I do not know why but searching for people with powers became usual.

One day I was back from my tailor shop when I saw soldiers getting in and out of the houses. The family that lived there just stood on the stairs waiting for it to pass. It had to pass.

One soldier would investigate the house, top to bottom and that was not nice to investigate. It was not theirs so they turned things in and out not caring for it. For us, on the other side, that meant everything because we worked out blood and sweat to get that.

Another soldier was standing on the stairs with a family taking their names. If they see anything it is normal, they take them one by one in one specific room in their house. After that, the testing is getting its final stage.

Chills run down my spine as I saw them walking out of that house. Family, happy that everything is over walked in it slamming the doors.

My feet took me to the end of the street, rushing toward smiths store. I did not care for people looking at me. This was man sector and you could not see a woman in here.

"Jasper," I whispered when he finished with one soldier and turned to drink some water.
"Imrie," he said fast crossing the room to face me, "what are you doing here?"

"They are checking houses," I say whispering but even I noticed how my voice is shaky. I could not stop fear from running through my body.

"Calm down," he said hugging me but I heard real words to my ear.
"Leave until the night. When I am at home. Hide somewhere and wait. Everything will be okay,"

I looked at his deep brown eyes and nodded. There was that compassion. He practically raised me. Our parents died in some storm, they both were tailors and they wanted material for Warriors.

It was Winter Fight, I remembered that Jasper told me. I was ten when that happened; he was fourteen. From that day he stood up and take care of me. Worked, and slowly he made his way to this shop and this role. I did not know every detail but one thing was sure; he knew how to take care of the controls.

Somehow. If they would come when I was home alone a minute later he would wait in front of the doors telling me that everything will be okay, how he knew, I never found out.

If they wanted to know my name and age, I would tell them, but only after I saw him nodding behind the soldier. My brother was everything for me and I could not risk losing him.

"Everything will be okay?" I whispered looking at him.
"Do not worry, baby. Everything will be okay," he smiled and took one part of my dress.
"Better disappear, they dislike women here,"

I nodded, and he kissed me on the cheek.

Running through streets I tried to avoid every look in this part until I was safe behind my machine. I looked around not sure what to do, but I had a job.

If I will finish that tuxedo in Kassian's house I had to deliver a dress for a miss. Darin a day before.

Our workplace was simple. We had three lines of machines and age divided us. It was twelve of us between sixteen and eighteen.

I was in the middle at the beginning, my birthday was in January but Rana was on a third one. Her birthday was in September.

A big room with sounds of tailoring every minute. In the back of the room, we had closets for cloth we make and nothing else.

Everything we needed from thread to needle we had to buy. It was safe in my basket next to my feet.

I still had shivers of fear whenever soldiers would walk past our window but I had to calm myself.

Nothing will happen. Control will pass and I have no reason to be scared.

But when a big black dress was in my hands I had to cut all I made hours ago. It was so uneven that it looked like a little girl's thing.

I exhaled and looked at my fingers. I saw my index finger holding a needle and a little scar around it; I stabbed myself; I imagined what would be to wear this dress.

That I do not have to wear the same dress every single day and to poses something nice. I did not know how that would feel.

I felt nice black silk on my fingers. It was easy to imagine that.

Brother and I would attend to Warriors gala. We would have our own big house, lots of maids and our parents would be alive. We would taste that love and feel all the nice things around us. That would be nice if we had blue hair and eyes.

Everything would be simpler. I saw few girls from our town with that colour leaving in the richer places. I did not know where or why, but the Warriors extremely appreciated that colour.

I heard how my needles fell on the floor and I blinked. I was back in my place. With a long exhale I pick them up and continued my work. This time my hands were not shaky.

"Imrie, it is time for you to go home," I looked up, seeing an older girl by my shoulder.
"Oh yes," I turned around, there was no one here. "What time is it?"

"Five minutes till ten. We have to go. Everyone else already left. The final controls are on us."
She already walked toward her machine turning the light off.

I looked at my hands. The black dress was all decorated with deep gold flowers, that I tailored to it, among them was a few birds that raised from the bottom and slowly get thicker and thicker to the top.

It was a remarkable dress. Something I never made. But my head hurt and I had a feeling that she will like it.

"Just to leave the dress and I am coming," I said to her already packing it in the protecting foil.
"Okay, I will wait for you outside," she said and a second later I heard doors.

Rushing I left the dress in the closet and took my things. I could not get rid of the feeling that there is someone in here. That someone is watching me.

Running out of the store Sudi waited for me and we slowly walked toward our houses.

"I hate these galas." She said, and I looked at her.
She had the same dress as me, black from some thick material and with little green things on the bottom. It was mark we are tailors, but she was tall and had green eyes. Almost everyone would have black or brown eyes and these few of them that were different felt so good. It was a change.

"Me too, but the money they pay is nice," I whispered already cold from the wind. It was begging of November and I could feel winter in the air. The show will soon come.

"It is. But I also hate I have to finish their dresses hours before. They want me to go to the Warriors house. I hate that."
"You are going to," I asked surprised.
"Yes. Some lady wants it like that," she looked at the dark and exhaled.
"Why do you go?"
"I have to finish Kassian's suit." I looked at my feet.
"So you are the one who is making it with thousands of diamonds." She said impressed.
"Yes, that is me."
"How did you get that work," she wanted to know everything. God.
"By accident. I had to measure miss. Darin's dress and he was there. I had to take measures initially, but he said he wants a tuxedo from me," I finished.

