Next to you

Chapter 17

Yetao and Oscar were now seated in front of the Headmaster's desk, the Headmaster watching them and Professor Zhennan standing next to him.

"Hello boys. I hope exams went well for the both of you." The Headmaster said with a big smile.

"Forgive my frankness, Headmaster, but exams are the last things on my mind right now." Yetao answered sincerely.

The man laughed. "You're right. Let's get straight to the point then." He cleared his voice. "Let's start with the school's research." Yetao swallowed drily. "So, the Ministry helped us track the dark wizards who attacked you and AK and we found a lead. There is a good chance they are part of the Spades sect."

"A sect?" Oscar asked.

The Headmaster nodded. "It's a sect that is well known for its experiments on dark magic. The Ministry has been after them for years, but it has never gotten the chance to capture them. They are smart. They know how to hide themselves well in the underworld."

"Why were they here? They said they wanted to kidnap some students, but why?" Yetao asked.

"We don't know that. The Ministry has sent some undercover wizards to investigate, but we still got no news. I guess we have to wait." The Headmaster said. "In the meantime we have strengthened the barriers around the castle and placed some traps in the Forbidden Forest, so the school is safe."

Yetao nodded, but he felt that there was more. He watched how the Headmaster looked knownly at Professor Zhennan, who seemed nervous. Eventually he sighed. "Let's change the topic. As you know, I have been sent to a mission during the Christmas holidays, a mission that is closely linked to you, Yetao."

Yetao's face paled. He could feel Oscar's eyes focused on him. "What do you mean, Professor?" He asked with a small voice.

"I talked to the Headmaster about your problems with management of your powers, how strong emotions can trigger them and he said that it's strange that a skillful wizard like you has this kind of difficulty, even if you have been learning Wizardry for a few months." The Headmaster nodded at Zhennan's words.

"Strange? How strange?" Oscar asked.

"It's not normal. Even if you're inexperienced, you still need a wand to use magic or at least willpower. But your powers act out on their own, right?" The Headmaster asked Yetao, who nodded slowly.

"That's why the Headmaster sent me to investigate your family and its origin." Yetao's mind went blank when he saw Professor Zhennan taking a deep breath. "Your parents are not your blood parents, Yetao."

Yetao should have been shocked by this news, but suddenly he felt glad to hear it. His parents had always been strangers to him, even before the fire incident in school. Knowing that this could have been the reason behind their behavior made him feel better, made him understand that the problem wasn't him. But at the same time he felt the urge to know. "Please, continue, Professor."

Zhennan nodded. "They said they couldn't have children, so they adopted you because your father wanted an heir." Of course. His father was so proud of his business. It must have been a shock for him knowing that the son he adopted was a good-for-nothing and moreover a freak with magical powers. "Then I went to the orphanage who took care of you before the adoption. I talked to the director and asked him about your parents. He said that the only thing he knew was that he found you on the door of the orphanage when you were just one month or a few weeks old. You had nothing with you, except for this. When they adopted you, your parents didn't take it with them, so the director kept it." The Professor put his hand in his pocket and took a necklace. He handed it to Yetao.