"So you've come to me about a seal on your powers when you were a child?" Vincent asked the younger spook.

  "Y-Yes," Gadalik answered. "Was it you who placed it on me?”

  "It wasn't me; seals aren't something a spook is able to use, regardless of how powerful they are. Seals are a witch’s spell,” he explained.

  “Oh…”

  “But I see you're wearing a nullifier; I can tell you about that, if you'd like. I’m not able to use witch’s spells, but I do know about the spells themselves and items enchanted with them. Nullifiers are just seals in object form.”

  “N-No, I only really wear the nullifier because I'd rather not sense ghosts when I'm off-duty or trying to sleep,” the teen admitted, embarrassed. “I was asking you about it because you knew my mother around the same time it was placed.”

  “Frankly, I wasn't aware there was one on you. But I think it might have been placed on you after your mother consulted me about your magic, because she had asked me how to control it. I recommended you take it out on toys, but now that I think of it, a seal to cap the amount of magic you can use would be a good solution.”

  "...Do you know of any witches who would be willing to unseal it?"

  "Of course I do. But I don't know how necessary removing it will be; this particular seal is designed to weaken and go away on its own over time. What happened to make you realize it was there?"

  "An enchantress named Guinevere noticed it when she helped me with an injury," the teen answered.

  "So you've been fine with it almost your whole life, but now that you know about it, it's suddenly a problem?"

  "It… It isn't like that. I feel like I've never been able to use my magic to its full extent, and the seal would be the reason. Then there was the surge at the lake–Guinevere mentioned the seal played a role in that too. Please… I want to know what I'm capable of. I want to learn to control my power."

  "...I understand. Given the circumstances and relationship to your mother, I do have an idea who might’ve placed the seal on you. His name is Virniv. I could contact him and see if he has anything to do with it; if he does, I'll have him pay you a visit. Even if the seal can't safely be dispelled, he could at least explain the reasoning behind it."

  "I'd like that. Thank you. My birthday is coming up, so it would be a great present to have the seal removed."

  "True. Just know Virniv is… Well, his methods can be a bit… overboard."

  Overboard?

  "It's getting late. Go on home, now. But be careful, alright?”

  Gadalik nodded. "Thanks for your time."

  Gadalik woke up the morning of his birthday with a splitting headache. It worsened when he propped himself up on his elbows. He was immobilized by the pain, wondering briefly if he was dying, when a few seconds later it subsided.

  Fearing it might return, he remained still before tentatively getting out of bed. It's gone… What was that all about?

  Deciding not to dwell on it, the teen went to his closet and instinctively reached for his usual plaid shirt, only to grip the seam of its missing sleeve. That's right… It ripped when my mom tried to keep me from falling out of our carriage. With a nasal sigh, he looked over his wardrobe and chose his birth-father's large gray henley shirt, tying the back of it so it'd fit, and casual dark gray shorts; despite the snow outside, his mother kept the house a bit too warm, as she detested the cold. He put his shoulder-length striped green hair into its usual ponytail, then left his bedroom.

  The lights were off, but his muscle memory let him descend the staircase without them. When he reached the living room on the ground floor, he winced as they suddenly turned on.

  There were balloons and streamers strung about, a few presents in the corner, and a banner hanging from the second story that read Happy 18th Birthday!

  A woman with light purple hair came forth. "Happy birthday, big guy!"

  "Thanks, Mom," Gadalik answered, a bit embarrassed from the attention.

  "Gale made breakfast," she added, gesturing to a darker skinned man with a blue-violet mohawk and piercings on his left eyebrow.

  "Thank you, Dad!"

  "Glacia put the decor up while I was cooking," the man threw the credit back at his girlfriend.

  "It looks great," Gadalik replied wholeheartedly. His mother beamed from the compliment. He followed his parents to the kitchen whereat awaited them his father's famous omelets. Just the smell was enough to make his mouth water, and brought a sense of nostalgia.

  "Well?" Glacia said. "Dig in! We're expecting your friends over after lunch. Then after we have cake, open your presents!"

  "I'm also expecting Virniv to stop by any day now. He might show up today."

  "That's right," she remembered. "Something about a seal he might've placed on you?"

  "Yeah. Be on the lookout for him."

  "Yes, sir, general."

  Just as he sat down to eat, the headache returned at full force; he dropped his fork and propped his forehead on his hand, holding his breath.

  "What's the matter?" Gale asked worriedly.

  It grew worse, and a chill ran down his spine. He braced himself through it, releasing the breath and panting for a moment when it ebbed. "I-I don't know. This is the second time I've randomly got a headache today…"

  Glacia went to his side and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "You don't have a fever."

  "It's gone now; I feel fine. I just… don't know what came over me." The teen carefully took a bite and almost immediately forgot about the pain. "Dad, this tastes great!"

  "Thanks, bud," his father replied, though he seemed hung up on the headache. "Are you sure you're alright?"

  Gadalik shrugged. "Right now, yeah."

  "Any idea what might have caused it?"

  "No… Not a clue."

  "Well… as long as you're okay now, that's all that matters," Glacia decided.

  Her son was relieved to hear that. Normally his mother would rush him to a hospital without giving him a say, but she knew he didn't want to miss his friends.

  It wasn't too much later when one of them arrived: Gadalik answered the door to find a girl a year younger than him, who flew through the entryway to greet him with a hug around his neck.

  "Happy eighteenth birthday, bucko!" she said, letting him go and taking off her sweater in the newfound warmth. She frowned when the fabric had messed up her curly white hair; she pulled it up into its high ponytail with a purple scrunchie before turning back to her friend. "You're an adult now! How does it feel?"

  "The same as always, Gretel," he laughed. Under his breath, he muttered, "Unless headaches are part of being an adult.”

  “Headaches?”

  “Oh. Uhh, yeah; I've had them on and off today. But I'm fine right now. And Grace should be here any minute–"

  "Grace? The farm girl you told me about?"

  "Y-Yeah. She and her dad were invited."

  "Her dad? Pfft. Parents are usually sticks in the mud."

