[Note: This chapter serves as a major lore drop. At the end of this arc (Chapter 15), I'll release auxiliary chapters (Lore Notes) with all the information presented in a clearer, more organized format. So don't worry if everything doesn't click right away.]
Chapter 8: The True Story I
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"One blink, and my dull life was about to turn into a full-on superhero saga."
— Amelia
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At the Hero Headquarters...
Amelia strolled through the beautiful courtyard compound alongside the man whom the Eleven Saluted. As they walked, she found herself unable to tell whether he was truly blind—his eyes were pale white, and though he stared straight ahead and he moved with a walking stick, he walked with such ease it was as if the cane was unnecessary.
Noah:
"My name is Noah Williams, the President of the Hero League and father of the children of the Garden.
Amelia:
"nice to meet you sir." She greets him.
Noah:
"I know you have many questions, why don't we start answering them. But first, let me tell you a story."
They both took a seat on a bench. He took a small breath still looking straight ahead before talking.
"1,316 years ago, back when the world was fractured—divided into empires, tribes, kingdom. When kings ruled and swords decided faith.
A queen desperate for immortality encountered a mysterious being who granted her godlike powers. She became the first Superhuman—The Genesis. With her newfound might, she conquered and ruled nations for years. Later, she gave birth to ten children at once. Each child inherited a fragment of her power, including her Immortality—some possessed extraordinary abilities—devastating in their own right, while others wielded power so immense it rivaled that of demigods.
Together, they ruled as a family—feared across the world. People came to call them The Eleven: the only eleven Superhumans in existence.
But once her children matured, the Genesis chose a different path. Instead of conquest, she sent them across the world to share their powers and help humanity evolve. Each child passed on fragments of their abilities to ordinary humans, creating more Superhumans.
By the year 1200,
Generations had passed. Superhumans had multiplied, but humans remained the majority. And as always, power bred corruption. Among the gifted emerged criminals—villains—who used their abilities for selfish gain. In response, the authorities of the world and the immortal Eleven created an organized faction—the Hero League: Superhumans who trained to defend society. These protectors became known as Heroes. Over time, they rose to celebrity status for their service and heroism. The world was changing.
Then came the year 1700.
The Genesis declared that her end was near. Her immortality, she explained, had a one-millennium limit and it had been a thousand years since she got her powers so her time was up. Upon her death, her power—and memories—would reincarnate within a descendant of her bloodline in every generation. Her prophecy came true. She died, and a newborn inherited her power. The rest of the Eleven, also lost their immortality and they perished that same year. Their powers to, were reborn into infants.
From that moment on, the Eleven would be mortals. Their powers would reincarnate in new hosts at birth, and whenever a new bearer of their abilities was born, every Superhuman in the world would feel it, for all Superhumans originate from the Genesis and so all Superhumans are connected.
But only the new Genesis would inherit her full memory and consciousness. Each time they died, they would reincarnate with all prior knowledge intact. The government and Hero League took in these new Eleven—trained them to be what they truly are. Leaders, Superheroes, and the world's strongest Superhumans. The New Eleven.
However, with the first generation gone and a new generation rising, the government seized near-total control over Superhumans. Laws were passed in the name of peace and stability but in truth, they bred fear and inequality. Only Superhumans under government control—Heroes—were accepted. Others, regardless of morality, were shunned. Superhumans began living like outcasts. This dark age lasted for over two centuries.
Then came the year 1909.
A human named Bruce, a high-ranking government official, turned against the system. He believed the treatment of Superhumans was inhumane. At the time, the world was in the era of the Fourth Generation Eleven. Bruce allied himself with three of them—Numbers 3, 4, and 7—who also opposed the status quo. In secret, they formed a rebel faction: The Super Liberation Army that also consisted of many other superhumans who were also ready to fight the system.
Their mission? Persuade the Genesis to join them. With his power to control all Superhuman minds—they would change the world by force.
By 1913, they succeeded.
The Genesis, conflicted but sympathetic, joined them. And even gave Bruce powers. When they emerged from the shadows—once hailed as Superheroes, they were now labeled as Supervillains, and the four rogue Eleven became known as The Forsaken Eleven. Their plan was set in motion: The Genesis would meet all the criteria to take control of every Superhuman on Earth—including the rest of the Eleven and the Heroes.
