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? Seven is a few years older than you, but 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. She said she didn’t have another one."

  "Huh, I see."

  "Anyway, do you mind talking to her?"

  Adrian nodded. "I can do that."

  Adrian moved toward the girl with slow, deliberate steps, his thoughts racing. Why does she look so intense? The closer he got, the sharper her red eyes felt, pinning him in place like a hawk studying prey.

  He faltered, stopping just short of her. “Hi,” he finally managed, the word tumbling out awkwardly.

  The girl tilted her head. “Salutations, juvenile contemporary. I am presently occupied with… um… the profundity of existential circumstances.”

  She lifted her chin, clearly proud, despite the words sounding like they had been plucked out of a dictionary at random.

  Adrian blinked, stunned into silence. Profundity of what? “Uh… what?”

  “I said, I am occupied with the profundity of existential circumstances.”

  “What are you talking about? What does that even mean?”

  “Hmph. I forgot I was speaking to a mere progeny. Of course you don’t contemplate.”

  “...I don’t think those words mean what you think they mean.”

  Seven straightened, her expression turning stern. “Scoff. Mother insists it is imperative to wield an expansive vocabulary to exude… intellectual, um, supersession.”

  Did she just say “scoff”?

  Adrian squinted. “That’s not what supersession means.”

  Seven’s cheeks puffed up indignantly. “Preposterous! I apply a sophisticated lexicon with pristine efficacy! Can you even pronounce these words?”

  Adrian groaned, feeling a flush creep up his neck. Why do I even care? “Of course I can."

  “Oh yeah? Then say ‘paralellismical.’”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Adrian’s chest puffed with defiance. “Pa-rar… palal… parallelil.” The syllables caught in his mouth like sticky taffy, twisting into something unrecognizable. His cheeks burned as he felt her stare drilling into him. Why is this so hard?! This isn’t even a real word!

  Seven grinned like a cat with cream. “See? My vernacular is unquestionably supersession.”

  “Why do you insist on using these words?”

  “Mother says that I’m a genius, and that my vernacular should reflex that.”

  “You don’t need big words to sound smart. It just makes you sound weird.”

  “Mother said I’m special. That I shouldn’t want to be normal.”

  Adrian paused, caught off guard by the honesty in her voice. Special? Those eyes are already special enough. He scratched his head and shrugged. “Talking normal doesn’t make you less special. It just makes it easier for people to understand you.”

  Seven blinked, her lips pressing together as she mulled over his words. Then, with an exaggerated sigh, she crossed her arms. “Fine. I will attempt… normalcy.” She hesitated before clearing her throat. “Can you understand me now?”

  Adrian nodded. “Much better. I’m Adrian, by the way.”

  Seven studied him for a moment, then extended her hand, chin jutting out defiantly. “I’m 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 the realm of possibility. However, Adrian couldn't detect the faintest bit of magic coming from Seven. Yet, despite that, she could somehow sense that he had a mana core. That’s not something a normal child could possibly do. And then there’s the way she talks… Is this girl even human?

  “So, can you teach me magic?” Seven asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “Uh, I'm not sure about 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 tilted his head, studying her. She doesn’t act like a normal kid, either. Maybe she's a reincarnated soul like me too?

  He 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.”

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

  Adrian flinched, his heart skipping a beat as he glanced nervously around the playroom. He leaned closer 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? Even someone reincarnated like me would have been born with one, which means… His eyes scanned her carefully, noting her unnatural speech, her crimson gaze, and the way she seemed almost too self-assured for someone her age. I'm almost convinced that she's a homunculus, possibly assigned a mana core by whoever created her, which does make things interesting. This would be the first time I've seen one in person, at least in this life.

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

  Adrian crossed his arms, tilting his head as he studied Seven. “How about this, tell me why should I teach you magic?"

  Seven’s eyes widened, and she leaned forward, her expression as serious as a child’s could be. “Because you’re different! I can tell you’re not like the others. You’ve got… I don’t know, something special. Like me!” She said, jabbing a finger toward her chest for emphasis.

  Adrian raised an eyebrow. “That’s a lot of confidence for someone who just met me.”

  “Yep, I trust you."

  "Is there any reason why you trust me so much?"

  "I got a good feeling, that's all."

  "That's… it?"

  "Yep!"

  Adrian blinked, caught off guard by her certainty. He then sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re really not going to give up, are you?”

  “Nope!” Seven grinned.

  Adrian chewed his lip. If I say no, she might mess around with magic herself. That’d be bad, really bad. Or worse, someone else might teach her. Someone who might use her for… whatever she is. This might be the only way to keep an eye on her. Besides, I'm also curious as to what her true capabilities are.

  “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. And maybe I’ll figure out what she really is in the process.

  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 like nothing’s ever going to change.

  He turned to Seven. “Not here. 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. His chest tightened, and the garden air felt thick and oppressive. This is too much for someone her age, even someone with a mana core.

  He tried to summon his blue flame, but it sputtered and vanished. She’s disrupting magic itself? How fascinating, and it doesn't seem like she's consciously tried to cast anything either.

  Adrian glanced back at Seven, who was still focusing. A dark, purple energy twisted around her, potent enough to nearly make the boy feel as if he was being choked by the air itself. This isn’t something a normal mage should be able to do. If she loses control…

  “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. Too close, but admittedly, very fascinating. Her "mana core" appears to be naturally rejecting magic… no, maybe that's not the right term. Perhaps it'd be more correct to say that her core is actively absorbing magic from her surroundings, but to an extent where it could become harmful to people around her.

  “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 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.”

  Adrian kept his expression steady. I don’t know how much she sensed, but it’s safer if she doesn’t know.

  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, his mind racing. “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. “Let’s take this slow,” he murmured. “No more magic until I say so, okay?”

  I’ll have to figure out what exactly she is and her capabilities another time. Still, that mana core of hers is really something else. I wonder what else it's capable of?