The day was rainy. Cardinal was sitting on a chair beside one of the many round wooden tables. In front of him was a glass of tea on a small circular table. He picked up the cup and smelled it. It was filled to the brim with hot tea.

He drank it.He coughed and sputtered. It was burning hot and tasted bitter.

"Good, you are awake. How are you feeling?" A deep masculine voice said from somewhere behind him Cardinal jumped.

A man dressed in a long blue robe sat on a chair by the window, watching him with amusement.

Cardinal noticed that there was no mirror in this room so he guessed he must have been sleeping for days because it had already been dark when he woke up.

"You have passed out a lot recently…Cardinal me and the others here at the facility noticed unlike your peers you have no gifts, but you still have hope,"

He stared down at the floor realizing it was made from woven fabric, probably from the land below. They also had pictures and small objects scattered around. Cardinal stood up and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, master" He murmured quietly, unable to stop the knot in his throat.

The man chuckled at his reaction, "Call me Zhenqi," he said as he waved his hand signaling him to sit down again.

He watched small groups in the corner excitedly show off their abilities and chat safely about their future plans in the world. Cardinal wondered what it would be like living among people without having powers or just finding a way back to Earth. If they would accept him, if they would respect him.

"Is there a way to go back to Earth?" Cardinal asked.

Zhenqi paused, watching his sad expression.

"If you wish," he sighed.

Cardinal wiped his eyes furiously with his sleeves.The man patted him gently on the back.

"Please calm yourself," He spoke calmly.

He looked at the other men with a curious and concerned look.

"I don't think it is good to stay so tense and anxious, especially since we haven't seen anything yet…" he commented with a hint of regret.

Cardinal's shoulders slumped depressed "I'm sorry sir.." he apologized.

Zhenqi gave him another reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"No need to apologize my friend…" he assured him.

"What will happen next then?" He asked hesitatingly, glancing at the door nervously.

Zhenqi smiled. "I promise I will check with a friend first before I talk to Lady Fawn…okay Cardinal?"

He didn't answer as his fingers pressed against his itchy ivory baggy clothes in deep thought. . His thoughts drifted off as he tried to distract himself.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"I hope you don't mind the mess..." Zhenqi told him.

Cardinal looked around. There were many bookshelves stacked with books everywhere. There seemed to be a lot of paper lying around.

"What are all these books?" Cardinal wondered aloud.

"It doesn't matter since they are fallinging apart," Zhenqi noted.

"Whatever…" He responded.

Cardinal kicked his chair away angrily and rudely walking through the happy students. As he entered the hallway, he caught sight of two guards staring at him. They were young men in uniform, standing close to the end of the hall, blocking the path, both looking at him.He clenched his fist tight.

"I'm not in the mood for a game. Move" He demanded angrily.

The men remained standing in their spots unmoving.

"Move or I will make you move." He threatened them with full force. They did not budge.

"Pretty sure I heard you were the kid with no abilities so how are you gonna make us move?" They laughed.

Cardinal stepped forward menacingly, ready to strike them, but the older soldier moved first, grabbing Cardinal's arm. He threw him back violently onto the floor, landing roughly with a heavy thud. Cardinal fell to his knees, clutching his wrist and wincing in pain. The guard pushed him to lie on his stomach.

"You're lucky," he growled, "Or I would kill you right here. You're lucky your friend is too lazy to intervene. You should take him seriously, you know."

The guard smirked and grabbed him by the collar. "So, what'll it be? Do I drag you, or do I leave you here to bleed to death on the floor?!"

Cardinal gritted his teeth. He hated being threatened. Being a child raised by bandits was bad enough. He was used to fighting his own battles, he wasn't going to let anyone else bully him.

He glared at the guard and pushed himself off of the ground. "Let me go!" He snapped, ignoring the pain in his wrist.

The guard scoffed but obliged. They began heading towards the outside. "Don't get cocky boy. This place is not that easy to escape. You'd better behave and not try anything stupid." He warned.

