Long ago, when war ravaged our planet and turned neighbors into enemies, a group of young warriors banded together and took over.

They called themselves EXO.

The reason the group EXO had been able to take over was because of their superpowers. In a world where superpowers became our way of ranking one another, they had proven time and time again that they were supreme.

Because of it, EXO became the most powerful group of young men, and were completely in control of our planet.

The majority of us lived in poverty, some of us even reverting to being criminals just to get away from their tyrannical rule. The few that had social standing because of their powers were treated well by the government EXO had created.

But the rest of us?

People like me, born without powers and money, we were cast aside and ignored, and did whatever we could to be noticed by the men that could change our lives.

I work for a living.

I've always worked for a living, it's all I've known since I was birthed.

When I was born, the wet nurses that cared for me had announced I was born without powers. Why? Because in this society, having powers is what makes a person.

Hearing that their first child was powerless, my parents had given me up instantly, and I was sent away.

Instead of being raised by my parents, I was raised out on a field in the rural countries, where everyone without powers was sent. I don't remember much of it, since I was a baby when I was sent away, but I've been told I was the only one of all the orphans sent there that wasn't crying.

Like I had already accepted my fate when I was born.

I grew up on the field, and because of how diligent I was, had been appointed to a higher position in our little, unwanted community. I was favored because I didn't interact with anyone around me. Neither through words, nor through actions-- unless it was necessary.

Because of this, people took advantage of me, and the people that didn't favor me, shunned me.

But I willingly accepted it, because I was already abandoned once. I didn't need that again.

Usually, the people that were higher up in society stayed away from us. We brought shame to everyone that was close to us. We were unwanted. If anyone saw us while traveling through our community, they would taunt us and harass us simply because we didn't have the powers they had.

Typically, though, we weren't used to seeing anyone other than each other. It was rare for anyone to take an interest in us, let alone EXO.

I remember that day vividly.

The morning started as it always did. We were given our assignments for the day, and after being given a basket, I headed over to the wheat field. I was told to supervise as other, younger children than I harvested the crops. Some of the children were excited, since it meant they didn't have to clean the houses, but teenagers around my age were unsurprisingly reluctant to start working in the summer heat.

When we had gotten to the field, someone was already in the middle of it, crouched down before a section of a crop, their fingers holding onto the budding stalk. The other workers didn't seem to recognize him, either, but had ignored him thinking he was simply a new addition to the community.

But I paid attention to what he wore. He wore an earth-colored robe, and the rest of his body was fairly clean, in contrast to the rest of the workers.

He turned to me, then, and I caught a pair of wide, brown eyes. His lips were pressed together as he stood up, then motioning for me to come closer to him.

I was hesitant, but I obeyed. Something about him seemed to tell me he had authority, and I didn't have the heart to disobey authority.

"The crops are withering," he says, and he turns back to it with a frown,

"is there no way of bringing more water here?"

I turn my gaze to the plant, and then slowly back to him. Why is this seemingly important figure so concerned about the wheat crop? He doesn't notice my gaze, just keeps staring at the wheat crop.

"Well?" he asks, or demands, as he turns his eyes back to me. There's anger in his gaze, now, like he thinks down on me because I didn't answer fast enough.

"We were just hit by a draught, sir," I answer as I duck my head,

"our river dried up."

The stranger his teeth, and suddenly reaches out and his hand is under my chin as he basically forces me to look up at him, "Why do you turn your head when someone is speaking to you?"

I feel my face reddening in embarrassment as I stare at the male. Most of the people I've met in my life ignore me and treat me like an outcast. Though this man is hostile towards me, he makes me feel a little bit like... someone cared for me more than just as a powerless worker.

"Kyungsoo!" A voice calls, and the male that's holding onto my chin lets go and turns around, but I can see the way his lips curve into a grin as he acknowledged the newcomer,

"what did we say about harassing the commoners?"

The newcommer is tall and lanky, wearing a robe that was pitch black in color. He's even darker in skin tone compared to the male he called Kyungsoo.

"I couldn't resist! The earth is crying to me!" the male in the earth-coloed robe argues, and I take his distraction as my cue to slip away and leave the two to speak alone.

Except, that when I took half of a step away, the man that had first called me over turned his head in my direction, his eyes widening in surprise,

"You. What's your name?"

The newcomer glances between us in what seems to be suspicion, "What is your interest in her, Kyung?"

Kyungsoo is ignoring him, though, as his eyes remain focused on me, "Don't make me ask again."

"Jung Joori." I answer, feeling small with the added pressure of both of their gazes.

"You're dismissed now," Kyungsoo says to me, then turns and walks off in another direction,

"Let's go, Jongin."

Jongin stares at me for another moment, the suspicion that had been in his expression replaced with an unreadable one,

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen," I answer, uncomfortable by his gaze.

"They hid you so well this time around," he says, though he looks like he's talking to himself.

"Who would I be hiding from?" I ask in perplexity, and I watch as the corners of his lips quirk just slightly.

"Us."

That's all he says, and then he disappears right before my very eyes.

I'm so utterly confused by all of this that it takes several of the other workers to get me to remember that we weren't done working for the day.

I was also very aware of the fact that the people around me were gossiping. Some women were swooning over the admittedly handsome strangers, some men complained about how flashy nobles were even in a place where powers were scarce. They talked about me, too, and about how envious they were of me for catching their attention.

I wasn't flattered by their attention. I was worried. Why did these... strangers... react so strangely to me?

Dinner time was when their attention towards me became more than just some weird fascination. We'd just finished up in the fields, each one of us bringing our baskets full of harvest into the storehouse. I was the last to head over with my harvest, because I was to oversee how much of the crop was left to yield and report it to the head of the community.

As I was turning to leave the field, the two men I had met earlier appeared before me, and they weren't alone.

Twelve gorgeous men stood before me, and I shifted on my feet as I took in their extravagent robes and intimidating expressions.

"What did you say your name was?" the voice belonged to Kyungsoo, the male I had met earlier.

I can't help the suspicion that builds in my chest, "Why do you need to know who I am? Who are you?"

"We are EXO," they answer at once, and I'm completely caught off guard.

EXO? The nobles that ran our world in such a tyrannical way? I wanted to laugh it off and walk away like it had nothing to do with me. I wanted to believe they were lying and pulling my leg. But there was so much proof just in the way they carried themselves with so much authority that I found myself biting my words back.

"Why are you so interested in me?" is my next question, because surely, they don't need anything from me that they can get somewhere else.

"You were born with a gift we need," one of them answers, and I note the way his royal blue ripples like it's made of water.

"A gift? I was born without powers." I answer, and now I'm convinced they've gotten the wrong person all together. Surely they'd seen the community I was living in. This was no place for anyone with powers to dwell in.

"None that you know of," the male I had seen earlier Jongin answers me, and I'm left to watch him in silence.

What was that supposed to mean?