Finally. School has ended for the day, and Tanner is apparently in every single one of my classes. Every. Last. One. I suppose I could have just skipped after first-period, but I was mostly hoping to hear him mention why he decided to move here. He remained firm on not telling anyone, just as he remained firm in not telling anyone what his ability is.

Since I'm leaving later than everyone else, I won't have to deal with the crowd that's surely around him on my way out. That's not why I stayed late, though. One of the teachers wanted to talk to me about my attendance, though I mostly tuned them out. We both knew it was more out of an obligation for him to try to convince me to attend more, even with school about to finish.

When I reach the front of the school, I notice Tanner waiting inside the doors, watching the rain. The storm started up around lunch, and it doesn't look like it's planning on lightening up anytime soon.

"Hey," he greets me as I approach the doors. "I thought everyone left already. Had to stay behind to talk with them in the office."

I reach the doors and look outside. Yeah, it's probably not going to stop raining anytime soon. They've turned off the automatic doors to avoid the rain triggering them, so we just have the manual doors on the sides to use right now.

"Are you staying at the dorms?" He asks. "You can walk back with me if you want, I've got an umbrella, and I'm staying there, too."

He shows me the mentioned item held in his right hand, and I snort.

"The rain's practically sideways," I state. "An umbrella isn't going to help you."

Tanner looks outside, then down at his umbrella.

"Oh," he stuffs it into his bag.

"Yeah," I push open the door and step outside.

Tanner follows me out, and we step out into the rain. I guess he decided to leave as well, after realizing how useless an umbrella is at the moment. We walk back to the dorm in no particular hurry because we can only get so wet, after all.

Inside, I flash the security guard a peace sign, then head to the elevator. Tanner follows me. When I get off of the elevator, he also follows me. I'm highly doubting he's actually staying here, because I haven't heard anything about him being in the dorms.

"My stuff was moved in while we were in school today, if you're wondering why no one knew I was staying in the dorms," Tanner tells me when we reach my room. "Anyway, I actually wanted to talk with you, Nick."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"It's about Alison Smol," he tells me, and I glance at him.

Not once did I hear him bring her up at school today, so I'd assumed he'd not heard about her, or had and dismissed the rumors entirely. Yet now he's bringing her up? What does he want with her?

"Can we please talk in private?" He asks. "I don't want what I have to say to be overheard by someone walking down the hall."

"No."

"I'll tell you what my ability is," he tells me. "If you let me."

"For someone who's never told anyone, you sure are offering it up."

"My ability and my reason for wanting to ask you about her are linked," he tells me. "But I'll only tell you what it is if you're able to arrange a meeting with her."

His ability is linked to her? How? There's an open sincerity on his face, but I don't know how much I can trust that. He could be acting, after all. He passed Ian's check, though, so he's not part of the Klen, and he's not part of any other organization after her. I could probe further, but I'm just going to assume that he's being honest – but I reserve the right to revoke that trust at any moment.

Besides, I'm kind of curious about some stuff relating to him as well. Stuff that doesn't come up in any official records. I could probably get some answers out of him if I at least hear him out, regardless of whether I reveal the truth about knowing Ali's location or not.

"Whatever," I mutter, opening the door to my room. "Come on in."

Tanner follows me inside, and I close the door, then step out of my boots. They're soaked inside and out, because the rain was merciless.

"If you expect to be long," I tell him. "You can undress in the bathroom, let your clothes start to dry a little. There are some towels in there you can use."

"Thanks," Tanner tells me, then heads into the bathroom.

While he's in there, I strip off my clothes, then open up my wardrobe and examine the clothes inside, not sure what to put on. Normally, I'd just stay naked now that I'm in my room, but there's a hot guy here. I'm hard, and I don't want him seeing that, because then he'll probably spread stories around school.

Well, he might. I don't know.

Before I grab anything, though, Tanner emerges, wearing a fluffy green towel around his waist while holding another in his hands. I look at him. He looks at me. He's wearing just a towel, showing me that lean, firm build. So he doesn't have a six-pack, though he's still fit. Very fit, and very hot.

That only makes me hornier. Maybe I shouldn't have let him take off his wet clothes.

"Oh, whoops," he looks surprised, cheeks slightly red as he keeps his gaze on mine rather than looking down. "I'd thought I heard you pull something on. Uh. My mistake. You're pretty bare, is that from being a blond?"

"Both of my parents were," I state. "And not all blonds are smooth, I just happen to be, just like every Sigil-Bearer in the world will be."

