"So you've come to me about a seal on your powers when you were a child?" Vincent asked the younger spook.

"Y-yes," Gadalik answered. "I want to know if you or someone you know is the one who cast it on me."

"Frankly, I wasn't aware there was one. I never got to see you for myself," the man replied. "But your mother seemed scared for you when she asked me about your powers. Vilodia wanted a way to safely bring out your magic. I recommended you take it out on toys, but apparently that wasn't enough. Now that I think of it, a seal to cap the amount of magic you can use would be a good solution. But seals aren't my expertise, even if I know how to use them."

"Then who could've sealed it? Do you know of anyone else with tagless magic?"

"Of course I do. But I'd need to narrow it down."

Gadalik shook his head. "Do…do you think you could unseal it for me?"

"Slow down, son. Let me inspect it first." He laid a hand on the center of Gadalik's chest. "It seems to be designed to purposefully weaken over time, to give you the maximum amount you can handle at any given time. What happened to make you realize it was there?"

"An enchantress named Guinevere noticed it when she helped me with an injury," the teen answered.

"So you've been fine with it almost your whole life, but now that you know about it, it's suddenly a problem?"

"It…it isn't like that. Magic has always been a problem for me… After the seal, my parents wanted to draw my power out but never could; I think the seal prevented it. And the surge at the lake came from the sealed magic, too. The seal explains so much, and why I couldn't use tagless magic until recently. Please…I want to know what I'm capable of. I want to learn to control my power."

"...I understand. But I don't know enough about why it's there to risk unsealing it for you."

"You…said you had to narrow down the list of people capable of putting the seal on me, right?"

"The only one with magic enough to cast this particular spell is an old acquaintance of mine. His name is Virniv. He's also Karpritian, like your mother. I could contact him for you, see if he has anything to do with your seal, and if he does, I'll have him pay you a visit. Even if the seal can't be dispelled, he could at least explain the reasoning behind it."

"I'd like that. Thank you. My birthday is tomorrow, so it would be a great present to have the seal removed."

"True. Just know his methods can be a bit…overboard."

Overboard?

"Go on home, now. I have things to do."

Gadalik nodded. "Thanks for your time."

Gadalik woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. It worsened when he propped himself up on his elbows. He was immobilized by the pain, wondering briefly if he was dying, when a few seconds later it subsided.

Fearing it might return, he remained still before tentatively getting out of bed. It's gone… What was that all about?

Deciding not to dwell on it, the teen went to his closet and instinctively reached for his usual plaid shirt, only to grip the seam of its missing sleeve. That's right… It ripped when my mom tried to keep me from falling out of our carriage. With a nasal sigh, he looked over his wardrobe and chose his birth-father's large gray henley shirt, tying the back of it so it'd fit, and casual dark gray shorts; despite the snow outside, his mother kept the house a bit too warm, as she detested the cold. He put his shoulder-length striped green hair into its usual ponytail, then left his bedroom.

The lights were out. His muscle memory let him descend the staircase without them. When he reached the living room on the ground floor, he winced as they suddenly turned on.

There were balloons and streamers strung about, a few presents in the corner, and a banner hanging from the second story that read Happy 18th Birthday!

A woman with pale violet hair came forth. "Happy birthday, big guy!"

"Thanks, Mom," Gadalik answered, a bit embarrassed from the attention.

"Gale made breakfast," she added, gesturing to a darker skinned man with a blue-violet mohawk and piercings on his left eyebrow.

"Thank you, Dad!"

"Glacia put the decor up while I was cooking," the man threw the credit back at his girlfriend.

"It looks great," Gadalik replied wholeheartedly. His mother beamed from the compliment. He followed his parents to the kitchen whereat awaited them his father's famous omelettes. Just the smell was enough to make his mouth water, and brought a sense of nostalgia.

"Well?" Glacia said. "Dig in! We're expecting your friends over after lunch. Then after we have cake, open your presents!"

"I'm also expecting Virniv to stop by any day now. he might show up today."

"That's right," she remembered. "Something about a seal he might've placed on you?"

"Yeah. Be on the lookout for him."

"Yes, sir, general."

Just as he sat down to eat, the headache returned at full force; he dropped his fork and propped his forehead on his hand, holding his breath.

"What's the matter?" Gale asked worriedly.

It grew worse, and a chill ran down his spine. He braced himself through it, releasing the breath and panting for a moment when it ebbed. "I-I don't know. This is the second time I've randomly got a headache today…"

Glacia went to his side and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"It's gone now; I feel fine. I just…don't know what came over me." The teen carefully took a bite and almost immediately forgot about the pain. "Dad, this tastes great!"

"Thanks, bud," his father replied, though he seemed hung up on the headache. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Gadalik shrugged. "Right now, yeah."

"Any idea what might have caused it?"

"No… Not a clue."

"Well…as long as you're okay now, that's all that matters," Glacia decided.

Her son was relieved to hear that. Normally his mother would rush him to a hospital without giving him a say, but she knew he didn't want to miss his friends.

It wasn't too much later when one of whom arrived: Gadalik answered the door to find a black girl a year younger than him, who greeted him with a hug around his neck.

"Happy eighteenth birthday, bucko!" she said, letting him go. "You're an adult now! How does it feel?"

"The same as always, Gretel," he laughed. "Come in. Grace should be here any minute–"

"Grace? The farm girl you told me about?"

"Y-yeah. She and her dad were invited."

"Her dad? Pfft. Parents are usually sticks in the mud."

Glacia intentionally cleared her throat from the kitchen doorway. "Excuse me?"

"You're not his real parents; you don't count."

"Excuse me?!"

