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MARTYR

mautek17
7
chs / week
The average realized release rate over the past 30 days is 7 chs / week.
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Synopsis
In the year 2032, a cosmic phenomenon shakes the Earth: a rain of stellar fragments grants extraordinary powers to eighty percent of the planet’s living beings. Humans and animals, heroes and monsters—everyone changes forever. Martín, a young Uruguayan who lost his parents in an accident and was condemned to an immobile life after the tragedy, awakens amid the chaos with an unexpected gift: an energy that envelops his body and allows him to walk, fly, and fight. Known as Martyr, he will soon discover that he must face not only savage creatures and power-hungry villains, but also the secrets hidden within his own power. The world is divided between survival and ambition, and Martyr will learn that being a hero is not as simple as he once imagined. Between hope and sacrifice, he will become one of humanity’s last chances to keep from losing everything.
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Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Prologue

The broadcast interrupted afternoon programming in every corner of the world. In bars, plazas, waiting rooms, and homes, millions of people stopped to face the screen. The image of a man with neatly combed hair and a dark suit filled the broadcast.

"Good evening, this is Richard Coleman, live for International News Network," he said with a firm, confident voice, marked by his American accent. "We find ourselves in a moment that has captured the world's attention. A celestial body is approaching Earth."

He paused for a moment, letting his words hang in the air."On social media, they're already calling it 'the Death Star,' even 'Judgment Day.' But experts insist we should not fall into alarmism."

The screen shifted to a studio in Mexico City. A man with gray hair and glasses, surrounded by space charts, smiled calmly.

"And to talk about this phenomenon," Coleman continued, "we have with us Dr. Luis Hernández, astronomer at the National University. Doctor, the question on everyone's mind: is there a real possibility of impact with Earth?"

The astronomer adjusted his glasses patiently."I understand perfectly. An object of this size always stirs nerves. We're talking about an asteroid roughly three and a half kilometers in diameter. It is large, yes, but it is not something capable of erasing life on the planet. Our calculations show that the probability of impact is minimal—practically zero. At worst, it may graze the atmosphere."

Coleman raised his eyebrows."Doctor, with all due respect, people don't feel reassured when they hear something will 'graze the atmosphere.' What does that mean in practice?"

"Most likely," Hernández replied, "the object will fragment as it meets the atmosphere. Like glass shattering into thousands of pieces. We may see fire rains, luminous flashes, meteorites moving at high speed. It will be an impressive, even beautiful spectacle, but it should not pose a direct danger."

"So, to be clear," Coleman leaned toward the camera, "we're not talking about the end of the world?"

Dr. Hernández smiled and shook his head."There is nothing to worry about."

MONTEVIDEO, HOSPITAL

Martín watched the television from a bed, paralyzed from the neck down. The glow of the newscast reflected in his tired brown eyes. His black hair was messy, his skin pale, and the sadness in his expression made him look older than his eighteen years. Tragedy had aged him—the accident that had taken his parents and left him trapped in his own body.

At his side, his aunt Betty adjusted the blanket patiently."We could go see it, Tino. They say it'll be visible all over the country… it must be beautiful," she said, trying to sound cheerful.

"No. I'm tired. You should go. I'll watch from here."

Betty looked at him with a hint of sadness and stroked his shoulder."Alright. We'll go with Clara and the kids. We'll bring you pictures."

When they left, silence filled the room. Martín stared at his own fragile reflection in the screen. Outside in the hallway, a nurse paused to watch the broadcast. A boy in a wheelchair pointed excitedly at the TV while his mother tried to calm him.

BERLIN, HOSPITAL

Hans, tall and blond with a stern gaze, went over a folder of instructions for his medical residency. At just twenty-four, the dark circles under his eyes revealed countless sleepless shifts. In the waiting area, a television showed Coleman interviewing the astronomer.

"Did you see the news about the asteroid?" a colleague asked.

Hans barely lifted his eyes."Yeah. They say there's no danger."

"Still, imagine seeing the sky burning tonight."

Hans gave a faint smile and returned to the folder. On a nearby bench, an old man muttered that he remembered star showers in his youth, and nothing bad had happened then. Outside the hospital window, a crow flew past, cawing insistently.

GUADALAJARA, MECHANIC'S SHOP

The morning heat clung to the skin. Mario, in his forties, with strong arms and grease-stained hands, bent over the hood of an old car. A portable radio on the workbench carried the voice of the broadcast.

"…it will be an impressive, even beautiful spectacle, but it should not pose a direct danger…"

Mario snorted and lit a cigarette."They always say the same thing. If the sky falls on us one day, we won't even notice."

He ducked back under the hood, indifferent. At the shop entrance, a stray dog lifted its head and howled at the sky, as if sensing something.

MADRID, RETIRO PARK

Elena, a woman with red hair tied in a ponytail, was still sweating after finishing her run. Her fair skin was flushed, her delicate features shaped by years of athletic routine. She walked alongside a friend, water bottles in hand.

"Did you see the news?" her friend asked, showing her phone.

Elena took a sip and smirked."Yeah, about the cosmic rain. They say it'll be better than San Isidro fireworks. Free light show."

Both laughed, vanishing among the trees. In the distance, children played with paper airplanes. One of them pointed at the sky and shouted:"Look, there's the star!"

The mothers glanced up calmly, as if it were nothing more than a bright point in the evening sky.

OSAKA, RAMEN RESTAURANT

At the wooden counter, Kendo, thin and slightly unkempt, slurped from a bowl while his friend went on endlessly about the latest episode of an anime.

"No, listen—if the protagonist reached that level, the universe would collapse in on itself…"

Kendo chuckled. In the corner, a television played the international broadcast.

"Hey, look," his friend said, "they're saying it's going to break apart."

Kendo glanced at the screen, saw the asteroid for a second, and laughed again."Sure. Just like in anime."

At a back table, two office workers discussed watching the sky from their balconies that night to record it on their phones. Outside, the streetlights were flickering on, and pedestrians paused in the darkened street to watch the strange glimmer above.

Amazon rainforest

jaguar crouched in the brush, stalking capybaras drinking calmly at the water's edge. A toucan squawked from the canopy, the jungle alive with sound. But suddenly, the capybaras raised their heads all at once, uneasy, and the jaguar lifted its gaze skyward, as if something invisible were calling.

The broadcast returned to the studio. Richard Coleman stared directly at the camera.

"You heard it, folks. Mr. Hernández's words are clear. There is nothing to fear."

The astronomer nodded behind him, still smiling."The end of the world is not coming today. I recommend watching the sky with ease. It will be an event worth remembering, not fearing."

And that night, millions of eyes—human and animal alike—lifted toward the same brilliant point in the firmament, unaware that they were witnessing the last sunset of normality.