I could get us inside while you hide half of your face with something or I'll try to find a distraction. Some soldiers aren't taken seriously because the capitol police are wAaAaY coOoOler."

I laughed.

Even though we were in a mess, he still could joke around.

He never loosen his grip on my hand, how he held me tightly, I felt kind of safe? I don't know, do I trust him now?

I looked up and my knees shook as I saw what the digital billboard showed above.

"Good Day to all citizens of the United Front!"

President Harold Malvado, all smiles yet still calculating.

The last place I'd imagine to look, Mom was standing beside him.