"Gretel didn't mean anything by that," Gadalik intervened, feeling his chest tighten. "Right, Gretel?"

"What's the big deal? It's true, they're not your real parents. And there's nothing wrong with that," the girl answered.

"You'd better believe there's nothing wrong with that!" Glacia huffed. "We're better parents than yours."

"Mom, please…" Gadalik whispered, the tightness increasing.

Gretel laughed genuinely. "True. I'm lucky mine don't care where I go."

"Lucky? You're only lucky that we allow you to come here with your disrespect," the woman snorted, crossing her arms. Turning to her son, she added, "I still don't know what you see in her."

Gadalik opened his mouth but nothing came out except a shaky breath. He looked down, placing a hand over his aching chest.

"That's enough, you two," Gale stepped between the females.

His girlfriend harrumphed and walked back into the kitchen.

"You okay, bud?" he asked Gadalik. "Come on… Just breathe."

The boy took a deep breath in an attempt to relax, then nodded.

"How's your head?"

"It's fine…" Gadalik murmured. "I just…can't take people fighting."

"I know… There won't be anymore fighting today," he promised. Casting his voice out loud enough for Glacia to hear, he warned, "Right, girls?"

"Yeah, fine," Glacia responded from the other room.

"I wasn't trying to fight with anyone," Gretel defended herself.

"Glacia's touchy about blood-relations," Gale explained. "If you don't want a fight, don't bring it up."

"I'll try not to."

Gadalik exhaled, the tightness fading.

There was a knock on the door.

His gaze travelled somewhat expectantly to the red-haired girl behind it as his father let her in.

The moment she saw Gale and Gretel, she seemed to shrink nervously, clutching her orange skirt at the sides. Then she focused her attention on Gadalik, and stood a little straighter. "Happy birthday," she managed to say.

Gadalik approached her, relieved by the change of topic. "I'm glad you could make it, Grace!"

"Is that your dad?" the farm girl asked.

The mohawked man answered for him: "Yes; I'm Gale. I'm actually…his adoptive mother's boyfriend…so not legally his father. Yet, that is."

She calmed down at that.

"You must be Gavin," Gale continued, offering his hand to the tall man whose curly yellow-green hair, braided from the waist-down, reached the floor. "It's nice to meet you."

Gavin stared at him coldly.

Gale eventually lowered his hand when he realized there wasn't going to be a shake. Still, he eyed Gavin curiously as the latter added a medium sized gift bag to the two presents in the living room corner. Then he took his place standing out of the way, but his yellow-green eyes were watching them.

"My dad…isn't too keen on parties. Or people…" Grace rubbed her arm. "He only came to look out for me. It's better if we let him be."

"So? Are you going to introduce us?" Gretel asked her friend.

"R-right," Gadalik stammered. "Gretel, this is Grace. Grace: Gretel."

"I've heard a lot about you, farm girl. He told me about the ghosts you've faced, and the horse riding lessons."

"O-oh," Grace mustered the reply, closing in on herself with embarrassment.

"Don't be shy! You've heard about me, right?"

"A little… He mentioned he went to the mall with a friend a week before we met."

"Yep, that was me! Poor thing had an anxiety attack thinking he was helpless without his spooks' supplies, only to catch a ghost with his bare hands!"

"What?" Gale turned to his son. "Anxiety attack…?"

Gretel froze, then turned to the spook. "He didn't know?"

"I didn't even know that's what it was, until recently," Gadalik explained, an unusual defensiveness arising. "You did?"

"Well, yeah. Mikey on my gymnastics team has them, too. That was the first I've seen you like that, though."

"Gadalik…" Gale placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "How many times has this happened when I wasn't around…?"

His son pulled away. "I… I don't want to talk about it. Let's just…have fun. OK?"

"Hm… Alright, then. Who wants cake?"

"Me!" Gretel piped up. "C'mon, birthday boy; let's eat!"

"I'll be right there!" Gadalik said. He turned back to Grace. "Are you coming with us?"

She nodded, following a step behind him to the kitchen.

Glacia brought out a circular double-layered cake with light blue frosting and a darker blue rim, blueberries decorating the top between the lit candles. "Make a wish, big guy!"

Gadalik closed his eyes. I wish that everyone will get to know each other, so we can all be a family. He blew them out.

His mother cut the cake and served out the plates.

Gretel dug in. Her hot-pink irises shone with delight. "Best cake ever!"

Gale rubbed the back of his head. "There's enough for Gavin, too, if he wants some."

"I-I'm sure he'll take it with us for our journey home," Grace said, glancing at her father who was watching from the living room.

"Want to open your presents?" Glacia prompted after they'd finished eating.

"S-sure." Gadalik and the others gathered around the small stack of boxes in the corner of the living room. He picked up the first one on the top and unwrapped it to reveal a worn hardback book titled Spells and Enchantments.

"Do you like it?" Gale asked.

"Y-yes–thank you! This will help me hone my tagless magic."

"That's the idea."

"Open mine next!" Gretel encouraged him, withdrawing a small rectangular box from her purse and practically shoving it against him.

He chuckled at her enthusiasm, taking the lid off to reveal a silver-bladed knife inside of a pouch on a belt.

"I found it in a hex shop. I was told it's made specifically for repelling the supernatural," she explained. "Keep it on your person. That way if you're wearing the nullifier but don't have your staff, you have something to protect yourself!"

"Thank you, I will! I'd have to change, first, though."

There were two presents left: one fairly large box and a medium gift bag.

"Open the bag first," Glacia told him.

"Oh, okay," her son obliged her, taking the present Gavin had left on the pile. He pulled out a piece of fabric which he unfolded to find it was a black shirt with gray horizontal stripes across the chest of it. He took a moment to admire it. "It looks great. I love the stripes."

