"What makes us special? That's the question we should all ask ourselves. What makes us different from the rest, from the Norms? Think about your answer."

Amanda Ranel, the biology and science mentor, paces up and down the rows of trainees, scanning the room as she goes. We are sitting in a U shape, with five rows of tables placed one behind the other. The last row is higher up than the first one, allowing those of us sitting in the back to see the front of the class without a problem. I yawn, drawing imaginary doodles onto the table. Using our TekPads for class meant no paper, which meant no drawing. I was bored out of my mind.

After getting settled into our new room, and fighting over who got the top bunks, we called it in early. It had been an exciting day, and I wanted to be ready for when our official training began. I expected us to be at the practice rooms, learning to control our Gifts, or at least doing some hand to hand combat. I didn't think about the fact that our training wouldn't only be physical, but mental as well. The first thing on my schedule, which was sent to my TekPad and all the other trainees' devices first thing in the morning, was biology with this Amanda Ranel. I learned later on that we do not address our mentor as Mrs. Or Ms., we just use their first names.

It also looks like the first years aren't the only ones in Amanda's class, everyone needs to attend. Our official schedule was made up of science, technology, history, physical training, and lab work. There were optional courses, like learning Lansh, which is the universal language. Or at least it's meant to be. The President decided a few years ago that if we would all be united under one ruler, then we all needed to be able to understand each other and communicate with one another. It has become an obligatory class in schools all over the world. I had learned a bit when I was in primary. All the council members need to speak it, all important figures from other countries as well. I debated attending that course or not, and I still haven't decided.

But as for all the other classes, every trainee needs to attend. Of course, the older trainees, as in the ones that have been here longer than us first years, don't have to be in every class, they have the privilege of choosing which classes they want to attend, specializing as they get older, getting to decide what they want to do when they eventually finish their training. Except for Physical ability and Gift control, those classes are obligatory for everyone.

Cassie and I were the first ones up this morning, and we helped each other choose an outfit for our first day. Lucky for us there was no uniform, we just needed to wear something we could move in. No skintight skirts or dresses, which wasn't a problem for me seeing as my style consisted of comfortable baggy clothes. Today I was just wearing a pair of ripped jeans and an oversized t-shirt with my favorite sentence on it: I'm not sarcastic, I'm realistic, there's a difference. I love that phrase.

The room I am currently in is nothing like my classes with Mr. Roscovik. This looks like the university classes I had seen on a few of my college visits. It's big, really big, and there is a giant glass wall at the front where Amanda is projecting various images onto it.

"What makes us better, stronger, faster?"

I try not to cringe as Amanda walks my way.

Better.

She speaks as if Norms were lesser, as if they were lucky that Elites protected and ruled over them. Like they want to be worse. I can't be the only one that thinks that what she's saying and the way she says it sounds presumptuous. One of the girls sitting next to me rolls her eyes, Jade, I think her name was. She's a special kind of physical manipulator. She's what we call a morph, able to change her body to look like someone else. She demonstrated her Gift during the duels by turning into her opponent. Watching the same person fighting themselves had been quite confusing, but very entertaining.

I try not to let Amanda's words get the better of me. No one here knows where I came from, who I had been until recently. I'm an Elite now, but that doesn't mean I need to start thinking like one.

"It has to do with our genetic code. I'm aware that most of you know this already so just bear with me."

I let out a puff of air and lean on my elbows as I listen to her speak, explaining the differences between the Norm and Elite DNA. Of course, everyone has a different genetic code, but there is one thing that everyone has in common, that distinguishes someone from Norm or Elite. Just as humans from the old world, those lacking the mutated gene, our DNA contains around three billion base pairs, which are the pillars of our genetic code. How these base pairs are combined is what makes individuals different from others. But there is a difference between Elites and Norms. Norms possess the four fundamental nucleic acids, with a slight alteration in these as a result of the mutation. But Elites could possess a fifth acid that hadn't ever been seen before. This fifth nucleic acid would need a pair, just as Guanine pairs with Cytosine, and Adenine is paired with Thymine. But for some reason, this fifth acid was like the joker in a deck of cards. It could pair itself with any of the other acids, even with itself. This rare occurrence is the result of stronger mutations, which in turn had more drastic effects on the body. Some believe it's because of a faster evolutionary process, but there was never proof that stronger Gifts have anything to do with the acid, it's just what Elite's like to use as an excuse to call themselves superior.

The creation of this new acid, called Crenine, was just the bodies way of adapting to its Gift. They often overlooked that most Elites only possessed a single Crenine in the entire 3 billion base pairs in their DNA. And besides, just because Norms didn't have the fifth acid didn't mean the original four didn't suffer changes of their own that lead to the Norm Gifts. I only had the four base pairs, but I was still an Elite wasn't I? I was living proof that their theory was wrong.

How do I know that I only possess the four? There are specialized tests that every parent puts their baby through right after they are born to learn whether their child was an Elite or a Norm. Privileged or not. My test indicates that I'm a Norm, but after my Gift never presented itself my parents believed my DNA hadn't inherited the mutation at all. Now I know that that isn't the case.