"Heh," he chuckles. "It's already spread how hairless we are? Even if I'm attracted to them smooth, it frustrates me a little. Why can't I at least have a crotch patch?"

"They're overrated," I state. "And Sigil-Bearers are the next evolution of humankind. Body hair is pretty useless at this point, so it's gone."

"You genuinely believe that," he gives me a strange look. "Oh, um, do you want the towel? I figured you could dry off, too."

"Even though I'd pulled something on?"

"I'd assumed it was something to cover your crotch with," he states. "Like underwear."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I take the towel and dry off, not bothering to respond to that. Since he's already seen me, and no doubt noticed I was hard despite having not said anything, I decide to just not put anything on.

"Hot cocoa?" I ask.

"Sure," he answers. "You really do seem a lot more personable than your classmates say. You do that on purpose?"

"Maybe," I answer as I enter the kitchen and start working on the hot cocoa. "So. What is this about wanting a meeting with her?"

"I want to lose my Sigil."

I pause for a moment, then look at him. He's holding the top of the towel around his waist, but otherwise, looks completely serious.

Ali's Sigil disappeared two years ago, which is why she lives in the ruins now. It drew a lot of attention because everyone assumed it meant she was no longer a Sigil-Bearer. After all, you can't be one without a Sigil.

However, everyone misunderstood something, which was intentional on Ali's part. Only her Sigil is gone. Everything else that makes up a Sigil-Bearer? Smooth bodies, an ability, enhanced attributes that grow with the power of their ability? All of that remained.

The attention was overwhelming for her, so she ran away. Part of it, however, was to avoid the Klen. To a cult which wrongly sees Sigil-Bearers as gods, someone who lost their Sigil is the highest form of heretic.

It's why so many reporters are after her, too. They want her story, and they end up finding out that no one can find her, but also that I happen to navigate the ruins safely and chase off most people who go into them. I've been doing it for years longer than Ali's time in the ruins, though that only reinforces the idea that I know where she's at.

For whatever reason, everyone assumes she's still in the ruins outside of town, rather than having run off to another town and undertaken a new identity.

"You want to lose your Sigil?" I ask. "And all of the power that comes with it?"

"Yes," he answers, and I can hear pain in his voice, see it in his eyes. "My power… I want it gone."

"Why?"

"I'll only tell you if I can get a meeting with her," he tells me.

I resume making the hot chocolate, and after about a minute, Tanner gathers up my wet clothes and takes them into the bathroom, probably to set them to dry in there. He returns, and I serve him the cocoa, then sit on my bed. He sits on the floor, sipping the cocoa. It looks like Tanner emptied the contents of my pockets onto the table.

"Assuming that she's still in the ruins," I say. "I doubt she'd want to meet someone who wants to meet her just because they claim they want to lose their power. I already know you aren't part of the Klen or connected to any known organization that wants her dead or wants to perform experiments on her, but that doesn't mean you aren't part of one that's not known."

Ian's search is extensive, but there are some things he can't find.

"You researched me?" He asks. "I got the impression that you weren't some sort of genius."

"I'm not," I tell him. "I'm just well-connected. Now, let's assume that she's in the ruins nearby, and that I'm able to put people into contact with her since I go into the ruins all the time. Even if she would meet with them and they aren't associated with an organization out for her, why would I believe a story about wanting to lose your Sigil, Tanner? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. In that scenario, I wouldn't even consider asking her about meeting with you."

Tanner thinks for a few moments, then sighs before taking another sip of his cocoa. I've already drained mine, so I set the mug on the table.

"You can stop acting like it's only a hypothetical situation," he tells me, then taps his head. "I'm an empath, and my smallest range is about five feet. I can expand it up to thirty feet, and I've kept you in it since I saw you at the doors. The extreme amount of suspicion you're feeling tells me the truth: you know her and you know where she is. I want to lose my Sigil because I hate this power. I've kept it a secret because I don't want people knowing that I'm able to sense emotions and minds. Most people would probably judge me under the assumption I'm judging them, while there are probably people who'd want my help. Darker organizations which might force my help. I'd make for a good interrogator, seeing as I'm able to sense when people are lying."

"If someone convinces themselves of the truth," I state. "I'm sure even an empath would be fooled. There wouldn't be even the slightest shift in emotion."

"Trust me, I've met some pretty good liars," he tells me. "Ones who have supposedly fooled another empath. They didn't fool me. I want this power gone, Nick. I don't like sensing everyone's emotions, and I don't want to be used as a human interrogator, which is really the only career choice available for me if I want to use it in work."

