'Today I begin my journey. The winding trek to the north was already unpleasant even before I stepped my first. My pack burdened. My mind stirred. But neither is the cause of my annoyance. I am lone. In this journey supposed to be taken by many, I am alone. I do wonder, am I the only one who still cares?'

Crystal had heard that the world outside was too different. Returners from the war told tales of a giant ball of flame cast above, moving from one end to another. They say its blinding light blanketed every corner, every bit of the world.

They also talk of a blue expanse which extended endlessly. Sometimes it would gloom they say, the blue hue replaced with gray. But even that was supposed to be better than the bland glow of the lamps which illuminated Ninev.

But the endless blue expanse and the fiery ball, although things of awe, were not her world. The lights in her world didn't come from a ball of flame but from the thousands of lamps that lined the ceiling of the city. They didn't ebb into what the returners call as night but burned without halt since the beginning- only dimming a bit sometimes. The space above wasn't endless. She didn't even know if there was such a thing as endless. Everything was limited in Ninev by the stony ceiling. Every single structure was capped, constrained.

Crystal didn't mind the blandness of her home. Or perhaps she did but sheathed the curiosity in the deep recesses of her mind. A part of her wanted to see of course, to witness. But there were pursuits more important than seeing the outside world. Power, for example, was a thing juicier than any mushrooms. And the letter in her hand was her door to attaining it.

She resumed her walk, braving the streets unknown to her. Beast-drawn carts pulled on one side and pedestrians on the other. The pedestrians skirted away from her. Some eyed her clothing with trepidation.

The glowing red stone slung as necklace on her neck was a symbol of her being a Gifted, one born with an ability. The cape fastened on her back but fell to front was a clumsy yet formal piece of clothing. And where would a Gifted in a formal attire go except to the High Tower to join the ranks of the Councilors? Thinking about her fate was a tingling pleasure. It would be an honor.

No. There was no honor in joining the Council. Dogs of the Grand Consul, the Councilors were called. Hated. Feared. But never loved except by the Grand Consul himself. In the Council, there was only power, there was only a race. But that was enough for her. A choice between honor and power was not a choice at all.

She hastened her strides. The lamps would dim soon, the end of the cycle. She worried getting lost but turning another corner banished it. She had arrived.

The High Tower pierced the ceiling. Like all structures in Ninev it extended to the roof and carved from the rocks instead of built. The shape was akin to a candle but thicker. Stony steps spiraled around with holes as doors for every floor. The five topmost floors were said to only be accessible to the Grand Consul. The following floors were for the high-ranking Councilors. Being a new Councilor, her access would be limited only to the lowest floors.

Crystal eyed the top. It looked too distant, too impossible. But she stared at it for long, devouring it in her mind. Up there was power. Authority. Life. The higher one goes, the better life would be. She promised that she would reach that top no matter what.

She was stopped by two Sentinels before entering the gate. They crossed spears, puffed chests and smiled with haught.

"Highness" Said one of the Sentinels, eyeing the cape draped on her chest. "Forgive us but this is a restricted zone. Only Councilors are allowed passage. And Sentinels. But you know" He smiled. "Rules"

She handed them the letter, silent and anxious though she hated feeling that way. The Sentinels were not known for being gentle after all. All of them were Gifted with gifts of increased strength and speed- the most common of gifts actually but not the most useless. Abuses of power of course occur despite the Grand Consul's denial.

"Crystal. Good name. Unfortunate thing, Crystal." He met eyes with her. "You are not a Councilor yet. And so we would designate you as a visitor for now. But before that we need to ask questions about you. Don't worry, paperworks also annoy us. But the Grand Consul's command is absolute. Now let's begin with that pretty necklace of yours."

"Cornette. Mother's side. Velus, Father."

"Ah Cornette and Velus. Good blood you have. Veluses are good with enhancements and Cornettes are... well I forgot. They are good with something."

Alteration, Crystal thought. My mother, you fool, is Marble.

"So" The Sentinel said, face now closer to hers and eyes glancing down to her chest from time to time. Crystal flinched. "What is your gift?"

"I can spring air from my hands."

"So you are good with your hands." The Sentinel was whispering now. The other one was chuckling. "I want to see how good your hands are. Pleasure me." He grinned. "With a demonstration of course. Though I would accept other forms of demonstrations regarding your hand."

