From Introduction:
The Great Reawakening brought magic back into the world, granting people extraordinary powers. Unfortunately, it didn't also grant an instruction manual and most of those who “came up
Latent” with magical abilities were unable to control them. This culminated in the Bloch Incident, where uncontrolled magic use resulted in the destruction of the Lincoln Memorial and the deaths of thirty-four people. In an effort to prevent future catastrophes, the McGauer-Linden Act created the Rea Commission of the US Congress, which designated five “authorized” schools of magic and five “prohibited” schools, otherwise known as “Probe” schools. Certain practices within authorized schools were also prohibited.
The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent,” developing terrifying powers — summoning storms, raising the
dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…