"A bodyguard would work as well," I tell him. "Train it up, expand the range. You'd be able to sense if someone holds hostility or a type of focus that isn't normal for just a spectator. Advance warning for an attack."

"I also don't like putting my life in harm's way as a job," he states. "I hadn't thought of that, but you're right, and it goes against what I'd like."

"Hm," I say. "Well, I suppose you're right. If you're actually able to sense things and I'm actually as suspicious as you say, and I actually know where Alison is, then I'd theoretically be able to arrange a meetup. However, that's a trick people try to use in order to trick someone into admitting something that's not true."

"Alright," Tanner takes a sip of his cocoa. "Yesterday, at the store, you had a strong feeling of lust the moment you saw me. Purely sexual attraction. You did again when you saw me today, and it went up when you turned around after I came out of your bathroom and you saw me in just a towel.

"During PE," he continues. "You didn't dress out, just climbed to the top of the bleachers and lay there, facing away from everyone. During PE, you held a strong feeling of contempt, though every time you heard my voice, there was that sexual attraction again. Now that I see you without clothes on, it's evident that you're pretty active, and in more than just going around the ruins. Nice bod."

"I've done martial arts since I was eight," I state. "It's good for self-defense and kicking Sigil-Bearer ass."

"When I was answering questions in class," he continues. "You pretended to be disinterested, but paid strong attention when I was asked why I was here. However, you were bored when I was asked about being a Sigil-Bearer. You already knew I was one and now I know that you'd somehow done research on me. When I commented about your drawing, you actually felt a bit of pride.

"The most curious thing, however," he takes a sip of his cocoa. "Was in sixth period, when Jessica brought up the Sigil Gods and asked me for my opinion on them and the rumors that one of them was part of the testing going on in the ruins today. You appeared to be napping, though it was clear you were actually daydreaming about something. At least, clear to me that you were. It was something sexual, based on what I was sensing.

"However," he says. "As soon as she asked that, you went on full alert and paid attention, despite still looking like you were asleep. From the emotions you were feeling, it was clear you thought our classmates were amusing and idiots. It was also evident that you were interested in my answer. When I said I doubted it and provided my explanation for why it was unlikely a Sigil God was part of the training going on in the ruins, your emotions made it clear to me that you knew something about the training. It was also clear that there was a Sigil God involved. At least, according to your mental state.

"And that," Tanner says. "Makes me extremely curious, Nick. Though I have to say, is this enough for you to believe me?"

I drain the last of my hot cocoa, then set the mug on the table.

"Klen members were in the ruins," I say. "Including a high-tier one with the sonic ability. Most likely, they were here to kill Ali. I blew up the rest of them, but he managed to escape. So I called a contact in the Federation, and he sent Alyssa out."

"Alyssa?" Tanner asks. "The Goddess of Chaos?"

"Yes," I answer. "I received a text a little before lunch confirming that Mr. Sonic was killed, and Alyssa left soon after."

Tanner stares at me, and I can tell he's probably trying to assess my mental state.

"I'll arrange the meeting," I tell him. "Just keep in mind that even though I'm not a Sigil-Bearer, a single call from me can summon a Sigil God."

"Don't worry," he smiles. "I've no ill intent toward Alison. I just want to find out how she lost her Sigil. Losing mine would mean the world to me. I don't care that it'll make me a normie, as long as I can get rid of this cursed power. I guess the only benefit so far is really that I know if someone I'm interested in is interested back."

"Oh?" I ask.

"Yeah," he smiles at me. "I'm bisexual, Nick. It's been hard not to ogle you. For a normie, you're pretty damn attractive."

"My parents were supermodels," I state. "I inherited my looks from them. Blond hair from my dad, blue eyes from my mom. A killer smile from my dad, an athletic body from my mom."

My dad was basically an eternal twink, while I'm more of a twunk.

"And a nice, hairless body from one of them?" Tanner asks. "Or do you shave?"

"Nah," I respond. "That's all natural. Anyway, meet me out front of school on Friday, after classes end. I'll let you know then what Ali's decision is."

"Thanks," he tells me, then finishes his cocoa and sets it down. "I suppose I should get going."

"You know where your clothes are," I tell him.

Sadly, he changes in the bathroom, though he did leave the door open. I probably could have snuck a peek and seen his equipment. Maybe Friday, I'll ask him to let me ogle him in exchange for the meeting.