Luminescence

Introduction.

Hi guys!

Before you start reading, I would like to acknowledge that this book is under heavy editing at the moment. I can tell you that 90% of these chapters were written past 10pm on nights that I couldn't sleep. No—I didn't expect that this book would gain such leverage over time, either. Hitting 30k+ reads is absolutely astonishing—and it's all thanks to readers like you! There will be mistakes!! Still working them out.❤️

(I also do very much appreciate the commenters who point out my silly errors.😉)

I hope you enjoy, and thank you for choosing this book to read!

__________

This story is dedicated to Gabby and Lily.
Thank you for believing in me.

_________

My name is Mara Winters.

I live on an Earth unlike yours. And if you're reading this, we need your help.

The year is 2164. Our country is struggling in poverty, and we aren't sure how much more we can take. But before I go into the details, let me tell you our country's backstory.

Almost a century ago in 2050, mutants were created. Yes, humans with altered genes, seen in countless sci-fi movies across time. This new breed of people had powers that only Gods could dream of having. Telepathy. Teleportation. Speed. You name it.

Regular humans looked up to this new creature in awe, with some of the richest men offering hoards of money to get their hands on one. The creators were greedy. Mutants would soon only be born into slavery.

Humans had assumed mutants were just a dumbed-down version of a person with powers, but they were very wrong. Mutants all over the country rebelled against their so-called 'owners,' and started a new life for themselves.

The now-free mutants would use their power for good. With their help, any traces of evil in America were obliterated and crime rates reached an all-time low. Crops thrived, cities bloomed and people were content. World peace is what some aspired to create. Except this wasn't a dream — it was a reality.

But as civilizations rise, history repeats itself. Greatness will always fall eventually.

Our golden era was demolished, when a terrorist croup took over our central government. They called themselves the Plague. Each one of the members were evil mutants with extraordinary powers, and not even the strongest of military weapons could stop them. They brutally murdered anyone who dared stand in their path. They then began conquering other countries in North America. Mexico fell after Washington D.C. Then came Canada. The Plague put strict laws into place, and no hero mutant dared to take them on.

This was the first time anyone feared in decades.

The Plague saw hero mutants as a threat to their totalitarian government. Out of fear, they created a new order called S-827, ordering for the extermination of all hero mutants.

The year was 2102. The order would take years to fulfill. S-827 required new weaponry to be built, ones that could crush the high stamina of the mutants in an instant.

In the first couple of months without the public's knowledge, the hero mutants with the weakest powers were captured and exterminated. Others who had gone into hiding were exploited by devices that could read your genes. Mandatory mutant checks would be performed across the country to find the most disguised hero mutants. Even children were murdered in cold blood.

Two years after the order of S-287, all that was left were the strongest of mutants, who had cleverly found their way into hiding without The Plague knowing.

In 2141, only five hero mutants remained according to records. Those five were the most elite, who believed that in order to survive, they had to stick together. They had powers so extraordinary that even evil mutants were afraid of them—or so the legends say.

In an elaborate, intricately designed plan, the last handful of hero mutants were able to lure the evil mutants from the Plague Captiol for one final battle.

It was heroic. The final hero mutants had powers that even the evil mutants from the Plague didn't see coming. And with the power of teamwork, they were able to beat all 10 Plague evil mutants. They were considered heroes to the rest of the world.

But then, a horrible accident happened many years later. The four out of the five remaining mutants had created offspring in hopes they could carry on their mutated genes (don't worry, the pairs were in love). While their hiding spot was mostly quiet, the Plague found them. An unexpected attack was launched on their city apartment, and that's where their history ends.

No more pages are left in this mutant story, simply because they had been torn out by an unknown source, most likely being the Plague. What happened next was a mystery to the public. We, the people, don't know what happened to the two offspring from the remaining hero mutants, nor do they know if the five mutants are still alive.

We've tried clinging onto hope for years that the hero mutants would come back and take on the Plague—but none have stepped forward. The Plague is much, much too strong to be taken on by ordinary people. They literally rule a continent, for Pete's sake!

Poverty is so high in our country, sometimes people give up. Their lives are filled with so much grief and hopelessness, the Plague created suicide watch so that people wouldn't jump from the tallest buildings in our city district.

Our country has collapsed—and we can't do anything about it.

But this, my friends, is a story about overcoming fears. It is about me, with just few friends by my side, taking on our evil government as we avenge our ancestors. And maybe, just maybe finding some love in the process.

This is a story about how a small luminescence of hope created a worldwide strength—one that would rid the world of evils once more.