The Nexus.

The following morning, I reported to phase one training with Rem. As I entered the room, her demeanor was calm yet focused, a balance that mirrored my curiosity and nerves. "What do you understand about your abilities so far?" she asked, her voice measured. I paused, gathering my thoughts before responding. "One of them is the ability to read and communicate with other minds," I said plainly.

"Telepathy?" she clarified rhetorically, her brow lifting slightly in amusement.

I nodded, then added, "I also have another ability, one that seems similar to yours." Her expression shifted from casual curiosity to intense interest. "Show me," she urged, leaning slightly forward.

I hesitated, unsure how to start. "You're hurting," I said softly, my voice dropping to a more empathetic tone. "You've lost someone deeply important to you, and it feels like a piece of yourself is missing." I noticed her flinch slightly, a tear forming in her eye, and I quickly wiped it away. "But my other ability is greater than either of those," I continued, breaking the silence.

For a moment, she was speechless, her face betraying a mix of astonishment and vulnerability. Then she regained her composure, quickly masking her emotions. "What is this 'greater' ability?" she asked her tone back to its usual professionalism.

"I'm not entirely sure," I admitted, "but it might be three separate powers. I don't fully understand them yet." Her eyes widened, her intrigue obvious. Without hesitation, she motioned for me to follow her. She led me to a unique space—a room plated with treaded metal on every wall, floor, and ceiling. Its design was both futuristic and minimalist, a clear reflection of its purpose: training.

"Show me," she repeated, this time with more authority.

I exhaled deeply, admitting, "The truth is, these are the abilities I can't control. I don't know where to start."

Her expression softened slightly. "Then that's where we'll begin. We'll figure it out together."

She folded her arms, watching me closely as I tried to explain further. "One of my abilities is absorption," I began hesitantly, "and the other seems to be some sort of transformation." I looked down at the ground, the weight of my uncertainty dragging my confidence with it.

She stepped closer and tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet her gaze. "I know how overwhelming it can feel to piece together who you are," she said gently. Then, with more conviction, she added, "But I believe in you."

It wasn't just her words that struck me, but the way she said them—the raw emotion behind them. Something about that moment lifted a small part of the weight I'd been carrying.

"You're doing that thing again, aren't you?" I asked, half-joking but with a hint of suspicion.

She shook her head, smiling faintly. "I don't need my empathic abilities to encourage someone," she replied. "Empathy is part of who I am, gift or not." Her statement was simple yet profound, and I knew I'd reflect on it later.

"Let's focus," she said, redirecting the conversation. "If you've used these abilities before, what triggered them?"

I thought back, piecing together the fragments of my memories. "For the absorption ability, I know I need to touch a source of energy."

Her eyes lit up with an idea. Within moments, she arranged the room with lamps of varying shapes and sizes, creating a makeshift energy field.

She gestured toward the nearest lamp. "Touch it," she instructed, her voice firm yet encouraging.

I hesitated, my hand hovering near the lamp's surface. Finally, I mustered the courage to follow through. As my fingers neared the lamp, it flickered and went dark. Instantly, a tingling sensation surged through my hand, spreading like an electric current throughout my body.

"Are you okay, Kaleb?" she asked, her tone laced with concern.

"I... I don't know," I stammered, trembling slightly.

She stepped closer, her voice steady. "This is new, but it's normal. Trust the process. You're capable of handling this."

Her confidence bolstered mine, and I nodded, feeling a surge of determination. "What should I do with this energy?" I asked, my voice steadier.

"Channel it," she replied. "You're the ultimate manipulator. Use it however you want."

Focusing on my palms, I felt the energy gathering there like a storm. I raised one hand toward the ceiling, and to my amazement, the air above distorted as though reality itself were unraveling. The room shimmered and warped, resembling a malfunctioning television screen.

Rem stared, wide-eyed, as the transformation continued. The distortion expanded, spreading across the room until the metallic walls dissolved into a breathtaking beachfront scene.

I blinked in disbelief as soft sand crunched beneath my feet. The salty tang of the ocean breeze filled the air, and in the distance, I saw figures waving at me. They appeared to be people my age, beckoning me toward the shore.

Rem said nothing, though I could sense her thoughts racing. The scene felt oddly personal, yet I couldn't pinpoint why. As I stepped forward, my outfit shifted into beachwear, the change flickering like static distortion. Kneeling, I scooped up a handful of sand. It was warm and real. The crushing weight in my chest eased, and without thinking, I dropped the sand and sprinted toward the water.

When I reached the shore, I recognized the voices calling me—they were my friends. Laughter and joy filled the air as we splashed in the waves. Time seemed to stretch, each moment a gift.

Eventually, we returned to where I had begun, only for the scene to reset itself.

"Kaleb shut it down," Rem said abruptly, breaking the illusion.

I hesitated but complied, waving my hand to dispel the scene. Instead of vanishing, the imagery flickered, shifting to a new environment.

I found myself near a sprawling lake, surrounded by a crowd. A party was in full swing, the air alive with music and laughter. Yet unease crept over me. This memory felt wrong.

Unlike before, I couldn't see my physical form. I moved like a ghost, observing the scene as if it were a video game. Among the crowd, I spotted a younger version of myself. Suddenly, the clouds above shimmered with a red light. A fiery orb shot down, heading straight for my younger self.

Panicking, I tried to intervene, but I was too late. The orb struck, and the illusion shattered. The lamps in the room flickered back on, casting sharp shadows against the metallic walls.

"Holy shit," Rem muttered, her voice breaking the silence.

I looked at her, my shock mirrored in her expression. Energy still buzzed in my hands, and I released it by slamming my palm into the ground, causing a faint ripple to echo through the room.

"What was that, Kaleb?" she asked, her voice a mix of awe and concern.

"I don't know," I admitted, shaking my head.

Back in her office, Rem attempted to analyze the session. "Your powers are unlike anything I've encountered," she said. Normally, training involves developing resilience and understanding the limits of one's abilities, but your gifts seem boundless."

"So, my training will take longer than normal?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

She nodded. "It might. But I'll be with you every step of the way."

Before we concluded, she reviewed the session's footage. Oddly, the video looped endlessly from the beginning, never capturing the room's transformation.

"Why didn't it record everything?" I asked.

"I have no idea," she replied, frustrated. "Stupid technology." She saved the corrupted footage onto a disk, labeling it with a question mark.

"Don't worry," she said, trying to reassure me. "We'll figure it out. For now, we'll continue with trial and error."

Her optimism was infectious, and we ended the session on a hopeful note. As I stepped into the hallway, I spotted Booker in the distance. I waved and telepathically said, "Catch you later."

He nodded, walking away with his new friends. Meanwhile, I headed to meet Maddie, who seemed eager to see me for reasons I could only guess.