Chapter Text
In a world where humans rule most of the land, there exists a place that is hidden from their power and influence. Secluded in nature, surrounded by protective mountains, such a vast and diverse land where there are other types of beings that humanity cannot touch.
Shifters we call ourselves, born from the wandering spirits that inhabited those lands and gave two forms and characteristics to our ancestors, making us unique among those who inhabit this world.
We possess the abilities and virtues of animals and the capacity and rationality of human beings. We can change our shape. We have existed for a long time and have survived all ages up to the present. We have no nationality, but we are divided into clans, although only some stand out from the rest for their power and attributes that represent the spirits from which they were created.
Peace has never been the constant. We have had wars, like humans, fought for our territories, like animals. But just like the destruction of villages and towns in the past, we have reached a truce.
Some would dare to call it a union, but we still have a long way to go to really unify all the species and especially the clans that represent the rest and have earned prestige among the others.
Only the Family Chief of each clan governs and represents with its attributes the great territory that we call Lilili-Yabbay.
They are the ones who bring peace to the species, who reached an agreement after the Great War, to protect us from the dangers of the outside. That is only a summary of our long history that cannot be told in such few paragraphs.
That life of peace that cost us so much to live, will finally be acclaimed by the youth of the new generation, firstborn sons of the families that represent the clans.
The 13 Clans.
[ ... ]
He stretched out his left leg, pressing his chest against it with good flexibility, holding onto his foot as he flexed and pointed it, in a straddle position. He was on the ground, with both legs spread wide; Next to him, his friend with his legs stretched out in front of him and was also holding onto his feet without showing much effort, pressing his chest almost completely to his knees.
“Hey, Haohao, ready for the race?” his friend asked with a voice forced by the stretch he was performing.
The sun was beating down on the running track. The stands were full of students for the annual race of the sporting events that were carried out as a harmonious competition between the students of different years of the high school.
“I'm always ready to run, there's nothing I know how to do better,” Minghao replied, moving to his other leg, stretching his arm over his head.
His best friend, Junhui, glanced around at the rest of the competitors in that first race that would be the opening of the Sports Festival. Shifters were very fond of such events and competing in their human forms was only fair.
However, in that first race only thirteen students would compete, as it was customary, as well as its participants.
“You've got the first place guaranteed, Haohao,” Junhui said, looking over his shoulder behind, where he saw another couple of friends also stretching out not far away, getting ready for the race.
He paid attention especially to the boy who took off his glasses and put them safely in their case, the one who chatted in the distance with the other young man who accompanied him.
“Forget it, Gyu, no one can beat him, not even me running at my full speed,” he said, shaking his head and smiling. “We are both from the Track and Field Club and believe me when Xu runs, he runs.”
The taller boy next to him stretched his quadriceps, losing his balance and putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder for support.
“But we are in our human form, there is a possibility.”
Wonwoo, who put his case safely in his backpack, which was on the lounge chairs, gave the brunet a skeptical look.
“Not even in your dreams. Even in his human form he is the fastest in the entire school. Even among his own, which are few by the way, he's a prodigy.”
Mingyu growled at Wonwoo's response, lowering his leg and looking in the direction of a boy with golden blond hair with dark streaks, who was warming up his hips now, turning his back on the brunet.
“And you can't beat him?” He asked, watching Wonwoo turn his torso from one side to the other.
“I haven't even been able to beat Seok and he lags far behind Xu.”
Another growl from Mingyu. Wonwoo just chuckled, amused by his friend's attitude.
“Do you have something against his clan or specifically with him? I know you've never liked each other very much and you don't get along, but it's a very strange rivalry you have with him,” he commented, looking in the direction of the boy they talked about, although Wonwoo's eyes automatically went to the pale blond hair, almost silver color, of the taller boy next to Minghao.
“I don't like cats.”
Was Mingyu's response.
Wonwoo looked at him again and raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, sure, and that's why I'm your best friend.”
“You're the only cat I tolerate.” Mingyu patted him on the shoulder and went to where some had already settled into their positions to run. He knew each one of them, after all, they had all grown in that recognition of having a different status from the rest of the students in the high school, and Lilili-Yabbay in general.
