Chapter One

It has been a century since the world experienced a war. In the first few months when the last war ended, the world was left in a state of destruction that made recovery impossible. Almost—if it weren't for the people who showed that they have special abilities. With their help, recovery was made possible and the expected couple of decades for the said recovery were done within a year. For these superhumans, everything was within their reach. If they were to band against normal humans, they would be, no doubt, be successful in their invasion.

The government thought of an idea to keep the superhumans in line.

They have created a pact that will keep the harmony that they have just discovered. Thus, the Peace Treaty was born. And the superhumans were given the name 'Rein'. For decades, both sides lived peacefully together. Reins were banned of using their special ability in any circumstance. They were to live like normal humans if they want the freedom of moving in a peaceful world.

Without fail, Reins have kept their side of the deal.

"What powers do Reins have?" one child asked me. He had a mane of red hair and a pair of lovely green eyes. He had freckled cheeks that added to his cuteness. His friends joined in on his questions as they talked about what powers they wanted if they were given the chance.

I beamed at the ten kids aged between 7 and 9 in front of me. It was storytelling period and I was seated to this room. I enjoyed reading to children. They were always sweet like honey. I was explaining to them about the history of our world and how it came to be what it was now. I was rather grateful that not I nor they were born during the war periods.

Humans knew nothing but fight with one another. They longed for harmony. But the way they pursue it was through terror and death. After losing billions of people and the almost destruction of the world itself only then was peace attained. And for a hundred of years, the peace was preserved.

"Reins have peculiar skills," I explained and as if on command the children became quiet as they paid attention. "Some can fly; others can run fast, one can have super strength. It can be anything at all,"

The kids turned to each other and discussed about the powers they wished to have. I smiled at the scene. Such innocence was heart-warming. And I was thankful again for the peace we were having.

But the scene in front of me vanished when a deafening explosion reached our ears and the whole structure trembled. The kids shrieked, and I tried my best to soothe them as I pushed them below the table to protect them from falling rubbles.

The shaking stopped. And I held my breath as I waited for the debris to stop falling from the ceiling. I could hear the voices of people shouting for help. I tried my best to stop my panic from showing to the kids with me. A panic adult would do them no good.

I counted them to make sure each of them was okay and I was thankful that they were. I guided them pit of the table and asked them to fall in line and stay behind me. I smiled at them when they did what I had asked.

I opened the door enough for me to see how damaged it was. We were near the entrance of the school which would have made exiting the building easily. But the front was destroyed. That part of the building collapsed, blocking every door. And I couldn't help but noticed the dead bodies. I wanted to weep for the poor souls but I couldn't.

I opened door and told the kids to not look anywhere but concentrate on where I lead them. They nodded in understanding but I knew it was useless. These innocent kids would see the surrounding deaths. And it would no doubt scar them for life.

I was leading them towards the back where a door to the schoolyard was. On our way, we saw destruction in our path. Our progress was slow since the children found it hard to climb above fallen debris. I tried my hardest to find a path easy for them but with almost half of the building collapsed, it was hard.

As I was helping Penny, a young girl, climbed above a huge stone another explosion occurred on the left side of the building making the now weak structure shook again. The children shouted in fright and I watched helplessly as three of my kids vanished beneath a huge stone slab. The blood pooled, coloring the dust-filled floor.

-What is happening?-

I wanted to weep for them—to search for them beneath that stone. I wanted to keep calling their names and wait for them to answer me. But I couldn't do it. I needed to keep the rest of the children safe. They were now crying in fear and helplessness. And I couldn't just let them die. So, I gathered myself and led them out of the building as fast as I could.

But I was useless with the peace treaty bounding me to my feet. All I could do was help these kids to safety with human abilities. And it wasn't enough. The building, barely standing from the first two explosions, was in the peak of falling at any moment. One wrong move would mean death.

I couldn't make the kids hurry in their pace in fear of scaring them. But finally, as if a ray of hope, I could see the light from outside. The second explosion had opened up a hole in one of the walls; an exit closer that our first target.

I ushered the kids through the hole and I was the last one to exit. The blaring rays of the sun blinded me and I welcomed it. But I was then pulled roughly to the side and when my eyes adjusted to the bright light, I found myself separated from my kids.

They were being hugged by their tear-stained parents and despite being separated from them, I found myself smiling. But when I looked around, I saw several wounded people being cared for by doctors but a few were ignored. And we were all together inside an iron fence with several guns pointed at us.

All of us were Reins.

It was obvious who we were because of the wrist tag we were wearing as part of the treaty. There were less than a dozen of students besides me, all ranging from different ages. The youngest was probably ten. My chemistry teacher and our school doctor were also with us. Guns pointed at each of us; lasers pointing directly at our chest—following our every move.

The soldiers in front of us were shouting orders. But I was too confused by everything that I hadn't understood a single word. All of a sudden, a soldier kicked me and I fell to the ground; my whole body meeting the dusty, hard ground and pain assaulted me.

I blinked my confusion away and saw that each of us was positioned like that and the guns were now pointing at our head. Each of us too disoriented by the explosions and too bewildered by the happenings to do anything to protect ourselves.

The general shouted an order—to kill us. And that pushed me into action. Without blinking, I stood up and took the gun of the soldier behind me and fired the gun straight to the hands of the other soldiers. None of them avoided or even comprehended what had happened because of my inhumane speed; the speed of light.

Before any of them even fell to the ground, I was already up in one of the parked army trucks and drove through the iron fences that kept the Reins in. Thankfully, Reins have better reflexes than normal humans and they all stood up from the ground before the truck came to a stop.

"Get in!" I shouted, and they all rushed to climb up the truck.

I sped away with the rest of the soldiers raining bullets after us.

After a century of peace, the war continued

-They have broken the Peace Treaty.-