  Glacia intentionally cleared her throat from the kitchen doorway. "Excuse me?"

  "You're not his real parents; you don't count."

  "Excuse me?!"

  "Gretel didn't mean anything by that," Gadalik intervened, feeling tense. "Right, Gretel?"

  "What's the big deal? It's true, they're not your real parents. And there's nothing wrong with that," the girl answered.

  "You'd better believe there's nothing wrong with that!" Glacia huffed. "We're better parents than yours."

  "Mom, please…" Gadalik groaned.

  Gretel laughed genuinely. "True. I'm lucky mine are always working so I can go where I want."

  "Lucky? You're only lucky that we allow you to come here with your disrespect," the woman snorted, crossing her arms. Turning to her son, she added, "I still don't know what you see in her."

  "That's enough, you two." Gale stepped between the females.

  His girlfriend harrumphed and walked back into the kitchen to finish decorating the cake.

  "You okay, bud?" he asked Gadalik. "How's your head?"

  "It's fine," the spook said. "Thanks for keeping the peace; I don't like people fighting."

  "I know… There won't be anymore fighting today," he promised. Casting his voice out loud enough for Glacia to hear, he warned, "Right, girls?"

  "Yeah, fine," Glacia responded from the other room.

  "I wasn't trying to fight with anyone," Gretel defended herself.

  "Glacia's touchy about blood-relations," Gale explained. "If you don't want a fight, don't bring it up."

  "I'll try not to."

  There was a knock on the door. Gadalik was still calming down, so Gale answered it for him; as expected a red-haired girl wearing her hand-made orange coat was behind it, a tall man in a turquoise athletic jacket holding a gift bag beside her.

  The moment she saw Gale and Gretel, she seemed to shrink nervously from the strangers, clutching her skirt at the sides. Then she focused her attention on Gadalik, and stood a little straighter. "Happy birthday," she managed to say.

  Gadalik approached, relieved by the change of topic. He beckoned her inside. "I'm glad you could make it, Grace!"

  "Is that your dad?" the farm girl asked, following him in.

  The mohawked man answered for him: "Yes; I'm Gale. I'm actually… his adoptive mother's boyfriend. So not legally his father–yet, that is."

  She calmed down at that,

  "You must be Gavin," Gale continued, offering his hand to the tall man whose curly yellow-green hair, braided from the waist-down, would have reached the ground had it not been currently styled around his shoulders. "It's nice to meet you."

  Gavin seemed to be studying him, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “You’re a fighter.”

  “Hm?”

  “He's a bounty hunter,” Gadalik explained. “He fights for the law.”

  “I see.” The guest looked back at Gale, who by this point had awkwardly lowered his hand. They stared each other down for a moment that felt like an eternity before he continued, “That’s… admirable.”

  “Um… Thanks?” the bounty hunter replied with a nervous chuckle. He watched the other man curiously as the latter moved to place his bag with the other two presents in the corner. Then Gavin took his place standing out of the way, but his yellow-green eyes were watching everyone.

  "My dad… isn't too keen on parties. Or people…" Grace rubbed her arm. "He only came to look out for me. It's better if we let him be."

  “Grace! How's Rufus?” Glacia peered in the living room doorway with a smile.

  She visibly relaxed to see a familiar face. “He’s safe, thanks to you guys!” she giggled.

  "So? Are you going to introduce us?" Gretel asked her friend.

  "R-Right," Gadalik stammered. "Gretel, this is Grace. Grace: Gretel."

  "I've heard a lot about you, farm girl. He told me about the ghosts you've faced, and the horse riding lessons."

  "O-Oh," Grace mustered the reply, closing in on herself with embarrassment.

  "Don't be shy! You've heard about me, right?"

  "A little… He mentioned he went to the mall with a friend a week before we met."

  "Yep, that was me! Poor thing just about had a panic attack thinking he was helpless without his spooks' supplies, only to catch a ghost with his bare hands!"

  "What?" Gale turned to his son. “When was that?”

  Gretel covered her mouth with regret. "He didn't know?"

  Gadalik winced, an unusual defensiveness arising. "It–it wasn't that important…”

  “It is, if it's been happening so often,” his father said, and although his words were quiet, their tone was stern.

  Grace opened her mouth as if to comfort him, but then closed it and looked away.

  Gadalik sighed. “I'm fine. Really.”

  "Gale has a point, though,” Gretel disagreed. “Mikey in my theater class has them, too, so I know how much they could impact your daily life. That was the first I've seen you like that, though; I had no idea you've had more."

  "I… I don't want to talk about it. Let's just… have fun. OK?"

  "Hm… Alright, then.”

  “Who wants cake?" Glacia sang.

  "Me!" Gretel piped up. "C'mon, birthday boy; let's eat!"

  "I'll be right there!" Gadalik said. He turned back to Grace, making sure she felt welcome. "Are you coming with us?"

  She nodded, blushing slightly before following a step behind him to the kitchen.

  Glacia brought out a circular double-layered cake with light blue frosting and a darker blue rim, blueberries decorating the top between the lit candles. "Make a wish, big guy!"

  Gadalik closed his eyes. I wish that everyone will get to know each other, so we can all be a family. He blew them out.

  His mother cut the cake and served out the plates.

  Gretel dug in. Her hot-pink irises shone with delight. "Best cake ever!"

  Gale rubbed the back of his head. "There's enough for Gavin, too, if he wants some."

  "I-I'm sure he'll take it with us for our journey home," Grace said, glancing at her father who was still watching from the living room.

  "Want to open your presents?" Glacia prompted after they'd finished eating.

  "S-Sure." Gadalik and the others gathered around the small stack of boxes in the corner of the living room. He picked up the first one on the top and unwrapped it to reveal a worn hardback book titled Spells and Enchantments.

  "Do you like it?" Gale asked.

  "Y-Yes–thank you! It looks like it's for witches, and that's exactly what I need."

  "Open mine next!" Gretel encouraged him, withdrawing a small rectangular box from her purse and practically shoving it against him.

  He laughed, taking the lid off to reveal a silver-bladed knife inside of a pouch on a belt.

