As instructed, Lukas began to walk at a steady pace around Bene as he counted.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12- NOW!"
"Tor"
He fell back through time, and when he arrived in the past, Bene noticed something different about Lukas. He stopped his counting at around 7 and studied Lukas for a moment.
"Did you just use your Frequency?"
"How did you know?"
"Just now your aura changed, and I had a strong suspicion that its change was linked to your Frequency. It seemed I was correct."
Lukas, however, was confused.
"How did it change?"
"Normally the aura around someone either surrounds them or just a specific part of them; Usually the part of them that activates the Frequency. My aura, for example, completely surrounds me with roughly 2-3 centimetres of space, since my Frequency is activated on touch. Yours, however, trails behind you by about 5 seconds. It looks like a sphere that would normally envelop you, but it lags and there is a... tether, between you and your aura."
"But how did it change?"
"When I counted to seven, it suddenly snapped to you, overlapping onto you. That, in addition to a slight change in your demeanour and movement, I could tell you had used your Frequency. If I was not informed, however, I would not know you used it."
Bene sighed.
"Follow me, let's go back to the fire."
Once they were at the fire, Bene sat cross-legged on the ground with a contemplative expression on his face.
"Never in my life have I heard of or seen a Frequency similar to yours. The ability to manipulate an unseen constant is a... frightening prospect. However, it does not seem to be causing any issues, and you have a good grasp on it for now. Perhaps... that theory could be true... blessings of power... is there one for time?"
As Bene continued to speak, it slowly devolved into mumbling directed at no one but himself. Lukas only heard snippets of his rambling and didn't have the context for what Bene was referring to. When Bene snapped out of his trance he remembered what he was going to tell Lukas.
"For today, you should try to experiment with your Frequency. See what its limits are, and how you could implement it into yourself. Perhaps you could use it while fighting someone. Just don't overdo it. We don't know what the drawback of your power is, if any."
"Drawback?"
Bene looked at Lukas with a concerned look in his eyes and a furrowed brow.
"Did you assume there would not be a flaw to having such a power?"
Lukas tried to defend himself but stumbled over his words and sighed in a defeated and deflated tone.
"...yeah..."
Bene put a hand to his face and slowly dragged it down, inhaled deeply and began to explain.
"Every Frequency requires something to be used. Most will require intense concentration and a constant supply of energy. Some Frequencies, especially the more powerful or volatile ones, also have a drawback or flaw. Sometimes this is due to the power of the ability, as a great balancing act, a way to ensure one individual is not too powerful. Other times it is not necessarily a flaw, but rather just an innate function of the Frequency. It may be viewed as a drawback or flaw, but in reality, it is just how the ability itself functions. I do not know why this is the case, just that it is. Some believe that Frequencies are a power given to mortals by the gods, and these drawbacks or flaws are a way to limit a mortal's power. Others believe that it is just the way of nature. That all things will be balanced out on a global level."
"What do you believe?"
Bene thought for a moment.
"I believe that everything is fated to happen. A Frequency is the extension of one's soul. So if someone were fated to do something, their Frequency would give them the tools to achieve that. While their innate flaws would keep them from staying too far from their destined path."
Lukas thought for a bit.
"What is your drawback?"
"Whenever I make something colder or freeze it, I take all of the heat from it. The heat has to go somewhere, so I must vent it by exhaling all of the built-up steam from the transfer of heat. Otherwise... well, that heat will stay trapped within me."
Lukas thought back to yesterday when he first awakened to his Frequency. He didn't know what his Frequency did, and accidentally used it twice in fairly quick succession. After that, he collapsed.
But, he already used his Frequency twice today, and he didn't really feel that tired. It was like he had already done his running and was about to jump in the pond.
But then, why did he collapse? What was he doing now that was different to then?
'Wait... what was I thinking?'
He was thinking about what the difference could be between the two days.
'No, wait, was it before that? Yesterday... I did use it twice...'
Bene was walking back to the cabin to grab something when Lukas called out to him.
"Bene! I think I know what my drawback is."
"Did you just use your Frequency and find out?"
"No. But yesterday, I used it twice really close together, and then I passed out. I think it might be that I can't use it too often. I think that's right. Maybe? I'm not sure."
"But you don't know how often it has to be used in order for it to drain you of your energy?"
Lukas shook his head, and Bene continued.
"Then you should be cautious. At some point, we should test it to make sure when you can and cannot use your Frequency. But for now, assume it to be a minute. Because both activations of your Frequency today were only a few minutes apart."