“Oh? The one adapted from the anime?” I ask. I've never watched the anime or read the manga but I've seen the movie. It's been awhile so I'm a little fuzzy on it but I do remember one line.

“It's only a scratch,” when the leads dragging his arm behind him unseen. That got a chuckle out of me when I saw it.

“Which have you seen?”

“Yeah, it’s BADASS!”

“So the movie then?” I watched so many movies throughout the years that it's hard to keep track of them all. They were my escape from all that darkness.

“First day? Or did you transfer in?” My attendance in this class could be better, I rather be at the beach today but since I missed yesterday I wasn't about to cut class twice in a row.

“First day! Also...Any gossip?”

“First day?” I repeat more to myself. Though as she asks about gossip I can't resist. Leaning in closer and dropping my voice to a whisper I glance to the left and right as if checking that no one is listening despite the conversation being in Japanese.

“I see dead people.” I quote the Seventh Sense the3n grin. Shaking my head slightly I add more seriously. “Actually I see Mushi, these spirit things in another reality. Various creatures and beings. But a big secret, most of the girls won't tell you or even believe it … nah, you wouldn't believe it either. Only those in the know do and you certainly don't want to be in the know.”

“I WANNA BE IN THE KNOW!”

I consider for a moment. “OK but you won't believe it. Some of the Mushi have crossed over somehow. I haven't found out how they're managing it. I've encountered plenty of them and each one has been hostile to one degree or another.”

“EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH?”

“Told you. Unbelievable stuff. Not many of the others know about them. I don't know if it's because I could always see them or not. Could be that the ones that can see them get targeted. I'm not sure, I haven't held a survey as to who can and can't see them.”

I sigh. “It took me several years to discover that not everyone can see the Mushi. I assumed for the longest time people could see them and didn't react to them, I certainly didn't unless they were behaving oddly. Until I got here though they ignored people and couldn't interact with them or so I assumed. Here it's a different story.”

“You’re so cool!”

That takes me by surprise. I didn't care if she laughed me off, I really didn't care what others thought of me outside Doctor Saladin. My early years were a disaster too so I'm use to really bad stuff and coping with it. For that reason the island hasn't been as traumatic too me. Given that I've always seen the Mushi bizarre things are something I've come to terms with a long time ago.

“Really? Some girls have magical abilities I hear. Way more impressive than just perceiving things that most others can't. At least I haven't run across anyone with similar abilities. But that's the extent of my talent and for a long time I didn't think it was anything special.”

“I used to have powers!”

“Use to?” I wonder what would cause them to end. There is a chance she's pulling my leg too after hearing my casual explanation of my abilities. “What were they? Could be useful having them here with the Mushi and all.”

“I don’t have powers anymore..

I have no idea about the inhibitors on the island and that they limit power. My abilities are fairly minor and offer no advantage in a combat scenario. While I can see the Mushi one that attempts to hide can still be hidden from me. I can't see through objects after all and have no feeling when they're around so those I see are out in the open.

Bigger into science than magic I never tracked down any of the rumors. Clearly there are some who still have some powers that can barely use them here for one reason or another. I surmised that whatever rift the Mushi use to cross over to our dimension saps this mystical connection or interferes with it in some way.

“What could you do?” I ask. “Chances are that they are only dormant. I don't know much about the magical arts but I think it has to do with ley lines or something. A rift in dimensions maybe. I've been looking for a source but still haven't found one. The closet I came I encountered two Mushi, one being a dragon that focused on a student that was with me at the time. At least it appeared to be a dragon ...”