  "I found it in a hex shop. I was told it's made specifically for repelling the supernatural," she explained. "Keep it on your person. That way if you're wearing the nullifier but don't have your staff, you have something to protect yourself!"

  "Thanks!” It could work against witches like Luna, too, he thought gratefully.

  There were two presents left: one fairly large box and a medium gift bag.

  "Open the bag first," Glacia told him.

  "Oh, okay," her son obliged her, taking the present Gavin had left on the pile. He pulled out a piece of fabric which he unfolded to find it was a black shirt with gray horizontal stripes across the chest of it. He took a moment to admire it. "It looks great–I love the stripes."

  Everyone looked at Grace, who shied away from their eyes. "My dad helped me with the measurements…" the girl said, as though not wanting to take all the credit for it.

  "What do you mean?"

  "She made that shirt for you," Gavin stated when his daughter was freezing up from the attention.

  "Grace… You made this?" He was shocked by the professional quality of the stitching. "That–that's incredible!"

  "Th-thank you," she stammered, cheeks turning rosy. "You told me about your favorite shirt getting torn, s-so I just thought… I-I mean… I'm glad you like it…!”

  “Wait. Did you make your coat too?”

  “Y-Yes,” she squeaked. “But, um…”

  "Now it's time for the grand opening of my gift," Glacia interrupted. "You're gonna love it!"

  Gadalik hesitated, waiting for his friend to finish her sentence.

  Grace retreated a step in surrender, shaking her head slightly in response.

  He refolded the shirt and placed it by the knife on top of the book, then began to unwrap his mother's gift. They watched with suspense as he crumpled the paper and opened the box. Inside was a brand new rotary phone. "It's… a telephone?!"

  “Finally!” Gretel cheered.

  He stared back at Glacia with disbelief. "But I thought you didn't want one?"

  "I didn't, but you did. Everything's already set up; all we have to do is plug it in,” Glacia chimed.

  "Where will it go?" he asked.

  "Here in the living room. It may be yours, but since we have it I'd like to use it too," his mother answered. "Here, let me put it up."

  "These are all amazing, you guys. Really, I appreciate it," Gadalik addressed them all wholeheartedly. "They're very thoughtful gifts. I'm going to try on the shirt and belt. I'll be right back." He went toward the staircase.

  At the first step, there was immense pressure in his head followed by another chill. The ache made him too weak and dizzy to keep a hold on the railing; he felt himself falling backward.

  "Gadalik!" Gale rushed toward his son, but Gavin was closer and caught him before he hit the floor.

  The teen fell limp in his arms, face flushed, breathing hard.

  "What happened?" Glacia demanded, joining them.

  "He has a high fever," the yellow-green-haired man reported. "Sweat and chills. The symptoms are common with a lot of illnesses, although the suddenness of it counts them all out."

  "W-What are you saying?!"

  "Shall I bring him to his bed?"

  "Wha–? Y-Yes, but--what's wrong with him?"

  "That remains to be seen." Gavin carried him up the stairs, Glacia close by behind, and he stopped at the first room on the second floor with disgust on his face upon seeing the unkempt piles of stuffed animals and trash that littered the floor.

  "That's my room,” Glacia corrected him urgently. “His room is at the end.”

  Gavin glanced back at her, brows furrowed and mouth agape as if to confront the woman about the wreck in her room, but when Gadalik let out a pathetic whine, he refocused and went for the third door in the hall, opening it to find the room was organized and spotless. Gavin placed the teen on his bed beneath the window.

  Gale came in a minute later with a bowl of water that he dipped a washcloth in to then place on his son's forehead. Gavin backed away but was observing them.

  Gretel pushed past him. "Geez–I can feel the heat from Gadalik all the way over here," she remarked, going on the other side of the bed. "Is he okay?"

  "I don't know," Gale murmured, distraught.

  "Of all days to get sick, it had to be his own birthday! He can't catch a break, can he?"

  "Gavin had a point: I don't think this is an ordinary sickness…"

  "Then what is it?"

  “Maybe Guinevere will know,” Grace suggested from the doorway. Once again she shrunk when everyone looked at her.

  "I'll contact Guinevere and see if she can identify it," Gavin agreed, heading downstairs to use the new phone.

  "Hey, girly. You can come in," Glacia gently invited his daughter.

  Grace cautiously obliged, joining Gretel on the left side of his bed; the couple were on the right.

  "Who's this Guinevere your dad's calling?"

  "She's an enchantress… She helped Gadalik before, the last time he was with me.” Her red irises flicked back to her unconscious friend.

  "Then he's in good hands," Glacia sighed, relieved. "Let's not crowd him. I'm going to see if Gavin gets a hold of her. Gale, keep an eye on him and come get me if there are any changes." She left the room.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Gale cooled the cloth in the bowl before replacing it on his son's forehead, frowning from how quickly they were heating.

  "What exactly is your relationship to Gadalik, anyway?" Gretel asked the younger girl.

  "W-Well… We're…friends," she said, speaking slowly as to think before each word.

  Gretel gave an amused smile. "Well, it's about time he made another friend. How old are you?"

  "I-I'll be fifteen in January…"

  "Aw, you're a baby," she giggled. "I'll be seventeen in March. I met Gadalik almost six years ago."

  "Are… Are you his girlfriend…?"

  Gretel laughed genuinely. "He asked me to be his girlfriend a while back," she confessed, "but I'm not into anybody romantically. He accepts that."

  Grace released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

  "Why? Do you like him?"

  Her face turned as red as her hair, and she opened her mouth as if to protest, but all that came out was a squeak.

  "Heh. I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

  That got Gale's attention. "Gadalik chooses his friends wisely. The fact that he invited you here says a lot. In a few years, when you're older, who knows? Maybe you'll end up together."

  Grace met his gaze, the slightest bit hopeful. "You really think so…?"

  "I don't see why not."

  She looked back at Gadalik, who was sweating profusely despite his father's efforts to cool him.

  "He's getting worse," Gretel pointed out.

  "Gale!" Glacia called, barging into the room. "Is he wearing the nullifier?"

