Liberation

Chapter 1

JULIA'S POINT OF VIEW:

It's been three years.

Three years since we fought the Council for a better future...and won. Three years since we put them in their own prisons.

I can still remember before that the day I woke up, horrified to know that it was my Day of Choice. I remember how afraid and angry I was when they gave me my powers, even when they knew how much I didn't want them. Little did I know how complicated they would make my life, and even less did I know that I would be the first step in fighting back.

The power of dominance, the most powerful of all the powers, was supposed to kill me. The Council had always given that power to those whom they deemed a threat, but I suppose that they didn't know as much as they thought they did. I was the only person in their history to not only live through this power, but to master it as well. That is something I take great pride in.

When the war ended, I made it a moral obligation to finish my training. With the assistance of my friends, they helped me learn the rest of the powers so I could finally have all fifteen mastered.

Now, we all keep ourselves busy with the duties we have taken upon ourselves throughout the city. Adam, one of my best friends with the power of knowledge, took the Council's place as head of our society, and the citizens now refer to him as "Leader." He tried getting me and the rest of our friends to call him that as well, but he failed miserably. He'll always be Adam to us.

Cassia, another close friend of mine with the power of healing, decided to master her power as well. Once she did so, she opened a doctoring school where she now trains the finest nurses the city has ever seen.

Susan, my friend and a personal comedian to us all, posses the power of joy. She didn't take on a job within the society, but she remains as a consultant when Adam ever has a plan to upgrade anything in our society. Other than that, she enjoys spending her free time with Kyle.

Kyle is Susan's boyfriend and has the power of healing like Cassia. He's the newest addition to our little circle of friends. I've never seen Susan happier to be with anyone, and she brings out the personality in him.

And finally, there's Peter, my boyfriend and one of my favorite people on the planet. Due to his power of evaluation, he works with Adam as his right hand man when it comes to dealing with the citizens. And who better to help with the people than someone who has the ability to look at them and know everything about them? His job keeps him busy, but he still finds a way to make time for me.

Catching up to right here in this moment, I can feel that today is going to be different. The crisp autumn air outside holds an uneasy tension, unnerving me as I make my way to Adam's headquarters.

I got a note on my door this morning from Society Security, or the new police force as I call them. Adam has requested a meeting with me today about something he refuses to speak of until I'm there. Why he couldn't just come to my home and talk to me instead of making everything all official, I can't understand.

As I walk past rows of houses and neighborhoods, I catch site of three people walking a couple hundred yards ahead of me. Even from far away, I can see that it's a blonde, a dark brunette, and a red head. "Cassia? Susan? Kyle?" I call out to them.

They all simultaneously turn around, revealing that I was right, and so I sprint ahead to catch up with them. "Good afternoon. Where are you guys headed?" I ask when I reach them. "We all got a note this morning from Adam. Did you get one too?" Susan asks me.

Fumbling through my pocket, I pull out the piece of paper that was left on my door with Adam's signature on it. "You mean this?" I say as I hold it up. "Yeah! That's it!" Cassia exclaims.

"Does Peter know what this is about?" Kyle asks me as we all start walking to Adam's headquarters again. "I don't know. Adam called him in early this morning, and I haven't seen him since," I explain.

We walk the rest of the way in silence, the quiet uncertainty creating a very awkward moment. When we reach the building, the Society Security nods in our direction and opens the doors for us. "Good afternoon, everyone. Adam has been expecting you," a polite man says as we enter the building.

No matter if the Council isn't stationed in here anymore, this was their old office and the place where I was supposed to be killed a few years ago. Henceforth, I will always have a special hatred for this structure. If I were Adam, I would have torn it down and built another building from the rubble.

We are all loaded into the elevator, ride up to the top floor, and then exit into Adam's office.

The initial size of this room in my opinion is too big for just one person, but Adam designed it himself, so we let him do his own thing. Marble floors, priceless art gracing the walls, a transparent roof, and an oak desk with his name on a plaque is what this room is.

Adam sits at his desk, and Peter stands looking at a painting when we enter. "What's this about, Adam?" Cassia asks as we walk towards him. At the site of Peter, I rush up to him and start bombarding him with questions. "What's going on? Are we in trouble? What were the notes on our doors for?" I ask frantically as Peter puts his hands on my shoulders to try to steady me. "Don't worry. He'll explain," Peter says as he gestures to Adam.

After a moment of silence, I can't take the uncertainty anymore. "Well? Out with it! What's this about, Adam?" I push. He clears his throat, stands up, and begins to explain.

"I want to reassure you all that you are not in danger, nor have you done anything wrong. But a few days ago, I sent out a few field agents to explore the woods for resources. I got the report back yesterday, and well...they found something," he says.

"Are you going to make us guess? Or are you going to tell us? What did they find, Adam?!" Susan demands, her annoyance with Adam's vagueness clearly stated.

"They found another society," he says. And in that moment, you could hear a pin drop. Not a sound was made.