“Well thanks, I guess,” Wonwoo said sarcastically, turning on his ankles and walking with him.
Not far from there a light brown haired boy was carefully lacing his sneakers and standing next to him was another young man his age, tying his long black hair into a short ponytail.
“I could be sleeping right now, but no, they're making us do this stupid race,” he complained, clicking his tongue. “My thing is to fly, not to run.”
The young man who was tying his laces smiled at the comment from his best friend.
“Come on, Han, put in at least a little bit of effort,” he replied, standing up as he secured his shoes.
“And if I don't wanna?” the raven-haired said, raising an eyebrow.
“Han,” he said in a warning voice.
“Joshua,” replied the older one for a few months in the same tone.
Joshua sighed and shook his head, running a hand through his light brown hair.
“You have no choice, but it is true that your thing is not running.” He put a hand on his friend's shoulder, gave him a squeeze, but the older one now had his attention elsewhere.
“Hey Joshuji, someone's not taking his eyes off you,” Jeonghan commented, crossing his arms and smirking, raising and lowering his eyebrows several times at his friend.
“What?” Joshua looked at him blankly, noticing Jeonghan's expression, which he gestured with his eyes behind him.
Joshua blinked in confusion, moving his head to where Jeonghan was pointing at. Looking over his shoulder, he could see what Jeonghan was referring to.
Not far from where he was, near where there was a boy with ash-brown hair and another with dark orange hair, there was a young boy in particular who had his eyes on him. One with chestnut hair and whom Joshua recognized well.
When their gazes met, the young man who stared at him widened his eyes and averted it first, turning his attention back to his friends with a very characteristic smile.
Joshua also turned his gaze to the front, where Jeonghan gave him a light shove.
“It's a pity that between us that kind of relationship is ruled out. If we hadn't been firstborns, I'm sure Seokmin would have--”
“Please, Jeonghan, don't say such things,” Joshua cut him off, eyebrows lowered, his voice soft, sounding no more annoyed than somewhat saddened. “Besides, I'm not the only one who has someone else's fixed gaze on him.”
Jeonghan raised his eyebrows, searching among the other boys preparing for the race. It didn't take long to find the one that was staring at him, though he was more discreet.
The raven-haired with the ponytail smirked, looking at his friend with narrowed eyes.
“Choi? Hmph, I don't like beasts, and I already said it, something like this cannot exist between us, it's impossible, we are the representatives of our clans and we will be the chiefs one day.”
Joshua nodded, looking up at the blue sky that was always beautiful. The trees were singing with the summer breeze and they were surrounded by them. Their school, which was mixed (any shifter could attend no matter what species they belonged to) was found in the forest area.
Since shifters chose to be in their human form most of the time, they attended classes that way. Only in their territories or in their communal areas, shifters used their other form; their animal form.
“Let's get this over with, it's obvious who's going to win the race anyway, though I'm not complaining of course.” Jeonghan heaved a sigh and walked over to his position, followed by Joshua.
“You mean Minghao? Well, it is clear that he will have the first place and well deserved,” he said, glancing at the slender boy who was the leader of the Track and Field Club and its best representative.
The thirteen young men were very special on their own. They were the firstborn sons of the heads of the prestigious clans who led over the others, the highest ranking shifters in their society.
That structure had been established to bring peace and order, to have an organized and balanced hierarchical power. Among so many different shifters and without leaving their animal side, there had to be dominance hierarchies and established ranks.
In addition, someone had to maintain the pillars of their society, such as the economy, politics, technology, education and health, which were fundamental. The ones with the highest positions were the members of the 13 Clans.
Lilili-Yabbay could be considered a country, a very large one with its own states divided into the different spheres of diversity in the niches.
Technology was combined with nature.
The shifters had learned to grow and establish themselves as a unique society.
[ ... ]
A long, long time ago, in a place on earth, spirits existed without form or fixed point.
They wandered alone, without colliding or meeting each other, since without form there was no way for their interactions to be full.
Those spirits had virtues that reflected in nature. The fluidity of the water, the strength of the stone, the warmth of the fire, the resistance of the wood, the weightlessness of the wind... But then again, they were only spirits and they couldn't use their gifts the way they wanted.
