The First Authority

When the purple moon rose, a great fire swept from Areopagus in the Western Ocean all the way to Shanhaiguan. Heaven sent down a ring of fire to burn away every last trace of evil in this world. During the three hundred years of darkness that followed, every child grew up in the shadow of death, every old person passed away in fear, and every young person slowly grew numb. “Can we really have a future?” the child asked me.

I didn't answer. I simply handed him the book I'd read until it was falling apart, patted him on the shoulder, and said:

“Study hard. Wait for me to come back.”

A high-IQ ensemble story about people with supernatural abilities. No System, not a wish-fulfillment power fantasy. Both the main and supporting characters are smart, with a serious, coming-of-age tone. Sunflowers grow in the dark, and even the lowliest have power.