Elemental Rush (Elemental 0.5) by Elana Johnson

 
    Winter in Tarpulin, the capital city of the United Territories, was mild. Perched on the edge of the ocean, we enjoyed a somewhat regulated weather pattern. I stepped onto my balcony at the end of January, wearing only a thin undershirt and shorts. I woke early every day in order to complete my hour of mandated exercise before my sentry classes began at seven o’clock.
    The balcony stones radiated the morning chill, something the sun wouldn’t warm for a few more hours at least, especially considering that it wasn’t even up yet. That was something I hated most about winter—the late arrival of the sun.
    I took a cleansing breath, my insides starting to shiver and my skin pimpling. Using my Element, I warmed the air on my tiny terrace, a small enough space that my wind wouldn’t be noticed by my neighbors. Not that Felix was awake. He preferred to do his workouts late at night.
    Sentries lived in tight quarters; our single-room living spaces were stacked on top of each other. But my balcony was my sanctuary. I spent every morning exercising my airmaking Element outside because I couldn’t use it anywhere else. No matter what.
    I sighed and turned back to my studio. I never made my bed, which I’d pushed against the wall closest to the balcony. I craved the light, the nearness of the outdoors. I had ever since my Element had Manifested last year.
    A single closet stood opposite the end of my bed, and next to that was the bathroom. I had to step over the toilet to get to the shower, which barely accommodated the width of my shoulders. The architect of the sentry barracks clearly didn’t care about our comfort.
    I also had a mini-fridge and a hot plate on a short counter. Along with my standard-issue black uniform, they encompassed the entirety of my possessions. I’d never complained about the meagerness of my living conditions, or wished for more. I spent hardly any time in my studio, and I’d never wanted for heat, or food, or security.
    The life of sentry wasn’t bad. Almost the highest ranking for Unmanifested boys, the sentry position was actually coveted. I’d enjoyed attending the Elemental ceremonies, eating in the mess hall until I puked, and then falling into my warm bed. I had ultimate freedom to venture anywhere within the city walls, and everyone looked at me with eyes edged with fear.
    Yes, I’d definitely appreciated my sentry status.
    It wasn’t until my airmaking Element Manifested that I realized what else I could have. I pushed away the thoughts of rooms—plural!—four times as big as this one, with a balcony that wrapped around the entire side of a fortress. I squashed the idea of having a Council, of experiencing the mystical chartering bond I’d heard about.
    I served Firemakers, who acted as Councilmen. They relied on me, the same way they relied on their Airmasters and Earthmovers and Watermaidens.
    You have a good life, I told myself as I got in the shower. I wasn’t sure if I believed it, but by the time I’d donned my uniform, I only had one thought pressing against my consciousness.
    Today was assassin training, and I’d need every wit about me to survive until lunch.

    “Adam, focus.” The voice came from everywhere, echoing through the cavernous room, and doing exactly the opposite of what it wanted me to. My concentration slipped, and with it, the laser sight drooped below my target.
    On my right, my brother glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. I heard his thoughts in my mind, a gift I’d possessed since birth. Only Felix knew about it; he’d said that if anyone else found out, I’d be taken to the science wing, where I’d never be allowed to leave. The gory stories he told about experimentation were enough to scare me into silence as a child, and I saw no reason to start talking now.
    Get it together, Gillman , Felix warned, turning his attention back to his own task. We were in a simulation, but that didn’t matter. Every situation we practiced gave us the