-That can’t be this easy, can it? - she finally said, after once more looking at her creations. - I mean, this place would be too good to be true…

-I mean, seen weirder things, but…

Just like her, I focused on the place.

I didn’t feel anything strange, no connection at all to this house, but wanted to give it a try anyway.

I imagined a regular chair.

Nothing fancy, just a simple wooden chair, appearing next to me on the floor.

There was no reaction.

I even pushed some of my mana towards the air, but stopped myself short, because reflexively I started converting it into green mana, and before I thought twice, I started thinking of a spell to actually create some wood.

It was definitely not what was going on with her.

-Doesn’t work for me. Can you try again?

-I am not sure if that’s how… - started Il, but I interrupted her.

-Just humour me. Think of… I don’t know, anything.

-Er… okay…

She closed her eyes.

It didn’t take even a second for the floor to suddenly shift and grow a pair of roots that started forming yet another item.

Wrapping around each other, vines and roots started creating a small stool.

It was finished in not even a minute. The remaining vine even pushed it a little bit towards her, like it was encouraging her to sit on it.

-Well, I’ll be damned. It is that easy - I said, not hiding my amazement. - I guess this thing responds to your commands somehow.

-I wouldn’t be so sure… - suddenly said the other me, standing in the middle of the room.

And next to him was…

The same chair I imagined a moment ago.

-Wait, YOU made it?! - I gasped, stepping closer to look at the new creation. - Are you sure about that?!

-Yeah. I guess you tried doing something similar but failed, right?

-Yeah! What did you use? Some kind of incantation?

-I am afraid not… I did just as you said a moment ago: I thought about it. I didn’t even expend any mana.

-You kidding me.

-Yeah, I am a bit surprised, too. I thought if I was able to do it, you should be too, right?

-Exactly! Either both of us or none! How the… why are you different?

-Not sure yet. For, Kon, can you try?

-Err…

-Good idea. Let’s first check who is able to do what.

-I guess… - mumbled Kon, a bit perplexed.

During the next few minutes, all of us tried making something.

But, just like I demonstrated earlier, I failed.

Same with Kon and For. No matter what, we weren’t able to will anything into existence. I mean, without using our own mana.

I have to say, at the end I got a bit frustrated and just made something using my own mana: just a small wooden band, only to make sure that I still had my magic intact.

On the other hand, both the other me and Il had no issues in creating.

Be it a chair, a small figurine, or anything in between, they just had to think about it and the house would fulfill their wishes to the dot.

-That is peculiar - I finally said after numerous attempts and failing at them.

-That is an understatement - said For.

-Yeah… I get us not being able to do anything, but why can they?

-I assume that it has something to do with the connection to Melle - I said. - It’s her house, it wouldn’t be as surprising if she was able to control it.

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-Control? It goes far beyond the control - said For. - It’s just straight up creation! But hell, knowing her, it’s not that far-fetched.

-Yeah. She managed to transform this house right in front of my face. It was outside of it, but why not inside as well?

-Right… but that doesn’t explain the OTHER part…

-Well… - started the other me - if it was just Il, I’d say that’s because of the same thing that transferred the contract I had with Melle.

-And that is…?

-Who the fuck knows - I shrugged. - Yeah. I was thinking about that too, but what about me… or, well, you.

-Isn’t that the same thing with you…? - asked Kon. - You had the contract with her, so why wouldn’t some of her… I don’t know, essence? Mana? Something recognized you as her, at least partially?

-If that was the case - said the other me - why aren’t the other me able to do the same? As far as we know, the roles should be reversed.

-I guess - I agreed. - I still have the pact in me, while you are not connected to it at all. If it came from that, I’d be the one creating chairs and shit.

-I… I suppose you’re right…

-It probably is just because of that body - said Il, still lost in thought. - I assume that if that woman is really as we think she is, she’d definitely give her daughter, or at least someone close to her, similar power over this place.

-That’s a good assumption - I nodded. - But that also has some implications.

-Like?

-Like, if she “trusted” her… does that mean she didn’t trust her husband? I mean, Mike.

-She had plenty of reasons if you ask me… - mumbled For more to herself than to anyone else.

-Why, Mor?

-Well, if that was the case, I would be able to manipulate this house as well. I am made out of the same thing as him.

-Ah that. Well, it’s not exactly true… He’s been for a while here, do you really think that your crystals still have that much similarities? Even if they came from the one piece, that doesn’t mean they still are the same to this day.

-Well that’s a good point… actually, that’s more of a question to you lot.

-Hm?

-Not so long I absorbed something that was essentially a piece of him. You think that it was similar to me?

Both For and Kon gazed at me with concern.

So they noticed something.

-Er… You did indeed look similar - finally said Kon. - But not the same. At least not to me, that is…

-Same here - agreed with him For. - But, since we are on this topic… I did notice something…

The look at Kon’s face said that so did he, but he never spoke up.

-What is it? It can’t be that bad…

-Well… I noticed it a long time before this, but only was sure after… you know, the “operation” as you called it - said For.

-Operation? That disturbed my mana?

-Not… well yes, but not the operation itself. It was what happened after that.

-After…?

-I… I told you, I used what remaining supplies I had to regenerate your magic… - said slowly Kon, with a worried tone. - And I meant it.

-Right. You used the remaining shards we gathered. I know, doesn’t matter much, we can find other anchors or something.

-Yes, yes… but see… only after seeing those, I realized that your mana was not… constant…

-Constant…? Wait.

If what they were saying was correct, they were saying that I really was under the influence of something.

Or rather that the “assimilation” that I thought I have stopped has been still progressing.

-That’s not good - I mumbled.

-Doubly so - said the other me. - But how about now? Is he still changing? Am I as well?

-I… I don’t think so, no. At least not any more - said Kon after a brief moment of observation. - I think it stabilized when you… you know, split.

-And “stabilized” is a relative term. You are far from being… er… clear, so to speak. At least you… - she pointed to the part of me that was now in control of the unconscious Il.

-Excuse me? And you’re saying that now?!

-Because it’s not a problem! - immediately said For. - It’s just like the two of you are intertwined… I mean Mor’s mana and that girl’s. I can tell that there’s two of you, at least that is, but it’s not like you are merging!

-You know - I said - those kinds of things you should tell us a lot earlier.

-Why!? Now you want to know?! It’s the same with you! But your mana is mingling with other entities?

-Excuse me!?

-Yeah! I can even see myself inside that! But you are definitely not turning into me!

-Right… We are the same - agreed Kon. - I can tell that there are some parts of you inside For. And she probably can see the same with me…

She opened her eyes, wide in surprise.

-I mean… yes…. but I never thought that I would too have…

-See?

Our conversation was cut short by… well, me.

The other me, I mean.

And it didn’t seem like it was on purpose.

As we were talking, trying to piece together why some of us were found with those new abilities, his body suddenly seized and he stared right at me.

-You good? - I asked, seeing his sudden change.

I did not get an answer.

-What’s going on? - I asked, switching to talking directly to him.

-I… don’t…

He barely managed to squeeze two words, but it did not explain a thing.

So, instead of seeking an answer from him, I just took a better look at the first thing I thought of: his mana.

Maybe because we were just talking about this, but I immediately noticed what we said before: his mana was connected with others.

I didn’t really think about it back then, but already I was able to see different kinds of mana better than usual. I don’t want to say that, but I probably was already on Kon’s level, or at least similar.

His mana though… was moving.

And I don’t mean mixing with something, because that was what I was worried at first, but something definitely was taking over.

It brought some negative connotations, but the moment later I realized what it actually meant in his situation.

Il was waking up.