Beyond Primordial Spirits: The First Sequence

In 2110, after the Red Magnetic Solar Event, it seems the world has come to depend on a single great tree to survive. The Originals live in District One, the Spirits in District Two. And our District Three is the suburban fringe in between, where Spirits and Originals live side by side. It's the noisiest place, but also the most human. My name is Qu Ming. I'm a hybrid child from District Three, born of an Original and a Spirit. My dad, Qu Dashan, is a low-level Spirit, but he can make the best toilets and water pipes. My mom, Lin Wan, is also a low-level Spirit, but she can make the most delicious chocolate cake at the food factory. I got lucky and was born a hybrid, but I have no special ability. I'm currently in Class Four, Grade Three, at the Spirit Academy. I get top marks in every subject, but I'm never picked as an outstanding student. That's what happens when you're a hybrid with the one-in-ten-thousand chance of having no ability at all. Spirits can't create spirits, but I love making them. My parents don't understand it, but they support me. Their love blinds them to the so-called rules, and they believe I can do it. So I asked Teacher Li Quan if I could learn to create spirits. He watched me for a long time, then told me to come see him after school every day. That's when I discovered I might actually have an ability: creating spirits is my talent. My dream isn't grand, and I don't want to be a hero. I just want to earn enough card energy to renew my parents' spirits when they reach forty and their spirits run out. It would be even better if I could work hard enough to become a spirit creator and save that card energy. As for the movement for equality between Spirits and Originals, or saving the world while I'm at it? That's probably something the big shots should worry about. Theme: A boy may not know how high the heavens are, but he dares to ask. A boy's courage is a rare thing.