“You’re in my office a lot more often these days Kaiden. I’m not sure if you like me, or you’re really a trouble maker,” Mrs. Dalia smiles.

“It really isn’t my fault. I try to be good, I really do. But, people just don’t seem to like me.”

“Don’t make excuses. You know when a trap is being set for you, and you still rush in as if you can change things with sheer willpower. You are far too headstrong. In the long run that could cause you more problems than those already in front of you.”

“Then what am I supposed to do? I can’t just do nothing,” because I’m really confused here.

“Ignore them.”

“How does that help? Instead of getting beat up I only get tossed in the mud? Maybe instead of some bruises they just break a finger and leave me alone?”

“Getting even with bullies does not make the situation better,” she takes a seat behind her desk and stares at me waiting for a response.

“So just running away is better? I’m sorry but that’s just stupid.”

I don’t listen to the rest of her lecture because it just didn’t make sense. I’m never going to be okay here. Nobody here thinks I’m any good. Even Mrs. Dalia is starting to think I’m messed up. I might be, but aren’t we all? In my opinion, they’re the messed up people. I’m not the one living in some secret forest town governed by secretive monks. Well, I live here now but they were already here. As soon as my magic comes back, I can get out of this stupid cult. Right now, the only thing I can get is a couple of sparks. But, I can feel it. I know it’ll be coming back soon. Then I’ll be all set.

“Are you listening to me? I swear you’re just like Jason.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because both of you are so darn hard headed. He constantly disobeyed orders because he thought he knew a better way to do things. Here you are, being reprimanded once again because you can’t find a way to stay out of trouble. If you keep running into walls head first you’re going to kill yourself before you ever break through. Do you understand what I’m saying? I can’t put it any simpler.”

“Maybe he had the right idea. He did save all of us. From what I hear, everyone was going to leave us.”

“Hero worship never turns out well,” Mrs. Dalia slaps her hands on the desk.

“I’m not worshiping him. I’m just saying he didn’t seem as bad as everyone says he was and he isn’t as bad as most of the people around here. No offense.”

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“You just need to learn how to control your emotions. If you don’t you’ll just keep getting in trouble. You’ll never accomplish anything and you’ll end up just like Jason. Excommunicated, but it seems like that may be your goal. Choose something better to pursue than being thrust out into the cold world all alone,” she struggles to keep from yelling.

“Why are you so mad?”

“I’m not mad,” she spins around and looks out the window like a cartoon character. “I just see so much of him in you, and I couldn’t save him. A mother can never forgive herself for failing her child, it is much the same. I don’t want you headed down that same path; the one I couldn’t pull him from. It isn’t a fun path, it’s a lonely path.”

“Maybe he needs someone to walk that path with him.”

“Probably. Did you know he was an orphan as well?”

“No, I didn’t know that. I don’t really know anything about him.”

“He was always lonely but could never just open up and ask to play with other kids. Because of that, he never had any friends, even if he needed them. I would try to set him up with other people on play dates. I thought if he just had a friend it would even him out. Almost like a child holding a younger sibling for the very first time. Instead he just stayed full of pent up rage and only got worse as time. He could just never leave things as they were. Oh, well, that time is gone. There’s nothing I can do about it now. But, I won’t let you be the same.”

“Well, that was awkward. So, what’s up with crystal ball? Can you tell fortunes,” I try to change the topic quickly. Old person guilt is a level of guilt I’m not ready for. I’m just a kid why would you want to put your problems on me? I refuse to be used as a discount head doctor.

“Oh yes, I can tell fortunes. However, I choose not to go prying into the future often. Magic has many different side effects depending on how you use it. Most spells will simply exhaust the user, but looking into the future tends to age a person. A day of gazing into the future can age you an entire year. You may not see it right away, especially if you only take small glimpses, but it adds up. Instead, I tend to monitor different people and things as they are right now or communicate with others. The worst that can do is cause me a little nausea if gaze for too long.”

“Who do you watch?”

“Loved ones, family members who far away, old friends, past students. Please excuse me, I have to visit the bathroom,” she exits and leaves me here.

I look into her crystal ball, curious if I can see the future. I can see a blurry picture. There’s snow and it looks like Jason. Was she watching Jason? Where is he that it would be snowing? He’s fighting some angry mob and carrying a person on his shoulders. What’s going on there? I can’t tell. I don’t know where that is, but it looks like he’s trying to save someone and he’s in trouble. He needs help. I need to find out where he is. I can repay the favor.

I jump back to my seat as I hear Mrs. Dalia come back.

“Hey, you never said who you were watching before you left.”

“Funny enough, I was watching Jason.”

“So where is here. Just curious,” can she tell I looked in the ball?

“In a city,” she knows doesn’t she.

“There’s a lot of cities,” I joke.

“He’s about 164 miles from here. How about we discuss your punishment instead?”

“Sure, we can do that.

It doesn’t matter. That’s all I needed to know. 164 miles is specific. Does she want me to go see him? No, she wouldn’t want that? Would she? I can’t tell. This lady is either really gullible or a really good liar. I just can’t figure out which one. I guess I’ll find out when I’m 164 miles away.