Dominant’s POV

Mila’s face was streaked with tears, her cheeks were red, and her eyes were puffy, but she was still the most beautiful girl Dominant had ever seen.

He could not fathom why Talent would want to hurt her, and the thought of it made Dominant angry.

“Thank you.” Dominant said. It was all he could think to say. He didn’t know what else to do, but he could at least acknowledge her kindness. She was the only one who truly cared for him.

Mila wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her dress. “No, it’s okay. I was just doing what I thought was best.”

Dominant shook his head. “You defended me. You were nice to me, even after everything that happened, and I appreciate that.”

Mila shrugged, her lips formed a smile but it was not the expression he’d seen before, when she was teasing or laughing. Her face was somber and her eyes lacked their usual sparkle.

Dominant wasn’t sure how to respond. He had never really talked with anyone like this before, especially not a girl. He had no idea what to say to her, but he wanted to say something to make her truly smile.

He couldn’t think of anything so he just sat there, staring at her and feeling helpless. “Do you believe me no?” He eventually asked and the question seemed to surprise Mila. She stared at him for a moment, blinking rapidly before shaking her head. “Of course not, I already told you it’s impossible,” she snapped then hurried out of the room.

Dominant didn’t understand. Why was she suddenly angry with him? He was the victim here and yet it seemed everyone was treating him like he was the villain. What did they want from him?

A few minutes later the door opened, startling Dominant and making him jump. He turned to see a magistrate, Sandra, step through and close it behind her. The woman stood there, staring down at Dominant, a look of concern on her face. “Are you alright?” she asked.

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Dominant shrugged. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly.

Sandra smiled, but it was a sad and sympathetic smile. She stepped toward him and said, “I believe I know what caused your accident.”

“What do you mean?” Dominant asked.

“Your body is…not equipped for the power it holds. Using powerful magic could kill you,” she explained.

Dominant was stunned. He had been told something similar by the cat. He was broken, but she didn’t explain how. She had tried to offer a solution, but he couldn’t hear her and he hadn’t seen her since. Maybe this magistrate knew more, so he asked, “What am I supposed to do?”

Sandra sighed and said, “You will have to stop using magic, or use lower tier spells.”

He wasn’t really sure what to say to that. He’d only just discovered magic and now she was suggesting he stop using it. He wanted to argue, but he knew it would be pointless. Instead, he asked, “Can it be fixed?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think it can, but I don’t know enough to be certain. All I know for now is that you have a condition we are calling variable mana squinching disorder. It means your spells will be prone to distortion and could produce odd and dangerous effects. This is especially true for more powerful magic that requires more mana.”

Dominant considered the explanation. He had only just begun learning about mana, and he vaguely understood how it related to magic. He didn’t really understand the rest, but he could understand the idea that something altered his mana resulting in changes to his magic. “So, if I try to cast a fireball, it will distort into a firestorm or something?” he asked.

Sandra smiled and said, “Yes, or even an ice spear.”

“So, what happened the last time, I really did that myself?” He asked, hoping she would say “no” but fearing the answer.

She nodded slowly. “I believe that you did.” Dominant felt his heart sink. How could he do that to himself? If he was really responsible, that would mean Talent was not trying to kill him, and that Mila was right. It also meant that her fight with Talent was his fault. He would have to apologize to Mila, and to Talent. He didn’t want to, but it was the right thing to do.

Seeming to understand that he needed time alone, Sandra said, “I’ll leave you to process this, but be ready in the morning. After an exam, you’ll be starting combat training.” Then she left, closing the door behind her.

Dominant was still feeling a little weak, but the news had taken a bigger toll on his spirit. He wanted to just curl up in bed and sleep. He was exhausted, mentally and emotionally. He was not even really sure if he was physically tired, but it didn’t matter. He wanted to rest, to close his eyes and let everything fade away.