  The man checked Gadalik's neck for the pendant. "Yeah. Why?"

  "Ok, that explains it. Put it on the center of his chest."

  Her boyfriend did as told.

  "Leave it there a minute… Now take it off him."

  "Wait–won't that cause a surge?"

  "Not in his current state. Hurry!"

  Gale removed the necklace.

  Instantly Gadalik relaxed.

  He felt the unconscious teen's head. "His fever's starting to go down," he reported, then looked at the pendant he had removed. "Did the nullifier cause it…?"

  "Yes, and no…" Glacia replied. "Guinevere said this is happening because there's a sudden increase of magic within him. That wouldn't cause a problem normally, but the nullifier has already been synced to his previous amount; it's stopping his body from adjusting to the new amount properly."

  "What should we do now that it's off?"

  "We wait. He should be fine in a little while. He can put the nullifier back on once he's better."

  "Will it need to be resynced?"

  "Uh... Maybe? I didn't ask."

  Gale stood up. "I'm going to talk to her. I'll be right back."

  "Hang on, I'm not sure if Gavin will take kindly to you, having just met. Let me do the talking," she said, following him out of the room.

  Gretel glanced between her friends, then a mischievous sparkle shone in her hot-pink eyes. "I have to use the bathroom. Keep an eye on him for us, 'kay?"

  Grace nodded, watching her leave, then realized she was alone with him. For the moment she simply observed his still-heavy breathing and the slowly-fading redness in his face. Then she went to the other side of the bed, and removed the cloth from him to cool it.

  As if on cue, Gadalik turned his head, then opened his eyes partly. "Mom…?"

  She recoiled. "N-No… I can go get her if you want–"

  He pushed himself up on his elbows, then winced and held his head.

  "Don't strain yourself…!"

  "Grace? What are you doing here…?" he mumbled.

  "You invited me to your birthday party…"

  "My birthday isn't until December twenty-eighth…"

  "Yes, but… that's today…"

  He blinked with confusion. Then he sank back into the mattress. "Where is everyone?"

  "Our parents are downstairs, talking with Guinevere. Gretel's in the bathroom."

  "Guinevere? Is she here?"

  "No–she's on the phone."

  "We don't have a phone…"

  "You got one as a birthday present," she reminded him.

  "Really…?" He squinted as he struggled to recall the events of the day. "My head hurts…"

  "I know," she sympathized.

  He stared at the square of light cast down on his bed from the window behind him. "That's right… I remember now." Then he moved to get out of bed.

  "W-Wait!" she cried.

  "Huh…?"

  "You… suddenly have more magic. Your body needs to adjust to it."

  "Magic, huh… That means…" The seal has weakened. "We have a phone, right? Downstairs? I need to talk to Virniv." The second he stood, the world tilted under him and he caught himself on the mattress with one hand, the other holding his forehead.

  "Gadalik, you need to rest…"

  Then he let out a defeated sigh and climbed back on the bed. There was silence for a moment. "I hate this," he said quietly.

  "Hate… what?"

  "Causing a scene… Not just now, but also when I've had panic attacks so often. My mom doesn't know about them, but I can see my dad pities me, and… I hate it."

  "It's not like you're causing a scene on purpose… There's nothing to be ashamed of," Grace murmured, reaching for his hand to console him. Despite his lowered fever, it was fire to the touch.

  Gadalik pulled away from her out of reflex. She retreated a step to give him space.

  Gretel came back in. "Grace, your dad says Gadalik should be waking–" Her sentence ended abruptly upon seeing her old friend staring back at her. "You're up!" She rushed to his side and took his hand in both of hers, squeezing it affectionately.

  "Y-Yeah." He let her hold it, the redness in his feverish cheeks increasing for a moment.

  It was subtle, but Grace noticed. She averted her eyes solemnly.

  "He's up?" Gale overheard, walking through the doorway.

  "Oh, thank goodness," Glacia exclaimed as she followed him in. "How you feeling, big guy?"

  "OK, I guess," he replied with a halfhearted shrug. Then he looked up at her. "Can I use the phone?"

  "Of course; it's yours! But you should wait until your fever's gone."

  "Alright, let him rest," Gale suggested.

  "We'll be downstairs if you need us," Glacia assured her son, who nodded.

  "I'll bring your presents up here for you," Gretel offered.

  "Thank you…" Gadalik said, lying back down and staring absently at the wall after they left.

  As his fever ebbed, he felt stronger and lighter. For a moment he forgot about the spirits he could sense. Wait… He felt his neck and realized his nullifier was gone. My ghost sense…? The spook let his guard down and the sense kicked in at full force, sending another chill down his spine. He could pick up on their misery and anger–the emotions that weighed on him long before he could recognize they weren't his own–and it was overwhelming.

  When he drew in a breath and focused on just his immediate surroundings again, the sense faded.

  I can control it now, the teen realized with a relieved sigh. What else can I do?

  Someone knocked on his door.

  "Come in," he permitted.

  Gretel stepped in with his presents in hand. She placed them on the foot of his bed. "How are you feeling?"

  "I feel great, actually."

  She skeptically placed the back of her hand on his forehead. "Your fever's gone! That was fast."

  He glanced at the nullifier on the nightstand. He had been waiting to put it back on, although now he wasn't so sure about it.

  "What's on your mind?"

  "Oh–I was just thinking… I wanted the nullifier to prevent an accidental surge in magic, like what happened when I drowned at the lake. But I feel like I have more control over my magic now."

  "Do you?"

  The spook held his hand out, casting a medium-sized shield spell. It summoned faster and with no numbness. He dispelled it. "Yeah. This is great…!"

  "That's awesome! Well, I brought your shirt, knife, and book. I'll let you change."

  "Thank you." With the door shut once again, Gadalik tried on the new shirt and belt, pleased by how perfectly they fit. The shirt’s design suited his striped eyes and hair. He sheathed the knife and headed down the hall toward the staircase.

  From atop the stairs he could see his parents talking together by the phone, and Gretel trying to engage with the remaining two guests about their livestock and horses. Gadalik began to descend the steps.

