Chapter 2 - The State of the Present
Everyone thinks that they want change, but most people find comfort in their daily routine even though they hate it. Most people see when an opportunity comes to change their lives, but they don’t recognize it. Why? Because their imaginations blind them. The opportunities that pass by often come in forms they never imagine. As such, we should learn to imagine all possibilities and grasp every opportunity that comes our way.
-Caltech 2041 Valedictorian Speech
January 16, 2031 – The Day Everything Changed
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We interrupt your regular programming with breaking news. This is Erica Miles with ENN, the Emergency News Network.
At approximately 4:43 PM Mountain Time, a colossal object was seen plummeting through what seems like a hole in the sky, streaking fire and ash across the horizon before crashing on the outskirts of the Yellow Stone Caldera.
What many first assumed was a meteor has now been confirmed to be something far more terrifying and…impossible.
What crash-landed in Yellowstone was not a meteor—but the corpse of a dragon.”
The camera shifts to live aerial footage: a smoldering crater obliterated a vast section of forest, steam and ash rising in thick clouds. Park rangers and military personnel swarm the area. At the center of the devastation lay an immense body—scales glistening despite layers of soot, wings torn and draped over scorched earth.
“The impact has completely devastated the of the park bordering the southeast section of the Caldera, and authorities have issued an immediate evacuation order for all visitors and residents within a 50-mile radius.
Early reports indicate numerous casualties and a wildfire rapidly spreading due to the crash.
The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA have mobilized, and the President is expected to address the nation shortly.
In the meantime, scientists from multiple agencies are converging on the site to assess what they are cautiously referring to as an unprecedented biological and extraterrestrial event.
We now go live to our correspondent on the scene, Mark Turner. Mark, what can you tell us?”
The screen pans to a middle-aged man, standing a distance away from the area cordoned off by yellow tape.
“Erica, the scene here is…apocalyptic. Entire swathes of forest have been incinerated, and emergency teams are struggling to contain multiple fires. But the focus—rightly so—is on the creature lying at the center of this destruction.
It’s hard to convey the sheer scale of this being. We’re talking about a wingspan of what appears to be nearly 500 feet, claws longer than a sedan, and scales that seem to have a metallic luster, almost like armor.
There’s also a noticeable, almost static energy in the air, and scientists in hazmat suits are performing what looks like radiation scans.
I spoke briefly with a park ranger who described seeing the body descend—wings trailing flames, a roar that shook the ground itself. The ranger could only describe it as, quote, "the wrath of God made real."
Suddenly, the camera jolts, and the audio crackles with static. The reporter stumbles, the ground visibly shaking beneath him. He looks away from the camera to someone in the distance and back to the camera.
“W-Wait—are you—are you feeling that? Oh my God, the ground is… it’s shaking. I-I think we have an earthquake, Erica.”
The camera view tilts wildly, capturing trees swaying violently and cracks snaking through the ground. The screen cuts to static.
Erica, seeing Mark’s video feed cut-off hurriedly asks
“Mark? Mark, are you still with us?”
Mark replies, his voice distorted by static “Erica—this is—unbelievable. We’re getting reports that the Yellowstone dormant supervolcano—"
He pauses in the middle to process what he’s about to say
“I can’t believe I’m saying this—the volcano may be activating. Scientists on-site are saying the impact must have triggered some sort of seismic activity. There are fissures opening up around the crash site, and there’s—there’s smoke and magma visible. Oh God—”
Looking at the blacked screen Erica worriedly says
“Are you—are you saying the volcano is erupting?”
Mark’s voice crackles through the static, “It’s—I don’t know if it’s a full-scale eruption yet, but we’re seeing intense seismic activity. I – oh my God. WE NEED TO LEA-”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
A thunderous boom tore through the speakers. The news casting room trembled, sending everything on the desks crashing to the floor. Lights flickered, and cameras toppled, cutting off the broadcast''s visual feed. After a few moments, Erica''s shaken voice came back on, unsteady but audible.
“My God… Ladies and gentlemen, if you are within 100 miles of Yellowstone National Park, you are urged to evacuate immediately. Do not wait for instructions—get to safety now.
We’ll continue to bring you live updates as this story develops. For now, all residents are urged to seek immediate shelter and prepare for further seismic activity
Stay with ENN—this is Erica Miles, and we are witnessing history unfold before our very eyes.”
January 16, 2043 – Present Day
After watching the news report special, I sit at my cubicle in silence.
It’s been about 12 years since the Eruption of Yellowstone. Every year the ENN news recording is replayed everywhere as a reminder of the disaster that occurred.
The news reporter, Erica Miles thought ahead and made a good decision on the spot to call for an evacuation radius of 100 miles. But no one could have predicted what would happen next.
When the magma consumed the dragon’s corpse, an explosion of unprecedented scale shook the world.
With the dragon corpse at epicenter, the explosion consumed everything within a 300-mile radius.