Everyone looked at Grace, who shied away from their eyes. "My dad helped me with the measurements…" the girl said, as though not wanting to take all the credit for it.

"What do you mean?"

"She made that shirt for you," Gavin spoke for the first time.

"You…made this?" He was shocked by the professional quality of the stitching. "That–that's incredible!"

"Th-thank you," she stammered, cheeks turning rosy. "You told me about your old one getting torn, s-so I thought you could use it… I'm glad you like it…! There's actually one more–"

"Now it's time for the grand opening of my gift," Glacia interrupted. "You're gonna love it!"

Gadalik hesitated, waiting for his friend to finish her sentence, but Grace remained silent. He refolded the shirt and placed it by the knife on top of the book, then began to unwrap it. They watched with suspense as he crumpled the paper and opened the box. Inside was a brand new rotary phone. "It's…a telephone?!" He stared back at his mother with disbelief. "But I thought you didn't want one?"

"I didn't, but you did. Everything's already set up; all we have to do is plug it in."

"Wouldja look at that! Now you can call us instead of waiting on letters," Gretel chimed.

"Where will it go?" he asked.

"Here in the living room. It may be yours, but since we have it I'd like to use it too," his mother answered. "Here, let me put it up."

"These are all amazing, you guys. Really, I appreciate it," Gadalik addressed them all wholeheartedly. "They're very thoughtful gifts."

"You deserve 'em," Gretel replied.

"I'm going to try on the shirt and belt. I'll be right back." He went toward the staircase.

At the first step, there was immense pressure in his head followed by another chill. The ache made him too weak and dizzy to keep a hold on the railing; he felt himself falling backward.

"Gadalik!" Gale rushed toward his son, but Gavin was closer and caught him before he hit the floor.

The teen fell limp in his arms, face flushed, breathing hard.

"What happened?" Glacia demanded, joining them.

"He has a high fever," the yellow-green-haired man reported. "Sweat and chills. The symptoms are common with a lot of illnesses, although the suddenness of it counts them all out."

"W-what are you saying?!"

"Shall I bring him to his bed?"

"Wha–? Y-yes, but--what's wrong with him?"

"That remains to be seen." Gavin carried him up the stairs, Glacia close by behind, and he stopped at the first room there with disgust on his face upon seeing the unkempt piles of stuffed animals and trash that littered the floor.

"That's my room. His is the last," Glacia corrected him.

Gavin glanced back at her, brows furrowed and mouth opened as if to confront her about the wreck, but when Gadalik let out a pathetic whine, he went for the third door, opening it to find the room was organized and spotless. Gadalik's familiar spooks' robe and staff were mounted on the wall, and Gavin placed the teen on his bed beneath the window.

Gale came in a minute later with a bowl of water that he dipped a washcloth in to then place on his son's forehead. Gavin backed off but was watching them.

Gretel pushed past him. "Geez–I can feel the heat from him all the way over here," she remarked, going on the other side of the bed. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know," Gale murmured, distraught.

"Of all days to get sick, it had to be his own birthday! He can't catch a break, can he?"

"Gavin had a point: I don't think this is an ordinary sickness…"

"Then what is it?"

"I'll contact Guinevere and see if she can identify it," Gavin answered for him. As he left, he passed his daughter, who was peeking in from the doorway.

"Hey, girly. You can come in," Glacia gently invited her.

Grace uncertainly obliged, joining Gretel on the left side of his bed, the couple being on the right.

"Who's this Guinevere your dad's calling?"

"She's an enchantress… She specializes in potions to treat illnesses. If anyone can help, she can," Grace assured them. Her red irises flicked back to her unconscious friend. "She… She helped Gadalik before, the last time he was with me."

"Then he's in good hands," Glacia sighed, relieved. "Let's not crowd him. I'm going to see if Gavin gets a hold of her. Gale, keep an eye on him and come get me if there are any changes." She left the room.

Grace stared at the boy, eyes narrowed sorrowfully.

Gale cooled the cloth in the bowl before replacing it on his son's forehead.

"What exactly is your relationship to Gadalik, anyway?" Gretel asked the younger girl.

"W-well… We're…friends," she said, speaking slowly as to think before each word.

Gretel gave an amused smile. "Well, it's about time he made another friend. How old are you?"

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"I-I'll be fifteen in January…"

"Aw, you're a baby," she giggled. "I'll be seventeen in March. I met Gadalik almost six years ago."

"Are… Are you his girlfriend…?"

Gretel laughed. "He asked me to be his girlfriend a while back," she confessed, "but I'm not into anybody romantically. He accepts that."

Grace released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Why? Do you like him?"

Her face turned as red as her hair, and she opened her mouth as if to protest, but all that came out was a squeak.

"Heh. I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

That got Gale's attention. "Gadalik chooses his friends wisely; the fact that he invited you here says a lot. In a few years, when you're older, who knows? Maybe you'll end up together."

Grace met his gaze, the slightest bit hopeful. "You really think so…?"

"I don't see why not."

She looked back at Gadalik, who was sweating profusely despite his father's efforts to cool him.

"He's getting worse," Gretel pointed out.

"Gale!" Glacia called, barging into the room. "Is he wearing the nullifier?"

The man checked Gadalik's neck for the pendant. "Yeah. Why?"

"Ok, that explains it. Put it on the center of his chest."

Her boyfriend did as told.

"Leave it there a minute… Now take it off him."

"Wait–won't that cause a surge?"

"Not in his current state. Hurry!"

Gale removed the necklace.

Instantly Gadalik relaxed.

