Chapter 20 – Accord
Chapter 20 – Accord
As Fiora drifted deeper into her own thoughts, barely aware of her surroundings, Zane remained still, entirely focused on the strange energy swirling within his body.
'Hm, it listens to me,' he mused, lifting his hand and watching the thick purple mist immediately gather there. The energy obeyed his will, moving at the speed of thought. There were no commands spoken, no movements needed—just intent. It responded like a limb he never knew he had.
The sensation was eerie. It wasn't like moving a hand or a foot, not even like flexing a muscle. It felt... more abstract. Like controlling smoke with nothing but desire. 'It's like I've grown something new inside me—something alive.' He narrowed his eyes, fingers twitching slightly as he concentrated. 'This will take some getting used to. I need practice—lots of it.'
After letting the mist swirl lazily around his hand for a moment, Zane lowered it again and tried something else. He took a slow breath, closed his eyes, and imagined the energy retreating, sinking back into his flesh.
Almost immediately, the mist obeyed.
It thinned, condensed, then vanished into his skin like water soaking into dry earth. As it disappeared, the heavy pressure that had been blanketing the room—cold, crushing, and suffocating—lifted like a weight pulled off everyone's shoulders.
Zane opened his eyes and scanned the room.
Fiora was still staring at him in a daze, unmoving.
'She's been like that for over a minute,' he thought. 'Is this really that strange?'
The lack of an assessment was unnerving. He'd never imagined awakening would be easy, but this... This wasn't anything like he expected. Why had his core taken so long to respond? Why had it exploded with so much power? And why couldn't the doctor assess his talent?