The words echoed in my head, bouncing off the fine textured white walls of the examination room. "Jinoo Kim, the first Deviant of the day."
Everything changed.
Those words shattered the fragile life I'd built for myself. I was supposed to graduate top of my class, earn a scholarship for college, finally escape the orphanage and make something of myself. But this? This was insane. No. It couldn't be real. Any second now, I'd wake up in my cramped dorm room, the sounds of the city filtering through the thin walls, and this nightmare would be over.
But the woman with the brown hair pulled back in a tight bun wasn't fading away. Her expression was as cold and unwavering as the metal table I was sitting on. "There's no mistake, Mr. Jinoo. Your essence levels are off the charts. You'll be transferred to the Deviant Headquarters in Suwon City immediately."
Headquarters? Essence? It all sounded like some twisted joke. I wanted to laugh, to scream, to disappear. But my legs felt like lead, and my voice was trapped in my throat. What little hope I had was being ripped away.
The next thing I knew, I was crammed into a van, speeding down the highway. Suwon City rose in the distance, a cluster of steel and glass that seemed to mock my dreams. The Deviant Headquarters was a monolithic structure, imposing and sterile. As I was led inside, a wave of anxiety washed over me. This wasn't just a detour, it was a complete derailment.
The main hall was a chaotic mix of nervous energy and barely concealed fear. More than twenty people, high school students like me, milled around, their faces pale and uncertain. Everyone was new, just like me, thrown into this bizarre situation without warning. A girl with long brown hair and kind blue eyes, looking just as lost as I felt, approached me tentatively.
"Hi…" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm Hanae. I… I don't really know what's going on but what gift do you have?.."
So, she didn't know either. Relief, mixed with a strange sense of camaraderie, washed over me. At least I wasn't alone in my confusion. Unlike the others in the hall, I hadn't discovered my "gift" yet. And frankly, I didn't want to.
After what felt like an eternity, I was assigned to dorm 42. The door slid open to reveal a cramped room with three bunk beds. Four boys were already there.
The first was a towering figure with fiery red hair and crimson eyes that seemed to burn with an inner intensity. He didn't offer a word, didn't even glance in my direction.
The second, a tall, lean guy with dark blue hair and piercing green eyes, stepped forward. "Hello," he said, his voice surprisingly mature and polite. "I'm Hyeon-ju Lee. I suppose we're all in the same boat here."
The third was shorter, with messy black hair and sharp yellow eyes. He offered a curt nod. "Hello, I'm Junno," he said, his tone impassive but not unfriendly.
A shorter guy with black hair and yellow eyes bounced on his heels, a wide grin on his face. "Haii! Siwoo Baek! Anyone know what we're supposed to do here?"
Five strangers, placed into a room together, all branded with the same label, a deviant.
My life had changed in an instant, and I had no idea what the future held. All I knew was that the world I thought I knew was gone forever, and the one I was entering was even more uncertain.
Siwoo clapped his hands together, breaking the silence. "So! Gifts! What can you guys do? I'll go first!" He stared intently at my shoulder, his yellow eyes gleaming with excitement. He opened both palms and shouted, "Poof!"
In a blink, he was gone. Then, a split second later, he reappeared behind me, a mischievous grin on his face as he tapped my shoulder. "Ta-da!" he said.
I jumped in shock when he patted my shoulder, teleportation? I thought to myself
Then Siwoo stood beside me then said "I can teleport to any place I focus on! The Deviant Corps calls it Telepoof!"
Hyeon-ju chuckled, a low, smooth sound. He raised his hands, and a shimmering, bluish translucent veil materialized between them. "Essence Veil," he explained, his voice calm and controlled. "I can create veils or sheets of essence that can be unbreakable, razor-sharp, or incredibly tough, depending on what I need." He flicked his wrist, and the veil solidified then got stabbed on the wall.
Junno, who had been leaning against the wall, pushed himself off and focused his gaze on a small rock on the floor. With a grunt, he levitated the rock, sending it spinning towards Siwoo. "Mine's Earth Manipulation, see?" he stated simply.
All eyes turned to the red-haired guy, who had remained silent and aloof. He just scoffed, crossing his arms. "None of your business," he muttered, his voice laced with annoyance, obviously unwilling to share.
Then, all eyes turned to me. The weight of their combined stares was almost unbearable.
"I… I don't know yet, I didn't even know that I am a Deviant," I stammered, my face flushing.
A collective gasp filled the room. Even the red-haired guy seemed taken aback, his crimson eyes widening slightly.
Hyeon-ju's brow furrowed. "That's… rare," he said, his voice thoughtful. "It's unusual for a deviant to not have discovered their gift by now. I awakened mine when I was in fourth grade."
Siwoo chimed in, his usual enthusiasm slightly subdued. "Yeah! I had mine when I was still a baby! I kept disappearing from my crib then mm and dad would find me on the fridge, haha!"
Junno nodded slowly. "It could mean you have a very powerful gift, one that takes time to manifest." he said.
The red-haired guy snorted. "Or a pretty weak one or, he could be a dud. A defective Deviant." he countered, his tone dismissive.