He felt the unconscious teen's head. "His fever's starting to go down," he reported, then looked at the pendant he had removed. "Did the nullifier cause it…?"

"Yes, and no…" Glacia replied. "Guinevere said this is happening because there's a sudden increase of magic within him. That wouldn't cause a problem normally, but the nullifier has already been synced to his previous amount; it's stopping his body from adjusting to the new amount properly."

"What should we do now that it's off?"

"We wait. He should be fine in a little while. He can put the nullifier back on once he's better."

"Will it need to be resynced?"

"Uh... Maybe? I didn't ask."

Gale stood up. "I'm going to talk to her. I'll be right back."

"Hang on, I'm not sure if Gavin will take kindly to you, having just met. Let me do the talking," she said, following him out of the room.

Gretel glanced between her friends, then a mischievous sparkle shone in her hot-pink eyes. "I have to use the bathroom. Keep an eye on him for us, 'kay?"

Grace nodded, watching her leave, then realized she was alone with him. For the moment she simply observed his still-heavy breathing and the slowly-fading redness in his face. Then she went to the other side of the bed, and removed the cloth from him to cool it.

As if on cue, Gadalik turned his head, then opened his eyes partly. "Mom…?"

She recoiled. "N-no… I can go get her if you want–"

He pushed himself up on his elbows, then winced and held his head.

"Don't strain yourself…!"

"Grace? What are you doing here…?" he mumbled.

"You invited me to your birthday party…"

"My birthday isn't until December twenty-eighth…"

"Yes, but…that's today…"

He blinked with confusion. Then he sank back into the mattress. "Where is everyone?"

"Our parents are downstairs, talking with Guinevere. Gretel's in the bathroom."

"Guinevere? Is she here?"

"No–she's on the phone."

"We don't have a phone…"

"You got one as a birthday present," she reminded him.

"Really…?" He squinted as he struggled to recall the events of the day. "My head hurts…"

"I know," she sympathized.

He stared at the square of light cast down on his bed from the window behind him. "That's right… I remember now." Then he moved to get out of bed.

"W-wait!" she cried.

"Huh…?"

"You…suddenly have more magic. Your body needs to adjust to it."

"Magic, huh… That means…" The seal has weakened, just as Guinevere said. "We have a phone, right? Downstairs? I need to talk to Virniv." The second he stood, the world tilted under him and he caught himself on the mattress with one hand, the other holding his forehead.

"Gadalik, you need to rest…"

Then he let out a defeated sigh and climbed back on the bed. "I hate this," he said quietly.

"Hate…what?"

"Being so weak. And…the fact that I've had anxiety attacks so often. My mom doesn't know about them, but I can see my dad pities me, and… I hate it."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Grace murmured, reaching for his hand to console him. Despite his lowered fever, it was fire to the touch.

Gadalik pulled away from her out of reflex. She retreated a step to give him space.

Gretel came back in. "Grace, your dad says Gadalik should be waking–" she ended her sentence abruptly upon seeing her old friend staring back at her. "You're up!" She rushed to his side and took his hand in both of hers, squeezing it affectionately.

"Y-yeah." He let her hold it, the redness in his feverish cheeks increasing for a moment.

It was subtle, but Grace noticed. "He asked me to be his girlfriend a while back," she remembered the other girl saying. She looked away, feeling a sting in her chest.

"He's up?" Gale overheard, walking through the doorway.

"Oh, thank goodness," Glacia exclaimed as she followed him in. "How you feeling, big guy?"

"OK, I guess," he replied with a halfhearted shrug. Then he looked up at her. "Can I use the phone?"

"Of course; it's yours! But you should wait until your fever's gone."

"Alright, let him rest," Gale suggested.

"We'll be downstairs if you need us," Glacia assured her son, who nodded.

"I'll bring your presents up here for you," Gretel offered.

"Thank you…" Gadalik said, lying back down and staring absently at the wall after they left.

As his fever ebbed, he felt stronger and lighter. For a moment he forgot about the spirits he could sense. Wait… He felt his neck and realized his nullifier was gone. My ghost sense…? The spook let his guard down and the sense kicked in at full force, sending another chill down his spine. He could pick up on their misery and anger–the emotions that weighed on him long before he could recognize they weren't his own–and it was overwhelming.

He drew in a breath and focused on just his immediate surroundings again.

The sense faded.

I can control it now, the teen realized with a relieved sigh. What else can I do?

Someone knocked on his door.

"Come in," he permitted.

Gretel stepped in with his presents in hand. She placed them on the foot of his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel great, actually."

She skeptically placed the back of her hand on his forehead. "Your fever's gone! That was fast."

He glanced at the nullifier on the nightstand. He had been waiting to put it back on, although now he wasn't so sure about it.

"What's on your mind?"

"Oh–I was just thinking… I wanted the nullifier to prevent an accidental surge in magic, like what happened when I drowned at the lake. But I feel like I have more control over my magic now."

"Do you?"

The spook held his hand out, casting a medium-sized shield spell. It summoned faster and with no numbness. He dispelled it. "Yeah. This is great…!"

"That's awesome! Well, I brought your shirt, knife, and book. I'll let you change."

"Thank you."

With the door shut once again, he tried on the new shirt and belt, pleased by how perfectly they fit. The horizontal gray stripes suited his striped eyes and hair. The spook inspected the knife. A repellent for the undead…but also the living, he thought, remembering a witch who had attempted to kidnap him. He glanced at the book. I do need to master my powers…. Especially since I have more magic now. He silently thanked his father a second time for it.

Gadalik sheathed the knife and headed down the hall toward the staircase.

From atop the stairs he could see his parents listening to Gretel, while Grace was with her father away from everyone. Gadalik began to descend the steps.

