Prologue / Chapter 1 - Trev

The first of January 2020. The day that every living thing on the planet 'evolved'. This unexpected evolution triggered widespread panic and chaos on a global scale. The governments of the world scrambled to contain unrest and fear, as crime and discrimination spiralled out of control. Lockdowns, curfews and rationing followed as the world rushed to cope with this new change. Usually, such drastic measures would be reserved for a pandemic or a doomsday scenario, but this was far simpler than that. The cause was as trivial as a health bar appearing above the head of every living creature on Earth.

This health bar, a sliding scale from zero to one hundred, reflected the colour of the animal's blood and adjusted for size. Positioned just above the brain, it remained visible even to the blind, yet cameras were unable to capture it. As it quickly became apparent that very few people were one hundred percent healthy, an unspoken etiquette emerged, discouraging the blatant staring at another person's health. Discrimination against the less healthy surged, giving rise to radical groups advocating for the exclusion of those with low health. Hospitals quickly overflowed with people seeking treatment upon discovering their poor well-being. Conspiracy theories quickly spread that it was the governments of the world were collaborating on a mind chip, to which a few resolute believers attempted to remove these imagined implants, resulting in numerous fatalities.

Months of research later, scientists uncovered a new, second type of DNA, which was identical amongst all human beings. This phenomenon was dubbed as the 'First Evolution'. Upon closer examination, they found that much of this new DNA lay dormant. This First Evolution only scratched the surface of the possible changes to come.

Years passed, and the initial panic surrounding the First Evolution gradually subsided. Society adapted, and the once-foreign health bars became an accepted part of everyday life. The purpose of these health bars in human evolution remained a topic of heated debate but lacked consensus. While a DNA suppressant was developed, regulatory authorities hesitated to stifle such a fundamental aspect of human biology. Consequently, some people resorted to extreme measures to conceal their health bar, donning outrageously large hats.

Amidst the negative repercussions, several positive aspects emerged from the presence of health bars. The ability to diagnose illnesses became easier, as any significant drops in health indicated a problem. This newfound visibility also led to advancements in medicine, with fields emerging that studied the fluctuations in health and established healthy ranges. Universally, a health percentage over seventy was considered an indicator of good health. Ultimately, the health bar evolution was widely regarded as beneficial to humanity, not only in terms of preserving human life but also in veterinary medicine, biology, and other fields involving animals.

