One year later.

Adrian held a small fireball nestled in his palm, the blue flame flickering softly, casting shadows over his face and fingers. Warmth seeped through his skin, and he watched as the flames danced with a fluid elegance, twisting and curling like ribbons caught in a breeze. Each tiny spark felt alive, as if they understood his touch. The flames are much easier to control now, I've been making good progress.

Yet, a quiet shuffle sounded down the hallway, faint but distinct. His ears perked, heart quickening in response. In an instant, the fireball vanished, dissolving into thin air as he scrambled to his bed as fast as he could.

The boy threw the blanket over himself, tucking it around his frame and squeezing his eyes shut, his breaths shallow as he tried to still his pounding heart. Look as sleepy as possible.

Moments later, soft, familiar footsteps neared his bedside, halting right beside him. A gentle nudge on his shoulder roused him, and Sister Selena’s voice murmured, “Adrian, wakey-wakey.”

Adrian stretched, letting out a slow, theatrical yawn, rubbing his eyes with his fists in small, sleepy circles. He blinked up at her with his best drowsy expression, letting his eyelids droop. Did she buy it?

Sister Selena’s lips curved, her eyes crinkling at the edges as a soft chuckle slipped from her. “Oh, Adrian, you’re a good actor, but not that good.”

Worth a try, he thought with a tiny, inward grin.

“Today’s a special day,” Sister Selena continued, her voice bright with something he couldn’t quite name. “I’m going to introduce you to some new friends.”

“Friends? Like, other kids?” He sat up a little, eyes round with wonder. Now that I think about it, I’ve never met other kids so far.

“That’s right, and they’re looking forward to meeting you.”

“What are they like?”

Sister Selena smiled, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze as she helped him from the bed. “I think you’ll find out soon enough, little one. They’re very nice, I promise. But for now, let’s get going before we miss them.”

Adrian’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he took her hand, following her out the door. As they made their way down the spiraling staircase, he glanced back at his room, watching the door swing shut behind him. To be honest, while I am curious about what these children are like. I'm not exactly excited to meet some sniveling brats. But oh well,

When they reached the bottom step, Sister Selena pushed open a set of heavy wooden doors, revealing a brightly lit playroom. Adrian's eyes darted across the room, taking in the small clusters of children scattered around.

There were six other kids in total. The tallest was a boy with messy blond hair and freckled cheeks, who looked about seven or eight. He was chasing a smaller, chubby-cheeked boy with curly brown hair, giggling loudly.

Two girls, both with braids, were whispering near a small table. One had striking green eyes while the other wore glasses.

But what caught Adrian’s attention the most was the girl sitting apart from the others. Her hair was pitch black, and her eyes were a deep, unsettling red. She sat cross-legged on the floor, tracing patterns on a piece of paper. The other kids gave her a wide berth, as if unsure of what to make of her.

Sister Selena gently nudged Adrian forward. “There you go, Adrian. You’re allowed to play here now. The head nun agreed with me that a little boy like you needs friends.”

Adrian pulled back slightly, eyeing the other children with skepticism. Hmm? I don't recall having ever seen a human with red eyes before.

“Who’s that?” he asked, pointing toward the dark-haired girl with the red eyes.

Sister Selena’s expression softened. “Oh, her name is Seven. She arrived just a few days ago, and she’s been having trouble making friends. Maybe you could talk to her? She could use a friend, and I think you might get along.”

"Wait, is she… really named after a number?"

"Hmm, that's the name that she told me and the other nuns. And I didn't want to judge."

"Huh, I see."

"Anyway, do you mind talking to her?"

Adrian nodded. "I can do that."

He slowly walked towards the girl. As he approached, Seven looked up, her red eyes sharp and observant. Adrian hesitated, unsure how to start, but finally blurted, “Hi.”

Seven tilted her head, studying him for a moment. “Greetings, fellow youth, I am in the process of contemplating the profundity of existence.” She paused, as if proud of her word choice, though it sounded awkwardly forced.

Adrian blinked. He stared at her, processing the words, then tilted his head. “Huh?”

Seven’s eyes sparkled with triumph, and she repeated, slower this time, “I said, I am contemplating the profundity of existence.”

Adrian crossed his arms and sighed. "Is there any reason why you talk so weird?”

Seven’s expression turned serious. “Mother taught me, she said it is paramount to utilize an extensive lexicon to demonstrate intellectual supremacy.”

Adrian squinted at her. “You’re saying that wrong."

“What do you mean?” Seven demanded, looking genuinely offended.

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If he were older, Adrian would have scolded the girl for her overuse of complex vocabulary. But here… saying anything too complex will be difficult. So, it's time for plan B.

“You’re using the words wrong. Big words aren’t for kids.” Adrian said bluntly.

Seven’s cheeks flushed. “That is not feasible! I employ accurate terminology. Can you even enunciate these complex words?”

Adrian scowled at her challenge. “Of course I can."

"Oh yeah? Why don't you try to say 'paramount?'"

Easy. Adrian thought.

“Pa-ram...para-mount,” he struggled, his tongue tangling around the syllables. His cheeks reddened with frustration as he stumbled over the word. You've got to be kidding me.

Seven’s smirk grew wider. “See?”

Adrian clenched his fists, feeling his face heat up. Stupid tongue.

