Chapter 59: Turnabout

Levi Blackwell rolled lazily across the floor, his spherical form bumping gently into the walls. He had to admit,Elias had done a good job of turning him into a ball, his molecular manipulation seamless and precise. If it weren’t for his big eyes and mouth, Levi might’ve actually been truly impressed. But instead, he just found the whole thing hilarious.

He’d been in worse situations, after all.

Levi didn’t care much about the Academy’s twisted experiments anymore. Whether they wanted to test his emotional capabilities or Elias’s powers, it all felt like a game. And if it was a game, Levi was just going to play it his way.

Elias stood across the room, watching Levi with a calm detachment, his previous feelings of tension gone, arms folded across his chest. There was an almost clinical air to the way Elias observed his work, as though Levi wasn’t a person but an object to be studied. Almost like the scientists. It would have been unsettling to most people, but Levi? He found it kind of amusing.

Levi bounced gently, his mouth twisting into a smirk. “You know, you did a pretty solid job,” he called out, his voice casual despite his current spherical form. “I mean, if I didn’t already feel like a freak, this definitely does the trick.”

Elias’s expression barely shifted, though Levi could sense a flicker of amusement beneath his impassive face. “It’s not personal, Blackwell,” Elias replied. “But I see no need to get punished right now.”

Levi just grinned wider. He was getting used to Elias’s attitude now. Cold, calculating, currently playing by the Academy’s rules.

Elias’s comment hung in Levi’s mind, “I wonder what it’s like to be a ball,” a playful yet ironic statement.

Without hesitation, Levi tapped into his power, something he had been honing since his time in isolation. The Academy always thought they were pushing him, but in reality, they had just given him more time to figure out how to mess with his powers in ways they hadn’t imagined.

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Levi focused, sending out a wave of emotions—not just raw emotions, not the emptiness or fear, not joy and excitement. No, this was something else. He sent the exact feeling he had at that moment—the bizarre, disorienting sensation of being a ball. The weightlessness, the lack of control,the roundness, the disorientation of it all. It wasn’t just an emotion—it was a full sensory experience.

The wave hit Elias before he had a chance to react. His usually calm face faltered for a moment as the sensations crashed into him. Levi watched as Elias’s body began to shift, reacting instinctively to the foreign feeling. It wasn’t a conscious choice—Elias hadn’t meant to transform himself—but his molecular manipulation responded to the ridiculously overwhelming new sensations engulfing him, and suddenly, his body started to contort.

Elias’s eyes widened in surprise as he began to shrink, his limbs pulling inward as if by force. His arms and legs compressed into his torso, his body compacting until he, he too.. had taken on the shape of a ball. His features remained intact, the look of shock on his face clearly visible as he bounced lightly on the floor beside Levi.

For a moment, there was stunned silence in the room. Levi who was honestly surprised himself rolled over to him, chuckling softly. He bumped into Elias, sending him bouncing a few inches away, and then stopped to take in the sight.

“Well, well, well,” Levi said, voice filled with amusement. “Look who’s joined the club.”

Elias didn’t say anything at first. His wide eyes stared at Levi, clearly trying to process what had just happened. This was new for him—Elias was always in control, always the one manipulating other things. But now? Now he was feeling quite helpless.

Levi let the silence linger, enjoying every second of Elias’s visible discomfort. The guy didn’t seem to be used to being on the receiving end of something he couldn’t control, and it was kind of fun to watch.

Elias finally spoke, his voice tight with annoyance. “How…?”

Levi grinned. “I told you, man. It’s all about the feeling.”

Elias’s ball-shaped body wobbled slightly as he tried to regain some semblance of control. But there was nothing he could do. His powers had reacted reflexively to Levi’s influence, and now he was stuck. For the moment, at least.

Levi bounced in place, slightly fascinated by the current situation. The Academy thought they could control them, pit them against each other in these ridiculous tests, but this was all a joke to him. He wasn’t interested in their games.

“Gotta say, Elias,” Levi called out, rolling around him in a slow circle. “You really nailed it with me. But now that you’re here… what’s it like to be a victim of your own power?”

Elias glared at him, clearly frustrated but unable to respond in any meaningful way. His pride had taken a hit, and Levi could sense the turmoil beneath his cool facade.

Levi chuckled again, the sound echoing through the sterile room. This was too good.

Elias’s eyes narrowed, but there was no comeback to this. He was still processing the fact that he’s currently a ball, even if only for a moment. It wasn’t about the Academy anymore—it was about the two of them, locked in this absurd form.

“Hey,” Levi said, his tone playful, “what do you think? Wanna stay like this, or should I get us out of here?”

Elias finally let out a slow breath, clearly annoyed but seemingly resigned to the situation. “You first.”

Levi laughed, a sharp sound that filled the room. “Maybe later,” he said. “I finally feel like a well rounded individual.”

And with that, the two of them rolled around in silence, the training session forgotten as Levi tried his best to revel in the chaos he had created.