Staring at the academy application set before me, I groaned, wishing my parents weren't so obssesed with me getting into a good upper school. One second thought, I instead wished I actually had a power, like every other person on this planet. That would make the whole thing so much easier.

The application was extensive, much too long for my liking. I didn't have a single chance of getting into this school. I pushed those distracting thoughts away and focused on the question before me.

Do you trust the Empire?

Oh, heck with this. What kind of complicated question was that? What did they mean? I trusted the Empire to keep the planet safe, of course, but I didn't trust them directly, as in order to keep the planet safe they may have to deceive us, which I was perfectly fine with. The Empire and Sovereign saved us from the destructive Seven Wars. So what was I supposed to put? Yes? No? Not sure?

I sighed and stood up. The only productive thing I could be doing was to try and get my best friend, Les, to enhance me. As an enhancer, she could bring out the best in people's powers. Even though I didn't have a power, I was convinced she could somehow bring out my power. The only issue was, you weren't allowed to use your power before you turned sixteen, unless you had permission or were in a training session. Les was a rule follower, intent on keeping the peace, while I was... definately not. Well, I wanted to keep the peace, but what's the point of following the rules if it doesn't keep the peace?

With all these thoughts in my head, I left my family's small apartment and set briskly of the streets of Rarish, the city I lived in, to Les's house. 

"Hi, Ruby," I said to Les's little sister when she opened the door. Ruby is twelve, close to getting her power, but very shy. She merely nodded and led me inside.

I went up to Les's bedroom, where she was sitting on her sleep pad, reading.

"Hey," She said when I came in. "You're not here about the enhancing again, are you?" She asked.

"Hey, don't jump to conclusions. But yes, I am..." I replied, knowing what would come next.

"Oh, Clea. I love you, but don't you understand? The rules! We'd get in so much trouble!" Les emphasized.

"Les, I need this. Sitting around trying to sugarcoat the fact I'm not like anyone else isn't working." I said, sounding slightly more frustrated then I intended.

"No. We've been through this. It looks like trying to convince me on this every time I see you isn't working either."

"Les! Please." Something in my voice must've convinced her, because she sighed and shook her head.

"Just this once. But... if we get caught, you're taking the blame." She replied. 

"Okay, okay, great!" I said excitedly. I didn't really care about taking the blame. Les placed her hand on my temple, where everyone's power is stored. She furrowed her brow, and suddenly she moved her hand down to my heart.

"It feels like I'm being dragged here. You ready?" Les asked me. I nodded, slightly nervous. I wasn't really sure how this worked. I'd once read something about tugging in enhancing, but I wasn't sure if Les tugged, or I did. I decided to tug, just in case.

I reached out my mind and pulled at a nonexistent thread. Nothing happened. I tried again, at the same moment I felt a tug at my heart, and suddenly, with a crash of light surrounding me, I was free falling in a strange blue space, objects falling down beside me. My heart raced, wondering what had happened. Was this my power? I'd never heard of anything like this.

I noticed that as each of the objects fell past me, I felt an emotion. Fear, pleasure, happiness, envy, deceit, embarrassment, all those and many more were there. Then sometimes an abject brought me to a memory that had caused the emotion.

But they weren't my memories. And suddenly, with a stab of fear that was my emotion, I realized I'd accidentally entered Les's inner mind. The place where everything that affects or has to do with one's power is housed, the core place where power energy is housed.

I struggled, wondering how to get out. Going into some one's inner mind without permission is a serious offense- but only a few could do it. How had I done it, with no effort at all?

As desperation bubbled within me, a flash of confusion hurtled down to me. This emotion was happening right now- but it wasn't mine. It was Les's.

At the moment the confusion (it was hard to explain, but the emotions were kind of solid- at least it looked that way) collided into me, and with another flash, I was standing back in Les's room, the flash of light booming around us.

Les and I stared at eachother in confusion and amazement. Before I could speak, I heard voices. Voices that I definately didn't recognize.

"De, if we want to bring down the Empire, we have to do this right. Someone's got to get captured for the sake of the plans. Everyone remember how to send message for help when in prison? The food slot in the ceiling... send the code up..."

The voice faded out as I strained my ears for more, and then there was silence.

"What the- What just happened? Did the sound barrier just deactivate with that light?" Les stared at me with wide eyes.

"Uhh-" I was speechless. Whatever I'd just experienced, it wasn't normal. Best to keep it secret, for sure.

"That was not a normal enhancing. I felt all these tugs- and then your energy core- it was wild. Kind of stifling and moving and hot- I'm not sure what happened. I knew we shouldn't have done this!" Les continued. I finally broke free of my gaping.

"Did you hear the voices?! They- they were plotting the Empire's downfall! We have to report this!" I cried out. Les shrugged.

"That isn't a big deal, Clea. I'm sure they were innocent... it's just a misunderstanding," She said nervously.

"No, it wasn't! They were planning something big, and we can stop them!" I burst out. Some part of this just aggravated me. What the heck was happening? I couldn't understand any of this, and Les was completely ignoring the important part.

"Clea. I don't want to be part of something big. Besides, they'd ask a million questions about how we heard them, and we'd have to reveal the enhancing... we could end up in jail" Les bit her lip. I sighed.

"Les! Come on! You used to be so fun- and so safety conscious! What if the Emoire falls because of us?!" I said frantically. 

"If I'm not fun anymore, why are you friends with me?" Les retorted calmly.

"That's a good question! Maybe I won't be!" I replied. My temper had been triggered, as it often was. I furiously stomped out the door.

"Good riddance!" I called back. The last thing I saw was Les's face crumple in my betrayal. 

"Wait- I didn't mean it like that!" She cried out. I didn't reply. I ran out the apartment building, accidentally bumping into a boy my age.

"Could you help me find my key? My little sister dropped it, and I can't find it." He asked me worriedly. I brushed him off.

"No time," I grumbled, probably sounded quite angry. He looked hurt as I vanished over the hills, heading to my favorite spot, a grove of quiet kapas. (White, spongy trees)

Once there I broke down. Why had everything went downhill so quickly? I sighed.

Well, I suppose those people certainly don't trust the Empire, I thought to myself bitterly, thinking of the question on my application.

Then I burst into tears, having lost my best friend and only studying to go back too at home.

So... this chapter wasn't that great. Keep in mind: all of this is a rough draft. All the chapters you see, are rough drafts. Once I finish all the chapters, I'll be going over them over and over, using reader's critiques and feedback to develop the plot and writing better. So please vote and comment, it really helps!