The next few days passed in a blur, a haze of uncertainty hanging over Kael. Every time he closed his eyes, he could still feel the strange pull on the fishing line, the weight and resistance that hadn't felt natural. It was a feeling he couldn't shake, no matter how much he tried to distract himself. The water had been calm again since that moment, but Kael wasn't so sure anymore that everything was as it seemed.
His hands had trembled slightly as he gripped the rod, but the real tremor had come when he realized that something he couldn't explain had just happened. He had been certain that something had been summoned, that something had been pulled from thin air into the world, but it was as though the universe itself had been too stubborn to let him grasp what had happened. And now, Kael couldn't let it go.
After a restless night of pacing, sleepless thoughts, and far too much thinking, Kael decided that it was time to figure this out on his own. No more ignoring it. No more pretending that it was some freak accident. He needed to test it, to see if what he had felt was real. If it was, then it wasn't just a coincidence. It wasn't a fluke.
But there was still a part of him that feared it. The unknown, the uncontrollable nature of whatever had happened, sent a shiver down his spine. Kael had never been one to seek power. And yet, here it was, lurking under the surface, waiting for him to understand it. He couldn't afford to act rashly, not after everything that had happened in his life. He had learned the hard way that actions had consequences, and reckless decisions could tear everything apart.
And so, he had to be careful. He had to be sure.
It was late afternoon when Kael decided to test himself for the first time. He had walked through the woods for hours, the trees thick around him, shadows long as the sun sank lower in the sky. He found a small, secluded clearing by a quiet stream—a perfect place where no one would see, where no one could ask questions if things went wrong.
The air felt cooler now, but the wind was gentle, swirling around him with a strange sense of anticipation. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he felt a knot of tension in his stomach. His mind kept looping back to that moment at the river, to that inexplicable feeling of something having been created. But what? He still had no idea. He knew he hadn't done anything consciously, but then… why had it happened?
Kael set down his backpack on the ground and knelt beside the stream, his fingers brushing the cool water as he thought. The feeling was still there, hanging in the back of his mind, like a whispering voice calling him to act. It was a deep, primal urge, one he couldn't ignore any longer.
"I have to know," Kael muttered to himself, clenching his fists.
The clearing was quiet, peaceful. He was alone. Just him, the trees, and the sky. But even in the calm of the moment, Kael felt like a storm was gathering within him, swirling beneath the surface of his skin.
He took a deep breath and knelt at the edge of the stream, his eyes fixed on the water. He reached out, dipping his hand into the cool stream and letting the water flow between his fingers. The peacefulness of the moment was a stark contrast to the growing tension in his chest, but he couldn't afford to second-guess himself now. He had to do this.
Kael closed his eyes, focusing his mind on the water, willing it to respond to him. He could feel the familiar hum in the air around him, but it was different now, sharper. More alive. The air buzzed with energy, a strange sensation he had never felt before. And for the first time, Kael allowed himself to focus on it, really focus on it, without fear.
He reached out, his hand trembling slightly, but his will steady. He could feel the flow of the stream, the way the water moved around the rocks, the way it ebbed and flowed. It was peaceful, calming, like an old friend. But then, Kael felt something shift. The current didn't just move around his fingers—it bent. It changed direction, as if the water was responding to his presence. The realization hit him like a lightning bolt.
He wasn't just sensing the water. He was influencing it. He was changing it.
His breath caught in his throat as his hand hovered above the surface of the stream, unsure of what was happening. His heart raced, and he pulled back slightly, almost afraid of what would happen if he continued. But the pull was too strong to resist.
The water shifted again, swirling, twisting in place. It was subtle at first, but it was unmistakable. Kael's mind reeled, trying to process what he was experiencing. He wasn't just affecting the flow of water. It was like he was creating it. Forming it, shaping it, bending it to his will.
He dared to push further. Focusing all his energy, Kael imagined a shape. A sphere, floating above the stream, held together by nothing but his thoughts.
And then, something impossible happened. A small, translucent orb began to form above his outstretched hand, hovering in mid-air. The water from the stream had pulled together, forming into the shape of a perfect sphere, rippling as if alive with energy.
Kael's breath caught in his throat. He had done it. He had made something out of nothing. A perfect sphere of water, suspended in mid-air, held together by his thoughts alone.
He let out a shaky breath, his mind racing. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This wasn't supposed to be possible. He hadn't done anything—he hadn't known how to do anything like this. But here it was, hovering in front of him. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat ringing in his ears like a drum.
He extended his hand towards the sphere, gently touching the surface with a fingertip. The moment his skin made contact, the orb shifted, rippling like water on the surface of a pond. It wasn't just an illusion. It was real. He could feel the weight of it, the coolness of the water against his finger, and yet it was… impossible.
Kael pulled his hand back, his chest tight. He had to stop. He had to understand this first, figure out what was going on, before he pushed further. But even as he stepped back, his mind was already racing, already planning what he could do next. The potential of this power was overwhelming—limitless.
The orb hovered before him, responding to his every thought. He had no idea what had triggered this, why it was happening now, but there was no denying it. He had created something from nothing.
Kael stood frozen for a moment, trying to calm his racing heart. The quiet of the woods surrounded him, but inside, everything was a storm. What else could he do? What else could he create?
"Kael?"
The voice came from behind him, breaking his concentration. His heart skipped a beat, and the orb wobbled, flickering. Kael quickly snatched his hand away, and the sphere immediately dissolved, falling back into the stream with a soft splash.
He spun around to see Kira standing at the edge of the clearing, her hands in her pockets, her face unreadable. She had found him.
"Did I startle you?" Kira asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took a step closer.
Kael's pulse was still racing, and his breath was shallow. He forced a smile, though it felt hollow. "No. Just thinking."
Kira eyed him carefully, sensing something was off. "Thinking about what?"
"Nothing important," Kael muttered, his mind already working a hundred miles a minute. "Just… working through some stuff."
"Uh-huh." Kira's gaze flicked over to the stream, and her brow furrowed. "You're sure that's all?"
Kael shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware of how much he was hiding. He had spent so long keeping things from Kira—keeping things from everyone—but this felt different. This was different.
It had been an accident the first time, but now Kael had proof. He had created something. He had done something that shouldn't have been possible. And no matter how hard he tried to deny it, the truth was staring him in the face.
"Okay, fine," Kael said, his voice tight. "I need to show you something."
Kira blinked in surprise. "What?"
Kael took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He wasn't sure how to explain this—did he even have words for what had just happened? But she deserved to know. She was his closest friend, the only one who had ever stood by him through everything.
He didn't have a choice anymore.
With that, Kael slowly raised his hand, and a shimmer of light appeared in the air, like a ripple across the surface of the world.
"Watch," he said, his voice low. "I'm going to show you."
And as Kira watched in disbelief, Kael began to weave the energy around him, his mind focused, his thoughts clear, and he created something new—something that should not have been possible.
A perfect sphere of water, floating weightlessly above his hand, rippling with energy.
Kira's eyes widened in shock.
"What... what is this?" she whispered, taking a cautious step back.