"Yes sir," Cardinal nodded.

"Do not test our patience!"

He bumped into a tall man trying to exit who gawked down at the young spirited man.

"Oops," he muttered sheepishly, looking up at the man in shock. He quickly turned his attention away, walking past the man.

The man grabbed his arm stopping him.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concern etched onto his face.

Cardinal yanked his arm away. "My wrist hurts. Can't a guy pass by without getting hit?" He huffed, rubbing his wrist with annoyance.

The elderly man's face shone brightly "Is that so?" He exclaimed cheerfully. He held his hand up.

"I see…" Cardinal replied annoyed.

"My name is Larrow and I heard about you and your problem," He introduced smiling kindly. Cardinal returned the smile politely.

"You must be hungry. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?" He invited Cardinal warmly.

"Us?" Cardinal asked.

A beautiful woman waited patiently behind Larrow. Her hair was tied back with ribbons, she wore a simple white dress with a green sash. She was beautiful, but her smile was cold.

"I don't feel like it…" Cardinal replied politely. He could already feel her judging gaze burning into his skin.

He felt uncomfortable, even though he knew he shouldn't feel that way.

'It would probably be better to accept Lord Fawn's invitation anyway' He reasoned. 'Why not just say yes' He decided.

Cardinal quickly changed his mind thinking about the others who were staring at him in the hallway and the way everyone's faces lit up seeing him 'come back to life'.

"Sorry, I am busy. I have a very important meeting to attend. Perhaps another time." he told Larrow who nodded.

He quickly dashed off in fear of being found out. He rushed back to his quarters, taking care not to make any noise. The red headed kid sighed in relief once he reached his room. He shut the door and slid down the wall until he reached the floor.

Cardinal's wrist hurt badly and he wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he pulled his legs to his chest and curled up into a ball. After a while he managed to fall asleep and dreamed.

He woke up the next day to the sound of birds chirping in the distance. Cardinal sat up slowly noticing the bright sunlight which streamed inside. It was still quite early. He yawned feeling slightly exhausted after sleeping for hours on end. He got up and made his way to the kitchen where he saw Master Zhenqi sitting down, reading a scroll. He took out some food from the storage and ate silently.

"Lady Fawn would like to see you later," He noted.

Cardinal said nothing and left the kitchen, walking towards the garden. He walked aimlessly along the path as he lost interest in anything around him, he had been awake and aware for only a few hours but he felt completely drained. As soon as he arrived at the gardens he leaned against a tree trunk breathing deeply as he closed his eyes.

As he rested his head against the bark a loud voice came from across the garden.

"Little Cardinal!" A female voice called. She ran towards him. "I have missed you, how did everything go?"

He opened his eyes. She smiled at him.

"I have no gifts…I want to go home Fawn," He whispered.

Fawn shook her head sadly as she reached out her arm to him.

He stared at it blankly before moving away from it. "It doesn't matter" He murmured in resignation.

Her eyes widened. "But little Cardinal…" She started.

"Just let me go fucking home! This place has been nothing, but torment for someone like me! I became a dud out of all the kids here who are much more useful in the end!" He shouted, clenching his hands. "And you know what they say! You can't choose where you're born, you can only choose where you die!" he yelled angrily.

Frowning, Fawn put her hands together and clasped them between her breasts tightly as she watched him.

"Little Cardinal please have a little more faith in your new home as I am like you," Larrow smiled.

Cardinal sat in awe watching her. "Really?" He asked.

Larrow laughed at the irony of it all. "Of course. I am a child of this land. We share many similar qualities. Like the people we're surrounded by."

Cardinal looked into his eyes and noticed the genuine emotion glowing in his retina.

"Well then…I guess it wouldn't be such a terrible idea to hear you out then…" He finally smiled weakly.

Larrow chuckled "My little Cardinal you will have to work ten times harder than anyone in your team,"