Kira stood frozen, her eyes wide, her expression a mixture of disbelief and concern. The sphere of water floated above Kael's outstretched hand, rippling as though it were alive, responding to his every thought. The quiet of the woods had returned, but the air was thick with tension, as if nature itself held its breath.
Kael exhaled shakily, his heart pounding in his chest. The orb hovered in mid-air, its surface catching the last light of the day, shimmering with an otherworldly glow. He'd never thought it was possible. He'd never even considered the idea. But now it was right there, undeniable, in front of him.
Kira's voice broke through the silence, low and careful. "What... what is this, Kael?" Her eyes flickered from the floating orb back to his face, searching for answers, her brow furrowed with worry.
Kael hesitated, his thoughts racing. How could he explain this? How could he put into words the strange, overwhelming sensation of power that had taken over him? He wasn't even sure he fully understood what had just happened.
"I don't know," Kael admitted, his voice hoarse. He slowly lowered his hand, and the orb followed, but only slightly, as if reluctant to leave him. He wasn't sure how to make it stop, so he just let it float there for a moment, caught between control and uncertainty.
Kira stepped closer, her eyes narrowed with suspicion but still laced with curiosity. "You're not messing with me, are you? This isn't some trick?"
"No trick," Kael said quietly, his fingers twitching as if he could still feel the hum of energy beneath his skin. He glanced up at her, meeting her gaze for the first time since she'd arrived. "I didn't do this on purpose. I don't even know how it happened."
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she considered his words. The expression on her face shifted, worry mingling with the concern. "I don't know if I should be impressed or scared right now," she said slowly. "Kael, you have to be careful. This… whatever this is, it's not something you just mess around with."
"I know," Kael muttered, lowering his hand until the orb slowly sank back to the ground, vanishing with a soft splash. "I'm just trying to figure it out. I didn't ask for this."
Kira remained silent for a moment, her gaze locked on the place where the orb had dissolved. She was still processing everything, trying to make sense of what she had just witnessed. The air around them felt heavy, charged with the unspoken weight of something enormous—something that neither of them fully understood.
Finally, Kira spoke again, her voice softer this time, but laced with caution. "Kael, this isn't something small. You felt it, didn't you? That… power? Whatever it is, it's dangerous. You can't just go around trying to control it without knowing what it's capable of."
"I know," Kael repeated, running a hand through his hair. The weight of her words settled on him, and his stomach tightened with unease. He hadn't wanted this. But now that he'd felt it—felt the energy that surged within him whenever he focused, whenever he let his mind connect with the world around him—he couldn't ignore it.
Kira took a slow step forward, her expression shifting from worry to something more introspective. "We need to figure out what this is. What else you can do. We can't ignore it."
"I don't want to," Kael muttered. "But I don't know how to control it. Or if I even should."
Kira's eyes narrowed, her voice quiet but insistent. "What else do you think you can do?"
Kael blinked, taken aback by the question. "What?"
"Can you move something else? Like a rock, maybe?" Kira's words were cautious, but the flicker of curiosity in her eyes was undeniable. "I mean, if you can control water like that… what else is possible?"
Kael's mind reeled. What else could he do? The thought of trying to control something—anything else—sent a shiver down his spine. Could he move a rock? Could he shape the earth beneath his feet as easily as he had shaped the water?
"I don't know," he admitted, shaking his head. "I haven't tried. I didn't want to push it too far."
Kira's gaze softened, her concern evident, but she didn't back down. "You won't know unless you try. Just... be careful, okay? We don't know what this power could do, and I don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't," Kael said, though the doubt in his voice was impossible to ignore. He wasn't sure if he believed himself.
He turned toward the nearby clearing, where a large, flat stone rested against a tree. The idea of trying to move it, to test his abilities further, made his chest tighten. But Kira was right. He couldn't ignore what was happening to him. He needed answers.
With a deep breath, Kael knelt down and focused on the rock. It was large—probably heavier than he'd ever be able to lift by hand—but that didn't matter now. His mind had already begun to hum with the familiar sensation, the pull of energy in the air. He reached out with his thoughts, focusing on the stone, willing it to move.
Nothing happened at first.
Kael's brow furrowed in concentration. He imagined the rock shifting, sliding along the earth, moving without touching it. Still, there was no change. The rock remained still, as stubborn and unmoving as it had always been.
"Kael?" Kira's voice broke into his thoughts, filled with concern. "You okay?"
Kael didn't answer. He was too focused. There was a pressure building in his chest, a sense that something was about to happen. He focused harder, pulling energy into his hands, extending it outward toward the rock. He imagined the stone lifting, rising into the air as though it were weightless.
His heart skipped a beat.
The air around him grew heavy, charged with the hum of power. He felt it then—the rock, shifting slightly beneath his focus. A small tremor ran through the ground, and the stone scraped against the dirt.
Kael's breath hitched. He didn't know what he was doing, but he felt it. The rock was moving. Not by his hand, but by his will.
The stone lifted slowly, an inch off the ground at first, then two. It hovered for a moment, as if unsure of its own weight. Kael's heart raced as he focused harder, pulling more energy into his mind, shaping the force, directing it. The rock rose higher, until it hovered at eye level, spinning slightly in mid-air as if it were suspended by an invisible thread.
"Kael…" Kira's voice was barely a whisper, filled with awe and a growing edge of fear. She watched in stunned silence as the rock floated before them.
Kael's hands trembled as he held the stone in place. The power was there—surging through him, vibrating in his veins. He wasn't just moving the rock. He was controlling it. He was controlling everything around him.
But as the rock hovered, Kael's mind began to spin. What else could he do? How far could he push this?