Chapter 20 Part 10: Ability Control

I looked at Amy with a nervous heart.

Perhaps sensing my gaze, she smiled and reached out to pat my head.

After laughing for a long time, she stopped laughing and got up from her seat.

“Is that it?”

“Yeah.”

Victor nodded to Amy’s question and began to install the machine on the floor. It looked like a large battery.

“What is that?”

“To check the limits of your abilities.”

It was a machine that looked quite different from the tools used in the lab.

No, it didn’t really look like a machine made to check the limits of abilities in the first place. It looked like a battery no matter where you looked.

“Isn’t this a battery?”

Victor didn’t seem to have any intention of answering my question and just quickly installed the machine.

Several long wires began to stretch out and connect to other machines.

The battery connected to the computer on the small table began to glow blue.

Shine was curious and circled around, touching the surface of the battery that was glowing blue.

“Who should we start?”

Victor held out two small sticks.

The stick connected to the black wire was connected to a battery that was emitting blue light.

“I’ll do it first.”

I held out my hand and took the stick. I felt a slight vibration in the stick.

“Don’t let go and hold it tightly.”

I tightened my hands as Victor instructed.

“Okay. Then use your power with the stick.”

Victor’s instructions were not difficult.

I started to apply current to the stick as he said. Blue current began to flow around the back of my hand.

Snap-

A small light burst and all the current I had emitted was sucked into the stick.

“A little stronger.”

I continued to emit current as he asked.

The power that had been suppressed was quickly released as I guided it.

The narrow entrance felt uncomfortable, but the power did not run wild.

“Is that the end?”

I nodded. I couldn’t pour out much power through such a narrow gap.

The graph on the screen that Victor was looking at was recording a certain number.

“Okay. Then let’s take a break.”

I released the power use as he said.

The graph on the screen dropped down in an instant.

The blue electric field that had been formed on the back of his hand soon dissipated.

“It’s too stable?”

Victor said, stroking his chin.

He put on the glasses he had taken off and started checking the graph.

“How much is it?”

“If we just polish it up a little, it’s enough to be active duty.”

Amy’s expression crumpled at Victor’s words. She pressed down on Victor’s head and said,

“I won’t let them do anything dangerous.”

“That’s what I mean.”

The conversation between the two continued for a long time.

I put the stick down on the floor and shook my hands.

My skin was tingling, perhaps because I had used my power with all my might. Shine, who had been looking at the machine, seemed to have lost interest and sat down on a nearby chair and began to yawn.

“Should we try to increase the level?”

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Well. I heard that you don’t show any signs of instability like when you first used your power.”

“That’s true.”

“Let’s just wait and see for a little longer.”

From what I heard from the conversation between the two, it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to take off the bracelet today.

“Then it’s Shine’s turn.”

I go and sit next to where Shine is sitting. Everyone’s eyes turn to Shine. She looks around, then stands up and heads to where I was standing.

“Did you see Jeff do that earlier? Just do the same thing.”

Shine picks up the stick he had placed on the floor.

“Victor. Amy. Jeff.”

Three names are called out from Shine’s mouth. His vision blurs. A hazy fog settles on his mind.

A small noise crossing over it.

The buzzing in my ears grows louder.

The static that flows out when the radio frequency is not constant fills the surroundings.

The sensation in my fingertips becomes hazy.

I absentmindedly raise my hand.

My blurred gaze, the image of Shine beyond it becomes distorted.

“Jeff…”

Shine’s voice is heard in my ear.

The distance feels too close.

Her soft breath that disperses along with her voice stimulates the back of my neck.

My body naturally shrinks.

“It’s okay.”

The voice that flows out as a whisper releases the tension in my body.

My blurred gaze begins to spin around.

It feels as if I’m walking in a dream.

But! I can’t do anything.

Shine smiles slightly as she watches me like that.

The smile behind her tired face guides my movements.

“Jeff, let’s do the same thing as before.”

I nod absentmindedly at her words.

My body, which has fallen asleep, responds slowly.

Before I knew it, I was holding a stick in my hand.

I slowly shift my gaze to examine Victor and Amy’s expressions.

Both of them just stare blankly straight ahead.

“Shine…”

I barely move my numb tongue.

My dull body’s senses slowly return.

Shine’s body, which was looking at me, staggers.

“Jeff.”

The noise is heard once again.

Two noises overlap on top of my hazy mind.

I open my mouth blankly.

My body’s senses completely disappear.

All my vague memories have subsided, and I can’t recall anything.

“Start.”

I move as she wants.

The blue current flowing out slowly flows into the stick.

I hear several small noises: crackle crackle.