"Kalen."

I focus on the front of the class where Amanda is standing. I search the room, not realizing that we shared this class. Why didn't he say anything this morning when he left?

I find him sitting three rows in front of me, with a boy that I don't recognize. He wasn't at initiation, which means he isn't one of the first years. He's probably a third-year if he's sitting with Kalen. I didn't even notice him sitting there. He looks at our mentor, leaning back in his chair. She crosses her arms in front of her, a frown appearing on her wrinkled face.

"Because I know the answer already, and you seem oh so interested in this class, why don't you tell the rest of us your code so they can analyze it?"

This must be a common occurrence because the guy sitting next to him chuckles and claps him on the back. Kalen shrugs him off and sighs, but he nods anyway, telling the class what Amanda asked for.

"I only have the basic acids, I do not possess Crenine."

My eyebrows shoot up. He doesn't? That's very rare, I would have expected him to at least have one with how unique his Gift is.

"And you Gift, for those who still don't know?"

She sounds hopeful, but Kalen seems to stiffen where he sits, muscles going tight. I don't notice that however, why would I focus on his muscles? Psh, no. It's just an observation that's all.

"It's powerful," is all he says, and Amanda seems to deflate a little, but she doesn't scold him or ask him to tell us, instead she just nods.

I wonder why he doesn't want to tell the class. He showed us all during initiation. I can only assume it's because he's still not comfortable with telling new people about his Gift. Why did he show me then? This boy is harder to crack than a puzzle box.

"With the information you were given, why do you think Kalen is missing one of the nucleic acids that form an Elite's genetic code?"

Hands go up, and I smile when I see Cassie's go up next to me. My best friend and I didn't choose the seats in the back for any specific reason, it was just habit. We never wanted to get noticed, so we chose the furthest spots from the rest of the class. But Cassie raising her hand, that's a first. She used to never participate when we were with Mr. Roscovik, because just like me, she wanted to keep a low profile. It looks like things are changing after all.

"Brianna? Would you mind telling us?"

Of course, choose the only person who didn't have their hand up. Typical teacher move. I expected better from you Amanda. I sneak a glance at Kalen, wanting to see if he's noticed me. Those gray eyes turn in my direction and I quickly avert my gaze to look at our mentor instead.

"If he has a powerful Gift," I say, not giving any clue as to me knowing what it was. "Then he must have such a strong mutation that the fifth acid isn't necessary. His original four probably changed so much that they would be completely different if you compared them with someone else's."

Amanda nods, pleased with my answer, and continues with the lesson, but for some reason I can't shake the feeling that someone is watching me. I look down and find Kalen still staring at me from his seat. He holds my gaze until the boy sitting next to him notices and nudges his shoulder, seemingly snapping him out of whatever daze he had been in. He turns back around, and I feel like I can breathe again.

"What's with him?" whispers Cassie, wanting to know what that strange exchange was all about.

"I don't know," I shrug, trying to ignore what just happened and focus on the class instead.

Amanda continues, stating all the reasons why the evolution process for the Elite was so much more efficient and advanced than the Norms, and I feel my eye twitch in annoyance. I am getting a bit tired of this woman's way of thinking, and I pray that not all our mentors have the same mindset as her. Back at my school we had been taught about equality, how Elites and Norms were all the same. Here I feel like it's the complete opposite. 

There is no bell to signal the end of our class, just a chime on our TekPad that alerts us to how much time we have left until our next class.

"Ten minutes, come on!" says Cassie, grabbing her things. "We get to have some fun next."

I glance at my timetable and find that we have Gift control, so I quickly grab my bag and my TekPad and rush towards the door. We race through the hallway, and to my surprise, the whole team seems to have this class together, as Mara and Jayson walk behind Kalen to reach us. How did he get here before us? We were in the same room five seconds ago!

"What did you think of your first class?" asks Jayson. "I see you had science with Amanda, sorry about that, but what can you do about it right?" he shrugs, smiling.

"Yeah, what's her deal with Norms anyways?" I ask, still annoyed at how our mentor talked about people like my mother.

He lifts his shoulders and sighs.

"I don't know, it's just the way she thinks. Things were different when she was young, we can't forget that things haven't always been so 'smooth' between Norms and Elite. Amanda won't be the only one that thinks that way."

I feel my excitement deflate a little. How would I survive with more mentors like her around?

Jayson notices my change in attitude and shakes his hands in front of himself, as if trying to wave away my worry.

"But that's just the older mentors. You are going to love Daniel, seriously, he is the greatest mentor of all."

Ah yes, the famous Daniel. Kalen spoke a lot about him when we went on our tour, he even told me that he and my dad had been close friends. Dad never talked about him, but to be honest, he didn't talk about his work in general so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Daniel was the Gift control mentor, which means I will be meeting him in our next class.

If he and Dad were close, does that mean he knows about our Gift? I hope he does, it would be hard to hide it from him, considering he's the person that's supposed to help me learn how to control it. Oh well, I'll just have to hope for the best, I guess.

And I mean, it won't be that bad if he doesn't know about my Gift...right?