The apocalypse of 2080 reshaped everything. When the crystal asteroid struck the Pacific Ocean, it didn't merely break continents it rewrote Earth's destiny. From its shattered remains seeped an unknown energy that burrowed deep into the planet. Later generations would come to name it Mana.
As Mana fused with the Earth's core, the tectonic plates destabilized. What followed was destruction beyond imagination earthquakes splitting mountains, tsunamis drowning cities, volcanic eruptions painting the skies black, and storms fierce enough to tear steel apart.
Humanity, already reduced to forty percent by the impact alone, suffered even more in the chaos that followed. Resources vanished, cities collapsed, sickness spread, and hunger claimed millions.
Yet humanity endured.
Even in ruins, humans showed their most defining trait adaptability. Slowly, painfully, they began to rebuild shelters, form small settlements, and restore fragments of order.
But when mankind dared to believe the worst had passed, the true transformation began.
Mana, absorbed deep into the Earth's core, began affecting everything connected to the planet.
The first changes appeared in plants. With their survival rooted directly in soil and minerals, they reacted fastest and most dramatically. Trees grew thicker and harder, some with bark comparable to steel. Vines stretched unnaturally long, roots shattered old concrete foundations, and certain plants emitted a faint, eerie glow at night. Some developed defensive traits, while rare ones showed behaviors resembling low-level awareness.
Then animals changed.
Drinking Mana-infused water and feeding on mutated plants, creatures began evolving in unpredictable ways. Wild beasts became stronger and more aggressive, but even domestic animals those that lived closest to humans transformed.
Rats, exposed constantly to polluted Mana sources, grew larger and more coordinated. Swarms of them attacked food storage, overwhelming settlements through sheer numbers.
Dogs, once mankind's most loyal companions, became unpredictable. Some remained guardians, while others turned into silent predators hunting in intelligent packs.
Cats increased in speed and agility. Their night vision sharpened to an unnatural level, and ambush attacks on humans became common.
Livestock cows, goats, pigs developed thicker muscle and tougher skin, becoming nearly impossible to control.
As the environment changed, humanity faced an undeniable truth
they could not fight the Mana-shaped world with their old bodies.
And then the most astonishing shift occurred.
Humans began to change as well.
Exposure to Mana through water, food, soil, or air altered their physical capabilities. At first, the signs were subtle slightly sharper senses, faster reflexes, and improved stamina. But these changes grew stronger with continued exposure.
Some people could outrun any athlete of the old world.
Others displayed tremendous endurance, surviving conditions that would have once killed them.
A few possessed senses so sharp that they could detect danger before it arrived.
Not through generations, not through bloodline inheritance
but through direct, personal adaptation.
Thus began the period historians would later name the Age of Mana the era when humanity was forced to evolve simply to survive.
The planet that existed before 2080 was gone.
This was the new world shaped by Mana, ruled by power, filled with dangers unimaginable to the old Earth.
And from this crucible of chaos, struggle, and survival…
new civilizations would rise.
One of those civilizations would soon stand above the rest
a ruling family with unmatched influence.
Their story, and the betrayal that shattered them, began here.