"On my mark," Dr. Ellison says.
Students snap to attention. The TAs spread among you, ready to watch. Manish holds out the ping-pong ball and says, "You first." You nod.
"Get set…"
An upper-class student enters the room and crosses to Dr. Ellison. They whisper together. "I'm afraid I must step out for a moment," Dr. Ellison says. "Nothing serious." To her TAs, she says, "Please continue the exercise."
Dr. Ellison sweeps out of the room, her black suit making her look like a raven in flight. In her place, one of the TAs says, "Begin."
Magic Time
You lift your paper and stare at the black loops and whorls, letting the pattern unfurl in your mind. Magic gathers, the potential energy between dimensions channeled through you.
You stare at the ping-pong ball in Manish's fingers and let the magic lift it.
One second. Two seconds. Three. The ball hangs in mid-air. Manish watches you closely.