I will remember this. Just you wait. Your faces are etched in my mind. Wait until I become a first rate Councilor. You will rue this day!

She stifled her annoyance and stepped back. The people around gave no mind to the encounter. She opened her palm and felt a surge of Gift. Tendrils of smoke rose from her palm and in a moment she was worried that she would reveal her true gift.

That would be catastrophic, she thought. Deadly.

She willed the dark tendrils to become become air. Her mind was connected to it. It was as of the smoke was her.

A surge of air erupted from her palm, acting according to her will. The strongest surge could fling a man and she had the urge to do just that to the Sentinel. Thankfully her sense returned.

"Took you a while." The Sentinel said. "But it is indeed air. Ah yes. The most boring of gifts. For the last questions," The Sentinel's face was devoid of levity. "Are you a Deviant?"

"No"

"And are you a rebel to the Grand Consul?"

"No."

The Sentinel again showed his lecherous smile and took a parchment to scribble. The other one returned her letter.

They allowed her passage not long after. Crystal proceeded without a single glance. Those two were not worth a single more of her breath.

The first floor was a place of silence. A single wide counter was at the center where an aged Councilor sat from behind. There were corridors leading to the rest of the floor but Crystal doubted that those would nudge her interest.

Crystal slid the letter and the Councilor regarded it with a scorn. She had expected this. People like this woman existed like fungi in the shadows, always watching and always glooming. She had clearly given up in attaining higher rank and so she welcomed newcomers with derision.

Pitiful. Disgusting too. People without ambition are worse than dead. At least the dead doesn't have a choice. Life is a race and such people refused to play just because they lost hope.

"A new Councilor. How old are you again?"

"Eighteen" Crystal paused. "In eleven days."

"So not eighteen yet?" The Councilor raised her eyebrow as if that served to make her look more menacing. It was ridiculous.

"Just eleven more days."

"Then come back in eleven days."

"But I have a letter. And my assigned dwelling is far from here, a few cycles of travel. Surely, whoever sent this to me have deemed the lacking eleven days as negligible."

"Go away child. Or I'll be summoning some Sentinels to drag you"

Crystal smiled, the sweetest she could show. "Please reconsider. I have the letter, don't I?"

"Go away child."

"I will not. Like what I said, a Councilor of a higher rank sent me this letter. I'm not saying anything but I thought rank holds weight in here. And seeing your inability in reaching a higher rank, I am compelled to believe that you should follow this letter."

"You dare insult me? A Councilor and yet you are what? A pup who received a letter. For all I know that could be fake."

Crystal's smile bloomed even sweeter despite her anger. This hag, despite appearances, is still a Councilor. She shouldn't insult a Councilor. She should just nod, smile and go home. She should...

"Hag" the word slipped from her mouth.

The hag's already ugly forehead turned uglier with a deepened scowl. Crystal was prepared for yells and perhaps a summon of the Sentinels. The hag opened her mouth but then her expression abated all of a sudden as if she was suffering from a rare emotional disease.

The hag tilted to the side, past Crystal, and smiled. "An honor Highness for you to grace us."

Crystal looked back. A woman with a cape was behind. Her red stone necklace was pulsating with glows. Three burly Sentinels guarded her, armored and armed. The woman's features matched Crystal's- flaxen hair, dark eyes and small face.

Marble. It was a meeting unplaned. Unexpected, even.

Crystal had doubts over the years whether Marble, one of the fifteen first rate Councilors, was indeed her mother. But looking at her up close confirmed the thought.

Marble looked at her and in a moment they wallowed in a certain connection. Marble's face softened a bit until it reversed to the usual steely look as she turned to the hag.

"Based on your terrible scowl, there seems to be trouble with regards to this girl. Your crass yells are annoying. Now speak of the problem."

"This girl, Highness. Underaged for the position in the Council yet she wants to push today."

"Just eleven days short Highness. And I have the letter." Crystal said. "My assigned dwelling is in Area Ninety-two."

It was Marble's turn to frown at the hag. "Do you know how far Area Ninety-two is?"

"Highness..."

"Two cycles walk. Half a cycle with a beast-drawn cart. And do you know who sent her the recommendation letter?"

"Highness please..."

"Me. Take her letter and be done with it."

Marble turned back gently but stopped. She beckoned to Crystal, delicate fingers moving.

"Come" She walked again and Crystal followed.