  "Wow, you look good in dark colors," Gale complimented the new shirt.

  "Thanks; I think so, too," Gadalik said with a sheepish smile.

  "How's the knife?" Gretel asked.

  He lifted the side of his shirt to show the pouch. "It's right within reach."

  "The phone works great," Glacia stated for the record.

  "I knew it would. Thanks for the help after I passed out."

  "Don't thank me; thank Gavin. He's the one who brought you upstairs and called Guinevere for help."

  "Gavin…?" I didn't expect him to get involved, he thought, softening as he approached the curly-haired man. "Thank you… Really. I thought I was dying.”

  "No need to thank me," Gavin dismissed it. “Calling Guinevere was Grace’s idea.”

  “Grace–you saved me,” he murmured, and with a slight laugh, he added, “again.”

  The girl blushed slightly. “There's actually another present…” She nudged her father with her elbow.

  "Right… Grace wanted me to give you this." The man withdrew a framed picture from his bag and held it out.

  Gadalik took it. It depicted himself and Grace on their respective horses together in the snow during the riding lessons. “Woah,” was all he managed to say. I forgot he was a professional photographer…

  "Do you like it…?" Grace asked hesitantly.

  "I… I love it," the spook said. "It's a reminder of a great time we had together. I'll put it on my dresser above my letter drawer."

  "You kept my letters?"

  "I keep every letter my friends send me," he admitted. "And with the new phone, I probably won't be getting any more from you guys, so I'm glad I chose to save them before now."

  "I see…" She looked at Gretel, who was gesturing widely during her spiel on why Glacia should buy a TV next, much to the miserly woman's displeasure.

  "Something wrong?"

  Grace forced a smile. "N-No…! Not at all. I'm… glad you like it."

  "Thanks again," he said to both of them.

  "Gadalik, are you alright?" his mother called, desperate to escape the spiel.

  "Y-yeah, my fever's gone. Oh yeah–I can control my ghost sense now!"

  "Really?"

  "Yep! Not only am I able to hone in on ghosts that are farther away, but I can stop my sense altogether. It takes a bit of willpower but I'm sure I'll get used to it. My shield spell feels a lot more natural, too," he explained. "The seal must have weakened… but speaking of, I want to call someone."

  After the call and later that day, they heard banging on the door.

  "I'll get it," Gale said.

  "I'm coming too." Gadalik stood and followed.

  The rest of the party came with them and waited in suspense as Gale opened the door.

  Behind it stood a man with fair skin and short light green hair, wearing a deep red cloak. He was perhaps twenty years older than Gadalik. His sky blue eyes flicked to each of the party in turn as if assessing them.

  Gavin immediately stepped protectively in front of his daughter, eyes narrowed with distrust. Grace seemed worried about that.

  "Virniv?" Gadalik asked, weaving through the others to greet him directly.

  "Yes," he answered. "You must be Gadalik, correct? I recognize you from when you were a toddler."

  "Y-Yeah! Come in."

  "He looks like a genderbent version of your mother," Glacia remarked to her adoptive son.

  "Is that so?" Virniv responded, overhearing. "His mother and I are both pure-blooded Karpritians, so I guess it's to be expected."

  "So if you and Gadalik are both Karpritians," Gretel wondered, "how come he has stripes in his hair and eyes when you don't?"

  "W-Well… I'm only half," Gadalik reminded her. "My father's an Arcrittan, and had black hair and darker blue eyes."

  "Striped traits are common with mixed Karpritians. Even without having met his parents, his heritage is obvious," Virniv explained.

  "Are you also a spook?" Gretel inquired.

  "No, I'm a witch. Or rather, an ‘enchanter’ as they're referred to these days.” He rolled his eyes. “I specialize in seals and dispels, but they're not all I know."

  "Are all Karpritians magical?"

  "A large percentage are, and some don't even know it. During the witch hunts, Karpritia was a place of refuge. While most witches stopped use of their magic to blend in with humans, they still recognized their own kind and kept the magical bloodlines pure… Generally speaking. Of course Vilodia decided not to keep hers that way."

  Gadalik recoiled at his scornful tone when mentioning his biological mother. "Is there something wrong with that?"

  "Well, when it comes to spooks, your father was the best she could've chosen. Besides, there aren't many Karpritians here in Arcritta to find, so I understand her settling for him–however irresponsible having a kid with him was."

  "Settling? Irresponsible? Why would you think…?"

  "How dare you speak badly of his parents," Glacia defended her adoptive son.

  Virniv gave her an unimpressed once-over. "And who are you supposed to be?"

  "His mother! Well… his new mother."

  "...Right. Say, aren't you part of the royal Peakisan family?"

  "Huh? You actually recognize me?" She was shocked. "I-I mean… of course you do. I'm the sole heir to the remains of their kingdom."

  "Such a shame that they were bought out…”

  Glacia gaped and glared at him. "You're a real wise guy, aren't you? You're lucky Gadalik wants your help, ‘cause you don't know what I'd like to do to you right now.”

  "You talk as though you knew them," Gale spoke up to Virniv. "Do you have a history?"

  "With the Peakisans: no. With Gadalik's blood-parents: yes. Vilodia and I both arrived in Arcritta together. Even though she didn't have use of natural magic like me, she made the most out of spell tags and enhancing them. I respected her for that. What I don't respect is her lack of taste in men."

  "What did my father ever do to you?" Gadalik confronted him.

  "He wooed her with his spook's tricks, and had no regard for their son being at risk from his genes."

  "You're calling me at risk? For what?"

  "The surges that nearly killed you and them when you were just a toddler, because your spook-half couldn't handle your witch-half’s magic. That's why she had me seal it off."

  Gadalik sat down, processing this. "Surges? I don't remember any of that… or you, for that matter."

  "Well, duh. You were four years old at the time. Vilodia reached out to Vincent first to see how to safely use up your power so it wouldn't overflow and surge, but he was too soft to make a difference. The seal was a last resort."

  "Well can you unseal it?" Glacia demanded, growing impatient and irritated by the man.

