New Dawn

The grand hall of the Capitol Palace was silent, save for the crackling of torches and the low murmur of assembled nobles, ministers, and high-ranking officials. Captain Helena Stone stood at the foot of the throne.

Before her, seated upon the throne, King Ivan the Great—monarch of Edenia, sovereign of the Gallanta Kingdom—observed her with piercing eyes. The weight of command radiated from his very being, his golden crown heavy with centuries of Gallantan rule.

To his right, Lord Adrastos, the Prime Minister of Economic Development, held an aged parchment in his hands—the original Mutant Treaty Act, signed centuries ago on 1 Mokhwa, Hikaribi, 723 Third Age.

Stone did not hesitate. "Your Majesty," she began, her voice steady. "The Yuccavale incident has proven what I have long warned this council—mutants above Level Two are a threat to civilization itself. The massacre, the destruction, the sheer power they wield—"

She clenched her fists. "It is time we amend the Mutant Treaty Act to reflect the present dangers. No longer can we afford to treat them as mere anomalies. They are weapons of mass destruction, walking calamities that—if left unchecked—will reduce our world to ruin."

A murmur of agreement swept through the chamber. Some nodded; others exchanged wary glances.

King Ivan remained silent. Instead, he raised a hand, gesturing for Lord Adrastos to speak.

The prime minister adjusted his spectacles, unrolling the parchment. His voice echoed through the vast chamber, carrying the unforgiving laws written nearly six centuries prior.

"Let it be known throughout the realm of Edenia and beyond—mutants, once feared as witches and beings of unnatural power, shall henceforth be defined as those possessing unnatural abilities due to excessive mutosterone in their blood. These abilities, classified into various forms of sorcery, shall be monitored, regulated, and, if necessary, eradicated to ensure the safety of the realm."

"The classifications of known mutations are as follows:"

Article I – Caster (Elemental Magic): Defined as the ability to manipulate and generate elemental forces—fire, water, air, earth, and beyond. Mutants wielding such abilities can obliterate entire cities and must be strictly contained. Elemental Embodiment, Fusion, and High-Level Manipulation shall be outlawed.

Article II – Blood Magic (Biokinesis): Those who manipulate blood wield power over life itself—this cannot be allowed. Any mutant capable of Hemokinetic Chains, Vampiric Drain, or Blood Puppetry shall be executed immediately.

Article III – Mana Manipulation (Pure Magic): Users of raw mana pose extreme threats due to their ability to bypass physical defenses. Overcharge and Ethereal Shift are considered national security threats.

Article IV – Arcane Script (Rune Magic): Magic contained within symbols is unpredictable and must be outlawed. Curse Runes and Sacrificial Engravings are especially dangerous and must result in the caster's immediate elimination.

Article V – Spirit Channeling (Summoning Magic): Summoners who forge pacts with supernatural beings wield armies beyond mortal comprehension. Celestial Pacts are forbidden under penalty of death.

Article VI – Void Magic (Abyssal Magic): The manipulation of nothingness threatens the fabric of existence itself. Annihilation Touch and Abyssal Devour must be eradicated before their wielders become unstoppable.

Article VII – Chronomancy (Time Magic): Time manipulation is a violation of reality itself. All known Chronomancers must be executed on sight.

Article VIII – Alchemy (Transmutation Magic): The ability to reshape matter is a power too great to be wielded by any mortal. Material Conversion and Homunculus Creation shall be strictly monitored.

Article IX – Necromancy (Death Magic): Raising the dead is an act against nature itself. Any practitioner of Soul Extraction, Necrotic Plague, or Death Pact shall be burned at the stake.

Article X – Ether Manipulation (Divine Magic): Even those claiming divine power can be trusted. Astral Projection and Rebirth Blessing are considered illegal under Edenian law.

Article XI – Psionics (Mind Magic): The ability to control another's thoughts is a violation of free will. All known Psionic mutants must be placed under permanent sedation or termination.

Article XII – Bestial Magic (Beast Affinity): Shapeshifters pose a constant threat to identity security. Feral Rage and Predator's Instinct users are to be monitored at all times.

Article XIII – Demonology (Infernal Magic): The summoning of demons is the greatest sin of all. Practitioners of Abyssal Chains and Corruptive Aura shall be executed upon discovery.

