Anomalists

At first glance this world would seem almost identical to Earth, aside from the technological advancements as this takes place in a fictional future. But if one looks closer, the simplicity of this universe begins to unravel - just as it is with our world. Lurking beneath the surface are the Anomalists, humans just like you and me but with one key difference: They were gifted - or cursed, depending on your point of view. These people possess strange abilities that were either inherited from their parents or just seemed to randomly appear. While these types of people used to be extremely rare with only one or two in each generation (Which in the past was "remedied" with witch hunts or failed exorcisms) the rate of Anomalists has steadily increased in the past 30 years. While the rates were slowly climbing before then, those couple of decades seemed to be the largest point in time Anomalists had become so much more prevalent.
But that is not to say they are common, now that the rates seem to be settling again, puzzling those who know of the situation. In the past, experts estimate less than 0.000001% of the population were Anomalists. Now it is guessed that 0.00001% of the population are Anomalists. That's 700-750 Anomalists on earth as opposed to what the normal rate would have been - 70-75. And that is only accounting for those that could be found - it is unknown how many Anomalists are staying hidden from everyone, including themselves. The Anomalists are accounted for by being tracked down by specialists and invited to the school. Parents will be informed if they possess anomalous genes as well, even if they have not been accessed yet (anomalous genes are recessive traits).
The school is known as the Institute of Anomalous Abilities, and strives to support students who were abused for their oddity, to help them grow in their abilities and as people, and to live in a society that does not accept them. In the past, any attempt to change this had gone wrong. While many claim it is a new age of acceptance, the school believes that while the culture has changed human nature has not.
This is why it is vital that Anomalists are found before they inadvertently reveal themselves, or worse, purposefully speak up. Luckily for the school, claims will be disregarded if proof is not presented, but the danger lies in the fact that the Anomalist is the proof. There is a group of non-anomalous humans who are out to destroy the gifted ones, which also keeps them quiet as the organisation is frighteningly fast in silencing young Anomalists from speaking up enough. Faster than the Institute at times.
It would be impossible to hide anomolous abilities (often called Anomolisms) if they had full access to them when they were small children, which is one of the reasons why the institute is lucky that they are mostly held off until the beginnings of the teenage years. Small hints do show through which is one of the ways they find them, but it is also one of the ways the group that wishes to capture Anomalists discovers them, although the institute is better at this. When the young ones begin to gain access to their powers, it is hard to control and very frightening for the child, which is one of the reasons the Institute is necessary for proper development if they wish to lead normal lives.
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•Anomalous genes are like recessive traits, so even if your parents don't have abilities as long as one of their parents did, even if it was dormant, then it is possible for some of the children to have it. Twins often will both have it or not have it, while siblings born at different times have a fifty fifty shot. The gene can lay dormant for multiple generations.
•There are four main organisations that have to do with the Anomalists: the Institute of Anomalous Abilities, the ACRC (Anomalism Containment and Research Center) the Church of Order; a group of individuals who promote "healing the cursed ones" - they believe Anomalists have their abilities due to black magic), and a small but dangerous nameless group that promotes the idea of Anomalists being a superior race that was polluted by humans.
•Anomalisms are genetic, and this universe does not involve magical illogical powers.
•The term Anomalist refers to a person with Anomalism, which means possessing Anomalist genes. Anomalous is a word to describe something to do with Anomalism, such as Anomalous abilities.

A delicately balanced world on the verge of tipping into chaos.