"Wow, you look good in dark colors," Gale complimented the new shirt.

"Thanks; I think so, too," Gadalik said with a sheepish smile.

"How's the knife?" Gretel asked.

He lifted the side of his shirt to show the pouch. "It's right within reach."

"The phone works great," Glacia stated for the record.

"I knew it would. Thanks for the help after I passed out."

"Don't thank me; thank Gavin. He's the one who called Guinevere."

"Gavin…?"

"He also carried you to your room," Gale added.

I didn't expect him to get involved, he thought, softening as he approached the curly-haired man. "Thank you, Gavin… Really. I thought I was dying," he laughed nervously.

"No need for thanks," Gavin dismissed the spook. His daughter nudged him. "Right… Grace wanted me to give you this." He withdrew a framed picture from his bag and handed it to the younger male.

Gadalik took it. It depicted himself and Grace on their respective horses together in the snow. "You were watching us?"

"Of course."

"Do you like the picture…?" Grace asked hesitantly.

"I… I love it," the spook said. "It's a reminder of a great time we had together. I'll put it on my dresser above my letter drawer."

"You kept my letters?"

"I keep every letter my friends send me," he admitted. "And with the new phone, I won't be getting any more from you, so I'm glad I chose to save them before now."

"I see…" She looked at Gretel, who was back to talking to his parents across the room from them.

"Something wrong?"

Grace forced a smile. "N-no…! Not at all. I'm...glad you like it."

"Thanks again," he said to both of them.

"Gadalik, are you alright?" his mother called.

"Y-yeah, my fever's gone. Oh yeah–I can control my ghost sense now!"

"Really?"

"Yep! Not only am I able to hone in on ghosts that are farther away, but I can stop my sense altogether. It takes a bit of willpower but I'm sure I'll get used to it. My shield spell feels a lot more natural, too," he explained. "The seal must have weakened….but speaking of, I want to call someone."

After the call and later that day, they heard banging on the door.

"I'll get it," Gale said.

"I'm coming too." Gadalik stood and followed.

The rest of the party came with them and waited in suspense as Gale opened the door.

Behind it stood a man with fair skin and short light green hair, wearing a deep red cloak. He was perhaps twenty years older than Gadalik. His sky blue eyes flicked to each of the party in turn as if assessing them.

Gavin immediately stepped protectively in front of his daughter, eyes narrowed with distrust. Grace seemed worried about that.

"Virniv?" Gadalik asked, pushing through the crowd to greet him directly.

"Yes," he answered. "You must be Gadalik, correct? I recognize you from when you were a toddler."

"Y-yeah! Come in."

"He looks like a genderbent version of your mother," Glacia remarked to her adoptive son.

"Is that so?" Virniv responded, overhearing. "His mother and I are both pure-blooded Karpritians, so I guess it's to be expected."

"So if you and Gadalik are both Karpritians," Gretel wondered, "how come he has stripes in his hair and eyes when you don't?"

"W-well…I'm only half Karpritian," Gadalik reminded her. "My father's an Arcrittan, and had black hair and darker blue eyes."

"Striped traits are common with mixed Karpritians. Even without having met his parents, his heritage is obvious," Virniv explained.

"Are you also a spook?" Gretel inquired.

"No, I'm an enchanter. I specialize in seals and dispels, but they're not all I know."

"Are all Karpritians magical?"

"Pretty much. Back when witches were being hunted, they began migrating to Karpritia to seek refuge, because the natives' magic is honored there. Eventually their powers combined with our own for the generations after. Being secluded as it is, our bloodlines tend to stay pure… Generally speaking. Of course his mother decided not to keep hers that way."

Gadalik recoiled. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Well, when it comes to spooks, your father was the best she could've chosen. Besides, there aren't many Karpritians here in Arcritta to find, so I understand her settling for him, however irresponsible having a kid with him was."

"Settling? Irresponsible? Why would you think…?"

"How dare you speak badly of his parents," Glacia defended her adoptive son.

Virniv gave her an unimpressed once-over. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"His mother! Well…his new mother."

"...Right. Say, aren't you part of the royal Peakisan family?"

"Huh? You actually recognize me?" She was shocked. "I-I mean… of course you do. I'm the sole heir to the remains of their kingdom."

"Such a shame that they were bought out…"

Glacia gaped and glared at him. "You're a real wise guy, aren't you?"

"You talk as though you knew them," Gale spoke up to Virniv. "Do you have a history?"

"With the Peakisans: no. With Gadalik's blood-parents: yes. Vilodia and I both arrived in Arcritta together. Even though she didn't have ancient magic like me, she made the most out of spelltags, and I respected her for that. What I don't respect is her lack of taste in men."

"What did my father ever do to you?" Gadalik confronted him.

"He wooed her with his spook's tricks, and had no regard for their son being at risk from his genes."

"You're calling me at risk? For what?"

"The surges that nearly killed you and them when you were just a toddler, because your half-blooded body couldn't handle the power. That's why she had me seal it off."

Gadalik sat down, processing this. "Surges? I don't remember any of that…or you, for that matter."

"Well, duh. You were four years old at the time. Vilodia reached out to Vincent first to see how to safely use your power, but he was too soft to make a difference. The seal was a last resort."

"Well can you unseal it?" Glacia demanded, growing impatient and irritated by the man.

"Of course I can. It's only a matter of if I should. Gadalik might still be too underdeveloped to contain it."

"The seal weakened already today, and I feel great," the spook said. "So I think I can handle the rest."

"Very well. Let's give it a try. Worst case scenario, I reseal it."

