Liris woke up the next morning with a smile. Her room was the same, bare and cold. The sun hadn't changed in hue or intensity. All the core elements of the world remained consistant. And yet, everything had changed.

She rolled out of bed, onto her feet. How smooth the floor was. It was freezing on her bare skin, but it had a bracing effect. Drawing in breath, the air similarly kicked her lungs into action. In a word, she was awake. Slipping into a fresh outfit, Liris stepped to the window. It was easy to forget how magical it was. Light shone through the Brume like arrows piercing a target. Each beam drew the eye and danced. Fields, beyond the wall, were lush and vibrant. Golden stalks swayed in the wind while tiny figures walked between the rows. Reflections of many colors sparkled off their distant tools as the sun rose. Together with the beams, it made the dance whole.

The people along the streets also added their presence. How they rushed about, oblivious to the living painting they inhabited. Soot-stained or decked in layers of finery, it didn't matter. For the sun emerged from its hiding place whether it was noticed or not. Today, Liris noticed.

Wiping away the fog from the glass -it really was cold in here- she looked down. Like some giant stone fungus, the Spire spread out around and below. Tendrils reached out in every direction, with the streets and outer wall the only thing halting its expansion. It must have taken years to design such a monolith. Or was it slowly expanded upon, year after year? Given the state of the hallways, that was much more likely. Still, there had to be some sort of pattern to its growth, it fit together far too well to be an accident.

Battering away against the barrier, as it always did, was the Brume. Today, even it looked pretty. Sure, its sickly green tint clashed with the deep orange light...but that served to illustrate their ever-present battle. Two distinct forces solely bent on commanding all that could be touched. Would one ever triumph? Blot the other from existence to be the ultimate ruler of the air? While it would be nice if the Brume decided to surrender, despite the centuries it had endured, there would be a tragedy as well. No eye would ever gaze upon such a sight again.

Liris tore herself away. She could stay here all day, but then how would she escape? Escape. What a word. Even now, it sent a thrill through her. Fingertips tingled at the thought...or was that because of the cold stone they slid across? Such walls. How were they constructed to be this thick? Were blocks of this size able to be levitated this high up? At the thought, her mind jumped back to the evening before. Flashes of memory before they gave way to the gray.

It wasn't a dream, right? Had she moved through her door with only a step? The implications were unfathomable. Incorrect, they were very apparent but no less incredible. Wherever there was a locked gate, she was the key. Proverbially speaking of course. Were there any locks between her and freedom? Implied ones, at the very least. Obviously, guards posted around as well. After all, sneaking in hadn't worked those many years ago due to their vigilance. Now that wasn't a problem. No matter how many people the Spire 'employed', they couldn't watch every inch of the place. Somewhere there was a wall that she could just walk on through.

The thickness though...that could be an issue. A door was one thing, and it was a wooden door at that. Moving through an object that was only a few fingers in depth was a far cry from mountains of stone blocks. Her eyes drifted to the window once more, body following. The glass was so thin. All it would take is a moment of concentration, one tiny step, and she'd be through. And plummeting to her death.

Liris took a step.

One that was away from the window. She felt sick at the thought. Would she need to stay attentive at all times to prevent such an easy death? One moment of distraction, one errant impulse, and it would all be over.

She took another step back.

Such a useful ability, with an equal measure of danger. Now would she trade it for even Empathy? That was an easy 'no'...but why? This wasn't something that would help others, make her respected, or bring wealth. Although...

Liris thought about it for far too long. Shaking her head, she diverted the greedy ideas. In the end, what good was riches anyway? Here she was, getting paid two hundred marks per week and she was thinking about more wealth? That was a path she should not tread, no matter how easy it seemed. So why did this ability feel different? Was it because it allowed her to be free? That helped, there was no questioning that, but there was more lurking beneath the surface.

"Because it's mine."

Oops, that was out loud. Liris looked around...could that be heard through the door? Was Urteli waiting outside to drag her to another appointment? Pressing her lips tightly together, she said it again...mentally this time. 'Because it is mine.'

Not in a possessive, power-hungry way. Rather, almost the opposite. This new ability, for better or worse, was a part of her now. A part that could be used for...something...anything. It took this long to sink in, but standing on a small pile of shards in the middle of an abyss wasn't her. That was silly. Was a Telekinetic only their ability and not the person? Despite all of that, it still resonated deep within her. This ability was now a part of who she was. Or, she was now part of this ability. The lines were blurred after all.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Her shoulders slumped. That fact cut both ways. Failure would happen and it wouldn't be the ability's fault. Hope wasn't dead, Sema had mentioned growing stronger. Would that allow her to move farther at one time? There was only one way to find out.