Black smoke rises from the stick in my hand.

The computer graph begins to draw abnormally high numbers.

“Stop!”

I stagger and collapse to the floor.

My consciousness is slowly returning.

My hazy vision returns and I blink as if waking up from a dream.

“Shine?”

Shine was holding a stick in both of her hands.

Black smoke disperses.

The smell of coal dispersing into the air stimulates my sense of smell.

Shine’s expression looks tired, and she says to Amy and Victor with a distorted face.

“I’m done.”

All the noise disappears in an instant.

I stand up from my seat without knowing what’s going on.

I was clearly sitting on a chair, but when did I start to slump on the floor?

After a moment of confusion, Victor and Amy slowly blink their eyes.

Their hazy gazes become clearer.

“Huh? You’re done? Already?”

Victor rubs his eyes and checks the graph on the computer.

“Yeah. This is normal? Most kids this age are like this.”

He nods and talks while looking at the jagged graph. The range of ups and downs is extremely wide.

“Right now would be the right time. I don’t know about Jeff, but Shine is so anxious.”

Amy nods at Victor’s words.

“Are you done?”

“Yeah, I’m done.”

“Can we play ball now?”

“Of course.”

As soon as Amy gave permission, Shine put the stick down in both hands.

The stick that rolled on the floor left black soot marks.

“Let’s go, Jeff.”

Shine approached me and held out her hand.

I absentmindedly held her hand.

My hands were numb and I couldn’t move them properly.

Shine stroked my shaking hands and said, “I’m sorry, Jeff.”

“Huh?”

An apology that I couldn’t understand.

I stood up and asked Shine.

“Why? What are you sorry about?”

“No.”

Shine shook her head weakly.

I looked at her, who looked somehow listless, and followed her lead to the corner of the gym.

She picked up the ball that had fallen on the floor.

Expectation and faint excitement appeared on her face.

Her sparkling eyes turned to me.

“Shine, you look tired.”

“It’s okay.”

Despite my worried words, Shine shook her head, saying she was okay.

I looked at Amy and Victor.

It didn’t seem like their conversation would end quickly.

There was a soft mat nearby, so if Shine said she was tired, it would be a good idea to lie down on it and rest.

Shine and I started playing ball.

The bouncing movement of the ball naturally caught my attention.

Shine’s tired-looking face began to become lively.

She caught the bouncing ball and smiled.

The pain in her numb skin had long since disappeared.

I threw the ball to Shine again.

The ball flew with all my might and fell to the floor, bouncing again.

When she started to get out of breath, Shine collapsed on the floor.

Startled, I threw down the ball in my hand and ran to her.

Shine was sitting on the floor, gasping for breath, holding her head.

“Shine. What’s wrong? Does your head hurt?”

“No. It’s okay. I’m just a little tired.”

I reached out my hand to Shine with a worried look.

Her arm moved gently and climbed up my arm.

In an instant, my arm was grabbed with a snake-like movement.

As I blinked at the strange movement, my body slowly began to tilt.

The tightly held arm showed no intention of letting go.

I collapsed next to her.

“Stay like this for a moment.”

Shine said as she dug into my arms.

Shine’s silver hair distracted my vision.

Her fragrant yet sweet body scent filled me.

Shine closed her eyes gently.

After a moment of slight embarrassment, I lifted the other hand that Shine was holding and stroked her head.

Her slightly distorted expression relaxed pleasantly.

“Add more.”

Shine dug deeper into my arms, feeling good about my touch.

My body starts to tilt slightly at her movements.

My body falls over with a thud.

Shine and I fall on the gym floor.

“Shine?”

Wouldn’t a soft mat be better than a hard floor?

I thought that and called Shine, but she didn’t answer.

Right now, this moment seemed better, and she kept her eyes closed and didn’t think about letting go of my arms.

“You should go back to sleep.”

Amy said as she approached me, as if her conversation with Victor was over.

“I’m not sleeping, Amy.”

I said, waving my hand that Shine wasn’t holding.

I couldn’t move because Shine was still sleeping, breathing evenly.

Amy came to me, looked down at the sleeping Shine, and then reached out and hugged him.

The warmth that had been wrapped around my arms disappeared.

I felt that subtle sense of loss and fiddled with the arm Shine had been hugging.

“Let’s go, Jeff.”

Amy held Shine in one hand and reached out her other hand to me.

I grabbed her hand and got up.

“Shine must be tired.”

Shine didn’t seem to want to get up.

She didn’t wake up until they reached the room, still in Amy’s arms.

Once in the room, Amy laid Shine down on the bed.

Her silver hair spread out in all directions, sparkling with a brilliant light.