Wanting is Normal
– Hi there, kid, – the guard greeted Nari at the gates, – you're late again. You know, I can't keep covering for you all the time.
– I'm sorry, – Nari mumbled, – circumstances held me up...
– Hey, are you alright? – the guard looked worriedly at the girl's scratched face, – who did this?! Got into trouble again?
– I'm fine, Kaye, – the girl grabbed his hand, – I'm sorry, I won’t be late anymore!
– You… – the man glanced sideways at the other guards and sighed, – are you sure everything’s okay?
– Yes, really! No need to worry! – the girl smiled, – can I go now? I probably still have to listen to…
– Ah, that noisy guy? He and his sister just left here; they planned to wait for you. Had to chase them away.
– Thanks, Kaye, – Nari nodded, – can I go?
– Just get out of here, – the guard nodded, letting her pass.
Nari quickly stepped along the road to her dormitory. Kaye was a strange guard. With clear, seemingly endless blue eyes, shoulder-length black hair with red strands that constantly fell across his forehead. A rough scar ran from his brow to his chin. Sometimes, Nari marveled at how he hadn’t lost an eye with such an injury. But that wasn’t the strange part about him. Kaye was an Alpha. The only Alpha who volunteered to stand at the gates of the ghetto. There were no other Alphas here. The residents were omegas, the lab and arena staff were betas. And Kaye.
Nari didn’t often have to interact with Alphas. Mostly, she did everything to avoid them altogether. But Kaye didn’t scare her. On the contrary, this hefty, rough man somehow even magnetized her. He was taciturn, hardly spoke to the other guards, and lived in a small trailer on the outskirts of the ghetto. But he was kind to the omegas. This was, of course, hard to notice. After all, mostly, his severity and the growls of others were intimidating. But Nari saw that he repeatedly covered for those who were late. When it was his turn to sign the permits for leaving the city – he didn’t ask a dozen mandatory questions and simply signed. And also… he always gave Nari some candies that the omega couldn’t buy for herself.
Nari was almost home. Here, the buildings weren’t as nice as in the city center. In the ghetto, there were no flowers on the windowsills, no flower beds, fountains, or benches where elderly neighbors would sit. All the buildings here were almost identical. Concrete boxes with one door and one window for dormitory rooms. The only exceptions were the dormitories for the favorites. They were larger, taller. The rooms were more spacious and brighter. They resembled small apartments with their own kitchen and other amenities. Here, water and heat were provided. While ordinary omegas had to share kitchens and bathrooms with at least four to five rooms.
Already approaching her apartment, Nari began to step as quietly as possible. But just as she reached her floor, the door to the neighboring apartment swung open loudly. Leo stood on the threshold. He looked like a nagging wife greeting her drunk husband. A stern expression, hands on hips, heavy and slow breathing.
– Hellooooo, – Nari beamed a guilty smile, – I was just here…
– Have you completely lost it?! – the young man began in raised tones, – do you know that you missed the scheduled inspection?!
– It was planned, – Nari averted her gaze.
– Planned?! Because of you, Yomiya made all the candidates kneel!
– Except for the little brother, of course, – Dionna peeked out from under his arm, – hi, Nari.
– Di, – the girl waved at her, – how are you?
– Don’t ignore me! – Leo snapped irritably.
– Well, sorry, – Nari sighed, – I can’t help it. I hate it when they evaluate us like cattle.
– Tch… – the young man clicked his tongue, – come in. For dinner, we have noodles today.
He turned back into his apartment, and Dionna still stood in the doorway.
– He nearly went insane, – she giggled, – Yomiya was very furious today. Leo was worried that it might affect you, that’s why he’s so irritated.
– I know, – Nari whispered, – I’m grateful to him.
– You do realize that tomorrow the betas will examine you anyway? And the results will be sent to Lab A. They’ll find out sooner or later...
– I know, – sighed Inariya, – but at least I’ll have a little more time.
When she entered the apartment, Leo was already setting plates on the table. In the yellowish light of the lamp, his bright yellow eyes barely glowed. He looked the girl up and down.
– What the… – the young man immediately rushed towards her, – how?.. who did this?.. Nari?!
– It’s a misunderstanding… – the girl quietly replied, rubbing her scratched cheek.
– Damn it, – Leo shook his head, – Di, bring the first aid kit here.
– No need, – Nari shook her head, – I can handle it myself.
She ran her fingers over the scratches, and they instantly healed as if they hadn’t existed. The omega’s call had two properties – to attract Alphas and to nourish the World Tree with the energy of life. But there was something else. In two out of ten cases, the call mutated, and its bearer gained the ability to protect themselves. For example, Leo could create energy shields, and his sister could hide her presence for a time. As for Nari – her call mutated into near-instant regeneration. And recently, she realized she could heal not only herself. Although it was difficult and exhausting, her already-mutating call continued to develop. And sadly, that was a problem.