Chapter 1: The Awakening

In a quiet, ordinary town, there lived a boy named Hermes Vale. Life had never been kind to him. He was weak, and because of that, bullies picked on him every day. His world was small and filled with pain, and he saw no way out.

"Oi, Hermes! Where's your money today?" one of the bullies sneered, slamming him against a wall.

Hermes said nothing. His name was supposed to mean something powerful. Hermes-the messenger god, swift and untouchable. But in reality, Hermes was far from that. He felt powerless, like the world itself had turned against him.

As the bullies mocked him, the ground suddenly began to shake. The air filled with a low, deafening rumble that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

BOOM!

Far away, in the frozen wilderness of Antarctica, a meteorite had crashed. The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the entire planet. Buildings shook, the ground split, and panic swept through cities and towns alike.

In Hermes' small town, the bullies were thrown to the ground by the force of the quake. The air seemed to hum with a strange energy. Hermes, though still conscious, felt something deep within him stir-a feeling he couldn't explain.

---

Three months later, the world was no longer the same.

Hermes woke up in his small, cramped room. The mattress beneath him felt thin, barely cushioning his aching back. Sunlight streamed through the broken blinds, and his stomach growled loudly.

It had been three months since the meteorite crash changed everything. People across the world had begun gaining strange powers, abilities tied to an energy scientists called Essence. The strongest were known as Ascendants, and the weakest were labeled Pioneers. But Hermes? He was still just a regular boy, barely scraping by.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. His room was as empty as always. His bullies had taken all the money he'd saved, leaving him with nothing.

"If only I had food," he muttered, staring at the bare desk in the corner of his room.

And then, something impossible happened. A plate of food appeared on the desk.

Hermes froze, his heart racing. He blinked, convinced he was imagining things, but the food was still there-real and steaming hot.

"What... what is this?" he whispered, slowly approaching the desk.

Hunger overtook his fear. He grabbed the plate and took a bite. It tasted better than anything he'd ever had. As he ate, his mind raced.

"Ever since the meteorite fell, people have been changing. Powers, energy... but not me. I didn't get anything. I'm still weak." He sighed, finishing the meal. "I'll never be one of them."

---

At school, the bullies were waiting for him as usual.

"Hey, Hermes! Got our money?" one of them sneered, cracking his knuckles.

"I don't have anything," Hermes muttered, keeping his head low.

"Then I guess you'll have to pay with a beating!"

The leader raised his fist, but before it could land, something in Hermes shifted. His body moved on its own, stepping back and grabbing the bully's wrist. With surprising strength, he twisted it, sending the bully to the ground.

The other two lunged at him, but Hermes dodged their attacks with ease. He felt faster, stronger-like his body knew exactly what to do. In moments, both bullies were lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

Hermes stood there, stunned. His hands trembled as he stared at them. "How... how did I do that? I was just thinking about wanting to defend myself... and then it happened."

The school bell rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. As he walked to class, his mind raced. Could this be the Essence everyone had been talking about? Could he have powers after all?

For the first time in a long time, Hermes felt a spark of hope.

"Maybe... I'm not as weak as I thought."