Erica had changed a lot since joining the Chosen Ones. She was a lot better at communicating her thoughts and feelings and she was a lot more comfortable being herself. She met a lot of kind people who she trusted and admired. Her life was generally a lot better in every way. But she still had a problem with overthinking things and it always ended up making her miserable. And the current thing she was thinking too much about was the Sages who were forced to give up their titles. Although they managed to avoid the worst-case scenario of being imprisoned along with the Sages of Taboo in the Grand Temple, she heard they were working in positions far below their status and she felt sorry for them. She felt guilty, too. She thought that maybe if someone else was there to mediate the dispute between Sages, things might have gone differently.

The more she thought about it, the guiltier she felt. So she decided to visit the former Sage of Destruction in his shared temporary office in the recruitment division to try and make things right. He was a Sage, right? She knew she did something bad, but he would understand she was just trying to help... or so she thought.

As it turned out, Erica had nothing to worry about. The leader of the worldly Sages, in all his wisdom, was moving on with his life.

"So what’s happenin’, teach?"
"My resignation is offical now, D-Money. Those so-called holy Sages stripped me of my titles, my honor, but they can't take away my knowledge. They can't take away your potential, or your power. And they can't stop the Chosen Ones from finding a new path forward."

"So you aren't a real Sage no more, huh?"
"Indeed. But I am still your teacher. As such, I have assumed the new title of 'Teacher of Destruction.' Hmph. Let's see those slaves to the ancient ways try to take that title away, next. They have much to answer for..."

D-Money, a handsome young man covered in tattoos and piercings, was one of the many Followers that the Sage of Destruction took under his wing. D-Money was misunderstood by the holy Sages as a vicious and unrepentant criminal when nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, he was a kind and thoughtful individual who was framed for a crime he didn't commit by his wicked father and forced into a life of hiding.

"You still got it, teach! I knew you were feeling down, so I brought you somethin'..."
"No, no... that's quite alright."

The former Sage of Destruction tried to wave off D-Money's gift, but the young man wouldn't take no for an answer. He reached into his bag and brought out a bottle of wine.

"I know you like that fancy stuff... this is premium. Mia Lencioni."
"I do enjoy a good glass of wine. I appreciate it, D-Money. Thank you."

"Yeah. Hang in there, teach. You’ll be making your money again soon."
"Hah. Well, I'm in no rush. For now, I shall devote the whole of my efforts to you and the other young Chosen in my care."

The former Sage smiled proudly and reached into Michael's desk, grabbing two glasses. He set them on the table and poured out a drink for himself and his student.

"To a new beginning."
"Cheers, teach!"

The two men raised their glasses in celebration and clanked them together. D-Money was thrilled to see his teacher in a good mood again. He found the whole situation with the holy Sages deeply unfair. As a matter of fact, he didn't think his teacher did a single thing wrong. If only they'd let the poor old guy have a life instead of treating him like a criminal for enjoying a good glass of fine alcohol now and then...

The two men had a long, amusing conversation about everything that was going wrong with the Chosen Ones before the topic shifted to D-Money's love of dancing. The young man put on some music and showed off a new move he'd been working on which the former Sage found very impressive.

Then, there was a knock at the door. It slowly opened and a tiny woman with dark hair poked her head inside.

"Um... is the Sage of Destruction here?"
"Hmph. The former Sage of Destruction is currently occupied. But if it's you, Erica, I have a few moments to spare."

Erica slid through the door holding a big plate of brownies covered in transparent plastic wrap.

"D-Money, would you mind giving me a moment alone with our guest?"
"Oh... oh yeah. That is cool, teach."

D-Money gave the former Sage a respectful nod and quickly left the room. The old man turned off the music and waved Erica over to the seat across from his.

"To what do I owe this honor?"
"I wanted to see how you were doing... and... um..."

"I am doing splendidly, child. As you can see, the supreme ones have granted me a stay of execution.”
"Y-yeah. That's good. I just wanted to let you to know, um... that I'm sorry about what happened."

"Hmph. You need not apologize for anything. What happened was out of your hands. The holy Sages were determined to humiliate me in one way or another. They couldn't resist making a show of strength. Though they've banned me from the Grand Temple, I will continue to serve the Chosen Ones as I always have.”
"You're not mad?"

The old man shook his head and smiled.

"Not in the least. If it wasn't for you and your dear Miss Planner, I would be locked away far beneath the earth with a Sage of Taboo shackled to my hip. No, no harm has come to me... indeed, now that I have been relieved of the burden of the holy Sages, I am as free as a newborn sprite! If I wasn't confined to this Tower, I would soar across the sky!"
"But... you can't be happy with how things turned out... with... uhhh..."

"Don't worry yourself about this small matter. I gave up my possessions and privileges of my own free will. Such trifles are of little consequence to me now. In any case, I have been blessed with the opportunity to continue sharing my wisdom with the young people of Grandebelle, even if I must do so from the shadows. Thank you for your concern, but let us speak of this no further."
"Y-yes. Of course."

Erica looked down at the plate of brownies in her lap. The tips of her fingers were twitching.

"I sense there is still something troubling you, child."
"I'm... um... that is... I couldn’t possibly bother you... it’s not your problem.”

"Let’s not tiptoe around the issue. Out with it."
"I feel bad asking for help, especially after all this, but... I was wondering if you could help me... with my p-powers..."

"Be at ease, child. I will help you in any way I can."
"It’s getting stronger, and... and... I can't control it... nnngh...”

"Hmmm. Indeed. There is too much of that girl's darkness inside you. If you remain as you are now, you will most likely- no, I dare not say it."
"I... I made a mistake. Now I'm worried I'm going to turn into a Feeder or something... I don't want to be a monster..."

"All children make mistakes. Come here. Let me look at you more closely."
"Y-yes..."