"You are so lucky, but what was he doing at Darin's?"
"I do not know," I repeated looking at the house. I saw Kassian and Mrs Darin kissing and I shook my head. That just put me in trouble.

I could see a light in it. Jasper was already home.
She kissed me on the cheek and get in her house.

Everything was so quiet. To quiet. I did not know where soldiers are. That made me nervous.

As I opened the doors I had to take a step back. The whole house was filled with soldiers. I expected them to be all full of themselves and to yell at us but they did not. My brother was the centre of everything.

They were smiling and laughing telling the jokes completely ignoring me. But Jasper saw me.

As always, he took a step toward me and greeted me.
"I told you I will handle everything," he whispered and looked at me.
"What are they talking about?"
"Swords," he smiled and came back in the middle of everything.

I knew why these soldiers are laughing. Sure, there was one or two with blonde hair but he knew every one of them. He made swords for them. He practised with them and that is where all magic happened.

They continued laughing and joking but I left my basket and went into my room. As I closed my doors, their voices were quieter and I let out a deep breath. I did not know why I worried so much.

Everything was good. The soldier will not spread a detailed search. My brother as always took care of everything.

I sat on my bed and looked at my night desk. There was one of my notebooks. Filled with my drawings. Every dress had a night tuxedo. Just a pair, always in a pair.

Once when I started with my job, I made a silent promise. One day, no matter how hard that will be I will make at least one of these. One for me and another for my brother.

I put down it on the bed and opened it. The dress was all in white pieces, full of tiny pearls. One by one I tied them with satin thread and they created a log dress that was supposed to shine like a sun. A simple milky white silk would go to the floor and little on it. Pearls would be dense and dense until they covered the whole bottom part in it. Simple V - neckline. Without sleeves. My dream.

I had a lot of notes on what would be the best and how to make the who piece. Same with a tuxedo.

A milky white, one the revers filled with the same pearls as the dress, but tuxedo was supposed to have a thin chain from left shoulder to the hip. Square shoulders just like a uniform, but the sleeves would have a nice tone to the beginning of the hand. Pants are simple with a holder for a sword and gun almost invisible design of going on aside. It was a DNA. The repression that everyone is the same in his cells.

I exhaled. This now seems impossible. Without, knowing a memory from that day came to my mind. A man touched my hand. His dark skin same as my dark hair and his blue eyes were darker than a night sky. He did not seem to mean like his father, but I do not know him. He could be a killer too. A cold man. But my instinct told me he is not like that.

How did I get in this mess? I blinked. It is his fault. That I did not see him, he would not tell me that and I would not see his father. Now all have sense. He is the guilty one.

I heard a knock on my door and I closed my notebook.
"Yes," I said putting it under my arm.
"They left," Jasper said and smiled.
Slowly he closed the doors and sat on the chair next to my bed.
"I could get some training from them. They seemed nice, actually," I nodded looking at his arm. He had a tiny cut on it.
"How does that happen?" I asked showing my jaw. He looked at that place and covered it, his face narrowed.
"I do not know," he turned to the side, "it could be today, but I do not remember working with any sword. Or it could be from yesterday?" He looked at me his face filled with questions.

"Ah, I will take some alcohol," I stood up and went into the bathroom. I heard him telling me it will be okay, but I ignored him.

As I came back into the room, I saw him holding my notebook. He opened the same drawing I watched minutes ago. I said nothing.

I tapped place more for myself than to him, I could not be calm knowing he hurt himself. I watched how his muscle tense when I cleaned the wound.
"No. It is definitely from today," he said still looking at my drawing.
"Well, at least it will not get infected,"

I put my hand down, but remain looking over his shoulder.
"Did you ever meet Kassian's son?" I asked suddenly.
He turned to face me.
"I do not know, maybe a few years ago, why?"

I looked at him.
"I saw him, that day, he did not seem like his father," I looked down at my drawing.

The model from my picture was so like him. I did not notice that.
"Are you okay with that job? If not,"
I cut him off.
"I am fine. Besides, we will get nice money," I smiled at him.
"Imrie," he said. I know that voice.

"I am okay," I said before he faced me.
He took my hands in his. I looked at his left hand. His little finger was not there. He cut it because of me.

He did so many things for me. Even hurt himself. I did not much for him. Cleaned a few cuts. Not much. He dedicated his life to me. At least I can bring us this money.

"I just want you to be okay,"
"And I am." I smiled.
A few log seconds he looked at me, I could imagine his brain ticking inside his head, deciding on my words. Then he nodded.

"All right, but, at least you can tell me what happens at Ball," he smiled and crossed his arms.
"Only if you tell me, why does Mia constantly walk with me home but she lives in a different street?" I raised my eyebrow and smiled.

He turned his head from me, a big smile playing on his lips. For a second he looked like a father. I had a tiny memory of them.

One dinner. He was looking at my mom with such love that seemed unreal. An almost same smile played on his lips.

His hands were still crossed and his legs were in front of him. He pushed them up and dangle on the chair.
"I will not tell you," he said finally.

"I hate you," I said looking at him with my angry face.
"I do not care," he suddenly stood up and kissed me on the hair.
"Have a nice sleep Imrie,"

Before he disappeared an image of him catching Mia a second before she fell on street danced in my mind. When he was out, it disappeared.