"KIDS!!"
"COME GET YOUR FOOD BEFORE THE RATS DO!"
In an old abandoned building, A old lady dressed in a waiter outfit was standing next to a boiling pot full of food that resembled vomit.
She then poured food into multiple bowls that looked too unsanitary to eat off.
Soon a group of 7 kids came out from a closed door.
Most of the kids were around 7-9 years old, and they all had the same pair of worn-out and beaten-up clothes.
If someone saw them, they would think their best friend died with how depressed they all seemed.
The old lady glanced over at the kids and noticed something strange.
"There's supposed to be 8 of you here. Where is Uni?"
The kids stared at the old lady as if she didn't say anything, but then one little girl came out from the rest.
"He's reading in his room."
She said it so quietly that the lady almost didn't hear her. "Well, could you go get him?"
The little girl was a bit irritated by this request but still complied.
In a sun-lit room, there was a teen boy with a book.
Before stepping into the room, the little girl knocked on the door.
"Uni, Yanda told me to go get you so we could eat."
Uni didn't reply immediately, but he did look at the girl and sighed.
"Alright, I'm coming."
Getting up from his chair, he closed his book and placed it on a shelf with 15 other books before walking out.
While the little girl went to get Uni, the other children received their food. However, no one looked eager to eat.
In protest, a little boy spoke up. "Yanda, when can we finally have some different food?"
Yanda looked at the boy and felt guilty. "I'm sorry, but I'm not getting paid enough to get anything else for you. I wish I could do more."
The old lady was saddened by his expression afterward, but there was nothing more she could do. Yanda worked a job as a waitress at a bar.
Waitresses don't make nearly enough to get by in life.
She works 15-hour shifts every day, and if she has to, she works 20-hour shifts.
It's tough on someone, especially if you have people that rely on you.
Just as she was about to start crying, the little girl and Uni walked in.
Uni looked around and saw Yanda on the floor, teary-eyed. Uni walked over to her to check if she was alright.
"Yanda, what happened?" At first, she didn't answer. She just stared at him for a couple of seconds.
Feeling confused, Uni questioned her again. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing at all."
Even though Uni wanted to pry some more, he felt that it would be useless.
Noticing this, Uni got up and poured himself some food.
Upon taking a bite, he quickly tasted the intense bitterness of the food, making a sickening face.
But he didn't complain about it.
After finishing the food, Uni looked at the area around him.
He saw many roaches and rats on the floor dead, and Many others that were alive roaming the abandoned building like it was their Home.
As he looked around, Uni had an epiphany.
'This may be how we live for the rest of our lives.'
Yanda noticed Uni, and as if she was reading his mind, she said, " Don't worry Uni. If this is rock bottom, it's only going up from here.
Although Uni knew she meant the best he was still frustrated by the comment
'If that were true, I would've gotten my petals by now.' Although Uni didn't say this, it was conveyed by his face.
The petals were endowed to humans during the war against the Seki.
The petals give the power of any ability you can think of. Such as Teleportation, lightning, wind, fire, etc...
But that doesn't mean you can use all of them. Getting multiple abilities requires a couple things. Fortune, genetics, and hard work.
It's unfortunate for someone like Uni, who seems to have none of these.
When Uni was younger, he had more hope because everyone gets their petals when they turn 10.
So, on his 10th birthday, he was exhilarated that he would be able to use some powers, but he ended up with nothing.
5 years later, he still doesn't have any abilities. This is the main reason he was frustrated at Yanda's comment.
Trying to relax, Uni went back to his room.
Walking into his room, he immediately went for his stack of books.
He picked up a book and sat on his bed. Uni tried to read, but his mind seemed clouded with something else.
"I thought they'd at least remember my 16th birthday." He sighed as he closed his book and laid down.
Thinking about his birthday, Uni realized that this orphanage only kept kids until there were 16, which meant he had to move out soon.
Uni became even more depressed after realizing that.
^Soon I'll be homeless on the street^
Uni became so stressed from all of this and wanted to sleep.
After putting his book back in the stack, he tried to relax and sleep.
^I feel sorry for my future me's problems already^
-----
*Beep Beep*
*Beep Beep*
*Beep Beep*
Uni was woken up from his sleep by a constant beeping noise.
Half-awake, Uni looked around to see where the sound was coming from.
After rubbing his eyes a bit, he saw words in front of him. Because he was sleepy, it took a second for Uni to register what it said.
[ Recruitments fulfilled ]
[ Would you like to access your potential? ]
[ Yes/No ]
"..."
"Huh?"