Powerless
by Lauren Roberts
Contents
Chapter 1
Overview
Paedyn escapes a theft in Loot Alley and returns to the makeshift home she shares with Adena, bringing stolen silk and sticky buns. Their banter establishes Paedyn as a capable slum thief, but the chapter’s real turn comes when their conversation reveals the brutal history of Ilya’s Plague, the rise of the Elite, and the Purging of Ordinaries.
Most importantly, Paedyn is shown to be secretly Ordinary in a kingdom where discovery could mean death. That hidden identity becomes the central stake beneath her everyday crimes and survival.
Summary
Paedyn, hiding in a chimney above Loot Alley, believes a guard may have cut her arm during her escape. Once she reaches the rooftop, Paedyn discovers the sticky liquid is only honey from the buns she stole, not blood. From above, Paedyn surveys the slums and the distant castle, establishing the sharp divide between the kingdom’s poor and powerful.
When Paedyn overhears the robbed merchant and a humiliated Imperial guard below, she learns the guard only noticed her striking blue eyes before she escaped. More guards arrive, so Paedyn quickly drops from the roof into a hay wagon and slips back into the maze of alleys. As she moves through the slums, Paedyn stays alert to both the Imperials patrolling Loot Alley and the desperate poor around her, because either could threaten her survival.
At the trash barricade she and Adena call the Fort, Adena eagerly greets Paedyn and phases through the wall to meet her. Paedyn reveals the treasures she stole: red silk for Adena and smashed sticky buns for them both. Their playful exchange shows their closeness, but it also reveals the risk Paedyn takes regularly by stealing under heavy Imperial watch.
The mood shifts when Adena says, “Thank the Plague,” reminding Paedyn of the catastrophe that transformed Ilya. Paedyn reflects on how the Plague gave survivors supernatural abilities and elevated them into the Elite, while those left ordinary became targets. She recalls King Edric’s false claim that Ordinaries were dangerous and the Purging that followed, exposing the deadly prejudice built into Ilya’s society.
Adena quietly warns Paedyn to be careful if she is ever caught, and Paedyn’s thoughts confirm the deeper danger behind that warning: Paedyn is secretly an Ordinary pretending to belong in an Elite kingdom. Paedyn also remembers her father’s lessons about hiding fear and trusting no one, though Adena already knows the truth. The chapter ends with the two settling into their familiar nighttime routine, using humor and companionship to soften the harshness of life in the slums.
Who Appears
- PaedynSlum thief and protagonist; steals supplies, evades guards, and hides that she is secretly Ordinary.
- AdenaPaedyn’s closest companion; phases through walls, sews clothing, and knows Paedyn’s dangerous secret.
- King EdricRuler whose anti-Ordinary decrees and Purging shape the danger Paedyn lives under.
- Paedyn’s fatherRemembered through advice urging Paedyn to hide fear, trust instincts, and maintain her facade.
- MariaMerchant repeatedly robbed by Paedyn; her shop is the source of the stolen sticky buns.
- Imperial guardFlash guard Paedyn punches during her escape; helps show her boldness and the risk of capture.