They ascended the spiral stairs with the Sentinel guards. The first few hundred steps were of silence. Only the clank of the Sentinels' armor could be heard.

Several other Councilors going down met them in the stairs. All provided a bow to Marble. Crystal was still confused as to what was happening or what would happen. But she was joyed. Marble, one of the fifteen first rate Councilors, was the one who sent for her.

"You are to become my assistant" Marble said.

"Assistant?" Crystal gasped. "Highness..."

"Or you could begin at the bottom, crawling your way up in a wretched struggle. Choose."

"Yes. I will become your assistant." Crystal rolled her lower lip. "But Highness, forgive me for asking but why?"

"Oh you know why. Because you are my daughter."

If there was a smile on Crystal's face, it had retreated the moment she made sense of Marble's statement.

Marble looked back. "Oh don't be so pale. I do still recall birthing a child once. Your look like me and age hadn't blinded me yet from connecting the facts. Your father is... well his name eludes remembrance. I was paired with him, three sessions we had before another Councilor conrfirmed my conception. Questions?"

Crystal didn't know why. She didn't know how. But she found Marble's casual attitude as displeasing. She shouldn't. She shared nothing with this woman except blood. But the constricted thumps of her heart were too true to ignore.

"Working with relatives is prohibited, I have heard." Crystal said.

"Indeed. The Grand Consul deemed filial emotions as dangerous. But I am a first rate Councilor. I have proven my grit and loyalty several times over. And I am in need of an assistant with the same gift as mine. You can Air Surge right?"

"How did you know?"

"Because I've been looking for an Air Surger." Marble said after a few breaths. "The probability of offsprings inheriting the same gifts as their parents is high. We Air Surgers are a few bunch. How far are you in your Air Surging? Can you hover?"

"Hover? We can do that?"

"I could hover since I was your age."

Crystal looked down on Marble's feet. The long dragging skirt hid the view.

"No, I am doing it right now." Marble pulled her skirt. "So? My question"

"No Highness. I can produce air from my hand but that's it."

"That would be a complication. No matter. You are young. Youth has the advantage of space for growth. You may be puzzled as what I require you as my assistant. You know who I am right? What my designation is?"

"Mining."

"Ah yes. That's a way to simplify it. Mining. As if the significance of what I and my men do limits to shovels and picks."

"I misspoke. You mine red stones and in a way you power the whole of Ninev."

"Right. Do not forget, red stones is the life of Ninev. Without red stones our food won't fledge, the lamps won't glow and Ninev would freeze. You will follow me in the deep crevices of the mines. I am the word there. Every order that escapes my mouth must be followed. In exchange you will be trained in management and we shall see what we can do with your meager Air Surging." She halted. "It would be a great honor for you to trek my footsteps."

Not honor, just power.

"Of course Highness. I am honored. So what now?"

Marble peeked below and Crystal imitated. She regretted doing so. They were so high up that people looked like dust from below. Her knees tendered and every hair on her body bristled. She took a step back, clutching her pounding chest.

"A long way down. I shouldn't have stayed as I explained but alas my habit of walking while having dialogue stuck. You can't sojourn in my floor, not until that hag below was through with your documents. I have bent a rule already and bending some more would bend my credibility. I will call for you in a cycle but for now you must find a nearby dwelling. How many cycles of temporary shelter does your Permit to Travel allow?"

"Five Highness."

"Then you should still be able to go back to wherever you were last cycle. The lamps would dim soon. You better go." Marble clicked her tongue. "But descending would take long and I am culpable. Very well. Hang onto me. We will jump."

Jump. Crystal grinned to the unexpected word. Her grin shied when Marble didn't show any evidence of it being a jest.

She looked down. The wind battered her hair. Thirty stories, probably. Or more.

"Jump, Highness?"

Marble whisked the Sentinels away and took Crystal by the arm. It happened too sudden that the scream didn't have time to escape her throat. Marble jumped from the stairs.

They fell of course. They fell and Crystal clung tightly. Her stomach clenched as the ground sped to them. She expected a splatter- her bones splintered and her flesh squashed. Would it be painful? Or would she just cease in existing all of sudden?

They slowed. She was shutting her eyes but the swift wind rattling her cheeks had become a gentle breeze. She opened her eyes, afraid but curious.

They were falling. Indeed that terrifying fact remained true. But the gusts of air from Marble's hand gentled their descent.