"Really?" Gadalik was surprised by his cooperation. "W-what should I do?"

"Have a seat and take your shirt off."

The teen hesitated, looking at the three females in the room.

Gretel seemed amused by his modesty, while Grace's cheeks reddened and she looked away.

"Well? You want me to unseal it or not?" Virniv demanded.

"Maybe he'd be more comfortable in his bedroom," Gale stuck up for his son.

"Look, I'm not a creep. He's a man, isn't he? What's the problem?"

"I don't appreciate your disrespect," Glacia snapped.

"N-no, he's right…" Gadalik sighed with defeat. He swallowed hard and removed his shirt, not daring a glance at his friends.

Gretel tilted her head at the sight. "Huh. When did you get that scar?"

Gadalik winced, having hoped that they wouldn't notice it. "When that ghost cracked my rib, it punctured my lung. They…had to operate."

"Does that mean…you've seen him shirtless before he got it?" Grace asked the other girl.

Gale tensed with discomfort, while his girlfriend listened curiously.

"I have," Gretel replied as a matter of fact. "I've had to pull thorns out of his back once when he fell into a bush. And that time when it started pouring down rain, and he took it off to dry it. And then there was the time when he spent the night at my house and I accidentally walked in on him changing into his pajamas–"

"Can we not make this weird?" Gadalik interrupted. Addressing the others, he added, "Before you get any ideas, we never did anything…inappropriate."

"You didn't seem surprised by his scar, Grace," Gretel pointed out, elbowing the other girl playfully.

"I-I noticed it when Guinevere was diagnosing his shoulder injury last week," Grace stammered, her cheeks still red. "I figured he had been injured there before, though, because he was protecting that area in his sleep…"

"You were watching him sleep?" Gretel giggled.

"N-no! I was going to wake him to face this ghost–I happened upon him that way!"

"Gretel, that's enough," Gadalik sighed. "You're making Grace uncomfortable."

The red-haired girl was warmed to hear him defend her.

"Alright, everyone. Let me do my job," Virniv said. He placed a hand on the center of Gadalik's chest, the latter flinching. "I'm gonna slowly release the seal. You just be sure to warn me if you feel a surge coming on."

"Yes, sir." A circular marking wherein the same symbol of the sun that was on his nullifier appeared on his skin around Virniv's hand, and a chilling sensation spread from the contact point throughout the rest of his body. "It's a little cold…"

"That's normal. Means it's working. It'd be hot if it weren't. When you feel back to your usual temperature you'll know you've fully adjusted to the new amount of power."

The teen gulped as the cold increased with time. It's normal… Just endure it. But it only got worse.

Virniv hesitated. "You're shivering… Are you not adjusting to it at all?"

"I-I don't know…"

"We should stop, then. This could be dangerous."

"But I don't feel a surge…"

"There are dangers besides surges. If you have too much power and you don't surge, you could die a painful death from the inside out. Your core temperature is concerning; I barely weakened the seal and it's already too much for you."

"I can handle it," Gadalik insisted through chattering teeth.

"No, you can't. You're not ready."

That phrase brought back memories of Vincent at Rosepetal Lake. "Please…! It's…it's sure to warm up any second! Just give me more time…"

"Fine."

Despite Gadalik's efforts to suppress it, the shivering wouldn't stop; he was freezing to the point of burning. After a few seconds it was too intense, and his hopes demolished when he felt a familiar buildup. "S-s-surge," he managed the warning.

Instantly Virniv switched hands, and the coldness was brought back to his chest before it began to warm. He removed his hand.

Gadalik accepted the new resealing but was unable to hide his disappointment.

"You're just not built for this kind of power. You would have been if you were pure Karpritian, but you're not. As you grow older the seal might weaken and even wear off on its own," Virniv said. "Although I am curious about the surge at the lake. My seal shouldn't have leaked. May I experiment?"

"How do you mean?"

"Come outside with me."

Gadalik reached for his shirt, but Virniv stopped him.

"Leave it," he told the spook. "It'll be easier if I can see the seal when or if it appears."

"He'll freeze to death out there without a shirt and coat!" Glacia butted in. "Not to mention those shorts!"

"Do you not know of elemental magic? I'll keep us warm with a flame spell."

"Elemental magic?" Gadalik repeated. "They don't sell tags like that in a hex shop…"

"Tags for them are illegal. But that won't stop witches like Luna from making and selling them on the black market."

"You know Luna?"

"Yeah. She tried to kill me for my blood. But I shut her down quick. I take it she did the same to you?"

"Yes. She tried kidnapping first. I used a stun spell on her and her familiar but I overestimated how long it would last, so they escaped."

"Ugh… Don't remind me," Gale muttered.

"Hm. So you know how to use your ancient magic then?"

"Ancient?" Gadalik wasn't sure what he meant.

"Spells without the need of tags."

"Oh… Only a few spells: shield, ward, stun, and confinement. My dad got me a book that might teach me more."

"Trent?"

"No–my new, practical dad."

Gale waved in response to his introduction.

"Never mind then. Ancient magic will make this more fun. Alright, out we go."

Gadalik followed him outside, finding the snow and chilly air surprisingly more bearable after the unsealing attempt.

Virniv drew a wide circle around them in the snow. Then he filled in the indentation with old leaves and twigs from the surrounding woods. "Fire spells only work on things that are flammable," he explained. "It's like your hand becomes a substitute lighter." He demonstrated, and with a spark of magic from his palm the twigs trapped them within a ring of fire. "Prepare yourself, boy."

"Are we really going to fight?" Gadalik said, once again disappointed.

"Yes. And I won't go easy on you. You can't run away. There's nowhere to hide. Your only option is to fight me or die."

