"W-What?" I stutter, letting go of the hilt and stepping back.
Vincent is still standing there, eyes wide.
When I let go, the sword melts into a viscous silver liquid that I can't help but feel like I've seen before.
Karla belatedly rushes over, it seems she was just as caught off guard as we were.
"Morgan are you alright?!" She sounds very worried, though I don't think I'm the person she should be worried about.
"I'm fine, only confused at what just happened. Vincent are you alright?"
Vincent shakes the silver liquid off his hand, and looks back at me.
"Yes there is nothing to worry about. Morgan do you feel anything strange?"
"No I..." I pause for a moment. "Actually I do feel a little different."
"What does it feel like." Vincent seems insistent.
"Um... it feels like pressure all across my body. Sort of like I'm underwater."
"I see." Vincent looks to Karla, whose attention is entirely on the silver puddle on the ground. He turns back to me.
"It would seem that you've awakened to your Magic."
My eyes widen, and I look down to my hand.
"When you swung that sword, a large Mana fluctuation occurred around you. I'm sure Karla noticed as well."
At the mention of her name, Karla's attention flips back to us.
"Ah! No I didn't notice, to me it just looked like a blade formed out of his hand."
Vincent's eyes narrow so briefly that if I wasn't paying close enough attention I would think I imagined it.
"Well either way, I think that confirms it." He points down to the puddle on the ground.
The silver fluid is slowly evaporating into a barely visible blue mist, which then disperses. I remember from 'Will Given Form' that concentrated Magic Power appears blue, essentially confirming Vincent's theory
Vincent doesn't take his eyes off me, as if deep in thought. After a moment, he speaks.
"I think I've figured out the essence of your magic."
"You've what?" I look up at him with surprise.
"It seems very simple. You create that fluid, which then forms into whatever you desire. In this case it turned into a sword."
... I can't say he's wrong, though it still somehow feels disappointing he analyzed my Magic from one experience. Maybe I wished it would be more complex.
"Let's have this be the end for today." Vincent says as he picks up his discarded blade and places it on the rack nearby.
"Shouldn't we keep an eye on this? Just in case it's dangerous?"
"As long as you don't intentionally hurt yourself, it should be fine. In fact, for the rest of the day... no, for the rest of the week I'd like you to only do basic conditioning in the morning and night. Spend the rest of the time experimenting with your new abilities."
"... And how would I go about doing that?"
Vincent pauses for a moment.
"That's for you to figure out. I expect you to present what you can to me by Monday."
With that, he departs.
"For something this important, Vincent seems oddly calm."
"You also seem very calm." Karla points out.
"Hmm... I guess I am. I think I'm too exhausted to feel much about it. It'll probably sink in later today." I look down at my subtly shaking hands. Even lifting them is becoming more difficult as the adrenaline is wearing off.
"Ah, I see. Well then, I will escort you back to your room so that you may rest." She says, as if reading my mind.
"Yes, thank you."
We walk out of the training ground, and I think about this new development.
It seems the book was right that I was close to awakening. Vincent was mostly unconcerned, even telling me to mess around with it. Like he said, it shouldn't be dangerous as long as I'm careful, so I guess I should trust him.
Before I realize it, we arrive at my room.
"I will prepare dinner in a few hours, and send someone to retrieve you when it is done." Karla says, opening the door and gesturing for me to enter.
"Thank you Karla, I appreciate it."
She nods as I enter, then closes the door behind me.
I stumble over to my bed and flop down onto it, exhaustion overtaking me.
Ah damn it, I'm so sweaty...
I promptly pass out.
* * * * * * *
A heart beats like thunder, just out of sight.
* * * * * * *
I wake up in the exact same position I fell on the bed in.
I attempt push off the bed, but promptly collapse back down. My arms are weak and sore. In fact my whole body is.
I've not exerted myself that much in years...
...
"AAAAAAAH!!!! I AWAKENED!!!!!!!!! Ack!! Khoff, coff, coff!" I shout then fall into a short coughing fit. Quickly realizing what I just did, I try to regain my composure.
*Slam*
"Morgan are you okay?!" Karla bursts into the room at breakneck speed.
"Yes, coff, yes I'm fine. I just woke up, and everything sunk in like I said it would." I respond with a dry smile.
"Ah. Ah, I see. Then I'll leave you to it." She seems slightly embarrassed, but smiles back and departs.
Once again by myself, I bury my face in my bed and kick my legs like a little kid.
I'd been building excitement for my this ever since I learned about concepts in 'Will Given Form'.
Everything in the past month has led up to now. I want to find out how this works as soon as possible.
Vincent gave me until next Monday to present him with some sort of results, and its Tuesday now so I have just over 5 days.
I try to remember what the book said.
'Your concept will help you, you need only exert your will. The Magic Power should respond.'
It seemed simple enough when I read it, but reality is much different.
How am I supposed to 'exert my will'. Do I just think really hard?
No reason not to try. I think about the sword that I made earlier.
Nothing happens. I guess just thinking isn't enough.
Maybe... maybe I just need to really want it.
I flip over onto my back, and reach out with my right hand.
I attempt to 'will' the sword into my hand.
...
...
...
And nothi-
Right as I'm about to give up, I feel a strange sensation on my arm. It's as if something is trying to escape.
Like a balloon popping, silver fluid bursts out of my forearm and flows up to my hand. It's cool on my skin and like nothing I've ever felt before, but somehow it feels like it belongs. It feels like a limb I've never been able to move, now released to do as I please.
It lengthens into the general shape of the training sword from earlier, but not nearly as defined. It seems more like a bat than a sword.
The only thing that comes to mind is,
"Awesome..." I mutter aloud.
I should give it a name.
It seems to turn into whatever I want it to... or it probably will when I try to make it into something other than a sword.
With that thought I try to change it into something else. Why not something simple, like a plate.
It shivers and shrinks in on itself, curving and flattening into disk. A plate.
In that moment, I recall a creature I read about years ago. A creature that would often hide as a chest or a door in ancient ruins, but could turn into any sort of object that it pleased.
I'll call this... Mimicry.