The sky turned black almost immediately, ash clouds blotted out the sun plunging the entire continent into darkness.
The pitch-black volcanic ash infused with mana rained down with iridescent sheens dyeing the landscape with multi-colored hues in contrast to the otherwise lifeless surroundings. Iridescent, beautiful, catastrophic. What was once the American heartland became an uninhabitable wasteland, known now only as the Dragon’s Grave.
Survivors fled, choking on ash-laden air, eyes burning with both terror and the stinging particles that blanketed everything.
The winds carried the ash upwards, turning the skies into a shifting canvas of eerie auroras, beautiful and deadly.
As the days passed, it became clear that the fallout was unlike anything in recorded history.
Crops withered under the mana radiation, wildlife mutated, and technology faltered, disrupted by the arcane interference saturating the atmosphere.
At that time everyone called the initial explosion the “Herald of the End”. Once the ash spread a good distance across land, sea, and sky, they acted as a fuse that triggered a chain reaction of natural disasters.
Abnormal phenomena appeared globally. Multi-colored lightning, crystal geyser eruptions, rapid ecosystem turnover, etc.
Governments collapsed within months, unable to contain the chaos.
New power structures emerged, most centered around those who could harness the newfound energy in the air—
The Awakened.
Those sensitive to mana found themselves capable of feats previously deemed impossible: conjuring fire, manipulating the wind, healing wounds with a touch.
The chances for a person to become an awakened was 1 in every 100 people. The rest either didn’t show a reaction, or died since their bodies were unable to withstand the surge of mana.
As of now, there was no way to tell if a person has the potential of an awakened or not without them manifesting their ability.
A popular study backed by lots of research institutions showed that between newly discovered awakened individuals and unawakened ones, both shared a similar level of mana stored throughout their bodies.
So, by that logic, everyone who hadn’t died from the initial surge should have an ability.
Theoretically speaking that should be the case.
The only difference between them was that awakened individuals discovered their powers by chance.
There was a case where someone discovered their abilities after slipping at work—only to phase straight through the floor. Another involved a person shivering in the freezing cold; as they desperately imagined warmth, they suddenly burst into flames.
There are many such cases, and because of this everyone is encouraged to “find their worth”. To do everything that they can in order to discover their ability.
It’s been years since I read that paper, and I’ve tried everything.
I fell into a trance for the rest of the day and eventually found myself at my doorstep.
I have… no worth
Making my way into my apartment, I did my usual wind-down routine. I watered my plants, ate dinner, showered, and messaged Anna to check if she’s doing okay.
Today, I learned that Anna submitted her resignation letter and moved all of her stuff out during the weekend.
No one knew why, not even the gossip mongers.
In fact, everyone asked me as if I knew where she went all of a sudden.
I did not.
I wish she told me.
I wish she responded to my messages.
They looked at me with sympathy and left me alone for the rest of the day.
Even my boss had the decency to give me a break for the day.
He even asked me if I wanted to use my vacation days.
I sat alone on my couch, watching the news, the droning voices of the newscasters trying to fill the emptiness I refused to face. Various headlines flashing as time ticks.
THE WILDHEART DISCOVERS A NEW SPECIES THAT CAN CALL FORTH RAIN
A NEW HABITAT EMERGES AFTER A MANA SURGE, GUILDS TO BID ON OWNERSHIP
THE HOLLOW KING DEFEATS THE EMBERLORD AND EARNS THE RIGHT TO EXPLORE DRAGON''S GRAVE
Intoxicated with bottles of beer scattered on the table, the soft hum of the city outside barely penetrating the silence within. Anna''s departure had left a void, one that I couldn''t easily fill. Looking away from the TV I stared at the cluttered desk before me, memories of our time together at the office flooded my mind.?
I fought against the urge to call her knowing that if she really wanted me to know what she’s doing, she’d call him.
I trusted her that much.
I just thought that she’d at least leave with a goodbye.
I thought that was a given considering how close we were.
How close I thought we were.
It’s funny, I mused.
We always made it our goal to escape the dreary cubicles, and now that she went and achieved that goal, I’m feeling resentful. Maybe even a little betrayed.
Looking at it from another perspective, I should be happy that she was able to get out.
Instead, I should take this as an opportunity to pull myself out of this drudgery. Follow in her footsteps even.
I had the means to leave, but I never did. Even though I hated the everyday monotony of work, maybe I didn’t want to leave because she was there. I couldn''t imagine leaving her behind first. I wouldn''t even know what to say. Maybe that''s why she doesn''t want to have this conversation with me.
Dammit Anna, I exhaled.
I could even imagine what she’d say to me, “What’s taking you so long? You’re not going to stay in a cubicle when I’m already out, are you? If you do, don’t blame me for calling you a loser HAHA.”
"Oh. Oh no", I thought. Her annoying smirk that gave me headaches was already becoming an endearing memory.
Okay fine. I’ll pull myself out.
Pushing myself off the couch I walk over to my shelves. The place where I’ve stored my university research.