The following year... the Genesis met all the criteria.
The most destructive war that both humanity and superhumanity had ever seen, took place: The Super War.
Controlled by the Genesis, the rest of the Eleven and all Superhumans around the world began slaughtering humans. Cities burned. Millions died. It was the beginning of the Great Super War, which raged for only eight months.
History books claim humanity emerged victorious—that the Genesis was forced to surrender, then executed.
But none of it was true.
You see...the world in 1914 was deep in the age of steel and smoke, where factories roared and machines grew faster, deadlier. Rifles, machine guns, and heavy artillery had become products of mass industry.
Even before the war humanity believed that the rapid rise of modern weapons, advanced technology, and military power would soon make superheroes obsolete—enough to bring down even the strongest superhumans. Humanity decided that they would fight back and we're certain they would win, but they were wrong. The Eleven alone were unstoppable. The world was at the mercy of Superhumans.
But the Genesis—he wasn't a tyrant. He didn't want to wipe out humanity. He only hated the oppression his kind endured. So he made a new plan.
He proposed a deal: He would relinquish control over Superhuman minds, strip all Superhumans of their powers—except for the Eleven and the Superheroes—and eliminate any programmed hostility toward humans. Future Superhumans would still be born, but their powers would remain dormant unless physically awakened by making contact with an existing Superhuman.
This meant only the Eleven and Heroes could activate the powers of future generations—keeping their emergence in check.
The government agreed.
The Genesis's condition? The creation of a hidden society, a sanctuary where awakened Superhumans could train, live, and one day earn back humanity's trust. They would become silent protectors, growing stronger in the shadows."
Amelia:
"Wow... so that's why, when I touched Luca my powers awakened. Because he already is a Superhuman." She flashes back.
"But why go through all this trouble? And if Superhumans were the villains then what where they protecting humans from in the shadows?"
Noah(continued):
"One reason: Bruce.
When the Genesis abandoned the war, Bruce disappeared. Despite having given Bruce powers, the Genesis couldn't track or control him. Something—unknown—linked them and prevented it. The Genesis knew Bruce would return one day to finish what he started and because he also couldn't trust that the government would keep to their word after his death. So he set safeguards: If the government ever broke their pact, the next Genesis would instantly awaken and trigger a new war. Superhumans would regain their powers and the Eleven would rise again—this time, to end humanity.
The government agreed. They had no choice.
The Genesis took his own life. But before doing so, he made one final decree: no new Genesis would rise until the world was ready. When that time came, his successor would either protect humanity from Bruce—or punish it, if the government broke their deal.
And so it happened.
Superhumans lost their powers. Heroes lived in secrecy, now facing even more discrimination. But slowly, they began awakening new generations. When a child's powers were triggered, the government took them—not to imprison them, but to bring them to the hidden sanctuary:
The Garden.
Here, every awakened Superhuman—regardless of age—became a Child of the Garden.
As the decades passed, the Heroes of the Super War died off. But they had already trained a new generation—hidden, growing in the shadows.
To the world, Superhumans seemed extinct. In reality, the government was taking any child who awakened powers. Parents thought their kids were quarantined or something even worse—truth is, they were brought here.
In 1960, 56 years ago, Number Eight of the Fourth Generation Eleven passed away. That same year, a child was born: Elias Mercer, the first of the Fifth Generation Eleven. It took over a decade to find and awaken him, but we succeeded. Since then, the rest of the Fourth Generation have passed one by one, and the Fifth Generation have been reborn. You, Vandoren and the rest of the people you met a while ago are the Fifth Generation Eleven. They have been training, growing, fighting evil from the shadows. And it's time for you to join us–
Amelia... Number Ten."
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To be continued...
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Chapter 9 Preview:
After learning the true history of Superhumans, Amelia is left stunned—but not all her questions are answered. She returns to school, only to face an even bigger surprise. The Villain League strikes—Stonebridge Highschool is under siege!
Everything changes tomorrow in Chapter 9: This Is A Nightmare. Don't miss it.