"Tomorrow he is turning 19," my grandfather, Chato said to my grandmother, Emilia.

I have a big day tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day my gift will fully manifest and I will possibly replace my father, Silva, as standing warchief. Everyone is born with a gift and gifts often would show moderate hints before fully manifesting. Upon reaching 19 I will go to what is known as the neautral zone ran by the Watchers. The Watchers are the world's highest standing class, gifted by the spirits to run what they call ‘machines’. These machines run tests on us and give a detailed description on our gifts to help us fully understand it as well as giving the Watchers documentation of our gifts.

"There's no need to worry. Inarashi seems to show excellent potential," Emilia softly replied to Chato, attempting to quell his worries.

I was suppose to be asleep, but I would often listen to my grandparents talk in the room over while falling asleep. I shared a room with my younger sister (age 18), Melissa, and my brother (age 21), Angelo. I often felt like Melissa would listen in as I would, but thankfully Angelo would fall right asleep. Angelo was the first standing contender for warchief as my older brother, but he was an anomaly among the tribes. Angelo never showed any signs of having a gift growing up, and was very mediocre in most forms of combat. He was oblivious to the world and didn't seem to mind all of this, but it deeply troubled my grandfather.

"No need to worry?" Chato snapped at Emilia. "With Silva gone and Angelo a failure the Ardent tribe will meet its doom. If Inarashi ends up like Angelo we're screwed. Why the hell did my damned son decide to go visit Ignas? No one has ever come back from entering that cursed tower, it's taboo among all tribes to enter. And although Inarashi is skilled with the katana, he shows no signs of it pointing to being his gift like Revell."

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Revell was my closest friend, and the strongest standing member of our tribe after Silva. Revell had told me he was told his gift was "Longsword Master" while at the neutral zone. He told me the experience of learning your gift is very unsual, but rewarding. He described it as laying on a table and getting wires put into you. Then you hear a voice that briefly explains your gift. He said the Watchers told him the voice you hear is the Greater Spirit that has chosen you for your gift. Afterwards, the Watchers get their own detailed report of your gift and read it to you before sending you home with your newfound knowledge and fully unlocked gift.

"Please don't call Angelo a failure," Emilia responded, "It's never been heard of someone not having a gift. I'm sure he just hasn't been put in a situation that it has been able to show. When at the neautral zone he said he heard a greater spirit speak "Life" to him. Inarashi is a bright individual. I'm sure he will make the Ardent tribe proud."

Emilia was very kind. I highly pitied my brother and the way Chato thought of him, but my thought process wasn't much different. It pained me to say it, but I too would think of my older brother as a failure. Every time I thought about it my heart would sting, but I just couldn't bring myself to lie. He would never be able to fill the role of warchief. No matter how much I loved him, I would never see him amounting to any use to the tribe. I could hope all I wanted that Emilia's words were true about his gift not being able to show, but I highly doubted that.

"It's been over two years since the boy's been 19. If he had a gift it would have showed by now Emilia. Don't try to kid yourself. The boy is a failure. We tried to see a gift in him with the keyword 'Life.' He couldn't ressurect the dead, he couldn't heal, he couldn't regenerate. He has no quality of life, and hasn't bettered anyone else's life, so tell me what more there is to it, Emilia, huh!?" Chato said sounding a little angry now, raising his voice.

I glanced over at Angelo to make sure he was still asleep. Thankfully he was still out. I would hate him to wake up and hear all of that. I decided to go to sleep now. Every word Chato said I would agree with, and it cut like a knife. I didn't want to agree with any of it. I just wanted to not think about it anymore.