What was he saying? More intrigued, Mara wrote on her pad: ‘What do you mean by not the most famous colour? And who are these elders?’

His excitement was obvious now. ‘The elders are my teachers. Well, of all the seven colours, they consider the White the weakest. But really, I think it’s the strongest. When you think about it, how can one become strong without being able to heal?’

Mara shrugged and shook her head at a loss. The boy caught himself. Perhaps thinking he had said too much. ‘Aah... Well, it’s a sort of magic school back where I’m from. We call them Colours. We’re all training to master the colours properly.’

Mara still did not follow. The strange boy smiled and raised his hand. This time, he brought more smoke to life, more colours. First, there was the black. Then the green, yellow, blue, and white. All five colours danced and mingled in his hand, one trying to overpower the other. The shapes changed and soon became like small fireworks shooting up from his hand and dissolving above their heads. Mara was transfixed; a new-born seeing the world for the first time. The boy called them colours. They seemed so much more than that. They had life and light in them and they moved and reacted to his every command.

Emboldened and grinning, he made the colours grow in his hand. The small fireworks got taller, wider and twirled within each other. At one point, they took the shape of falling waterfalls, or they split up into separate shooting beams that took the shape of a lion or a whale, and finally they became these brilliant stars, being juggled. He reached for the green star and gently placed it in her hand. Mara shook with trepidation, as if she held something fragile and ready to break. The boy’s hand hovered under hers as he observed her just as carefully as she observed his mesmerising magic trick. When his hand touched hers, warmth spread all over her and she was instantly at ease. When she searched his face, she realised his eyes had changed into the same luminous green they both held. 

Before she could ask, there was a fiery sparkle and the star in their hand boiled out of shape. Before any of them understood what was happening, a quick electrifying shock blasted their hands apart, and the colours faded. It was only a minor shock, but it was strong enough to startle them both.

‘Oh… that’s new.’ He said with a perplexed smile.

Mara observed her own hand. It only tingled. At first glance, nothing had changed.

‘Are you hurt?’ — He asked, and she shook her head. He also observed his hand, sat next to her and said, — ‘I’m sorry, that wasn’t meant to happen. I’m still a trainee. I think I was trying to show off too much.’

He sounded embarrassed, yet her only thought was how any of this was possible. Magic?! If she used the notepad again, he would resume his previous interrogation of her not speaking. Her curiosity, however, was now bigger than her fears. With a timid look, she voiced: ‘How… is this possible?’

The repulsion she waited for didn't come. Instead, what seemed like a genuine smile coloured his fair face. ‘That is a top-level secret. We’ll see if I might share it with you one day.’

He brought the white again and, like he had done with her chin, he pressed it to her other wounds. When he was done, the two sat in silent contemplation.

‘That… was incredible.’ She finally said with a hesitant, yet bewildered, smile. Part of her was still bracing for what he would say of her voice.

‘So you can smile!’ The boy chuckled.

She quickly caught herself, but he cheered on. ‘It was a great show. Next time, I’ll do a rainbow.’

‘Next… time?’ She cocked her head slightly.

‘Yes, next time. I’ll come visit again.’ He grinned. It seemed so easy for him to smile like that.

A moment of silence followed. For the first time, the boy seemed like he didn’t know how to proceed. Mara resorted to writing. ‘Do you not find my voice strange?’

‘Not at all. I think you sound like you should sound. I like it. You should use it more. It must be hard having to write everything down. Maybe one day I’ll teach you how to mind-talk!’

 This caught her off guard. Besides her family, no one had ever encouraged her to use her voice, let alone appreciate it. Indeed, he was a strange boy. ‘Back there, with those kids, what did you do to them?’

He looked at her, as if seeing something only he could see. Finally, he grabbed her notepad and wrote, ‘It’s late. I’ll walk you home.’ And then he stood up.

Mara wrote again, fast. ‘Will you at least tell me your name?’

His smile broadened. ‘Oh, I didn’t say? You can call me Louis. I know yours, Mara. I can call you that, right?’ With that, he extended his hand to her.

She hesitated. Under any other circumstances, alarm bells would go off since she was certain that she had never shared her name with him. Still, after what she had witnessed, should it surprise her? She knew nothing of him besides his name, but he had done nothing but look out for her all evening. If she wanted to find out more and see those colours again, she would have to be patient. For now, she would trust him. 

Her hand reached for his and she let him lead the way once again.