Hidden ( being rewritten)

Prologue

15 years ago...

"Candidates, all of you have done a commendable job in the trials," the Leader announced to his three children, standing before him. "Yet only one of you can be my successor." 

Claudia Hutchinson found it odd that her father and her siblings were the only ones in the usually overcrowded Council chamber. It was making her more jittery than she would've been- even for the most important moment of her life. 

Claudia looked around to see her brother Markus tapping his foot impatiently and her sister, Vyvienne sitting on her hands, probably to help her refrain from biting her fingernails. She sighed with relief, she wasn't the only one who was nervous. 

"After both your written exams and interviews were reviewed by the most experienced Specials in the Aggregate of Communities, your scores and feedback were submitted to the Council, which then voted almost unanimously on who is to be their future Leader." 

"Who is it, father?" Markus asked with anticipation.

"The ninth Supreme Leader of the Aggregate of Communities, who shall, along with his or her Council, wield utmost power over the said Aggregate until death or retirement, shall be..." The Leader paused for effect.By this time, Claudia's palms were practically oozing sweat, and she had to firmly plant her feet in the ground to keep her legs from shaking. 

"Claudia Aneya Hutchinson!" The Leader proclaimed, smiling fondly at his youngest daughter. "Of course, I will be announcing this to the Communities at a later time, but I am growing old. I have been Leader for nearly forty years. I plan to retire tomorrow, Claudia will be sworn into office next week." 

Claudia gasped, her nervousness instantly turning into pure joy and excitement. 

"Oh thank you, Father!" She beamed, ignoring the scowl Vyvienne shot her from across the room. "I am honored."

"Wonderful," the Leader nodded, closing his small binder and leaving the podium. "You three have been through a lot. You are free until it is time to make the official announcement." 

............................ 

Claudia was so elated she could barely get her tremulous hands to grip the steering wheel of her maroon Aggregate-issue van. As she drove home, her joyous thoughts were interrupted by nearly constant honking, the blaring sirens of various Community emergency vehicles gliding through their daily routes, and the shouts of children. Though she had lived in it for most of her life, she had never quite gotten used to the noise and crowds of Community Red. 

"Time to say goodbye to this place." Claudia thought with a grin as she parked her van in front of her quaint two-story house. In other Communities, it would have been classified as a middle class dwelling, but in overcrowded Community Red, only the very rich could afford their own houses. 

Claudia thought it was a bit strange that any important Special, much less a member of the Hutchinson family, would be assigned to a Community as polluted and dreary as Red, but she wouldn't need to complain about that for much longer. In a few days, her family would live in the best environment the Aggregate had to offer. 

She looked with pride at the glowing white buildings that stretched across the horizon, in distinct contrast with the muddy, black streets of her Community. Officially named the Leadership District, it was originally a cluster of government buildings stuffed in between Communities Red and Orange. 

Soon, though, the Council members and the Supreme Leader started to build lavish residences around these buildings, and the Leadership District grew into a sort of miniature city of its own. People then started to refer to it as Counciltown. 

"Mom! Who is it?" Claudia's daughter, Syrena, ran out of the house and grabbed her hand before she could even properly exit the van. "Is it you? Is it you? Are you going to be Leader after Grandpa?" 

"Yes, I am," Claudia smiled triumphantly, sweeping Syrena into a tight hug. 

"Judging from what's going on here...let me guess...you're going to be the Leader?" Claudia's husband pointed playfully at her. 

"Mmhm," she nodded, and his face immediately lit up.

"Well, good thing I knew you were going to win, and decided to buy  the food ahead of time," he laughed. "You have permission to gorge yourself," he opened the door and pointed to the beautiful three layer cake that sat on their coffee table. 

"Oh, Walter," Claudia laughed. "You know me too well." She rushed into the house, removed her coat and high heels, and sat down on the couch. Wasting no time, she stabbed a fork into the cake, pulling off a generous hunk which she stuffed into her mouth. 

"You're not even going to cut it?" Walter raised an eyebrow. 

"Nah," she said between bites. "This cake is too good to be cut. It'd be a waste of time." 

"But I thought you said Specials are supposed to be refined and sophisticated, Mom," Syrena giggled. 

"It's not like anyone's watching, and this is the best day of my life!" Claudia exclaimed. "Why don't you go to your room, Syrena. See what you want to take to the house at Counciltown. We're moving in," she winked. 

"You mean Grandpa's mansion?" Syrena gasped. "The one with the white walls covered in famous paintings and a million rooms? Oh my gosh, we're living there!? I'm going to feel like a princess!" She excitedly ran off to her room to pack her things while her parents continued to discuss her mother's new position.          

Softly humming to herself, Syrena swung open the door to her closet and began tossing various clothes and accessories on the bed. Suddenly, in the middle of her peaceful routine, something struck her. She had always wanted to make certain changes in the Aggregate, and though she was only thirteen, she knew these changes would make her society better. Well, "certain changes" was an understatement. She really wanted to remodel the entire system of government itself. 

Until then, she had just thought of herself as a Hutchinson, a Special, someone with a fair amount of power and importance, but her mother's big victory over her aunt and uncle changed things. 

She was Walter and Claudia Hutchinson's only child, and they didn't plan to have another. She would automatically be heir to the position of Supreme Leader. She wouldn't have to endure the long, painful trials her mother did to earn the position. 

A small smile formed on the corners of her lips. Now, her ideas would have to be heard by the Council. She would let them know that she didn't appreciate being told what to do. It was only a matter of time before she would have them wrapped around her little finger, and the Aggregate of Communities would never be the same.