It had been an hour since I had been saved. The team had ushered me out of the building after Dominion unlocked my collar and on to a plan I had been handed a pair of under wair that somehow perfectly fit even tho they hadn't measured me, and then I was introduced to Doctor phantom, who was the teams resident medic and healer. He took blood and ran me through about ten different tests. Still, the whole time I was sitting there having all the things Koan had done to me as the adrenaline of escaping ran out. As I sat on one of the beds in the Travelers Guild med bay, I started to shack and rock back and forth, and the horrible feelings and the memories of the pain flash through my mind.

I could hear Doctor Phantom and Dominion talking a little bit away from my curtained-off area as I sat there.

[ I dont even know where to start; whatever Koan did to him, it is so technologically advanced that I wouldn't even know where to start.]

Dominion responded with. [ Ok, ok, what is the results of his other tests? We should discuss them with him before his family gets here to know what happened to him.]

[You are right about that, but I would advise him to join us at the end of this or once he is back in a good place mentally because his power level alone is at least on the same level as you, and from what I could tell is that it isn't done growing.]

Dominion just nodded, and then they headed my way.

It was strange because I knew what they had said and did, but it came from my new sense, which was the first time I experienced it for the first time because of that dam collar.

Doctor Phantom and Dominion entered my position. As they got closer, I realized that I had subconsciously prepared a teleport spell to teleport across the room to keep away from them. I realized that I had an instinctual understanding of all my spells for all my spells. That was good to know, but as I saw both Doctor Phantom and Dominion take a step back, I realized they could tell I was doing something with my power. I ran a hand over my face and sighed and pulled back my power to stop the spell, and the two seemed to relax, I said. [ I'm sorry, even when I know who you are and I can tell where everything is in fifteen feet of me if I want to. My nerves are frayed, and I'm not in a good place right now.]

Doc just nodded and said. [it's okay and understandable. You just went through a horrific experience, so it's ok.]

After chuckling and being shocked by my new melodic voice, I shook my head and said. [ If it makes you feel any better, it wasn't an attack spell. It wouldn't have done anything to you guys. Hit me with it, Doc. What did you find?]

Doc just chuckled himself and said.[ Well, as you know, whatever Koan did to you changed you down to the genetic level to be a woman. It's as if you were born as a woman instead of a man. Your body seems to be functioning better than any human I have ever seen, but I can tell if that's your power or something Koan did. Your ability seems to be functioning with no problems the worry some parts are the damage to your soul and the psychological damage.] He stopped to make sure I was following along and was surprised to see that I was.

I smiled at him and said.[ Doc, I had an IQ over two hundred and fifty and had an almost photographic memory even before I awakened my power. My mental faculties are higher now; I could read eighty-five thousand words per minute. I read many books over the years because I get bored quickly.]

He just smiled and was glad to see I was following along, so he started to explain again. [Well, from what I can tell, your soul has even been changed to where your soul identifies as a woman now, and that's where the strange feeling that you told me about earlier than something is coming from. The trama and the damage to your soul are the main problems. At this moment, I dont know how to help your soul damage, but I would recommend you see a psychologist. Now your family is on their way up, and they have already been briefed on what has happened, so you shouldn't worry too much.]

As he hended his sentence, I heard the ding of the elevator opening, and without realizing it and without meaning to, I teleported a few feet in front of them. The shock of seeing an unfamiliar yet familiar girl appear out of nowhere was plain on their faces. I could tell that they were all exhausted and sleep-deprived, and I guessed they had barely been sleeping while I was gone.

When my mother tilted her head and smiled and said.[ Ohh, Sammie, I'm so glad you came back to us no matter how you look.]

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At that moment, all my worries and pain faded away as I ran up and hugged my mother and sobbed quietly on her shoulder.

A few hours later, and after a much-needed crying session, my family and I cried and cried some more. My sister suggested since I would have to stay here overnight that they would get some of my things from the house and then pick up dinner for us and bring it back here, and I agreed that it was a good idea, so they headed out, and Dominion asked if we could talk for a moment.

