Living in a run down building in a room built for four but somehow housing ten, Struggling to get in the front of the que when meal time rolls around, and worst of all, listening to all the teasing from peers and sometimes the degrading pity a child receives from the supposed adults in their life. All topped by the fact that they are constantly forced to watch the people they grew up with find people who are willing to take them in as they leave one by one.
'This is the life of an orphan.'
Theodore, a seventeen-year-old boy with snow white hair and golden eyes, was lost in thought as he sat cross-legged on his bed and stared out the window. Below, he was staring at a couple who were exiting the building with a boy who looked no older than ten, happily following between them. The boy's smile radiated hope and joy as they led him into a car.
Staring at the scene, Theodore's heart couldn't help but ache as he pondered what he would have felt like if he were in the same position. Would he have been as ecstatic to find a new family? Maybe the prospect of getting a new family was a tempting one, but that wasn't what really interested him. What he wanted most was the chance to leave the dump he had called home for the past seventeen years of his life.
The slums.
The dirtiest, poorest, most dangerous, and most neglected part of the city, as well as the only place in the entire city where someone like him was allowed to live. Watching the car drive off in the direction of the inner city, Theodore sighed.
'Guess that's the end of that fairy tale then,' he said as he got off the bed, put on a tie, socks, shoes, and a blazer, and walked out of his room, down the empty hallway, and down the stairs. With every empty room he passed, his frown would deepen, and that only got worse when he reached the dining room, where a blonde-haired woman sat at the table with a big smile on her face.
"What's got you so chipper this morning, Maria?"
"Didn't you see?"
"See what?"
"Andy, the last child in my care, has finally found a home! I'm so happy for him, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I'm oh so happy the 'last' child has 'finally' found a home."
Realizing what she had said, Maria's smile faded and was replaced by a look of concern.
"You know that's not what I meant, Theo."
"Yeah, sure," he said, getting up and picking a backpack from the seat beside him.
"Where are you going?"
"To attend my last day of school as a 'kid'"
"Are you worried about your chances of awakening?"
"Something like that."
"Come on, Theo, don't be like this, I'm just trying to look out for you."
Theodore waved his hand at Maria dismissively.
"Sure you are."
"Theodore!" she yelled as he walked through the door.
"Bye, Maria."
***
Sat at a desk and staring out the window by his side as classes began, ended, and began again, Theodore was once again lost in thought, and before he knew it, the day was nearly over. Soon, the speakers in the halls were turned on, and the next class was announced.
{Attention, all third-year students! Please prepare to move to your designated gymnasium.}
Brought back from his stupor by the announcement, Theodore sighed.
"Guess it's time."
***
Half an hour later, Theodore and his classmates all changed into their simple gym uniforms and stood in an orderly fashion in the gym awaiting further instruction. Soon, a group of people walked through the entrance and made their way to the front, and once there, a man dressed in a simple tracksuit stepped forward.
"Some of you are on the verge of something great, and dangerous," he began. "I hold in my hand a device that will be handed to each of you in a few moments, which you are required to wear until midnight."
Before he could continue, a number of students present raised their hands. he glanced over the crowd of students with a piercing glare and continued.
"The device is designed to scan and display your ether index. For most of you, the saturation will be between one and ten percent, which means your chances of ever awakening a trait, especially a powerful one, are low. To be honest, for most of you, i hope that is the case. But, for those with higher ether levels, anywhere from eleven to a hundred, your chances of awakening are raised drastically. And the higher the percentage, the higher the rank of the trait you will receive."
Mathew stared at the watch handed to him and watched a bar load on the screen, and once it was done, a figure was displayed in front of him.
[Ether core- Dormant]
[Core rank- None]
[Core Saturation- Error%]
'Error? What does this thing mean by error? Is it busted or something?'
"For those of you too stupid to pay attention in class, an ether core is where the energy called ether gathers within your body. Think of it like a battery, and ether is the power used to recharge it. For now, it is dormant, but by midnight when winter begins, those of you with the ability will be able to awaken. But till then, your bodies will continue to gather ether, and the device will continue to scan you, so the score you are currently seeing might not be your final reading."
'Well, whatever, not like I wanted to awaken anyway.'
From behind the man, a woman stepped forward, unlike the man in the tracksuit, she was dressed in an official blue and white uniform. Her long black hair fell to her waist, and her brown eyes quickly glanced over the students. As soon as she stepped forward, the atmosphere in the gymnasium changed.
The students who had previously been nearly apathetic to their instructor's words became openly hostile. With eyes filled with contempt and unwelcoming demeanours, they made their displeasure at her presence known.
But unlike his peers, Theodore showed no reaction and just listened.
"Thank you, instructor. my name is Emma, a rank one officer of the metahuman corps, and to you, possible herald candidates, I give my heartfelt apologies. Unlike the other institutions that have been preparing for this day for months, you have been deprived of that same privilege, and no one but we is to blame."
The woman gave a deep bow to the students before continuing.
"Now, ideally, you all would have been required to stay here and would be given pods where you would safely go through your trial, but as we are pressed for time, you will have to make do with your homes. We have already sent correspondents to your respective homes with the requirements for your safety while you undergo the trial, but once again I apologise for your lack in preparation material.
With that, I have said all I have to and would bid you farewell, I have another four institutions to visit today after all."
The moment the woman finished her speech, she made her way out of the gymnasium accompanied by a few of the schools teachers who were trying their hardest to suck up to her. Watching them go, Theodore scoffed, but before he could say anything more, the previous instructor stepped forward once more.
"Like the nice lady said, you brats, it is unfortunate that you have been dealt the hand of poverty, but all you can do now is use all the training we have provided you in the last month and persevere."
The man's tone shifted from his usual stern one to a softer and more emotional one, and following his shift, the mood in the gym became even more grim as the reality of the situation dawned on the students.
"I honestly hope that you will be the first of many to make it through the trial and awaken from our institution. No, I beg of you, please, it doesn't matter how you do it, just survive."
Among the students, there were those silently dreading what was to come, there were those who had accepted their fate, and there were those who looked utterly apathetic to everything happening around them. Among those, Theodore was the latter. Despite that, there was something that caught his interest, and that was the device on his wrist that kept reading an error. He stared at the device for what felt like hours through the rest of the school day, but nothing changed.
By the end, he had given up hope and sighed.
'Whatever, it's not like me making it through the trial was a realistic scenario anyway.'
***
For the next hours, once school had let out, Theodore roamed the streets and climbed the roofs of the rundown neighbourhood in the corner of the city he called home. Looking over the landscape of their near-dilapidated environment and remembering the speech the officer had given them only a few hours prior.
"What was her name again?" he said to himself as he stared off into the night sky.
Interrupting his thoughts were the sounds of people in the bustling streets below. Looking back, his view was obstructed by a massive wall that looked to be dozens of miles tall. At intervals, there were cannons mounted and pointing outwards on its surface. looking at its base below his gaze fell on a gate guarded by a number of armed officers.
Like with the officer who visited his school, he showed no contempt, displeasure, or even recognition. Looking toward the night sky, his thoughts once again wandered, and he glanced at the watch on his wrist.
[Ether core- Dormant]
[Core rank- None]
[Core Saturation- Error%]
'No changes, huh... and it's nearly midnight'
Glancing back in the direction of the city, he sighed.
'Guess I'm not awakening as a meta then.'
Looking down, he got up and stretched his body, stepped forward, and fell down the side of the building and into a pile of trash below. Dusting off his clothes, he started towards home, but unbeknownst to him, something had changed.
[Ether core- Dormant]
[Core rank- None]
[Core Saturation- 3%]