Chapter 4: The Power of Distance
Tau burst into his small apartment, adrenaline still pumping from his earlier encounter with the bear and his talk with Abel Certi. He couldn't believe it—he actually had a Jewel, a real, glowing ring on his finger! And even better, he was on his way to becoming a Kai Worker.
But before he could step into that dangerous world, he had to figure out exactly what his ability was.
He locked the door, threw his jacket onto the couch, and stood in the middle of his room. The ring on his finger shimmered faintly, as if taunting him.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, rolling up his sleeves. "Let's figure this out."
He scanned the room, his eyes landing on a chair in the corner. It wasn't anything special—just an old wooden chair he barely used.
"Okay, chair," Tau said, pointing at it. "Let's see what you've got for me."
He stretched his arm forward, like he had seen in movies, and yelled, "Move!"
The chair didn't budge.
"Alright, maybe I'm going about this wrong," Tau said, rubbing his chin. He tried again, this time saying random words like "Fly," "Shift," and "Closer." Still, nothing happened.
After a good ten minutes of shouting and gesturing, he sighed in frustration and plopped down on his bed. "What am I even doing?" he grumbled.
But he wasn't the type to give up easily. He stood up again and faced the chair, this time trying to calm his racing thoughts.
"Focus, Tau," he whispered. He stared at the chair, willing something—anything—to happen. "Distance," he muttered under his breath, almost as a joke.
And then it happened.
The chair, which had been several feet away, suddenly appeared right in front of him as if it had teleported. Tau stumbled back in shock, his heart pounding.
"What the—?" he exclaimed, looking at the chair and then at his ring.
He reached out hesitantly and touched the chair. It was real, solid, and unmistakably the same chair that had been across the room a moment ago.
"Distance," he repeated, testing the word. Nothing happened this time, but he didn't care. He grinned from ear to ear, his excitement bubbling over.
"This is it!" he shouted, punching the air. "My ability—'Distance'! That's what I'll call it!"
He spent the next hour experimenting with the chair and other objects in his room, trying to bring them closer or push them farther away. Sometimes it worked, but other times it didn't, leaving him frustrated and exhausted.
By the time he collapsed onto his bed, his body felt heavy, and his eyelids drooped. He drifted off to sleep almost immediately.
In his dream, the woman appeared again. She was a silhouette against a backdrop of shifting shadows, her features obscured. Yet, there was something familiar about her presence, something almost comforting.
She extended her hand toward him, her voice soft and hesitant. "Is it enough?" she asked, her tone a strange mix of childlike innocence and the maturity of an adult.
Tau tried to respond, but his voice caught in his throat. He reached out to her, but before their hands could touch, he jolted awake.
---
The morning light streamed through his window, and Tau groaned as he sat up. The dream lingered in his mind, her voice echoing in his ears.
"Is it enough?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "What the hell does that even mean?"
Shaking his head, he pushed himself out of bed and headed for the shower. As the warm water cascaded over him, he tried to process everything that had happened over the past day. The bear, the ring, the dream—it all felt surreal.
After getting dressed, he grabbed a piece of toast and mumbled to himself as he recalled the directions Abel had given him.
"Left at the corner store, straight past the park, and then… the big modernized building," he said, nodding to himself.
He stepped outside and began walking, his excitement growing with each step.
The Kai Worker headquarters was exactly as Abel had described—a sleek, modern building that stood out from its surroundings. It wasn't particularly crowded, which made sense; not many people were brave enough to take on the dangerous job of fighting Karoriens.
Tau walked inside, his shoes clicking against the polished floor. The receptionist barely glanced at him as she directed him to the waiting area.
Before long, his name was called, and his heart raced as he stood up and walked into the interview room.
Sitting behind a desk was a tall woman with sharp features and piercing blue eyes. Her presence was commanding, yet her expression was kind.
"Good afternoon," she said, offering him a small smile. "I'm Hail, and I'll be conducting your interview today. Please, have a seat."
Tau sat down, trying to calm his nerves.
"Let's start with the basics," Hail said, picking up a clipboard. "Name?"
"Tau… uh, Tau Rellian," he stammered.
"Age?"
"Twenty-one."
"Alright, Tau," Hail said, setting the clipboard aside. "Do you have a Jewel?"
Tau nodded, lifting his hand to show her the glowing ring.
"What's your ability?" she asked, leaning forward slightly.
Tau hesitated for a moment before replying. "It's called… Distance," he said, his voice tinged with nervousness.
Hail raised an eyebrow. "Distance? Can you explain what it does?"
"Yeah," Tau said, taking a deep breath. "I can lower or increase the distance between myself and an object—or a person. For example, if someone's ten meters away, I can make it three meters. Or… farther."
Hail nodded thoughtfully, jotting something down. "Interesting. That's quite a versatile ability."
Tau felt a surge of pride at her words, though he tried to hide it.
"Alright," Hail said, standing up. "You're going to room 23. Someone will meet you there to discuss the next steps."
"Thank you," Tau said, standing up and heading toward the designated room.
Room 23 was a plain, undecorated space with nothing but a single chair and a large man standing in the center. The man was massive—easily 6'6" with bulging muscles that strained against his shirt.
As Tau entered, the man turned to him with a wide grin.
"So, you're the new recruit, huh?" the man said, his voice booming.
"Uh, yeah," Tau said, swallowing nervously.
"The name's Cove Vialn," the man said, extending a hand. Tau shook it, his hand nearly swallowed by Cove's massive grip.
"Did Hail approve your ability?" Cove asked.
"Yeah, she nodded after I explained it," Tau replied.
Cove clapped his hands together, his grin widening. "Good! That means you're worth training."
"Training?" Tau echoed.
"That's right," Cove said. "But first, let's talk about what you're up against."
Cove launched into an explanation of the Karoriens—the alien creatures that constantly attacked Earth under the control of the mysterious Karorie. Tau listened intently, his excitement mingled with apprehension.
"And that's why we're here," Cove concluded. "To protect the planet from those bastards."
Tau nodded, his determination solidifying.
"Now," Cove said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what you're made of."