  "Of course I can. It's only a matter of if I should. Gadalik might still be too underdeveloped to contain it."

  "The seal weakened already today, and I feel great," the hybrid spook said. "So I think I can handle the rest."

  "Very well. Let's give it a try. Worst case scenario, I reseal it."

  "Really?" Gadalik was surprised by his cooperation. "W-What should I do?"

  "Have a seat and take your shirt off."

  The teen hesitated, looking at the three females in the room. Gretel seemed amused by his modesty, while Grace's cheeks reddened and she looked away.

  "Well? You want me to unseal it or not?"

  "Maybe he'd be more comfortable in his bedroom," Gale stuck up for his son.

  "Look, I'm not a creep. He's a man, isn't he? What's the problem?"

  "I don't appreciate your disrespect," Glacia snapped.

  "N-No, he's right…" Gadalik sighed with defeat. He swallowed hard and removed his shirt, not daring a glance at his friends.

  "I'm gonna slowly release the seal. You just be sure to warn me if you feel a surge coming on." Verniv placed his hand on the center of his bare chest and the same marking of the sun as on his nullifier appeared under it.

  Gretel tilted her head at the sight. "Huh. When did you get that scar?"

  Gadalik winced, having hoped that they wouldn't notice it. "When that ghost cracked my rib, it punctured my lung. They… had to fix it."

  "Does that mean… you've seen him shirtless before he got it?" Grace asked the other girl, almost seeming scared to know the answer.

  Gale tensed with discomfort, while his girlfriend scowled.

  "I have," Gretel replied as a matter of fact. "I've had to pull thorns out of his back once when he fell into a bush. And that time when it started pouring down rain, and he took it off to dry it. Then there was the time when he spent the night at my house and I accidentally walked in on him changing–"

  "Can we not make this weird?" Gadalik interrupted. Addressing the others, he added, "Before you get any ideas, Gretel's openly aromatic.”

  "Yep! I guess you can say I'm an ace,” she joked. “But, Grace, you didn't seem surprised by his scar. What does that imply?” Gretel teased the younger girl.

  "N-N-Nothing! I noticed it when Guinevere was helping him last week," Grace despaired. "I figured he had been injured there before that, though, because he was protecting that area in his sleep…"

  "Oh–so you were just watching him sleep, then?” She laughed at Grace’s horrified reaction.

  "N-No!”

  "Gretel, that's enough," Gadalik sighed.

  “Ah, man. Did I go too far?” Gretel took a moment to compose herself. “Sorry, Grace. Hope you know I was kidding. For the record, you started it.”

  "Gadalik, how are you holding up?" Virniv asked.

  The birthday boy blinked, almost forgetting he was there. “It's kind of like the sensation of when I removed my nullifier incorrectly, except slower. My sight has improved a little bit too.”

  "Why on earth would you remove your nullifier incorrectly? Were you trying to surge?”

  “Actually, yes…”

  “It was either that, or let himself get kidnapped by some witch for his blood,” Gale defended him.

  “Either way, that's a bad sign,” Virniv stated. “The sensation, I mean. We should stop.”

  The teen frowned. "But I don't feel a surge…"

  "That’s exactly the problem. Surges only happen for two reasons: suddenly having too much power, or acts of desperation. If you have too much power but it isn't sudden, then you won't surge–you’ll die instead. So… unfortunately, unless you want me to kill you by removing your seal, I'm going to have to stop and reseal it.”

  “Oh…” He couldn't hide his disappointment as Virniv did exactly that.

  "As you grow, the seal might weaken and even wear off on its own," Virniv said, as if trying to give him hope, “but if you're done growing by now, then your current power is your limit.”

  Gadalik fell silent, processing this.

  “Well? Are we done here?”

  “I guess…”

  “You don't sound too happy about the seal.”

  He shrugged. “I was hoping I could master my full power. But now it turns out I can't even use it…”

  “You're just not built for this amount of power, kid. You would have been if you were pure Karpritian, but you're not. You can blame your parents for that.”

  Everyone tensed.

  “That's enough,” Glacia growled. “If you're done, I want you gone.”

  “Wait. We might not be done,” Virniv realized. He turned back to Gadalik. “If the seal did weaken today, I doubt you had a chance to test your new limits. They may not be as disappointing as you'd think.”

  “Test them?" That got the hybrid's attention. "How?”

  "Come outside with me."

  Gadalik reached for his shirt, but Virniv stopped him.

  "Leave it," he told the spook. "It'll be easier if I can see the seal when or if it appears."

  "He'll freeze to death out there without a shirt and coat!" Glacia butted in. "Not to mention those shorts!"

  "Do you not know of elemental magic? I'll keep us warm with a flame spell."

  "Elemental magic?" Gadalik repeated. "They don't sell tags like that in a hex shop…"

  "Tags for them are illegal. But that won't stop powerful witches from using them without tags. Some even make and sell tags for them on the black market. Have you tried using an element before?"

  "No… I’ve only mastered a few spells: shield, ward, stun, and confinement. My dad got me a book that might teach me more, though."

  "Trent?"

  "No–my new, practical dad." His blue eyes looked at Gale, who waved in response to his introduction.

  "Whatever. Let's go.”

  Gadalik followed him outside, where Virniv drew a wide circle around them in the snow. Then he filled in the indentation with old leaves and twigs from the surrounding woods.

  "Fire spells only work on things that are flammable. It’s like your hand becomes a substitute lighter." He demonstrated, and with a spark of magic from his palm the twigs trapped them within a ring of fire. "Prepare yourself, boy."

  "Wait–are we going to fight?" Gadalik recoiled. “I thought you were going to teach me!”

  "Fighting is how I'll teach you your limits. And I won't pull my punches, either. You can't run away; there's nowhere to hide; your only option is to fight me or die."

  When the spook was still reluctant, Virniv rushed at him. Gadalik casted a shield spell easily and blocked his attacks; it held out despite the beating it took. It's more durable now, he realized.

  Virniv spun and kicked the shield out of his grasp, then kicked him a second time on his way to facing him again before the teen had a chance to react.