When the spook hesitated, Virniv rushed at him.

Gadalik casted a shield spell easily and blocked his attacks. The shield held out despite the beating it took. It's more durable now, he realized.

Virniv spun and kicked the shield out of his grasp, then kicked him a second time on his way to facing him again before the teen had a chance to react.

Gadalik barely managed to dodge and summoned another shield, the first one dispelling. "I don't want to fight you, Virniv."

"You should, half-blood," Virniv snarled, going for another kick. His attacks against the shield herded the spook closer to the flames. "I pity you. Your mother was a fool. She could have had a son with full control of his power, but instead she partnered with an Arcrittan and had you. Imagine how difficult you made her life, to the point where she was so desperate to fix you."

His words caught Gadalik off guard. Was I really that bad to her…?

Virniv didn't wait for him to regain composure. He used a ward spell to send the spook right into the fire.

Gadalik came to from the attack, and out of reflex, his shield enveloped him to where he was in a bubble, safe from the flames. He spent a second to realize what he'd done, which Virniv took advantage of by charging at him once more.

Gadalik instinctively threw his hands out to block the attack, which inadvertently caused the bubble to expand and burst, knocking the older male back. As Virniv was about to rebalance, Gadalik went for a low sweep at his shins to successfully trip him.

Virniv caught himself with both hands on the ground, and as he pushed himself to his feet, a spike of ice shot up from the half-melted snow between his handprints, aiming straight for the spook's heart.

Ice elements? Gadalik backed out of reach, then stopped abruptly so he wouldn't cross into the fire again. He grabbed the tip of the icicle and broke it off to use as a makeshift weapon. He moved to stab his attacker, but Virniv caught him by the arm and took advantage of his momentum to pull him past and to the ground, stepping on his wrist to make him drop the ice, and stooped over him. "Your father wasn't spared from you either. He knew you inherited his limitations, and that's why you were at risk from the surges. He carried that guilt to his grave."

Gadalik's breath caught in his throat. Long forgotten memories of his father gazing sympathetically at him came to mind. But the pain in his wrist as Virniv increased the pressure on it snapped him out of it.

With his free hand, the spook forced him off with a ward spell, then got up and summoned a shield with a spiked rim and threw it after him like a blade.

Virniv used his own ward spell to knock it back at him.

Gadalik gasped and quickly dispelled it, but during that distraction, Virniv had lunged forward to sucker punch him in the gut.

Gadalik managed to catch his fist, and when Virniv struck with the other, he caught that too, and pushed against him.

"You have all the power a Karpritian can have, with the body of an Arcrittan that can't contain it. You're a perfect example of what's wrong with half-bloods. Everything that could've gone badly, did."

"Sh-shut up," Gadalik strained, anger enabling him to push harder. Virniv was slowly being forced back.

"Looks like those muscles aren't just for show," the older male said, somewhat impressed. "But remember this is a test of magic, not strength."

"I don't care if it's a test… You've made it personal." He suddenly pulled to move with the older man and swing him back into the fire.

Virniv dispelled the flames before they could burn him. Gadalik summoned a shield that was spiked at the front and charged at him. He relit the flames between himself and the spook, but this time Gadalik intentionally morphed his shield into an encompassing bubble, now spiked, and continued through the fire.

Virniv grabbed onto the spikes to restrain him. Gadalik dispelled the bubble and threw a punch at his face.

Virniv took advantage of the distance the shield had previously established between them and sidestepped out of the way–the spook leapt back to prevent him getting caught again, when Virniv thrust his hand out at him anyway and Gadalik suddenly felt a jolt of electricity course through his body, immobilizing him like a taser.

Virniv caught Gadalik by the neck as the spook collapsed, casually lifting him by it.

Gadalik choked, but through sheer willpower he managed to lift his arms and grip his assailant's wrist with both hands. "Don't make me hurt you…"

"You really think you're capable of hurting me?" Virniv laughed, tightening his hold. "I'm surprised you can even move your arms after my stun spell."

"Let go," he hissed, preparing a ward spell in each hand. To his frustration, nothing happened; the stun spell must have stifled his magic.

"It isn't even that you're powerful," the man continued. "It's that your body is too weak to use the amount of magic that most Karpritians have. You're a disgrace. Your father tainted your bloodline, and that's your mother's fault."

Gadalik coughed. He was starting to black out. No… I won't be killed. Not here–not by him! He growled and focused all he had into his hands for another ward spell. When still nothing happened, he tried harder until he could see and feel the faint glow of magic. There was the familiar buildup of a surge, but at this point he didn't care; if Virniv got hurt, he deserved it.

"And there it is," the man said cheerfully.

"W-what?" Gadalik was flustered by the sudden shift in his tone and didn't have the patience to tolerate whatever slander he was gonna say next.

"The seal appeared. I'll bet you want to blast me to smithereens, don't you?"

"The seal…?" He glanced down and saw that the said marking had reappeared on his chest.

"The seal isn't leaking. It's your own power that's overriding it when you're desperate enough." Virniv set him down, then dispelled the fire. "That's common with this type of seal; it's made to give you just as much power as you can physically handle. When you're this worked up, you can contain more, if only briefly."

"Gadalik, are you alright?" Gale called, stepping past the extinguished ring.

The stun spell was dispelled, but the spook was still seething from the fight. Not only did he lose, but he had been played throughout the whole match. He wanted nothing more than to punch Virniv in the face, although he restrained himself this time.

Gavin had been tracking each of their movements in silence the entire time.

"I've never seen Gadalik so mad," Gretel remarked in amazement.

"I would be too if I were him," the younger girl sympathized.

"Punch that jerk in the face!" Glacia encouraged her son.