[ Now, Sam, I want to discuss your future for a bit. But first, I will let you know that luckily, Koan's redeeming quality is that she doesn't go for people's families when she learns the hero's real identities. The second thing is, are you some sort of mage, and would you let me see some for your stats.]

I hadn't thought that Koan might go after my family to get at me, but I'm glad she doesn't do that. I debated whether to show her part of my status, but ultimately, I decided to show her my affinities but not their percentages and explained my spells.[ These are my magic affinities, and I have at least one spell from each one, ad I can also learn more.]

Her eye widened when seeing my stats and hearing my explanation. Then she composed herself and said.[Ok, I would like to invite you to join the Travelers guild formally. You will be given a two million dollar signing bonus and have a monthly payment of eight thousend. We will provide lodging for you and your family if you want or need it and access to our extensive library. For now, you would still stay in school and work part-time in our bar downstairs while you increase your number of spells. What do you think?]

I was a little taken aback at this offer, but I considered it for a long moment. I stuck my hand out and said. [ I will take you up on that offer.]

She smiled and shook my hand.

Interlude:

Sam's mother, Amelia

Three days ago, when we found out Sam had been kidnapped, my world started to crumble around me. I thought the world was going to end, but it didn't. I kept walking around expecting to see him, but he wasn't there, and it would make me sad all over again. I just hoped he would be found and saved.

Last night, the police let us know that the Travelersthe Guild had found where Sam was and that they were going to raid the bace and get him back tomorrow. I had spent the rest of the day in Sam's room, just hoping that he would be ok. I remember Jade came to join me in there now and then. I just kept thinking about how we had kind of been neglecting him for a while now and spending a lot more time with just Jade. I told myself that I would fix that as soon as I could see him again.

The following day around ten am, we got a call from the Travelers Guild saying that they had found him and that he was safe, but that Koan had done something to him and that they were doing tests to see what happened and to see if they could help. They had requested that we come up to their HQ so they could talk to up around one pm, and after they spoke to us, we could see him.

Those three hours were some of the longest hours of my life. When we arrived at their HQ, a lady in the main lobby took us to the elevator and up to four floors, where we entered a conference room. In the room waiting for us was Doctor Phantom. he gestured for us to sit, and we did as he also took his seat and started to speak.[ Now I asked you guys to come here today because I want to brief you on what has happened to your son. From what Sam told me, Koan kidnapped him because of his ability, and she tried to make him into her servant. She took him to one of her lairs and changed his body fundamentally.]

I cut in there and asked. [ What do you mean fundamentally?]

[Koan altered Sam's genetics to turn him into what he would have been like if he was born a girl. And she tried to overwrite his mind, but I think she didn't expect him to put up that much resistance because there is nothing wrong with his brain. But he still went through a lot. The process that turned him into a girl was excruciatingly painful, affecting his soul. Even his soul has changed too. He went through the agony and has his body changed down to its core and is dealing with new emotions as his brain reacts to the loss of his male hormones and the introduction of female ones. She is going through a lot right now, and she will have to go through a lot of adjustment. Before you ask, no one and I are capable of turning him back. Whatever Koan used to do to him is either advanced technology-wise or a brand new kind of magic that has never been heard of. Now I need to talk to him, and you guys can come up in ten minutes. I will have Emily show you the way.]

All three of us sat there in shock and horror at what had happened to Sam, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

After ten minutes, Emily, the lady who had shown us up to this room, took us to the elevator again and up another two floors. Once we stepped out of the elevator into the med bay, we heard a strange popping sound, and then all of a sudden, there was a girl who had popped into existence tree feet in front of us. I gazed at the girl. She was a little shorter than me with black hair that ran down to her mid-back and two deep blue eyes, but as soon as I saw those eyes, I knew it was my sammie. I almost choked out.[Ohh, Sammie, I'm so glad you came back to us no matter how you look.]

She rushed into my arms so fast, buried her face into my shoulder, and started to sob. I just said. [ Shhh shhh, it's ok, we are here for you and always will be.]