  Gadalik barely managed to dodge the second kick and summoned another shield, the first one dispelling. "I don't want to fight you, Virniv."

  "You should, Mutt," Virniv sneered, going for another kick. His attacks against the shield herded the spook closer to the surrounding flames. "I pity you. Your mother was a fool. She could have had a son with full control of his power, but instead she partnered with an Arcrittan and had you. Imagine how difficult you made her life, to the point where she was so desperate to fix you."

  His words caught Gadalik off guard. Was I really that bad to her…?

  Virniv didn't wait for him to regain composure. He used a variation of the levitation spell to send the spook right into the fire.

  Gadalik came to from the attack, and out of reflex, his shield encapsulated him in a bubble, safe from the flames. He spent a second realizing what he'd done, which Virniv took advantage of by charging at him once more.

  Gadalik instinctively threw his hands out to block the attack, which inadvertently caused the bubble to expand and burst, knocking the witch back. As Virniv was about to rebalance, Gadalik went for a low sweep at his shins to successfully trip him.

  Virniv caught himself with both hands on the ground, and as he pushed himself to his feet, a spike of ice shot up from the half-melted snow between his handprints aiming straight for the spook's heart.

  Ice elements? Gadalik barely managed to back out of reach in time, then stopped abruptly so he wouldn't cross into the fire again. That was close…. He really doesn't care if he kills me, does he? He grabbed the tip of the icicle and broke it off to use as a makeshift weapon. He moved to stab his attacker, but Virniv caught him by the arm and took advantage of his momentum to pull him past and overbalance him; Gadalik fell, hitting the snowy ground.

  The man stepped on his wrist to make him drop the icicle then stooped over him. "Your father wasn't spared from you either, you know. He knew you inherited his limitations, and that's why you were at risk from the surges. He carried that guilt to his grave."

  Gadalik's breath caught in his throat. Long forgotten memories of his father gazing shamefully at him came to mind. But the pain in his wrist as Virniv increased the pressure on it snapped him out of it. With his free hand, the spook forced distance between them with a ward spell, then got up and summoned a shield with a spiked rim, throwing it after him like a blade.

  Virniv deflected it with his own shield and did the same, albeit without the spikes. Gadalik wasn't fast enough to dodge; it hit him in the gut so harshly that he doubled over and couldn't get a breath in. “Finished already? Heh. I should've expected a mutt like you couldn't hold their own.”

  The teenager managed to inhale, only to cough out blood. He really is trying to kill me…! He shook his head in a silent refusal to die, then placed both hands into the snow, concentrating on it as the man strode toward him. Come on. Just a little closer… Now! Copying what Virniv had done earlier, an icicle jutted out from between his hands, but to his dismay it was tiny. Still, the witch appeared almost impressed that he summoned it in the first place. Gadalik took advantage of that by snapping it out of the ground and stabbing it into his foot. He cursed silently when it didn't penetrate the snowboot, and Virniv laughed, kicking him under the chin so hard that he was knocked skyward.

  He braced himself for the fall, but found he was suspended in the air. I'm… being levitated?

  "You have all the power a Karpritian can have, with the body of an Arcrittan that can't contain it,” the man went on, lifting him so they were face-to-face. “You're a perfect example of what's wrong with mutts: everything that could've gone badly, did."

  "Sh-Shut up," Gadalik finally snapped, angrily fighting against the magical restraint until he brute-forced his arm free and punched him in the jaw.

  The impact caused Virniv to lose concentration and drop him. "Looks like those muscles aren't just for show,” he muttered, somewhat impressed. "But remember this is a test of magic, not strength."

  "I don't care if it's a test… You've made it personal." He got to his feet and moved to punch him again.

  “Aw. Gonna cry?” Virniv taunted, easily catching his fist and using a stun spell through that point of contact; Gadalik felt a shock through his body that paralyzed him.

  “N-No,” Gadalik growled, once again on the ground but too angry to surrender. That’s when he spotted the shard he had broken off of the witch’s icicle lying not far from him. I can't physically move… but maybe I don't have to. He once again concentrated, feeling hope ignite within him when it rolled slightly.

  “Give up now and maybe I'll spare your life–” Virniv’s sentence ended in a sharp gasp through his teeth as the shard suddenly stabbed into his leg. “Did you just…?”

  The hybrid located the smaller one he'd created and willed it at his attacker’s head with the most force he could muster, hoping to knock him out. While it hit, it simply ricocheted back to the ground, and he was starting to feel lightheaded.

  “Huh. I'd say ‘nice try’ but that was honestly just pathetic.” Virniv stepped closer to tower over the kid.

  Seething, Gadalik balled his hands into fists… then realized that he was able to. The stun spell is wearing off...! I just need a bit more time. “Heh… You know what's more pathetic? Being jealous that my mom chose my dad instead of you, and taking it out on her kid.”

  “...What?” Virniv seemed disgusted by that accusation. “I had no romantic interest in your mother. A woman who placed so little value in her heritage is appalling.”

  “That's not what it looks like to me,” he lied. Take the bait. Keep talking until I can move enough to stun you. He had regained mobility up to his elbows.

  “I don't have time for this. I should crush your skull right now and get it over with.” He lifted his foot as if to do just that.

  Gadalik felt legitimate fear at that moment. The fire ensured that nobody could pass through to save him, and he wouldn't regain mobility in time to save himself. No… I won't be killed. Not here–not by him! I have to escape… right now, or I'm dead…! I have to escape–I have to escape–

  The world was momentarily engulfed by a bright blue light. When it faded, the hybrid found himself lying just outside the ring of fire. What…?

  “Gadalik!” Grace cried with relief to see him. “How did you get out?!”

  Gavin had been restraining Glacia from trying to run through the flames, and Gale was doing the same to Gretel. They all stopped to see what the youngest was talking about. Despite the stun spell having worn off by this point, Gadalik felt too drained of energy to move. Still, with Grace’s help, he managed to stand as his other friend and adoptive father rushed to his side.

  Virniv overheard and dispelled the fire to locate his opponent.

