1 The Catastrophe

"Go with the soldier, dear! It's not safe here!"

The horrified mother, who feared for her offspring's safety, handed Noah and his sister Mel to the soldiers. Noah retaliated and shook his hands off the soldier, running towards his mother that turned around with tears flowing down his face.

"No, mom... don't leave us!"

The tears flowing down on Noah's face as he grappled on his mother's legs, preventing his mother from going further on the chaos that was in front of them. He tried so hard to speak but his emotions made him stutter or lose in the sentence.

Yet, the moment he looked at his mother, it was not a face of fear but a face of calmness. Her smile was radiating as it helped Noah calm down. She kneeled as she wiped Noah's tears, smiling like there was no problem at all.

"It's gonna be okay, dear. I just need to find your father and I'll be behind you."

"Mom…"

Noah decided to let go and the firm hands of his sister grabbed his arms as she smiled back.

"Brother, it's gonna be okay."

For a child, Mel radiated the same vibe as her mother. Noah stood up as he wiped his tears with his arms as the soldier followed and grabbed the two of them.

"Please take care of my kids, sir."

Noah's mother smiled to the soldier as the soldier agreed, "I will do my duty, ma'am!" The soldier said. Yet, the way he said it. It was that of a sorrowful expression. One that shows how powerless he was to the whole situation.

Noah's mother turned her back as she ran towards the despair and chaos of Quezon. Her shadow gradually declining upon the mist and dust that floated all over the place.

"Mom…"

"No mom, please don't go!"

Noah's mind instantly changed as the figure of his mother disappeared and the fear of not ever seeing her again clouded his mind. He tried to shake off his hand from the soldier again but the soldier did not agree to it this time.

"No, let go of me!... I have to get to my motherr!"

"Please brother, don't be mad!"

His sister tried to stop Noah too but Noah got too angry and impatient. His adrenaline suddenly gave him a boost of strength, shaking off his arm from the officer.

"Hey don't, it's too dangerous— what?"

The soldier tried to chase for Noah when the ground started to shake and an explosion followed in the direction of his mother. Noah's jaw dropped as he lost his strength and the fear ate all of his reasoning.

He just stood there with a surprised and scared expression. His brows rose up and his pupil became minuscule. He lost all the strength to stand up and kneeled down as the fear was too much for his body to support.

Noah broke apart.

"MOTHEEERRR!!!"

Noah's eyes opened and he found himself in a white room. He was laying down on a comfy bed, an IV bag that was connected to his arms, and an oxygen mask that covered his mouth and nose.

"That nightmare from five years ago... urgghh..."

Noah felt weak and his mind was still cloudy. He couldn't think of what happened beforehand when someone in a white-coat opened the door.

"Oh my, you're awake?"

A doctor, by the name of Doctor Wilson, explained that Noah collapsed during work a week. So he was taken in the hospital and found out he was Activated.

"I what?"

"Yes, you heard that right. Your heart has turned into a mana core successfully and we've found out you are a Solid Transformation-Type. Of course, we still have no idea about your abilities but we will test that after your recovery."

An Activated is a person that was granted supernatural power through the power of Metamorphosis. This is a painful process in which the heart hardens and transforms itself into a mana core.

If he was left unattended, he could've died through suffocation as the heart weakens, pumping less blood and giving the lungs less air.

"I see."

Noah was silent and he was no less surprised as he can remember his father also being an Activated. Although no evidence suggests that Activation is genetic, it is evident that Activation hits randomly on people, specifically those who are often exposed to Manas.

"So what will you do from now?"

The Doctor asked.

"Will you become a hunter?"

"I'm not too sure."

Noah's eyes squinted and his forehead furrowed as the fear of dying and leaving his sister behind was something he could not decide so easily.

"Anyway, you will have one day of rest and we will test your powers afterward."

Noah nodded when they were disrupted by the sudden slamming of the door.

"Brother, are you okay?!"

Mel appeared with a concerned expression, tears that stood by her eyes. Her black and flowing hair that stopped from where it flowed earlier when she opened the doors. Her purple eyes that were so full of worry, that it was obvious she was crying. She is still 15 years old, yet, she is already as beautiful as her mother.

Noah remembered when some suspicious boys flocked on Mel a year ago and Noah was so angry that he brought a steel pipe to drive them away.

Noah just smirked at the memory of how troublesome his sister can be, but she's the only thing he has left. After they arrived at Cebu City, his mother and father were never seen since that incident and they were all alone for five years.

Noah looked at his sister with a smile and eyes that were twinkling with delight

"Yeah, I'm alright."

Mel walked and thanked Doctor Wilson for saving his brother. Although the fee was all free because they were refugees, a doctor unpaid can't do a job that well. Maybe they are paid by the government, who knows.

Although Mel was happy Noah is now safe. Noah was looking worried as he felt a hunch that being Activated could be a bad omen to what will come in the future.

Yet, he just shrugged it off and hoped that nothing bad will happen to the future, especially to his sister. He hoped.