"I was exempt," she said.
Why? I asked, surprised.
Why would anyone be exempt? Unless…
Then I continued, "Did you have a family here? Are you from the high uppers?"
She smiled. "I have no one here. And I was as shocked as you when Miss Irene said I wouldn't need to fight. She said they needed a seer, and I'm the only seer the academy has now."
"You're a seer?" I asked, the word carrying a hint of genuine wonder despite everything. "That's cool of you."
"Yes," she replied, but she didn't sound proud.
If it were me, I would've jumped for joy. So I asked, "You don't like your power?"
"I do," she said. "It's just that they were never accurate. I only see things that have already happened."
"Does that mean you see the past?" I asked.
She smiled. "I see the future, not the past. Just… not very accurately. But I was told if I trained well, I would get it right."
"That's good for you," I said with a bitter smile.
I don't even have a skill to train, I thought.