Until one day, one of those spirits decided to search and search in every corner of the solitary world, without seeing its own because they had no shape, but hoping to find something that would give it an idea of what mold to take to be tangible and deposit its spirit in some place.
So the spirit found a creature that did have a form and could use the gifts of nature and influence its surroundings directly.
This was a human, reaching out with both hands, placing them under a smaller creature, just a bird with a broken wing that the creature had found and was now gently and appreciatively trying to lift it off the ground.
The spirit had an idea. If it couldn't do more than wander aimlessly, with feet it would have a place to settle. With hands it could hold the flowers and water to wash its face.
But it, too, with wings, could fly through the sky and the wind that it represented so much, and with a small body it could perch on the finest branch of the tree to sing to the sun without it breaking.
The spirit then realized that it could not decide whether to take the form of a man or a bird. It found itself in a dilemma. Why choose between one and the other? Why have to resign itself to only having one attribute and discard the others?
It was a spirit and could take any form. From its lifeless, wandering, lonely state, it had a chance to do something. It didn't have to imitate just one of those two creatures... it could choose both.
This is how the spirit took the shape of a woman who was the first shifter whom we call Lilili, human and bird, the beautiful white dove.
She was the one who incited another spirit to do the same, to take a form that was neither one nor the other, that was changeable, shifting. The second spirit took the form of a man, who was called Yabbay, man and reptile, the wise black serpent.
Lilili and Yabbay were the first spirits to have a form and after them the rest followed their example, becoming humans and animals.
They returned to that nameless place on earth which we ended up naming as the first two shifters who were the spiritual parents of the rest, who multiplied until they were so many as to be called a society.
That is the myth of our existence, the one we are told when we are children, when we discover that we are not just humans and animals, that we are both and at the same time, we have a spirit.
That we have a soul because that's how we were born, unique in our composition. The technology we create as humans and the magic that transforms us into animals.
I know that our history is as changing as we are, but mine begins here, together with others who share the same destiny to which I was entrusted.
An exception to the rule... Fate had a change.
A new era for us begins with thirteen young young men. The complete peace we never got has claimed to be taken by force.
Now more than ever we have to unite as a nation even though we have never considered ourselves one.
[ ... ]
The thirteen competitors took up their positions, bent over and ready to run at the signal.
Since they were positioned by age, Mingyu had Minghao by his side, who had a serious and prepared expression. The older boy's dark eyes looked at him out of the corner of his eye and he knew he was very competitive, but he couldn't win that race on two or four legs.
The young blond boy next to him ignored the sidelong glances he received from the brunet boy, the last thing he wanted was to be distracted.
Especially getting distracted by Mingyu, especially him. He just had to run and get to the finish line.
If only he could live his life doing that, without worrying about anything else, running without stopping, without anyone being able to catch up with him.
Sweat was already trailing down from the foreheads of some, as the sun hit them squarely. The rest of the students watched from the stands and knew the thirteen young men by their family prestige, supporting them with cheers, especially those of the same species and clan that were represented by them.
Seungcheol was very aware of the boy next to him, Jeonghan, who just wanted to get it over with because he didn't like to run. Joshua just waited for the signal. Beside him Junhui, with his pale blond hair shining in the sun and Soonyoung with his orange hair, ready to run.
Wonwoo, who was already used to that kind of thing, narrowed his eyes towards the front. Jihoon's pale skin under the sun already had sweat, as he wasn't used to exposing himself so much to it, but he would get a good place at the end of the race, he didn't like to lose to anyone.
Seokmin, who was also from the Track and Field Club, looked determinedly ahead, Mingyu finally focused, hoping that his long legs would do him some good. Minghao had tunnel vision because when he ran, there was only that and nothing else.
Seungkwan next to him heaved a sigh and waited anxiously, while Hansol didn't mind the sun and heat and Chan, the youngest and very competitive, tossed his blond hair and remained patient.
The coach positioned himself with the starting gun and fired it, giving the signal to start the race. They all lunged forward, their athletic bodies reacting instinctively.
Simply that some were made to run better than others.
Mingyu clenched his jaw and tried his best to move his legs, but his hopes were dashed when next to him a figure moved with such speed and agility that he didn't even have time to blink to caught him.