However, the peace did not last. At the dawn of the Second Evolution, everything changed once again.

~~~~

[The day before the Second Evolution]

Trev woke up with an almighty headache. He glanced at his health bar, noting a six percent reduction caused by a night of excessive drinking. Fortunately, his robust constitution ensured he remained within the healthy range despite the loss. The room was dark, but he could tell that the sun was up outside. Trev closed his eyes once more, hoping to drift back to sleep. The headache was too intense to consider getting up without a reason.

However, his tranquillity was abruptly shattered as his door slammed open, crashing into the bookshelf behind it, shaking the room. This was particularly surprising for Trev, as he lived alone in this room. Although, since he lived in a university dorm, it was not unusual for a drunk person to stumble into the wrong room. The problem was, it was summer break, there were few students around and it was the middle of the day. Trev was given special permission to stay over the summer when everyone else had been sent home, as he had nowhere else to go. His parents were overseas, and neither he nor his parents had the money to send him home. Therefore, he did not lock his door during this season, thinking there was no need, but he was obviously mistaken.

In crashed a small woman, silhouetted by the bright hallway light behind her. Once inside, she quickly closed the door, enveloping the room in darkness once more. She had not noticed Trev in the dark, and the sudden flash of light had blinded his night vision. However, he could hear her hurriedly racing for the bed, attempting to hide underneath it. His bed was quite low, so on her first sideways attempt, she did not fit. He assumed it was due to her generously endowed chest, which he had observed from her silhouette. Undeterred, she tried a headfirst manoeuvre, only to become stuck once more. She let out a disapproving groan, got up and looked around the room.

The sound of approaching footsteps reverberated in the hallway as a group of people checked every door. The woman panicked and leapt onto the bed, finally noticing Trev. Putting her faith in him, without saying a word she swiftly jumped over him, slipped under the covers and positioned herself behind him, facing her head down so that her health bar would not be visible from the door. Trev was relieved that he had fallen asleep in his clothes the previous night, as otherwise, this situation would have been a lot more awkward.

The door swung open, blinding Trev again. In walked the outline of a man, with two others standing in the hall. They appeared to be gangsters. As Trev's eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, the man spoke in a menacing voice.

"Hey loser, did a small woman come in here?" he asked.

Trev was not going to give her up to such an aggressive opener.

"Err, what? You woke me up. No, there's no one else in here."

"Are you fucking sure? I am not playing," replied the man. The man pulled out a gun, took a few steps forward and pointed it at Trev from a few metres away. Trev externally panicked, as any person should when a gun is pulled on them. Internally he was composed and collected.

"Yes, Yes, Yes, I am sure," replied Trev in a fake panic, still laying down on his side to obscure the woman. Throughout the ordeal, she had remained perfectly still, holding her breath.

"Okay, let's keep looking boys," said the man to his friends, who turned around and walked back to the door.

As he went to close the door, he paused, turned around once more, and raised his gun. The man aimed at him where his chest would be and pulled the trigger. A deafening bang reverberated through the room and Trev passed out from the impact as a bullet from the gun hit him square in the chest. Without checking Trev's health, the man slammed the door closed and left.

The hidden woman waited another ten seconds for the men to leave, before gasping for breath.

"No, no, no. Not another one, I can't keep getting innocent people killed," she muttered to herself, remarkably composed despite the circumstances.

She sat up, rolled Trev over, and examined his chest. In contention for the luckiest man alive, Trev had only a bruised chest. The bullet had hit his wallet that still sat in the top pocket of his jacket, stopped by the insurmountable amount of change he had accrued from drinking the night before. The woman checked his pulse; he was still alive. It was this warm hand that woke him back up from his faint. He panicked and clutched at his chest, only to feel his wallet had taken the fall. Sighing with relief he looked at the woman who could do nothing but smile. Her brown hair flowed around her face, and her blue eyes looked down at him over her ample bust.

"Thank you, you saved me. Sorry I got you shot," she said in a soft and gentle tone.

Before Trev could respond, she expressed her gratitude by kissing him on the mouth. Trev offered no resistance, enchanted by her soft lips and the cherry lip gloss flavour. Her curvaceous form pressed against him, intensifying the moment.

"Any time. Who were those people?" Trev inquired, his voice trembling, a mix of flustered emotions fueled by the kiss and lingering adrenaline.

The woman, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, moved to the edge of the bed and stood up. Without turning back, she replied, her voice exuding a blend of calmness and sorrow.

"They are no one you should concern yourself with. You will only end up hurt."

Though her words were serene, a tinge of melancholy lingered in her tone.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

She walked toward the door, opened it partially, and peeked outside before speaking, still facing away from him.

"Stay away from those men... and stay away from me."

Silence enveloped the room for a few fleeting moments as Trev frantically searched for another question.

"I am leaving now, thank you again," she continued, as she swung the door open fully and took a step outside.

"One last thing!" Trev exclaimed, making a final attempt to engage her.

"Yes?" she responded patiently.

"What is your name?"

She paused, glanced down the hallway once more, and began to leave without answering. Yet, she halted once more, turning her head to cast a glance over her shoulder.

"Elena," she smiled.

Without another word or opportunity for Trev to ask further questions, she left, closing the door behind her. Trev chose not to pursue her. He lay there for a brief period, attempting to process the extraordinary sequence of events. Reporting the incident to the police briefly crossed his mind, but he dismissed the idea, not wanting to bring trouble upon Elena or having to explain the bizarre occurrence to law enforcement. He wasn't dead and his chest would heal. Thus, he proceeded to take a shower, change his sheets, have a meal, and return to bed. Still plagued by the remnants of his hangover, he slept through the night, only to be awakened before the sun rose by his alarm. He had to get ready for work at the bank.

Upon waking, Trev's eyes briefly glanced at his health bar, revealing a further decline likely resulting from the gunshot. After looking away, he then had to double-take back at his health. Above it sat another bar, empty, with a single dash next to it and small writing on it. It read 'Experience.'