Nillous drew a bath for me just like he said he would. In the meantime, Finlo’s cloak kept me more than warm enough, especially as I sat in the steaming hot bathhouse that felt almost like a sauna. The heat wasn't intense though, it was more like a warm cup of hot chocolate than a boiling pot.

When he was done he left, making sure to tell me that he had put up a sign that essentially told other people to not come in. Apparently, he was also going to get some extra clothes for me. He was going to the main house anyway, so really my sister's room wasn't far off.

That all being said, I'm sure he wouldn't dare actually go in. It was more likely that Mara would go and take some of her old clothes and deliver them. At that point I would already be leaving though, so the thought of her showing up didn't bother me too much.

“I'll be making my report now.” He said, bowing before he left, closing the door behind him.

I was finally alone with my thoughts. The water was too hot for my sensitive skin to handle at first. At first, all I could do was dip my feet in, sitting on the edge of the tub huddled under Finlos' cloak.

After some time, I eventually submerged myself entirely, finally finding peace. For once there was nothing to worry about. I wasn't embarrassed or insecure. I wasn't shy, or timid about anything, there wasn't anything I had to worry about.

Sure, the future was still scary, but as far as I was concerned I could be worried about it later. As the hot water completely surrounded me, warming my body, my head began too clear and hurt less.

I took several deep breaths, relaxing and laying back, closing my eyes. ‘This is so much better than shooting a bow…’

Originally, I had planned to use my time alone to think, but instead I ended up letting my mind drift, going completely blank as I fell into a sort of trance for a long while. Finally, I came back to myself as I slowly opened my eyes.

I looked over to my arm, the bruise from when Calum had grabbed me had grown even larger, discoloring half my forearm, but it hardly even hurt anymore. ‘This must be another side effect of magic, one way or another.’

I pinched the bridge of my nose. ‘This was definitely a side effect of my own magic though. I must have used it for too long, or maybe I just did it wrong.’

I looked down at my arms. ‘What was it again?’ “Status Initiated.”

[Status initiated.]

My vision became instantly flooded with screens, scanning everything from the waters' temperature, to the kind of wood the tub was made out of.

I closed my eyes before my brain overloaded and slowly tried to calm myself as I felt a slight headache coming on. Without even opening my eyes I focused on myself. The status screen appeared just like before. This time there were only two things I wanted to know though.

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

[Manna: 20%]

‘If it's that low then it has to mean I was almost completely out after using this spell earlier right?’

I opened my eyes for a split second, making sure the water was the only thing I scanned.

[purity, 98%]

[temperature 102 F]

I closed my eyes again and scanned myself.

[Manna: 16%]

“Frick…”

Running the calculations in my head quickly, if each scan cost 2 percent, then it was no wonder my manna drained so fast. Looking back, I scanned so many different objects. Catherine had so much clutter around her room it wasn't unreasonable to assume I scanned over 40 objects.

‘Even if I didn't drain it completely, I probably got close, that's almost certainly what caused my nose to bleed. It also explains its unusual severity.’

“Deactivate status.”

[Status deactivated.]

‘Good, so that works too.’ The harrowing thought of just how dangerous the experiment I conducted suddenly hit me. ‘It worked out though… So it's fine…’

I took another deep breath, trying to get rid of the stress. ‘Ok, so I can use magic, but apparently using magic can also kill me, at least potentially.’

My head pounded. ‘What's worse is that I don't feel the effects that much until after I'm done…’

I leaned back, stretching before sinking back into the hot water. ‘I should probably get out before I overheat.’

Standing up I felt light headed, but nothing more than that. Without realizing it, someone had come in and left clothes for me just inside the door.

It wasn't anything I had ever seen Lu wearing though, and it seemed smaller than any of the clothes she had. ‘I did ask father for new clothes. Did they get made already?’

It was strange how comforting it was to finally wear a full set of clothes, especially one that actually fit me. It was just a simple brown and orange leather dress. The top looked more like armor than fabric, and the skirt portion went all the way down to my ankles.

It was lined with fur on the inside, and there was a layer of fabric that prevented the stiff leather from rubbing against my skin. Furthermore, it all fit snugly, making it impossible for it to slip off or jostle around.

To a certain extent I appreciated how protected it felt, but honestly speaking I was afraid of getting it dirty. It had the family crest embroidered in gold, polished leather, and felt like something out of a fairy tale. Even if it wasn't as fancy as some of Lu’s clothes, it was by far the nicest thing I had ever worn.

‘Maybe I should ask for some new training clothes too. Something like what I used to have. Just not made out of raggedy sack cloth.’

I was sure Nillous had finished his report by the time I was dressed. Still, no one had come to get me. ‘I guess they don't need to see me? That's surprising. I thought my father would have been worried at least.’

It didn't really bother me that they didn't call for me. On the contrary, I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain what had happened. If they were worried, I probably would have been locked in my room more or less, and I didn't want that either.

‘This is… good. This is the best outcome.’ That's what I told myself. Still, I felt a tug on my heart at the realization that nobody cared enough to check on me. It was contradictory since I was the one that asked to be alone, I knew that. That realization only made me feel stupid though, rather than fixing how I felt.

I took the gauze out of my nose, checking it for blood. It had likely been long enough to not have to worry about, especially since it was mostly from paranormal causes. I already felt like I needed to clear my head again and let off some steam from all the pent-up frustration I was starting to feel.

‘Going to the range now should be fine.’