Chapter 2: The Abyss Within
He blinked a few times, and the room gradually came into focus. This wasn't just any hospital room—he recognized it. He'd been here before. His mother worked in this part of the hospital, often talking about the patients she cared for. Eli realized he was in the same bed that an elderly woman he knew used to stay in. Mrs. Clara, he remembered. She had always been kind to him, sharing stories when his mother was working late.
She had moved away to a country called "Paranice" just last week to be with her husband, who Eli had never met but heard about often. He missed her already. She had said it was important to spend time with the people you love, especially when you miss them. He smiled faintly at the memory but was quickly distracted by something else.
On the small table beside him sat the toy robot—the one from before.
The moment he touched it, the screen appeared again, floating in front of him as if it were projected by his own mind:
Item: Toy Robot
Durability: 2/10
Attack: 1/1
Description: A robot toy. Brings joy to children.
His eyes widened as he saw the change. The durability and attack had both increased since the last time, though he didn't remember doing anything to the toy while he was unconscious. What was this? He had always known he was different, but this... this was something entirely new.
Eli's mind raced back to when he first realized he wasn't like other kids. When he was four, he could see through walls. At first, it was fun—he could always find the TV remote when it went missing, no matter where it was hiding. His mother had called him her "little detective," laughing as he effortlessly retrieved it from under couch cushions or behind shelves.
"I can trust you to find anything," she would say, and she was right.
And then there was the other thing. The more unsettling power. Eli didn't just see the sharpness of a knife—he could feel it. He could feel the texture of things just by being near them, the pain hidden in objects or the emotions embedded in them. His father, always quick to make light of things, used to laugh and say, "Hey, it's cool that your brain makes you think you can taste sharpness. It means you're special." But deep down, Eli knew it wasn't just his brain playing tricks on him. He was feeling those things, whether anyone believed him or not.
But this new thing—this ability to change his toy—was different from all that. It was more than just feeling or sensing. For the first time, Eli's powers had affected something outside of himself. He had leveled up his toy, as if it were part of some strange game.
Curiosity mixed with fear bubbled inside him. He was nervous about trying again, especially after the hospital scare, but the urge to know more was too strong to resist.
He stared at the screen for a moment, thinking. His parents had been so worried, and he could still hear their voices from earlier, filled with concern. But they weren't here now. It was just him and the toy. What if he tried again? Would the same thing happen? Would he pass out again?
He felt the familiar pull of curiosity gnawing at him. He couldn't help it.
Closing his eyes, Eli tried to remember how it felt before—the strange sense of pouring himself into the toy, like filling up an empty bucket. He tried to focus on that feeling, the moment when he got lost in playing and something inside him started to flow.
At first, nothing happened. He opened his eyes slightly, peeking at the toy, but it remained the same—motionless, dull. He frowned, concentrating harder this time. He searched for that feeling again, letting his thoughts drift back to when he had first upgraded the toy. And then, suddenly, he found it.
The bucket was there again—inside him, empty and waiting to be filled.
This time, Eli felt himself pour into it, the energy flowing naturally, as if part of him was slipping into the toy. His body began to hum with warmth, and a sense of bliss washed over him, like he was filling up a void he hadn't known was there. It was exhilarating, making him feel powerful and light all at once.
But then, just as quickly, something changed. The warmth faded, replaced by a sinking feeling. It was as if the bucket had no bottom, an abyss where his energy was being swallowed up endlessly. Panic flickered in his mind as the toy started to glow, but the glow was faint, flickering like a weak lightbulb struggling to stay on.
His body began to tremble. He was losing control. His breath came quicker, his heart pounding in his chest. He tried to stop, but it was like trying to stop a waterfall after it had already started flowing.
"Come on," he whispered to himself. "Just stop."
He fought to pull himself back, to cut off the energy flow, but it was like the toy was demanding more. The abyss in the bucket felt endless. The tipping point had passed, and he was powerless to stop it now.
A second later, the screen reappeared before him:
Item: Toy Robot
Level: 2
Durability: 3/10
Attack: 1/1
Eli let out a shaky breath, staring at the words in disbelief. It had worked. He had done it again. But the feeling in his body told him it wasn't something he could do often. The process left him drained, like part of him had been poured into the toy and wasn't coming back. It felt like an abyss that had nearly swallowed him whole.
For a moment, Eli just lay there, breathing deeply and trying to calm his racing heart. He could still feel the emptiness inside him, the hollow space where his energy had been. His limbs felt heavy, and the headache that had faded earlier was now back with a vengeance. His mind raced with questions.
What was this power? Why did it drain him so much? Could he control it?
He was starting to understand why his parents were so worried. This wasn't just some fun, harmless game. There was a cost to this ability—a cost that his body was paying.
Eli reached for the toy again, but this time, he hesitated. Maybe he shouldn't push his luck anymore today. His parents would be back soon, and they'd know if something was wrong. He gently placed the toy back on the table and leaned back against the pillows, closing his eyes.
There would be time to figure all of this out later. But for now, he needed to rest.
As he drifted back into sleep, one last thought lingered in his mind.
He wasn't just seeing things anymore. He was changing them.