In this world, a comet passed by the earth, causing a fluctuation in many people's spirits. Along with men's own spirits reaching a high enough frequency to affect objects around them, those with evil spirits also increased.

Before the Age of Revolution (1917), many people began experiencing this change. First starting in the bodies. The people would feel this strange, fiery phenomenon overwhelm their whole being. Like a muscle, they could pull, stretch, and even expand this new body part.

It was their spirit. Man had always been spiritual. Some were greater than others. But when everyone learned to harness this form of power within themselves, the world began to change.

The first world war never took place like never before. Nations did not use guns or ammunition to fight; they used swords. Because of their vast understanding of how their spirits worked, they were able to move faster than bullets. And when those who figured they could enhance physical objects with just their touch, swords became the prime method of fighting.

"Look, papa," a young boy said, joyfully running to his father with a stick in his hand.

The boy's father was astounded upon seeing the stick miraculously light on fire. That same boy was able to spread the fire through the air and even touch the flames without burning himself.

This was only the first instance of one's spirit being used as weaponry. Many people would quickly learn to affect things in the same manner. Yet not everyone was the same. Some people could set their coffee mug on fire, while others could completely change its properties, causing light to form from within and shooting it like a projectile.

Not many fully understand where and how this sudden change in people occurred. Due to the existence of religion in the world, there were indifferent opinions. Christians were perhaps the only people who had a true reason for this change. For this reason, they sought to use their powers to help others and fight evil, as opposed to harming one another.

Yet not everyone was as caring and kindhearted as the Christians. Some simple-minded individuals sought to use their gifts to conquer their nation. Why only some? That was because not everyone was given such intricate powers to manipulate their spirits.

Most people would think that the world would have gone into chaos. Things were far from that. There was order as each nation managed to control its own borders. When people began to study and learn, they discovered that the sharper an object was, the more effectively one could use their spirits as weapons. This was why swords, knives, javelins, and the like were the primary tools to use in combat.

There are more than eight billion people on earth. Yet only a few of them were able to harness this new power. Only a few months passed as people gradually began to accept things as they were, and then the First World War began. Tanks, missiles, and even nuclear firearms were hardly effective against those who could slice a building in half with just a single stroke.

Those with unique abilities fought for their countries. Adults were magnificent in their prowess, able to naturally control their new skills. Children who were given gifts, however, had more potential than them if they practiced. What became a turning point in the war was when men discovered that they were not the only ones whose spirits were elevated.

Animals had also transformed!

Because of their primal instincts, many animals took on the shape and size of monstrous devils. They were ferocious by nature and predatory at heart. Their appearance alone was enough to spread fear in a man's heart. Only those with control of their spirits could hope to stand against them.

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Not a single one of these new creatures could be labeled an animal anymore. Their furs were spiked, their flesh was hardened, and they released a horrendous odor that was intoxicating.

Thankfully, like man, not all animals were changed. Out of all the continents, Africa had it the worst. Had it not been for the people there defending it, it would have been completely destroyed! And with the sudden rise of those creatures, the First World War came to an end.

Nations ceased their desire to reign over one another. Each of them signed a treaty to form groups known as sects in order to help strengthen their youth and eradicate these devils for good. Of course, this treaty was only the beginning. For everyone understood that after the devils were purged from the face of the earth, whichever sect had the strongest fighters would be the rulers of the world.

• • •

In the city of Barcelona, on the coast of northeastern Spain, an infant was born to the servant of the head of the Barcelona Sect. This sect was the third-strongest in the world, second only to the Sydney Sect in Australia.

Honey, he's beautiful," the woman said, holding her newborn son. "What should we name him?"

"I've been thinkin' about this for awhile now," the servant, husband to the woman, replied. "His name should be Lucas."

"Lucas?!" the woman repeated. "My father will never approve!"

Why the woman was so shocked to hear of the boy's name because, in her sect, every blood relative had at least four syllabi to their names. The name Lucas only had two.

The Barcelona Sect was comprised of one head, known as the patriarch. Each sect, regardless of which nation it was from, was not bound by man's laws. Being convicted of crimes such as looting did not apply to sect members. They were above the law.

"Come on, babe. I dreamt of the name. Ya can't say no."

The woman thought about it for a second until she finally agreed. After some time spent with their newborn, Lucas was taken by the nurses to evaluate whether he had enough spirit to perform his abilities. This was the foundation for all newborns in this era. If a child's spirit was strong enough, they could apply to one of the many sects and become members.

Lucas's parents—despite the mother being the daughter of the patriarch—didn't have any powers. His mother was the eldest sister of two other women, having been married twice after her first husband fell at the hands of a devil in Antarctica. That man was accepted into the Barcelona Sect and recognized as a son in the patriarch's eyes. He was also regarded as the strongest sect member after the patriarch, helping the sect achieve its current rank.

After his death, Lucas's mother would find love again in one of her sect's servants. Because sects were essentially a nation's military power, they were funded many times over to help strengthen their members. Being given normal maids and servants to care for the many mansions they resided in was minimal compared to the protection they received. In exchange for this protection, a sect could also trade whatever resources they gained to help their nation's economy.

At the time Lucas's mother revealed her marriage to her family, there was a lot of controversy. For the mother was marrying a servant, one who didn't even have powers. Not only was this a Ludacris act, but there was also a high chance that their child would be born with no powers. The first husband, before his demise, helped bear three grandchildren for the patriarch, each of whom was highly talented.

Because a sect needed people with high levels of spirit to remain strong, the patriarch refused the marriage. Lucas's mother, however, decided to abandon the sect entirely due to her love for the servant.

The patriarch was wroth toward his daughter. If there was one thing that was known about the Barcelona patriarch, it was that he was an aggressive, cold-hearted individual. Had it not been for the woman bearing his surname, "Chang," he would have thrown her in prison and locked her there for disobedience. None of the other two daughters, along with their husbands, approved of her decision to marry a servant.

As such, they ostracized their eldest sibling.

The days for the servant weren't pleasant after the news broke. There were times that assassins were hired by his in-laws to slay him. Thankfully, his wife was always one step ahead of them. And when the in-laws discovered she was pregnant with a boy, they (along with Lucas's half siblings) vowed to never accept the child as part of the family.

"Congratulations, you two," the nurse said, coming back to the parents. "His spirit is high enough to join your sect!"