I had never seen a person like him before. His skin was as dark as my hair. I couldn’t help but stare as I tried to figure out if his skin was simply solid tattoos.

“Eiko, this is Watt,” said Astrid. “He’s the manipulator I told you about. His specialty is white tattoos.”

“Hi.” He waved with a smile.

I drew back and eyed the man. He was quite tall.

Astrid let out a frustrated breath. “I apologize. He’s bad at communicating. He’ll mostly tell you to get out.”

Watt shrugged. “I’m used to it. Interrogation was my main assignment, and they said more than get out,” he laughed.

His teeth were so white. I was so confused by this person. Hellana’s was oddly small. Eidy had two colors of hair. Maybe they were normal? This man’s hair was normal, but his skin was different. Or maybe his skin was normal, and I was different. No, I remembered back in school, the other kids were mostly Caucasian. I was the different one. I pressed my hand to my forehead. This was making my brain hurt.

“Are you in pain?” asked Watt.

“I’ll send Hellana in. If his tattoos change colors, leave.”

Watt nodded. “I know. I’ve worked with other destructive asters.”

“We should have sent for you sooner,” she replied. “Hellana will be here soon. I believe she is in class at the moment.” Astrid left the room.

Watt moved closer to me, and I backed against the wall. “I know a seal that I think will help.”

I shook my head. “I have enough.”

“It’s not like those. It disappears. It’s only temporary.”

“No.” I continued to shake my head. “You can leave.”

“It doesn’t hurt like black tattoos.”

I pressed into the corner as he approached me. The seals on my arms felt like they were squeezing my whole body.

“Let me try one, and if you hate it, I won’t do another.”

I closed my eyes when his hand touched my face. His energy passed between us. Dropping to the floor, I prepared for pain. Watt followed me to the ground as a sense of peace entered my mind. It was soothing. It ran across my skin and took the tightness from my chest.

Melting onto the ground, I lay there with a sense of stillness. My mind was at ease. I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt like this.

“Better?” He sat on his heels.

I brushed my fingers across my forehead. Did it leave another mark? I slowly rose to my feet and went to the bathroom. Thin white lines spread out from where he had touched me. The ends were starting to fade.

“See, they are not permanent.” He leaned against the counter with his arms folded.

Putting more space between us, I scanned his arms but didn’t see any tattoos. I could see the back of his neck in the mirror, and the locating seal wasn’t there, either. He had to have passed all the government tests and was like Astrid. I dropped into the corner between the wall and the toilet.

“Do you still feel sick?”

“No, you can go.”

The man sighed. “You hate having me here that bad?”

I kept my eyes pointed at the tub. He was a stranger who worked with Astrid and the government. That meant he wanted something from me. He was here with the sole purpose of getting me to cooperate. Astrid had been trying for years. I wouldn’t give in to him just because his seals didn’t hurt. I went to touch my forehead and stopped. I wouldn’t cooperate, but I’d take his seals over Astrid’s.

“Are you scared of me, Eiko?”

I didn’t respond.

“They said you weren’t like other destructives.”

“I don’t hurt people,” I muttered.

With a deep breath, Watt moved to sit on the toilet. I nearly climbed up the wall. Why the hell was he getting so close?! He had me trapped in a confined space. My tattoos flickered as I planned an escape strategy.

“Don’t be afraid. I don’t like hurting people, either.” He pressed his finger to my forehead.

I flinched and waited for the drowsy feeling to follow. It was a light prick, and that was it. I clasped the spot and stared at him, confused.

“Go and see.” He moved his legs.

Standing, I slipped by him and looked in the mirror. The seal that had been on my forehead since I was seven was gone. I had forgotten what I looked like without it.

“That seal is known for causing extreme headaches. From what I know about destructives, extreme anything isn’t good. It can set them off.”

I rubbed the spot and pushed back my hair. Astrid was going to be mad. That was the one way she could get what she wanted. She’d tap that seal, and it would put me to sleep. I sighed. She’d put it back on, and that one hurt worse than most. Even after all these years, I still remember the pain.

“Eiko!” yelled Hellana.

“That must be the healer.” Watt slapped his thighs as he stood and exited the bathroom.

“Who are you?” she snapped. “Where is Eiko? This is a restricted area. You can’t just come in here. Eiko—”

“I’m Watt,” he stated. “I’m the white tattoo manipulator.”

“Did you do something to him? Eiko!” Hellana stepped into the bathroom. “There you are. What did he do? How are you feeling?” She turned me toward her, and her eyes locked onto my forehead. “Your tattoo?”

“It was a bad seal,” said Watt. “It can cause chronic headaches if left on someone for too long.”

“Oh, that’s good to know. Tell Astrid that as well, so she doesn’t put it back on.” Hellana smiled. She turned to me with a more serious expression. “Did he do anything else?”

My hand went to the faint white lines in my reflection. I kept tracing them. It felt so surreal for some reason. How could all that pain disappear with a simple touch of Watt’s finger?

“They will fade in an hour or so,” said Watt. “My seals are temporary.”

“You do the black ones as well, though?” asked Hellana.

“Yeah, but so can most manipulators. It is rare to have someone who can only do white.”

“Well, that was nice of you to help Eiko.” She waved me out of the bathroom. “Sit on the bed, and I’ll take a look at you.”

I did so, still rubbing my forehead. She started to check me over as Watt walked behind me.

“You seem to be okay.” She lifted my chin. “I don’t sense any internal distress.” She thought for a moment. “None, actually. That’s so strange. Your energy feels balanced. It's not even fighting me as much.”

Watt touched my back. I jerked forward when I felt his cold fingers and toppled onto the ground, startling Hellana. She clasped her chest as I crawled across the floor to the bookshelf and used it to stand.

“You both need to leave,” I stated, staring at the wall behind the books.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” she asked.

“I want you to leave,” I said firmly.

Watt motioned toward the door. “I think we should go.”

“Let me know if you need anything,” she said on the way to the door.

“Do you want to get a coffee with me?” asked Watt. “I’d like to talk to you.”

“Sure,” said Hellana, sounding a little skeptical. “I’d like to know more about these white tattoos.”

The door shut, and I fell into the beanbag in the corner. My tattoos were flashing blue. I hid my face behind my hands. Why didn’t people understand that I wanted to be alone? They should believe me when I say I’m fine and get out of my room. The peace returned as I started to calm down. I rubbed the spot where the white tattoo was located. I did like Watt’s seals a hundred times better than whatever Astrid did to me.

His touch was different. Astrid only brought pain and caused pain. His—I reached behind me and touched the spot where his fingers had brushed my spine. Something was soothing about it. The sensation of peace also lingered.

I pressed my ear to the wall. I could hear them next door. By Hellana’s tone, I think she was also skeptical of this new person. Maybe she also noticed he didn’t have any tattoos. He might be nicer than Astrid, but that could be an act. Astrid was nice in the beginning, and she had gotten meaner over the years.

They left Hellana’s room, and I heard a door close. I moved away from the wall and let out a deep breath. I stood and crept to the door. I pressed my ear against it but didn’t hear anything. Slipping to the bathroom, I gathered my hair and examined my forehead. I’d have to get used to seeing so much of my skin, but it was a change that I didn’t mind.