"I think that's enough," her boyfriend said, carefully approaching the teen and placing a gentle hand on his bare shoulder.

Gadalik jerked away out of reflex, his glaring eyes locked on Virniv. "If you think this being an experiment makes what you said okay, you're wrong," he warned him quietly.

"I'm sorry for being so harsh…" Virniv said. "But I wasn't lying. You inherited both of your parents' magic, but also your father's physical limitations. It's a potentially deadly combination–for you, and the ones around you–and it was irresponsible for your parents to have risked you turning out like this."

"You keep saying all this like it still matters," Gadalik said, exasperated. "Sure, maybe it was bad at the time, but it's long been over with; my parents found a solution that worked for everybody with the seal, so what's the problem?"

"You tell me. You're the one who wanted the seal removed."

The spook opened his mouth to argue, then realized it was true. "Was this your goal the whole time? To change my mind about the seal?" He laughed humorlessly as the ridiculousness of the man's intentions struck him.

"Well, that, and to see why you were able to bypass it. Seals are my specialty. It's offensive to assume the worst of intentions for placing them. I hope you learned that."

Gadalik was still reluctant to forgive him. "No… It's offensive that you kept insulting me and my parents," he spat.

"Then we're even."

"That's not the same!" the teen cried, his anger morphing into despair.

"I had to say those things to get a rise out of you so you'd access the sealed magic."

"I'm sure I could've done it my own way; you didn't even give me a chance to try…!"

Virniv shrugged. "My way worked, though, didn't it?"

"That's not an excuse!"

"Virniv, I think it might be best if you leave," Gale intervened.

"...Very well. We both got what we wanted out of this meeting. Best wishes to you, and happy birthday, Gadalik. Also…you can put your shirt back on now."

Gadalik crossed his arms over his chest, the heat from the physical exertion being replaced by the cold from the weather. He made sure Virniv left before he headed inside, still shaken from the whole ordeal, and his friends and adoptive parents followed suit.

"You did good holding your own out there," Glacia commented. "That's the worst way he could have gotten a point across."

"Yeah... Thanks," he muttered absently, making his way to the new shirt he'd left hanging on the chair.

"Hey…are you okay?" Gretel asked.

Gadalik slipped the shirt back on. "I regret wearing shorts," he answered jokingly, although he didn't have the energy to fake positivity at the moment. That dull ache in his gut had returned.

"We heard everything he said," Grace murmured.

He froze, then dropped the act. "I just…never considered that being half-blooded would cause so many problems. I was too young to even remember what I put my birth-parents through… I wonder…if they really were ashamed of how I turned out…"

"Your heritage isn't your fault," Gale soothed him.

"I've only met them once," Glacia added, "but it was obvious your parents loved you a lot. That jerk was just trying to get under your skin for his dumb experiment or whatever. He said so himself."

"No… I can tell it was true. Everything adds up."

"It doesn't matter how you were back then," Gavin spoke up. "It looked to me like you adapted to your new magic rather quickly during that fight, so controlling your power isn't an issue anymore."

The spook looked up at the curly-haired man, attentive.

"The only thing that concerned me is when you seemed to let your anger dictate how you used it. I'm assuming this isn't the first time, either."

"...You're right. On both counts." He placed a hand over the side of his chest. "This scar is a reminder of the day I annihilated a ghost in a fit of rage. I…I'm not proud of it. Or today's match."

"Acknowledging it is the first step to overcoming it. You seem like a fine young man. You can go far if you learn to manage your negative emotions."

"Thank you, Gavin… I'll work on it." Gadalik paused, staring at the shirt he was wearing, reminded that his friends had given to him on a day that was supposed to be fun. He turned to face them. "I'm sorry you had to see that… I shouldn't have let my desire to breach the seal ruin our time together in the first place. You came all this way for…a disaster."

"The day's not over yet," Grace replied. "We still have some time together before I have to leave."

"Why not stay the night like I am?" Gretel suggested.

"You're spending the night?"

"Yeah. My parents don't care where I am, so I might as well be where I want. Gale and Glacia already gave the OK."

"Dad, do you think…?"

Gavin paused. "If that's what you want, you can ask his parents."

"It's fine with me," Gale said, giving the younger girl an encouraging smile. "Glacia, can they stay for the night?"

"I mean… I guess? We just don't have enough bedrooms for everyone. Gale can stay in the guest room with me until my room is cleaned out, Gretel can sleep in Gadalik's room, and Grace and Gavin can sleep in the living room. Does that work?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Until then, there's lots we can do in my room," Gadalik offered, relieved by the change of topic.

"But the door stays open," Gavin demanded.

Grace hid her face. "Dad…"

"N-no, that's fair," Gadalik agreed. "I've got nothing to hide. It'll be kind of small with all of us in there, but I mean, I have board games and my mom's old record player, and we can always just talk if you'd prefer, or–"

"Slow down, there," Gretel stopped him. "You don't have to be so nervous. I've slept over at your place dozens of times before, so I know you'll be a great host to our new friend here."

Grace seemed pleasantly surprised to be referred to as a friend.

"First you need to warm up. I can see you shaking like a leaf from being out there half-dressed," Glacia scolded him, taking the light blue throw blanket off the couch to wrap around his shoulders. "Let me get something for your friends too. We were all out there without coats."

Gale lit the fireplace, then went to the kitchen. The teens settled on the red carpet in front of the fire, when the mohawked man returned with mugs of hot cocoa for each of them. He offered a mug to Gavin who was sitting on the couch, who declined it.

Gadalik relaxed from the warmth, and from the comfort of his friends being on either side of him. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he caught himself dozing off.