CHAPTER ONE

The air here was just as horrible as it is at home. But the noise is a hundred times much worse it was gradually becoming unbearable for me. I just couldn't understand why getting an ability is so difficult. Couldn't they just come to our homes and place the machine over palms and see where we all fall into? Why do we have to come to this annoying place that was making me so uncomfortable.

The weather coupled with the fact that we were all standing outside under the blazing sun that was certainly annoyed with the moon for not rising the previous night was also is just adding to my pain, I really hate the light. Darkness is so soothing and comfortable like my mother's hug.

I and my friend Corey were the first few who made it to this place early this morning and have been standing in the military recruiting barracks in our province for hours. Today happens to be the day when our futures would be decided, the day you get an ability. Getting an ability would decide who you would become in the nearest future. So a lot of us have taken this day to be a serious one. Yes a lot but not all of us.

If you are lucky enough you would get one that doesn't take you away from your family but if you are unlucky well you would have to leave to another province. That just horrible but I won't blame the world government, they are just trying to make us survive in this period of war.

"Splat" this was the second time a truck carry children who have gotten their ability from the base to their required province splashed us with mud. Surprisingly none of us had the time to complain because we were all silently praying for us to get an ability that would keep us close to our families but I felt something inside of me getting angry as the time we stayed continued to get longer, I was gradually getting irritated this was very much unlike me.

My family was one that had either fire or poison ability which was very common in the Eastern Province because this place was hot as hell, I was hoping to get one also. My friend Corey Hart was from the Hart family one of the top families that had the Earth and Metal element.

Although both elements are inclined with each other Metal element users are held in high regard from earth element. They have more defensive capacity and are able to endure long enough for reinforcement to arrive.

Corey shined the greatest amongst us all, he always topped our class of Unmarked students.

My attention was brought back to the world when I heard a girl screaming at the front of the line.

"No, it's not possible, I don't want to go, I don't want the leave my family, and how do you expect me to go that far? I won't go, I want to stay with my parents, I don't even want to fight the war, and the war wasn't started by me. You guys started it. Just finish it, I don't want to fight your fight" she yelled.

Corey tapped me "That's Williams Becky, she's the daughter of the strongest General from the Eastern Province, General Williams Henry. It's a surprise his daughter has the Ice element, it should be painful for her to have to go all the way to the Northern Province. That is like miles away from home. And there is a possibility that she may never see her parents again. It's sad" Corey said with a sigh.

Looking at his face, I could not understand why someone as big and strong as he is would have human sympathy most peole who had his kind of body woud either be bullies or would have a whole lot of pride but he was different, he never treated anyone with scorn nor was he proud of himself. Corey was far bigger than his age. Had a rough brown earthen hair, dark brown eyes, a wide nose and wide lips, a big face with chisel shaped jaw, his ears also had this funny long shape like elves. He once used his ears to cheer me up when we were younger.

When we were 11 he started having a bigger body than the others of his age and we all knew that he would have to do with the Earth or Metal element because his body constitution was closely inclined to it. At 15 he already looked like a 20 year old. He had a broad chest, wide shoulders, and his legs packed enough power to knock a tree trunk off.

Sometime I still wonder how I was able to make a friend like Corey. I was the weakest in my class, had the weakest constitution. I flunked all exercise but I was able to keep up with the academic part which was not a surprise. From the perception of others, my body constitution was more inclined towards the Wind or Plant element because I looked like them. I was frail like a broken tree branch, had Gray hair maybe was what gave me my last name, my eyes were blue but I noticed that if I was alone they became obsidian, unlike Corey I was flat all thru and my legs were weak that if a storm came along I would definitely be swept off.

The day I met Corey was when I was been passed around by some kids in the class like a fuss ball, he came in just at the right moment and stopped me from falling off my feet and placed against a wall and I could clearly remembered he said " All you need time to beat them all but for now I would collect the debt in your favour"

The way he dealt with them was so amazing that I could not forget it for a very long time since then we have been close buddies and it made me scale thru till date but his protection was going to end today and it was kind of sad.

We were all reported for causing disorder in school but the case was close when the head of my school found out Corey's identity as the grandson of an Earth family. We scaled through that one with a slight warning. That was actually the first time I was let off without a scolding or beating

Corey had more prospects to be more powerful than either of us.

"It's sad, it truly is, but in some ways I already knew she would not inherit the Fire element because her character was always cold so getting the Ice element is just of her virtues. But going away would be had but she would have to adapt to it". I said with in-depth analysis.

I have already seen the world in many ways. Right from childhood myself, my mother and sister have been treated like we had never existed. We had to live by the scraps that we got daily until my sister got the poison element which lifted the family from our poverty and help us gain a foothold.

She first got a job in one of the testing facilities and was lucky to have gotten the poison element which was high in demand. She was transferred to one of the headquarters for training and haven't returned home in quite some time. This leaves me with mum.