A young boy sat by the bed side of his mother, she coughed and he picked up a cup of water. She lifted her head and took a sip.
"Why don't you go out and play?"
"It's okay mum, I'm tired anyways."
"I just want to rest a little."
"Okay, I'll check on you later."
The boy went out to play and came back. His mother was still sleeping, so he decided to start preparing supper. He cut the rot off an old yam and boiled it; then poured some red oil into a pan.
"It's not stealing when she eats some."
He put it on the fire and added a little salt. He dished out some with yams and when to his mothers room. He tapped her but she didn't respond, he shook her but still nothing.
He dropped the food and ran to call for help.
"Is that blood?"
A man asked the moment he walked into the room.
"It's red oil."
The man placed two fingers on her neck and shook his head. He covered her with a cloth and went to the kitchen to wash his hands.
"You should not be eating that red oil, it's processed with some chemicals that are not meant to consume. That oil is for making soaps and stuff."
The boy cried louder.
"I kill my mum"
He said as snort run down his nose.
"Oh, no, no, it's not your fault. She died from her illness. I've seen it claim the live of others. I'm actually surprised you haven't caught it. Don't cry I'm sure you took really good care of her."
The boy nodded wiping tears off his face.
"What's you name?"
"Aiver"
"Aiver, listen to me. When you have the chance to do something to change your situation, make sure it affects others. Otherwise when they get a similar opportunity they will tip the scales in their favor."
Aiver looked at the medicine man and nodded.
The medicine man chuckled.
"You don't understand it now but when the time comes, I hope you do."
The medicine man walked out the door.
Weeks later, men roamed his village offering food and money to people. One of the men called Aiver and handed him a fruit.
"Where are your parents?"
"My dad is fighting for Patria and my mother is at home."
"Will you like to be a soldier like your father?"
The man asked kneeling in front of him.
"Aiver"
A woman shouted and waved him over.
"Don't talk to those men."
Aiver took the woman's advice and stopped speaking to the men. One day the same man who gave Aiver the fruit followed him home. He knocked his door and when Aiver opened, he blew a powder in his face.
He quickly caught Aiver before he could fall and gentle placed in on the floor in his house. He closed the door, he later came back with a cart which he packed in front of Aiver's house. He put Aiver in the back and left the village.
Aiver woke up hours later to see the man talking to someone. When the man was walking back to the cart he closed his eyes and pretended to be still unconscious. He opened his eyes as he was being carried away to see his kidnapper, who waved at him.
He fought the man carrying him until he was let down. He ran towards the gate only to be stopped by guards. They pointed spears at him and he turned around. As he walked back the man placed his hand on his shoulder as he tried to guide him. Aiver shrugged off his shoulders getting away from him.
He got to a corridor where a small group stood. Not long after, a man came to talk to them.
"Gather round, I am Mr Masrur, you orienter. All of you came her under different circumstances but whether you know it or not. You are here for the same reason, to change your life. The Father needs soldiers and not just ordinary soldiers. There is a place we call Urg, where anyone can get powers. The only way to get there is singular focus, when someone is dedicated and dedicated to one thing only,this gate opens.
We believe some people like Dentington of Menrva Tech, Doctor Burk and other well-known people have been. Your singularity can be something simple as watching tar dry. Anything to get into the gate, but ones you are there. Focus on something that can help in the war.
You will be rewarded when you return."
He opened the door and Aiver's group enter a huge hall, filled with people doing different kinds of things.
Aiver sat down on the ground and watched people doing ridiculous stuff like not moving, breathing and other things that were impossible to achieve.
"Why would I help the father make orphans of others? In fact anyone willing to help him should not be allowed to live. If I'm able to get to this Urg, I'll get a power that can wipe then all out."
Aiver watched and complained for hours, then his stomach started to rumble. He got up and searched for food. He saw a buffer and decided to dish out a plate for himself. Just as he was about to a man in a guard uniform stopped him.
"It's for his travel."
He said and pointed at an obese boy sitting at the head of the table.
"But I'm hungry."
Aiver said and the man pointed him in the direction of another table. That one looked less fancy and there where servers who dished out the food.
He walked to the table and a woman poured porridge in a compartment of his tray and tossed a bread into another. As he was walking to where he was sitting he bumped into a boy his age.
"Watch it."
Aiver said and the boy apologised. When he got there he sat on the floor and broke a piece of the bread and dipped it in the porridge. He ate it and was surprised.
"It actually taste better than anything I've eating in months."
After three weeks meals were given to only those they thought were trying to get to the other side.
"How can you keep us prisoners and not give us food?"
After this Aiver was determined to get to Urg just so he can get the power to change things. After meditating for days without food, he felt cold all of a sudden. He opened his eyes to see he was sitting in a wasteland. He got up and looked around.
"I made it"
He heard a shriek and turned around an animal leaped in front of him.
He sighed in relief then turned around.
"Ouch!"
He smacked him nape and looked at his hand.
"This is not a grasshopper or a cricket."
He said looking closely at the insect. As he was taking a look at it, it revived and started to burrow in his palm. Aiver quickly tossed it and stomped on it when it was on the ground. He heard more shrieking and turn to see more of the insects heading in his direction. He ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could, but he wasn't fast enough. They swamped him and he fell to the ground. As they started to dig into his skin he screamed and continued screaming.
Suddenly he felt something leave him, he got up and the insects fell off him. He didn't know what happened so he tried to do it again. He saw one of the insect surface from the ground and tried willing it dead but nothing happened.
When it hopped in his direction it startled him and a burst of wave went in all direction. It killed the insect on impact, but continued to go for miles killing every living thing in its path.
"I guess…., I got power. Now how do I get out of here?"
He looked around and a completely barren land. He had killed the only resilient plants and animals there. He looked around and and went in a random direction.