Seven’s smirk lingered for a moment longer, her red eyes glinting with amusement. “Admit it, “I articulate my thoughts with unparalleled sophistication. Surely you comprehend the magnitude of my brilliance.”

Adrian just rolled his eyes. “You talk really weird for a kid. Why don’t you just speak normally? It’s not like big words make you better.”

Seven’s smile faltered. “Mother said I was special. She said I shouldn’t want to be normal.”

Adrian paused, a bit caught off guard. Well, having red eyes is weird enough.

Out loud, he shrugged. “Talking normal won’t make you not special. It just makes it easier to understand you.”

Seven stared at him with a conflicted expression before slowly nodding. “Okay, ’ll try it your way.”

She cleared her throat before asking, "can you understand me now?”

Adrian nodded. “That's better. I’m Adrian, by the way.”

Seven hesitated for a second, then extended her hand. "My name is Seven, and you better remember that."

"Right, right."

Adrian reached out to shake the girl's hand. But then, he felt something strange, a tingling warmth spreading from his palm up his arm, like a small spark of energy passing between them.

Seven’s eyes widened, and she pulled her hand back, blinking rapidly. “Whoa, you… you can use magic, can’t you?”

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”

“I felt it when we shook hands."

"Oh? Can you explain what you felt?"

"Um, it was something like a tingling feeling."

To be sensitive to magic from a young age isn't something outside of the realm of possibility. However, Adrian couldn't detect the faintest bit of magic coming from Seven. Yet, despite that, she can somehow sense that I have a mana core. This, combined with her unnatural speech earlier makes me wonder if this girl is even human, perhaps she might be—

"So, can you teach me magic?" Seven asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Adrian thought about it, but he said aloud, "Nope. Can't do that."

Seven's smile faded, and she slumped. “Why not? Please? I really want to learn. Mother said I could do it, but she didn’t get to show me how. But you can!”

Adrian sighed deeply, in a way far too serious for a child his age. “But you need a mana core to do magic stuff. Without it, you can’t.”

Seven brightened instantly. “I have one! Mother gave it to me. She said it makes me special!”

Adrian flinched, glancing nervously around the playroom. He leaned close and put a finger to his lips. “Shhh! You can’t go around saying that!”

Seven blinked in confusion but whispered, “Why not?”

Given a mana core? Adrian’s eyes scanned her carefully, taking in her strange way of talking, red eyes, and that eerie calm she always seemed to have. Is she... a homunculus? But why would anyone just leave her here?

Before he could think further, Seven tugged at his sleeve, impatient. “So, are you going to teach me?”

Adrian chewed his lip. If I say no, she might mess around with magic herself. That’d be very bad. Or someone else might teach her, and I don’t trust that.

“Okay, okay. I’ll teach you. But you have to do exactly what I say.” He nodded seriously, more like a miniature adult than a child. Besides, I’m curious too.

Seven’s eyes sparkled again, and she bounced on her toes. “Really? Yay! Can we start now?”

Adrian glanced around at the other kids. Two girls whispered to each other at a table. A blond boy built a tower of blocks. I don’t get how they just play all day.

He turned to Seven. “Not here. Too many eyes.”

He pointed toward the door. “Let’s go outside.”

“Okay!” Seven chirped, following him eagerly.

They slipped out of the playroom, down the stairs, and through the back door to a little garden. Adrian turned, crossing his arms like he’d seen grown-ups do. “Listen up. Magic isn’t just about having a mana core. You have to feel energy, control it, and tell it what to do.”

Seven stared at him, her attention fixed. “How do I feel it?”

“Close your eyes. Think of something warm inside, like a tiny flame."

Seven shut her eyes tight, concentrating hard. Everything went quiet. Then Adrian felt a heavy pressure in the air, like a weight pressing down on him. He felt tired, as if the garden air had turned thick. What is she doing? He looked around. Everything seemed the same, but the feeling got stronger.

He tried to summon his blue flame, but it sputtered and vanished. Something’s wrong. He glanced back at Seven, who was still focusing. A dark, purple energy twisted around her in his mind’s eye. That’s not good, in fact, it's quite dangerous.

“Wake up!” He grabbed her shoulder, shaking her.

Seven’s eyes snapped open, confusion all over her face. The air cleared instantly. Adrian stumbled back, breathing hard. Thank goodness it's over.

“Did I do something wrong?” Seven asked.

Adrian nodded slowly. “Don’t use your mana core again until I say it’s okay. Promise?”

“But why?” Seven asked.

Before Adrian could answer, Sister Selena rushed in, her face pale. “Did you sense anything strange?”

Adrian hesitated, then forced a small smile. “I… uh, nope. Nothing weird here.”

Sister Selena’s frown deepened, and she knelt down to their eye level, her gaze softening as she looked between Adrian and Seven. “Are you both sure? It’s okay if you felt something… unusual.”

Seven shook her head, glancing at Adrian for reassurance. “We’re okay,”

Sister Selena’s eyes lingered on them a moment longer, clearly uncertain. “Well, if you see something strange, you should tell me right away, all right?”

She reached out to gently squeeze their shoulders. “I want you both to be safe. Just promise to come to me if anything happens.”

Adrian nodded, keeping his face steady. “We will. Promise.”

Satisfied, though still looking a bit worried, Sister Selena rose to her feet. She gave them one last smile before turning toward the building.

When she was gone, Adrian turned to Seven. I’ll have to be careful with her.