Article XIV – Sound Magic (Vibration Manipulation): Resonance Shockwaves and Sonic Booms are potential mass destruction weapons. Sound Mutants must be neutralized before they can cause city-wide devastation.

Article XV – Gravity Magic (Spatial Force Manipulation): The control of gravity itself makes its users capable of world-ending threats. Singularity Core and Gravity Lensing shall result in immediate termination of the mutant.

Article XVI – Chaos Magic (Unstable Reality Bending): This power is unpredictable and catastrophic in nature. Probability Shifting and Anomalous Form are too dangerous to allow in any society.

Article XVII – Relic Magic (Artifact-Based Sorcery): Magical relics must remain under strict government control. Ancient Totems and Artifact Replication shall be confiscated immediately.

"Let it be known that those who bear unnatural power shall be bound by the will of the people. Their abilities, gifted by fate yet dangerous by nature, shall be watched and contained for the stability of civilization. No mutant beyond Level Two shall be permitted to walk freely among humankind, lest they bring forth calamity. Those who violate this decree shall face absolute justice."

When the reading ended, murmurs broke out among the gathered lords and officials. Some nodded in approval, others whispered anxiously. Captain Stone let them speak—for now. The Yuccavale incident had proven her point. A single Level Three mutant could destroy an entire village in a single night. If mutants like Barry Leighton had gone unchecked, how long before another disaster struck?

She took a step forward, her black boots clicking against the marble floor.

"This treaty is outdated," she declared, eyes flashing with conviction. "We need stronger measures. Registration alone is not enough. Mutants must be contained."

"Your Majesty," she continued, her voice firm. "These laws are not enough. We must go further. The Yuccavale Incident has proven that Level-Two and above mutants cannot coexist with civilization. I propose an amendment—all mutants ranked Level-Two or higher shall be immediately detained, branded, or executed. No exceptions."

King Ivan the Great sat still for a long moment. Then, slowly, he turned to the Council of Nobles. "Vote," he commanded.

After hours of fierce debate, the decision was made. A final vote was cast, and the result sent a ripple through the chamber—Mutants must be registered and implanted with a control device: the Nexus Regulator.

This futuristic chip, codenamed "Sentinel Core," would be embedded into every registered mutant, stabilizing their Mutosterone levels to Level Two or lower. If a mutant's power spiked beyond this limit, the Sentinel Core would suppress their abilities—by force if necessary.

Captain Stone clenched her fists. It wasn't the iron-fisted control she had hoped for, but it was progress. A Level Two mutant was manageable. A Level Two mutant was something she could kill.

As the new amendment settled, Captain Stone turned her gaze back to the throne. "And what about Barry Leighton and Miles Fletcher?" Her voice was steady, but her eyes burned with hidden rage.

King Ivan exhaled slowly. "Barry Leighton has proven his loyalty as Yuccavale's sheriff. He remains under Yuccavale's jurisdiction."

A hush fell over the hall. The king leaned forward, his voice firm. "The world needs a hero among mutants. If we cast them all as villains, they will have no reason to abide by our laws."

Stone's jaw tightened. But before she could object, the king continued. "Miles Fletcher, however, is another matter entirely." His expression darkened. "He will be publicly executed."

Captain Stone allowed herself a small smirk. Fletcher's death was expected, inevitable. The true disappointment lay in Barry Leighton. A living reminder that sometimes, monsters were allowed to walk free.

The sun hung low over Capitol Palace, casting golden light upon the towering banners of Gallanta. Every major city, village, and outpost in Edenia fell into silence as the royal sigil flickered to life on public broadcast spheres. Even in the most remote corners of the land, in hidden enclaves and shadowed forests where mutants had fled for safety, the announcement would reach them.

The screen sharpened, revealing King Ivan the Great seated upon his grand throne. His expression was solemn, his voice a controlled thunder that resonated across the kingdom. "People of Edenia, hear my words."

The weight of the moment settled over the land. Merchants paused in bustling markets, children were hushed by their parents, and soldiers stood at attention in their barracks. In the dark corners of civilization—where mutants dwelled in secret—hearts pounded with fear.

The king lifted an ornate parchment, the ink of its amendment still fresh, the official seal of the crown glistening under the palace lights.

