Most of the time, people that were born without powers would go their whole lives without even a grain of magic coursing through their bodies. In very rare instances, however, a human who was thought to be powerless would suddenly wake up and discover new ablities that they were told they'd never experience. They were the late-bloomers, and though they were never going to be as strong as those that were born with powers, even these small abilities gave them a higher standing.

A close friend of mine from when I was younger was one of the late-bloomers. She had gone to bed, and the next day while she was working, her eyes had flickered and suddenly, there were animal summonings helping her. They took her to the city so she could live among the more powerful, and I never saw or heard from her again.

She wasn't the first in our community, and certainly not our last. In recent years, more and more of the members in our community had woken up with abilities and were whisked away.

But as for me? I never woke up with new abilities. I never felt anything within me that would have hinted to developing magic. That's why, when the strange man that was apparently named Jongin claimed that I did have power, I was skeptical.

The next morning starts the way I’m used to. Despite the nobles and their strange words from the night before in the wheat field, I was going to go about my day the same as I always did.

We’re all lined up in the mess hall to be given our duties for the day. The head of our community walks down the line, looking for someone specific.

I don’t expect that someone specific to be me.

“The nobles request for you to join them at the guest villa,” he says, a gruff older gentlemen with his stomach protruding due to the stress of age and the release of alcohol.

“Should I grab some others and clean for them?” I ask, because surely, the EXO nobles just see me as a worker and nothing more.

“No, they requested for you to join them for breakfast.” He clarifies, and though I’m uneasy, I do as I’m requested.

Following their very strange confrontation, the twelve gorgeous nobles had disappeared, and I thought I’d seen the last of them.

I was obviously wrong.

When I reach their villa, I’m completely unsure of myself. There I am, standing in ragged clothes and beat up shoes, about to enter the guest villa that has several floors and a very elegant entrance.

I’m so out of place it isn’t funny.

I pass the gate to the villa and start crossing the path to the building when I see someone. It’s one of the nobles, I presume, though he’s not wearing his robe. He’s laying in the grass, his arms folded neatly beneath his head. I can’t see him very well from the distance, but he seems to have a smile on his face, as well.

I’m as curious as I am confused. Did he sleep in the grass? There are plenty of rooms in the villa for all twelve of them, so why would he be out here? I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t notice him turning to me.

My breath gets caught in my throat when our gazes catch one another. He looks like he’s my age, and he’s smiling… at me.

“The wind seems to like you.” He tells me, and I’m puzzled until he raises a hand, and I feel the wind swirling around me. It’s not cold like I expect it. It’s warm, instead, and makes me feel like I’m being held in someone’s arms.

“Hey Sehun!” someone calls, and I turn to see Jongin standing in the archway of an open door with his arms crossed in amusement,

“Stop being a show off and bring her in!”

Sehun releases a heavy sigh but stands anyway, and gives me a sideways glance as he treads to the front door,

“Let’s go. The elders were waiting for you.”

Reluctantly, my footsteps follow him into the villa.

When we get inside, the house is almost too quiet. Jongin waits for Sehun and I by the door, though the two of them turn and walk further into it without sparing me a glance.

I hesitate for a moment, then continue to follow them. It’s not like I have much of a choice. This is the ruthless EXO, after all.

Except, they don’t look too ruthless when I walk into the dining room and suddenly hear cheering and laughter. They just sound like… normal guys.

Which stops the moment I enter the room. My head is bowed as I enter, because I can just feel the smoldering looks they’re sending my way.

Someone clears their throat, and slowly, I look up to catch the gaze of a straight faced blonde haired male.

“Your name is Jung Joori, is it not?”

When I don’t answer and just nod, he gestures to an empty chair,

“Take a seat and join us for breakfast, Joori.”

I stare at him for a moment because his tone is gentler than his expression, but as soon as the words register in my head, I wave my hands in front of me in a frantic manner.

“I- I’m not allowed to eat with the guests-”

Someone snorts, and I subconsciously turn my head to see a mess of brown hair and a pair of heavily accentuated eyelashes on a slightly short male, “No one has more authority than we do.”

He has a good point, but I’m still not sure if I should take the risk. I’m debating with myself in my head when a hand touches my forearm. I turn in shock to see Kyungsoo standing there with his lips curled upwards in amusement.

“You are so easily distracted.”

True to his words, I’m so distracted by his words that I don’t realize I’m being pushed down into a chair. They start to eat the moment I am seated, and I watch in awe as the table full of fresh fruits and breads and meats are devoured before my very eyes.

They can eat.

“Are you not hungry?” asks the male sitting beside me. He has mirth in his eyes and a head of curly brown hair, not to mention all the food in his mouth as he speaks.

I’m surprisingly not that repulsed by his lack of manners.

“I already ate.” I say quietly, then bowing my head once more as I wait to be dismissed. They’ll lose interest in me quickly, I think. Most people do.

“Did you think of what we told you last night?” I remember the voice belonging to the noble with the royal blue robe. I look up to notice he’s already finished eating. His attention is on me, solely.

“Yes, and I… I think you’re mistaken, sires.” I say, though my head falls again when I see them start to look up,

“I was told when I was young that there was not even an ounce of power in my blood.”

“Who told you that?” the straight faced, blonde haired male asks.

I stare at him again. He’s not gentle like he was before. There’s irritation even in his tone.

“Yifan, stop or you’ll scare her.” The noble that had been in the royal blue robes says, then turning his gaze back to me,

“Do you remember who told you that?”

“The previous head of the community,” I answer, though I can’t help but be suspicious

“but why-”

“Do you know where he is now?” the same noble asks, like my concerns aren’t affecting him.

“He gained abilities a few years back, so they took him outside.” I respond, and they look at one another with unreadable expressions.

“Were you two close?” the noble that sat next to me asked, though he doesn’t have food in his mouth this time.

I smile at the thought of him despite myself, “He treated me like a daughter.”

There’s a collective sigh that’s released, and I’m stunned as they all stop eating and stare at me. Some of them look relieved, others suspicious.

“We have a proposition for you,” the noble, Yifan, says,

“We’d like for you to move with us to the capital.”

I nearly fall out of my seat in surprise. Not only had they been acting strangely around me since we’d met the previous day, now they were asking me to move with them to the capital of our country?

“Joonmyeon?” Yifan says as he raises an eyebrow to the noble in the royal blue robe, as if to ask him to explain.

“You don’t know about it because people have kept it from you up until now, but you have powers,” Joonmyeon explains, and when he notices my surprise, continues,

“and seeing as you don’t know about it, we’d like you to stay with us so we can help develop your powers and keep you safe.”

Me? Powers? But I’d never even felt an inkling of power course through my body throughout all the years of my life!

“Why?” I ask, my voice bordering on panic. Why did EXO have so much interest in someone as powerless as me?

“Because we need it, too.” It’s Kyungsoo answering me, and I see the others nod ever so slightly.

What could I ever give them?