  “Big mistake!” The woman let out a battle cry, breaking free from the shocked photographer to charge at the witch.

  The latter casually summoned a shield and expanded it into a wall that he moved between himself and Glacia. “This battle is over; he's shown all he's capable of. And for someone new to these abilities…”--there was a dramatic pause–“he did extremely well,” Virniv announced cheerfully.

  "W-What?" Gadalik was flustered by the sudden shift in his tone, currently lacking the patience to tolerate whatever slander he was gonna say next.

  “You heard right. You picked up on the ice elemental spell and levitation spell just by watching me, and you even figured out teleportation on your own! That's impressive.”

  “You… You mean… this was a test–the whole time…?!”

  “Obviously. And you agreed to that test before we even came out here. What did you think it was?”

  “But I… You…” Gadalik was too upset to form a coherent sentence. Frustration tears welled in his eyes. “I thought you were really trying to kill me!”

  "I'm sorry for being so harsh… But I wasn't lying. You inherited both of your parents' magic, but also your father's physical limitations. It's a potentially deadly combination–for you, and the ones around you–and it was irresponsible for your parents to have risked you turning out like this."

  "You keep saying all this like it still matters!" Gadalik shouted. "My parents found a solution that worked for everybody with the seal, so what's the problem?! Just let it go!"

  "You tell me the problem. You're the one who wanted the seal removed."

  The spook opened his mouth to argue, then realized it was true. "Was this your goal the whole time…? To change my mind about the seal?" The absurdity of the man’s motives infuriated him more. "If you think this being a test makes what you said about my parents okay, you're wrong," he warned him quietly.

  "I had to say those things to get a rise out of you so you'd fight with your full potential."

  "I'm sure I could've done it my own way; you didn't even give me a chance to try…!"

  Virniv shrugged. "My way worked, though, didn't it?"

  "That's not an excuse!"

  "Virniv, I think it might be best if you leave," Gale intervened.

  "...Very well. We both got what we wanted out of this meeting. Best wishes to you, and happy birthday, Gadalik,” the witch said with a friendly smile. “Also…you can put your shirt back on now."

  Gadalik crossed his arms over his chest, the heat from the physical exertion being replaced by the cold from the weather, especially without the fire to warm him.

  Virniv dispelled the shield, and just before Glacia could attack him, he teleported away. “Coward!” she yelled out, kicking the remaining ice shard harshly in the direction he had been in.

  “That's the worst way he could have gotten his point across,” Gretel muttered. She and Grace helped their friend walk back inside the house while Gale tried to calm his girlfriend down.

  Gavin followed them in and handed the older teen his new shirt. “Are you alright…?”

  Gadalik slipped it on. "I regret wearing shorts," he answered jokingly, although he didn't have the energy to fake positivity at the moment. That dull ache in his gut had returned.

  "We heard everything Virniv said," Grace murmured hesitantly.

  He froze, then dropped the act. "I just… never considered that being a mu–err, half-blooded–would cause so many problems. I was too young to even remember what I put my birth-parents through. I wonder… if they really were ashamed of how I turned out…"

  "Your heritage isn't your fault…”

  “And like you said, the seal fixed everything a long time ago, so there's no use dwelling on the time before that,” Gretel added. “You should focus on right now. Like, you can teleport… Teleport! How cool is that?!”

  He chuckled. “True… I'll be honest though, I'm pretty sure that my teleportation was a fluke.”

  "Regardless, it looked to me like you adapted to your new magic rather quickly during that fight,” Gavin said. The spook looked up at the curly-haired man, attentive. "The only thing that concerned me is when you seemed to let your anger dictate how you used it. I'm assuming this isn't the first time, either."

  Gadalik’s striped blue eyes looked down in shame. "...You're right. On both counts." He placed a hand over the side of his chest. "This scar is a reminder of the day I annihilated a ghost in a fit of rage. I… I'm not proud of it–or today's match."

  "Acknowledging it is the first step to overcoming it. You seem like a fine young man. You can go far if you learn to manage your negative emotions."

  "Thank you, Gavin… I'll work on it."

  Gale and Glacia finally returned, the latter still muttering to herself until seeing her son snapped out of it. “Gadalik, are you hurt?!” she fretted.

  “I’m fine… Just bruised here and there.”

  “Argh, if that guy ever shows his face here again, I'll kill him!”

  “Easy, now,” Gale said. “He’s gone, and we'll probably never see him again. Let's not allow him to ruin the rest of our son’s birthday.”

  Gadalik paused, staring at the shirt he was wearing, reminded that his friends had given to him on a day that was supposed to be fun. He turned to face them. "I'm sorry you had to see that… I shouldn't have let my desire to breach the seal ruin our time together in the first place. You came all this way for… a disaster."

  "The day's not over yet," Grace replied. "We still have some time together before I have to leave."

  "Why not stay the night like I am?" Gretel suggested.

  “...Can I?”

  Gadalik brightened. “Yeah! Can she, Gavin?”

  The curly-haired man shrugged indifferently. "If she wants, but it's up to your parents."

  "It's fine with me," Gale said, giving the younger girl an encouraging smile. "Glacia?"

  "Sure,” the woman agreed. “But your door stays open!” Gretel laughed and Grace hid her reddening face in her hands.

  "That's fair," Gadalik agreed. "I've got nothing to hide. My room would be kind of small with all of us in there, but I mean, I have board games and my mom's old record player, and we can always just talk if you'd prefer, or–"

  "Slow down, there. First you need to warm up. I can see you shaking like a leaf from being out there half dressed," Glacia playfully scolded him, taking the light blue throw blanket off the couch to wrap around his shoulders. “Go sit by the fireplace. You can shower after you've recovered enough.”

  “How’s about I make some hot cocoa?” Gale offered.

  “Yeah!” Gretel immediately answered for everyone. The three friends settled on the red carpet in front of the fire. Glacia took her seat on the middle couch cushion, and after her boyfriend handed out the steaming mugs, he took his place by her on the opposite end from Gavin.

  Gadalik relaxed from the warmth of both his drink and the presence of his loved ones. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he caught himself dozing off.