Calmness. Yes there was that feeling. But there was also something more. Amazement probably or was it admiration? Ninev was an expanse which occupied everything in her vision. The rock structures carved into dwellings, the thousands of lamps shining above, the streets both wide and narrow, the pedestrians and carts towed by beasts- she had never seen such a sight before.

"Do you know that we are living inside a mountain?" Marble asked, eyes radiant and lips curving a thin smile.

"What is a mountain?"

"I don't know either." Marble looked at her, there was kindness in that look. Tenderness too. "The people who return from the war outside brought home a lot of strange words. Mountains. Rains. Sun. Moon. Sky. I wonder where we would also share what they saw."

"You are a First-rate Councilor, Highness. You can go outside."

"Not really. I am as shackled as you are. We are all shackled. I hope you could witness, Crystal. The Grand Consul's promise is that we could all leave this city once the enemies had been vanquished. I am growing tired of waiting. Learn from me Crystal. Learn everything and have power. So that one day you could go out there and witness too."

Crystal clung tighter as if she wanted to be cradled. It was a confusing gesture and an even more confusing thought. She reiterated that she shared nothing except blood with this woman. But there seemed to be something else connecting them. Perhaps it was nothing and just the ramblings of her tired mind. But if blood really could make a connection, then she understood why the Grand Consul prohibited relatives from working in close contact.

Filial feelings dulled thought. Corruption and impartiality would sprout from it. It was terrible to one's ambition too. She must suppress it.

They landed softly on the ground. Crystal uncoiled her arms and patted her creased dress.

"Thank you. I will go now Highness."

"I should go with you."

"No. I can go by myself."

"The lamps had dulled. It would be dangerous."

Crystal provided a smile. "I will be waiting for you to send for me Highness."

She turned the other, never glancing back. Her steps hurried to the gate.

Marble is a stepping stone, she thought- more of a reminder. Commoners bond with their mothers and fathers but Gifted Ninevans were different. They were bred differently, raised differently and lived differently.

She went past the gate, unopposed by the Sentinels. The streets had become dark with the dimming of the lamps. She turned corners and entered alleys, getting lost was not a concern anymore. She knew her way.

"Crystal" A familiar voice slithered from a dark corner.

Crystal flinched as she looked for the voice. The tall figure of the lecherous sentinel earlier was on the side a few steps further. He was leaning on a wall, face half shrouded by darkness.

She halted. The thought of running was playing in her mind. The Sentinel faced her and smiled.

What does he want? He wouldn't do something right? Right? But looking at the Sentinel's smile doubted that thought.

He barreled to her, quick as blink. Crystal puffed air from her palm. The air spiraled and aimed but the Sentinel avoided with sidesteps. He was lithe- too lithe for his size. He stopped near her face, hands clasped behind. He rubbed nose with her and flitted to the side as if playing with her.

He rushed again, faster this time. Crystal willed the smoky tendrils from her palm to form iron. It did and bits of iron darted from her palm. The Sentinel again avoided, jumping and sliding until he patted her cheek and laughed.

"So you are not an Air Surger." He was behind her before she knew it. "Your ability to fling both air and iron is not among the known gifts. You are a Deviant."

Crystal whisked her hand to the back, propelling dust. It clouded and she sprinted away.

"Graphite!" The Sentinel voiced from behind "Powdered graphite too? Impressive, Crystal. Impressive."

She closed her ears to him. She must run, escape. The Sentinel was clearly stronger than her. A wide street was only a few hundred steps to the front. It was within her reach. She could escape.

Everything blurred.

Crystal opened her eyes slowly. It was the same dark alley but she was on the ground. Her hands were bound.

The Sentinel squatted to her front. He lifted her chin with a finger. "A beautiful Deviant. Forgive me but the only Deviant I know is an old man."

"Stop it Breeze" Another person said but Crystal didn't see anyone else.

A hand erupted from the shadows. And soon, a face. A man soon formed from total darkness. His dark coat was buttoned to the neck. His hat was tall and weird. His cane was loud against the stones. He squatted next to the Sentinel.

"You know who I am, child?" He asked.

Crystal of course knew and her blood turned cold. She could never make a mistake when it comes to faces. His appearance, his clothes, his gift- all confirmed a terrible fact.

The man's name was Shadow and he was the head of the Resistance.