Chapter 9: The Boy Who Said He Was Eighteen
Sayu was seven years older than him.
When they tried to undress the boy to check his injuries, they found no buttons or ties—nothing to open it by. Not knowing how to take it off properly, Dominic reluctantly took a knife and carefully cut the clothing open. Beneath the torn fabric was a thin inner layer, which they also removed. That revealed pale, white skin.
Dominic told Sayu about the broken bones, and Sayu began calmly and efficiently wrapping the boy’s torso in firm, binding bandages to stabilize him.
While watching the healer work, Dominic suddenly felt uncomfortable seeing someone else touch the boy. It caught him by surprise. He didn’t understand it, but he didn’t want the boy’s bare skin to be exposed in front other people, even for medical treatment. That thought annoyed him.
When the boy’s upper body was finally covered in bandages, Dominic felt strangely relieved.
He explained to Sayu what had happened—how he had healed the boy.
Sayu was visibly surprised. After thinking for a moment, he spoke in a calm, thoughtful tone.
"It might be that your magical compatibility matched perfectly. It’s rare, but sometimes two people have such closely aligned energy and traits that they connect completely. I’ve heard of it happening—just once in a lifetime. They say there’s only one such person for each of us."
"Matched... compatibility?" Dominic asked.
"Yes," Sayu said. "A one-of-a-kind bond. A person who fits you and no one else."