“Show them, show them, too. I told them all about your trick.”

“I want to see!”

“I can’t see! Move, I want to see.”

“We want to see too!”

The children gathered around as I held my hands. The blue light jumped from one finger to the other as it boiled in my palm. None of the other kids would do a trick cooler than mine. I could make blue light.

“Wow,” they all replied.

I grinned at them, feeling rather proud of myself for being the only one able to do it. All the kids wanted to be my friends because I had magic. No one else had magic; it was just me.

“Does it hurt?” A girl reached out to touch it.

I closed my hand and turned away. “My brother says it shocks you.”

She snatched back her hand. “Wow, that’s so cool!”

“I’d shock my older brother all the time!” yelled one boy.

“Me, too. My sister is so mean. I’d zap her.”

I smiled to myself. Taro would find a way to get back at me if I zapped him, but it was fun to think I had a way to threaten my brother when he tackled me. I doubt I’d actually do it—I’d probably get in trouble.

They laughed about zapping people as I scratched at my palm. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I just like the color. It was a pretty light shade of blue. The bell rang, and the kids started heading for the doors. I sat in the grass and zapped a blade of grass with the blue light. It turned black and began to shrivel up. Putting my hands in my lap, I frowned. Last time I did that, the grass hadn’t died.

“Recess is over!” yelled the teacher. “Come on, kids, everyone inside.”

As I stood, I pressed my hand into the grass and felt a strange tingling sensation travel along my arm. The ground turned black. I backed away from the spot as the scorched mark started to grow. The few remaining children began to scream as it got bigger and bigger. I moved onto the gravel under the swings and stared. It kept growing. Holding out my hands, I watched the blue light flicker. I touched a finger to my arm but felt nothing. It didn’t hurt me. Trying again and again, I waited for it to hurt. It hurt everything else but not me.

“Eiko.”

I peered up at the principal. “Do you mind coming to the office with me?”

“I didn’t mean to.” I felt my eyes start to water.

The grass was ruined. He was probably going to call my parents, and I was going to get in trouble. I should have listened to my brother when he said not to show anyone.

“I didn't,” I exclaimed. “I just touched it. The other kids touched it, too, but I—” I stared at the black patch as tears started to fall. “Am I in trouble? I can try to fix it. I can,” I begged. “I can touch it again, and maybe it’ll fix it.” I wiped my face.

The principal smiled and touched my shoulder. “Your parents are going to come and get you.”

“My mom’s at work.” I used my shirt to clear my eyes.

“Your father, then.”

“He can’t.” I bowed my head. “He’s a long way away at war. Mom says he can’t come home for a few months.”

“It’s alright, Eiko. We’ll call your mom, and they’ll let her off work. You can wait for her in the office.”

Nodding, I took a deep breath to calm down and went with her to the front of the school. “I’ll fix the grass. I don’t know how yet, but I will.”

“That’s sweet of you.” She kept her eyes pointed down the hall.

We arrived, and she sat me on a bench.

“Wait here.” She forced a smile.

I climbed onto the bench and sat cross-legged. My mom was going to be mad. My brother said not to tell her about the blue light because she’d get scared. It was supposed to be our secret, but I wanted to show it to my friends. They told everyone, so I had to show the others, too. Was it a bad thing? Was I going to die?

I used my jacket to wipe my nose. I hope my brother didn’t come with my mom. He said crying was pointless because when we grew up, we had to go to war, like Dad. Crying would be a waste, so I needed to stop doing it, or people would think I was weak.

Slumping over, I let out a sigh. Waiting for my mom was taking forever. I lay down across the bench and ran my finger along the metal pattern. My eyes started to close. I hoped my mom wouldn’t be too mad and that she didn’t tell my dad. He’d be super angry that I killed the grass. He got mad about everything.

Footsteps sounded down the hall. I rubbed my eyes and sat up to see men in army uniforms. The Northern Pagora symbol was on their chest. They called my dad. Did he come all the way here? Is that why it took so long? I was scared but also excited that he might be here!

Hopping off the bench, I searched the men’s faces. “Is my dad here? Where…” I couldn’t find him.

One soldier looked toward the principal. “This is him?”

She nodded. “I can take you to see the playground. Half of the grass was killed. We turned on the sprinklers in hopes that it might stop.”

“Go and take a look at it,” said the soldier wearing a different hat than the others.

“Is my dad here?” I asked. “They said I could go home. I’m sorry about…” My eyes were starting to burn. Did I have to go to jail?

The man with the different hat knelt. “Your dad is a soldier?”

I nodded and cleared my eyes with the neck of my shirt. “Yeah, he has a suit like yours.”

“What’s your name?”

“Eiko.”

“What’s your last name, Eiko?”

I shook my head. “I can’t tell people that I don’t know. Mom says she has to do it.”

“She is a very smart woman, but I’m like your dad—a soldier. So, you can tell me.”

“Shields,” I whispered.

“Eiko Shields?”

I nodded, chewing on my fingernails. My mom would probably be madder than I told a stranger my name than about the grass.

A soldier behind him took out his phone and called someone.

“Does your dad look like you?”

I watched the man on the phone. “No. He’s cauca— and I’m not.”

“Caucasian?”

I nodded. “My mom and brother are Asian like me. My mom is from the coast, and my dad is from the mountains.”

“Well, that makes sense.”

“But we’re all Northern Pagora,” I said proudly. “My dad is a warrior, like you. He went to war so Pagora can become one again, just like my teacher said.”

“I’m sure he is a great warrior. Do you have a brother?”

I nodded. “Taro, he’s older.”

The man stood and turned to the others. “Check into the brother and mother.” He pointed at one of his men. “The father would have to pass a medical exam. Find which Shields is the boy’s father and have him and the mother come to my office. The older brother will need to undergo testing.” He turned to leave.

Letting out a deep breath, I started to get scared. “Where’s my dad?”

The man stepped to the side and waved his arm. “Astrid, he’s all yours.”

A woman walked through the group. She wore all black with curly, long, dark brown hair. She didn’t look like the warriors. She looked like some of the scary people on the streets my mom said not to go near.

“Hello, Eiko.” She smiled at me and knelt. “I hear you have a talent.”

I showed her my hand. The men jumped back when they saw the blue sparks.

“I can shock people,” I said, closing my hands. “Never on purpose. I shocked my brother once, though. But I’ll never do it again.”

“You can do far more than that,” she said, touching my arm. “You’ve had a long day. Would you like to take a nap?”

Shaking my head, I leaned away and felt her hold tighten. “I did, on the bench. They made me wait here.”

“This one will be even better. You’ll wake up completely refreshed.” She pressed her finger to my forehead, and I felt a spark.

I slapped her hand away. “No! No, I want my mom.” I clenched my fist as the tears began to fall. The blue sparks started to explode from my hands. “I want my mom!”

“Everyone get back!” yelled Astrid.

The sparks turned to blue flames that spread along the carpet.

“I want to go home!” I rubbed my eyes as I cried. “I want my mom.”

“Amazing,” breathed Astrid. “He’s simply amazing.”