We hurry down the same hall as before, but instead of continuing straight into the room with the big glass wall, we turn left towards a set of new doors. Mara knocks twice before entering, coming out a second later. She smiles and waves me inside, which I take as my cue to go in while she waits in the hall.

"Miss Acero, welcome to my office."

Christian is sitting on a large leather chair behind a big sleek black desk. There are old trinkets on its surface, and maps from both the old world and new world crowding the walls. Pictures of old monuments hang in picture frames. Some I've seen before, and some I haven't. There is one that looks like a giant needle that I don't recognize, and one that I've seen in my history book during one of Mr. Roscovik's classes. It's a big statue of a green woman, wearing a pointy crown and holding what looks like a slate in one hand, and a torch held high in the other. I know that it was called the Statue of Liberty, one of the most famous monuments from the old world, but it was destroyed during the war between America and the New Republic of Africa.

"Please, sit down," says Christian, putting down his tablet and smiling up at me.

I shut the door behind me, approach his desk, and lower myself in the chair across from him, folding my hands in my lap.

"Well, I'm sure you have many questions you would like to ask me," he says. "So why don't we start from the beginning?"

I nod, focusing all my attention on what he's about to say.

"About one hundred years ago, a Gift we had never seen before presented itself in Europe near the end of the war. The woman that possessed it was called Maria del Palomar, and she became the most famous fortune teller in the whole world. When one of the Elite compounds back in the day got a hold of her, we discovered that all that nonsense we thought she was feeding her clients to make money, was actually true. She somehow had the ability to see their futures and made a name for herself by selling her visions and telling people how to avoid the tragedies in their lives, or to expect good things that were yet to come. Because as you know, the future isn't set in stone, but if we do nothing to change it, it will remain the same."

I nod, already invested in the story.

"This all took place during the end of the 5th world war, when the tension between the United States, along with our allies, and the Europe-Asian forces were higher than ever. The European government found out about her Gift and forced her to tell them what the outcome of the war would be. She saw what all of them had been fearing, what the American scientists were doing, Europe losing in only a few short weeks. The American government in turn, couldn't risk having their secrets exposed and falling into enemy hands. So, they hired a spy to... eliminate the threat."

I gasp, feeling fear's cold fingers wrap themselves around my throat.

"They killed her?"

He studies my reaction before nodding his head solemnly.

"I'm afraid so. They panicked and couldn't find a better solution. But what they knew, that the Europeans didn't know at the time, was that the woman had a son. A son who, when the war was over, fled to America. He didn't know what happened to his mother, no one did, but he knew that he didn't want to disappear like she had. He had inherited her Gift, and he knew that there were people out there that would use him for it. We reached out to him, and he came to work at one of the very first Elite compounds that was ever created. For years the Gift would present itself in his family, passed down throughout the generations, but only when the previous... owner, if you will, passed away."

Once they passed away? That didn't make sense, that's not how Gifts worked.

"But why? How could that happen?"

He sighs, running a hand over his head.

"We don't know, we've never been able to figure that part out, but it would explain why your Gift is only starting to present itself now. Consider yourself lucky, some of your ancestors didn't get their Gift until they were older than thirty-five."

Lucky? I would hardly call myself "lucky", especially considering why I got my Gift earlier than most of my great-great-grandparents.

He turns his computer around so I can get a better look at the screen, displaying what looks like a DNA sequence. I've learned about genetics in Biology, how Gifts originated in our genetic code.

"This is where your family's unique Gift began," he says, "with Maria del Palomar's DNA. This Gift, this exact sequence, has only ever presented itself in your family, passed down from generation to generation, until it reached you."

I feel like my brain is about to blow a fuse.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. It turns out that I do have a Gift, a Gift that only presented itself once my father... once my father was gone, and it somehow allows me to see the future? And the reason you've been keeping it a secret is because it's too dangerous for the world to know about it, lest the same thing that happened to my great great great, how many more greats, grandmother, happens to me?"

He chuckles but nods in agreement.

"That about sums it up."

I can practically feel my mind ready to explode. But before it does, there is one more question I had been meaning to ask.

"If I've got this all-powerful Gift, does that make me--"

"An Elite?" he finishes for me. I nod, and he smiles at me. "Yes, I believe it does."

So, I've gone from being a complete nobody, to an Elite in one day? This sort of thing doesn't happen in real life! This only happens in books or movies. How is it happening to me?

"Now I have a question for you," says Christian, and the change in his tone makes me sit up a little straighter.

"As you know, every Elite must undergo certain training, to make sure that he or she doesn't use their Gift for the wrong purposes, to keep them from being a threat to society, and instead learn to use them in order to protect their fellow Gifted."

Yes, I knew that. I agreed that Elites needed their training to make sure they weren't dangerous. It's an important part of today's society, the Elite trainees, because they are also in charge of taking care of any criminal that threatened the peace. Be it a Norm, or an Elite gone rogue. The purpose is to teach young Elites how to use their Gifts in a dangerous situation, and to give an example of what would happen should any of them decide to use their Gift for bad purposes. I personally believe that that part, sending Elites that barely have any control over their Gifts on missions, is a safety risk in itself. But I'm not specialized or qualified to judge what the council thinks is best. If they think it's beneficial, then that must be the truth.

"Because you are now aware of your Gift," he continues, "you know that you will need to go through that same process. Of course, we don't force anyone to join us, but if you decide not to you will have to be under constant surveillance, both for your safety and the public's. However, there are always spots open for new trainees, and we would be thrilled to have you be a part of the program."

I didn't think I would have a say in any of this. I thought every Elite needed to join the compound when their Gift presented itself. I didn't know you could just say no and go on with your life. With people watching you though, and I don't know how comfortable I'd be knowing that someone would always be keeping tabs on me. Yet here is the director of the compound, giving me a choice. I can either stay here and learn how to use my Gift, how to control it. Or, I can choose to go home and live the life I'd been living so far.

I think back to my mother, to our lazy afternoons on the porch. I think about dad. It was because of this place that I lost my father, but he had chosen to stay here, he even worked here once he completed his training, and he had loved it. It's an important decision, and one I don't think I can make right now. Not when I've just learned who I am and feel so overwhelmed by it all. I don't want to make a rash decision that I will later regret.

"Can I have some time to think about it?" I ask.

Once again Christian smiles, probably sensing my hesitance.

"Of course. Initiation for the new Elites doesn't start until Monday, so you have these next couple of days to figure out whether you want to join us or not. if you do, you will be starting your training with the rest of the trainees. If not, we will have people checking up on you and your mother every week. But I don't want you to feel pressured," he states, coming to stand on my side of the desk and place a comforting hand on my arm. "We will respect your decision no matter what you choose."

He guides me to the door, and I thank him for his time and promise to come back on Monday with my answer. I barely catch Mara as she tumbles into the room when I open the door.

"Umm," she laughs nervously, "I definitely wasn't eavesdropping."

I can't help but laugh at her startled expresion.

If I join, I will get to see her every day. It would be like going to school together. Which reminds me, I also need to think about my school life. If I join, I won't be leaving much behind, and I could make friends with people who actually understand me. But Cassie's smiling face pops into my head, and I know that I can't leave her behind. She's helped me so much. I need her, just as she needs me. So, before I walk out the door, I turn back to Christian to make one final request.

"Sir, if I may."

He looks up from the stack of papers he had started putting away and waves at me to continue.

"There is someone I think would be a good addition to one of your teams, and honestly, I wouldn't be willing to join without her."

He lifts his eyebrow quizzically, but listens anyways.

"Go on."