Minghao's long and lean body ran ahead of everyone, even Seokmin who was running as fast as his muscular legs would carry him, was passed by Minghao without much effort.
They all ran in their lanes, their sports uniforms, their athletic bodies in the sun.
Minghao and his long, slender legs gave no chance for anyone to catch up with him. Nobody ran like him. His species was the fastest, the best land runner.
Wonwoo smirked, also running with great speed and getting ahead of most, except Seokmin who continued to gain an advantage.
The race was a short distance, but even everyone was surprised at how quickly Minghao crossed the finish line, without losing his balance or swerving, stopping nimbly, though tired from the tremendous effort of his great speed.
He moved like the wind, running as he always did, as if he were going to catch prey, though at times he felt as if he was running from something, more than a born predator.
He didn't want to stop, but he always had to.
“Ah, Minghao, you always leave us biting the dust,” Seokmin said, crossing the line as well, another one of the fastest, coming up next to him and leaning on his thick thighs.
Wonwoo came third, shaking his head. “What a nice run to warm up the muscles, I want to lie down somewhere,” he said, ruffling his black hair.
“Jeon, Seok, you did very well. We represent the track team, we couldn't disappoint,” said Minghao, who observed the rest arrive, taking a breath through his nose.
In fourth place came Chan, the youngest of the shifters that participated in the race, crossing the line followed by Jihoon, the smallest in height, but also very fast.
He was then followed by Seungkwan who jumped at the finish line to stop and behind him, Hansol skidded, leaning in to catch a breath.
In eighth place Soonyoung arrived smiling, happy despite not having run as fast as he would have liked.
The ninth to cross the finish line was Mingyu, who could ensure that he ran as fast as possible and still, it was not enough. He wasn't happy with his position, shooting a glare at Minghao who looked somewhat agitated but didn't seem to use all of his speed and yet he was ahead of everyone by a huge gap.
Then Jun followed, complaining that the sun was terrible, and Joshua came right behind, stopping with his usual grace.
Seungcheol was twelfth and smiled through it all, watching the rest with satisfaction from the race.
Finally Jeonghan arrived and dropped to the ground with all his limbs stretched out.
“Running isn't my thing, dammit,” he said and Seungcheol walked over to him, reaching out a hand to help him up.
“But flying you beat us, right?” he said in a good mood.
“None of you have the wings to even compete,” Jeonghan replied, picking himself up off the ground and ignoring Seungcheol's hand, getting to his feet and walking straight to Joshua.
The older boy just sighed, running a hand through his dark brown hair and looking at the other boy his age with some disappointment.
Not because they were the firstlings did they necessarily get along, after all there were still rivalries between the 13 Clans. Most of them were predators, but there were prey as well, and their animal sides were wild, but their human side had emotions they couldn't control or contain.
[ ... ]
Shifters are special because of our abilities to be human and transform into animals, however there is something else that makes us unique and that sets us apart from men and beasts.
Among us there is a second gender that gives us the ability to increase offspring, since reproducing is something very basic and we are a species of small populations.
That second gender that precedes the primary, man and woman, is something very important and divides our society into three types: There are the alphas, those who lead and can impregnate but not be impregnated, the dominant ones by default. There are the betas that act according to their primary gender only and have no hierarchical relevance of any kind, which are the most common. And last but not least, are the omegas, those who are impregnated and designated to carry and care for the offspring. Submissives, as their nature makes them to be.
Secondary gender occurs naturally in those who turn twenty-one, but there is a way to make a shifter present before that age. It is through a ritual that only applies to the firstborn sons of the leading families of the 13 Clans. A ritual that induces early presentation in those who go through it.
Among the firstborn who are to become the heads of each clan, alphas are always born, naturally, to lead and to maintain the family line. This is how the spirits reincarnate again to follow another cycle.
They have to be dominant and impregnate so that they continue to make other firstborn who fulfill the duty of the council, since only the firstborn is accepted by the circle of spirits, another ritual that has to be done to be a chief.
However, there was an anomaly.
We are to blame for the generation line being cut, something that had never happened in all our years of history.
Something that will change the course of how we have been living in our small world. Something that happened just when things were going to get more unstable, upsetting the balance of our society.
Calling for change, once again.