*Nesta*
Money... It was always money. Money was something that we lacked. Something we needed, but never had. I could only imagine what it was like trading a piece of paper for bread. We needed to trade labour for bread. Many died in order to trade. Some swung pickaxes at rocks for more than 15 hours a day, trying to find things that the people up north found valuable. Others would join terror organizations, preying on the already weakened labourers. That were only the men. Being a woman wasn't easy where I came from. It was considered lucky to not be killed at birth after your parents found out that you were a girl. A girl couldn't do the hard labour a man could. A girl was more expensive. And girls had no rights. Premature girls were sometimes kidnapped and sold to whoever bought them. Teen girls were considered lucky for they had managed to survive long enough to be married off to whoever wanted and desired them. Most women after that were either the wife of a well-earning terrorist, or they were deathly sick, and could only take care of their children. There was no in-between in my world.
In my case, I was one of the lucky few. I wasn't sold off in my premature age. And in my teen years, my father's labour kept me fed and going. But day by day, living expenses increased, and my father's labour couldn't keep up. He had to only feed me and himself. Mother was dead, raped and killed when I was still young.
'I wonder how money looks like. They called it "credits", I think. What would something so valuable look like? Could it be used to fill one's stomach, or cleanse one's skin from the dirt? What would I be able to do with all of the money in the world? Could I buy enough food for myself so that I'd never starve again?'
I asked myself, what it would've been like if I was born somewhere that wasn't drenched in poverty. 'Would I have been different? Would my mind and soul radiate purity and innocence? Would I trust others?'
Everything I knew changed one day. The impact of the asteroid Salan supposedly killed 99% of the human population. With those 99%, everyone I knew died. My father being one of them.
After years of hardship, my mentality was toughened up, and feelings like sadness didn't bother me in the slightest. My whole life was inconvenient. What was another inconvenience going to do?
***
„So, Salan abilities is what they started to call it?" I asked.
"Yes. It's weird how names spread so fast. Not even 2 weeks passed since the impact, and we somehow have agreed to call the source of our power Mana, and the possessor of an ability a Bearer." He answered.
Jordan was a police officer before the impact. He found me in the slum I was in while I ravaged whatever food I could find. Shortly after that, he brought me somewhere "safe". Jordan was the first one I met who was a Bearer. He had the ability to make guns shoot special bullets. These bullets could ricochet, explode, split apart in the air, and even create a blinding flash. His ability was versatile, but useless without a gun. That's why he carried multiple guns at any time.
I wasn't like Jordan. I was much younger. Much weaker. But he didn't stop supporting me. All of his intentions were unclear to me. I didn't know why or what he wanted to accomplish by giving the amount of support he gave me.
Jordan started to train me. He wanted me to awaken my Mana-Core naturally, like he did. Vigorous training routines, and unbelievable amounts of food became my new daily life. One meal I got to eat was one week's worth before the impact. It felt weird to be able to eat and drink that much.
"The less humans there are, the more I can get."
I didn't know anything about Salan abilities. Jordan was the only one with an ability that I knew of. I wondered if the abilities an individual got were random. 'Would I get an ability that could benefit me?'
Wondering about that didn't quicken or ease my process at all. Only vigorous training made gaining an ability possible.
On a permitted day off, I was left alone with my thoughts. In a room that was used to store cleaning utensils, I sat, hiding from all the other strangers in that "safe" place. Only a piece of paper and a candle kept me company in that room. Even though Jordan advised me not to meditate with Mana, I still did.
'Money is what I lack. It is the only thing that I know of that'll promise me a path forward. A path to survival. A path to living.' My thought's effect was like a magical chant. Mana swirled around me, filling me with an instinctive knowledge about a newly acquired ability of mine.
I was sure I had it. A Salan ability. My instincts urged me to grab the piece of paper in front of me and pour my Mana into it. Surprisingly, nothing happened. Another piece of instinctive knowledge filled my head. I needed a second piece of paper to use my ability properly.
I rushed to Jordan. I told him what happened and urged him to help me.
"Here, take this paper." I said.
Jordan took the piece of paper and waited for me to begin.
I made Jordan infuse his Mana into my piece of paper. Then I wrote a series of words onto the paper.
'My Salan ability. What do you think?'
My writing appeared on his paper. Jordan's face dropped, not from surprise, but from greed. I hadn't realized what his look meant yet. But I found out later that my ability had the potential to take the backwards-evolved world by storm and make me filthy rich.
***
"I can create an infinite amount of scrolls. Once I use my ability on a piece of paper, it becomes a separate object. I have no connection to it. I don't know the locations of my communication scrolls, nor do I know what conversations were held. Complete privacy guaranteed." I pitched.
I stood in front of the remaining royal family, telling them about my ability and its potential to make incomprehensible amounts of credits.
"My long-range communication scrolls will allow people and leaders able to connect." I finished.
"We see the value of your ability. And we see the advantage our Land has by having you on our ranks. We want you to help us make money. With that money, we will bring order to this Land." The royal family's spokesperson said.
Things went quickly after our agreement. I obtained levels of wealth that were previously unfathomable to me. I was literally able to bathe in the gems I got in exchange for my scrolls.
Not only was I considered the richest person, I also got to have a say in the Land's political affairs.