"As of this day, by the will of the Throne and the Council of Lords, the Mutant Treaty Act has been amended to preserve the stability of our great kingdom. No longer shall unregistered mutants be allowed to walk among men without consequence. No longer shall those with unnatural abilities be left unchecked."

His voice grew sharper. "From this day forward, all mutants shall be registered and implanted with the Nexus Regulator—codenamed Sentinel Core—to ensure their power remains at Level Two or lower. Any mutant who refuses registration is hereby declared a fugitive of the state."

A collective hush spread through Edenia. The message was clear.

"Any who resist this law will be hunted. Any who threaten the balance of our kingdom will be met with swift justice. There will be no exceptions. No mercy."

His gaze turned cold as steel. "To all those hiding in the shadows—know this. Your time of running is over. Your time of lawlessness is over. You will bow before the will of the people, or you will be crushed beneath it."

The parchment was rolled, sealed shut. "This decree is signed and enforced by the Crown on the Fourth of Byeolhwa, Hikaribi, Year 1312 of the Third Age."

Across Edenia, reactions varied. The nobility nodded in approval, common folk murmured in uncertainty, and mutants trembled—some in anger, others in terror.

In the depths of darkened forests and forgotten ruins, mutants who had long lived in hiding now faced a grim reality. Their existence had been outlawed. Their survival had been challenged.

And somewhere, in a quiet village named Yuccavale, Barry Leighton felt the weight of the world press against him.

Because no matter what King Ivan said—no matter what laws were passed—monsters like him did not simply bow.

As King Ivan's decree faded from the broadcast spheres, the screen did not go dark. Instead, it shifted—revealing a grim stage set before Capitol Palace.

A massive iron platform loomed in the center of a vast coliseum-like courtyard, flanked by towering floodlights. The space was filled with noblemen, military officials, and common citizens, all gathered to witness a spectacle unseen in decades—the public execution of a mutant. Chained and bound at the center stood Miles Fletcher. Or rather, what remained of him.

His form, once human, had long since become something else—a writhing, eldritch nightmare of shifting flesh and protruding tendrils, his body a canvas of horror crafted by his own unstable mutation. Blackened veins pulsed beneath his torn skin, his eyes flickering between human and something… unnatural.

Yet, despite his monstrous appearance, his laughter echoed through the courtyard—mocking, defiant.

"So this is how it ends?" Fletcher grinned, his jagged teeth glistening under the harsh lights. "Not with a war, not with a reckoning… but with a show?"

The crowd murmured in unease. Even the most hardened soldiers found themselves averting their gaze. But Captain Stone stood motionless, her gaze sharp as ever. "Silence the monster."

At her command, three Sentinels stepped forward, their towering exosuits gleaming with arcane and technological enhancements—crafted specifically to counter high-level mutants.

Each carried a different execution method—ensuring that Fletcher's abilities could not save him.

The Anathema Coil – A pulsating energy whip designed to sever eldritch growths at their core, unraveling his shifting flesh.

The Nullifier Spear – A weapon that suppressed mutosterone energy, freezing his mutation in place, making him vulnerable.

The Celestial Pyre – A controlled inferno of white fire, designed to consume even the most unnatural horrors without leaving a trace.

The execution began. At once, the Anathema Coil lashed out, cutting through his writhing tendrils with unnatural precision. Fletcher let out a guttural roar, his body convulsing as pieces of his mutation were torn away—disintegrating into ash.

The Nullifier Spear struck next, piercing his chest. His body stiffened, frozen in place. The eldritch flesh that had once shifted freely now remained still—helpless.

And finally—the Celestial Pyre was ignited. The flames roared to life, engulfing him entirely. It was no ordinary fire—it did not simply burn flesh. It consumed essence. It erased existence.

For the first time, Miles Fletcher screamed. A sound so inhuman, so utterly broken, that even the most loyal citizens of Edenia felt their blood run cold.

He did not die quickly. He did not die painlessly. But he died completely. When the fire finally burned out, there was nothing left.

No body. No shadow. No trace. Only silence. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, but not everyone celebrated.

Across Edenia, mutants who had blended into society watched in horror. Those who hid in forests and ruins felt dread coil around their hearts.

The message was clear: Mutants were no longer outcasts. They were prey. And Edenia had just fired the first shot in a war against their kind.