Liris stepped to the center of the room, turned away from the window, and ignored the twist in her stomach.

~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~

It was still shocking. No pause, no transition, she was just here now. Scanning the space quickly, she only noticed one change. The circle of shards was a tiny bit larger. The edge moved, same as ever, but its closest ebb was larger than before. With tight fists, she took a step.

~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~

It hadn't been a dream. Sitting where it always did, the fireplace was slightly closer. She tensed and waited for the exhaustion to hit. Gray crept at the corners of her vision. Sitting down on the stone, she drew her knees up and let it wash over her.

Weight pulled her lower in perfect synchronicity with the grayness. Liris slumped forward.

And shot back up. How long had that been? The sun was still shining, everything looked the same...not long? It was so difficult to tell for sure. Beyond the ability to move without moving, strange didn't begin to describe the experience. She flexed all her extremities, everything felt normal enough. She wasn't tired per se, weary perhaps? Though, there was a dull ache in her head. From the ability or lack of food? There was only one way to find out.

~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~

Oh. She was sitting now. That was new.

Reflexively, Liris reached out with both hands for balance. Ouch, those shards were horrifically sharp. If this was her ability, shouldn't she be able to dream up something more comfortable? Besides choosing when to enter and exit, did she control this at all?

~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~

No step this time. After all, sitting made that a bit difficult. She held her breath for the gray.

Nothing. So it was tied to movement after all. Or...something else that remained to be discovered. A hideous growl echoed in the empty room. More tests would have to wait until the monster in her stomach was satiated.

Reaching the door, she paused. If she did take a quick step through, what were the odds that someone would notice? Come to think of it, what did it even look like from an outside perspective? In all her excitement, Sema hadn't said. Liris chuckled at the thought of Urteli's incredulous expression as she manifested in front of him. Best to keep this a secret for as long as possible.

Stepping through, the normal way, Liris set off in search of something far more important than anything up to this point. Food. Down the curved stairs, after a quick stop at the washroom, and through the corridors once more. The way was growing ever more familiar, at least to the current destination. There was one bastion in this prison of a palace, one place where every soul was on an even playing field with no hidden wants driving every chosen word. Kitchen Three.

It stood out against the white stone with its black-painted letters. Just a small plaque next to a nondescript door. If she were honest, it didn't need a sign. The smells were more than enough to lead the way, despite the maze of a building it was tucked within.

Pushing it open, her senses lit up. The interior was simple in design, but very well made. Across the center of the large room was a long wooden table with chairs along one side. Seated at random, were many types of people. Servants, managers, workers, rich people with their rich kids...all bowed before the might and glory of those who stood on the opposite side of the table. A crew of illustrious cooks.

Each one was fully focused on their task. With what looked like choreographed precision, they worked as one to assemble the meal. Slipping into an open chair, one as far from any of the other patrons as possible, Liris watched with both eyes and mouth. A perfect sphere of oil was being held above a bed of coals, intensely bubbling. That cook nodded to another nearby who began to levitate breaded pieces of chicken over to the oil and dunk them in. After a short time, they were removed and placed in nearby bowls to cool.

Next to that pair were another two cooks. One who was slicing up potatoes, coating them excessively in seasonings, and roasting them over an open flame. The last one was holding whisked eggs in a flat disk over dimmer coals. Waiting for just the right moment, they folded the egg overtop itself and flipped it to the other side.

This was all expected of course, but it was always fascinating to watch. Every telekinetic had their own style and technique which made the process closer to an art than anything else. Liris didn't have to wait too long before an overflowing platter hovered over to her. It barely rattled as it was placed down, even though the deliver was simultaneously floating two other platters to other hungry patrons of the glorious Kitchen Three. Needless to say, Liris didn't watch anything after that besides the shrinking pile of food in front of her.

With a smile of thanks to the cooks, she left fully satisfied. Despite hunger being abated, it still tugged at her soul to leave Kitchen Three. For better or worse, the training yard was much harder to find. However, the trek wasn’t all bad. After all, any physical exercise after such a meal sounded like a nightmare. She took her time strolling along the halls...eventually, she stepped outside.

Only one pair were sparring today, off in the far corner. Ekard was in his same place at the center of the dirt ring, watching...her?

"Brid got your brain?"

"Sorry?"

"You should be. Now, stop standing there and let's get started."

Holding back her ire, Liris stepped closer. Ekard didn't bother to hide his signature expression of constant displeasure as he waited.

"Um Sir...where's Nestor?"

"Ha, that lazy pile of hollow bones pretending to be a human? He won't be needed today."

"I don't understand. Am I not to spare today?"

"Oh yes. But you see, today is a bit different. For today you will be sparring...with me."

Liris knew that grin would haunt her for many years to come.