Core

Chapter 2

I've honestly never heard of someone who couldn't control their magic powers to the point that it'd naturally flow from someone's body without effort in holding it back. If anything, magic required quite a bit of mental exertion to bring out. Even Gifted can't easily cast spells without proper focus. Nariko's was different, apparently. She said she had a very very rare condition that none of us have ever heard of and she actually had to put effort into holding back her magic when her emotions got a little out of control. Since she was a Wind Seer, the qualifier for the title was the ability to generate electricity meaning Nariko not only had the ability to control wind, but the more dangerous ability to electrocute anything—or anyone. What happened to Kal as well as everything inside the warehouse was the result of this magical discharge when the new girl got scared.

"Was it always this bad?" Lucas asked, as everyone sat around the small emergency lantern. It was the only thing we could find that would work since all the batteries were discharged in the warehouse. I spent five minutes just cranking the damned thing for about a minute of decent light.

Kal was laying on an old torn sofa who had seen more than a few decades of wear and tear. She was okay. She just felt incredibly weak and nauseous and her skin was quite pale. I had to carry her over to the bed but she thanked Lucas first instead of me, even though I put in the effort to get everyone moving. Whatever. At least she was still alive. I sat by her side and Lucas sat with his body turned towards us on the pool table in the middle of the room. Nariko was the only one standing and she stood at the far end with her back against the thin sheet of metal right next to a dusty stereo system.

Nariko shook her head and kept her head down. "Worse, actually. I have once shut down an entire neighborhood," she said slowly. Her accent was very clear at this point and she spoke as if each word was it's own sentence. Now I know why Lucas didn't like being the tour guide to foreigners.

"What made you do something like that?" I asked. Even though my eyes were on Kal, I could hear that hesitation in Nariko's voice.

"I was angry," Nariko said after a moments pause, causing both me and Lucas to look at each other.

"I say our tour ends now," Kal said suddenly, raising a hand up to the ceiling. She then pointed at Nariko. "You almost killed me. I say we're done with this welcome. Be a dear and show yourself out. Oh and don't start crying until you're about a mile away from us. Don't want anyone else getting hurt by whatever the hell that was."

"Kal..." I said, earning me an angry look in return. I shook my head and turned to Nariko. "Thanks for letting us know. We'll be more careful when you're around now." She was visibly upset with what I said and I quickly back peddled at that statement, "I mean, we know now so when you're hanging out with us we'll be more careful not to trigger these little accidents."

"Little? You can't be serious," Kal said, "She almost killed me and you're letting her hang out with us? What the hell, Don?"

"You can say I see a little bit of myself in her. I mean I was an outcast before, too, remember? Then you guys were nice enough to sacrifice some social standing to be my friend, right?" I catch Lucas and Kal looking at each other at the mention of our friendship. It's been a thing between them and there was an obvious feeling of regret hidden in their glances that I've sort of learned to just brush off. They were happy most of the time with me around. At least I think.

It was an unlikely friendship, I have to admit. Lucas was a Gifted. Upper Class. An Entrepreneur for a dad and one of the youngest lieutenants in the nation's military for a brother. He was above us. Well above me. Kal wasn't much different. Best Fire mage in school, family owns a successful restaurant in town. Upper-middle class. And here I was: bearing the label of an EV with a family trying to pick up its pieces after a rather unfortunate incident a few years back. I was destined to be an outcast for the rest of my life up until these two suddenly decided to give me a chance. Sure they got teased about hanging out with an EV but they didn't leave me. For some strange reason, they just... wanted to be my friend.