บท 45: Ability Test III
"Is it bad that I am?"
"ɴᴏ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ," she thought about it for a moment, "ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ."
"Of course not."
Anyways, there were things which needed to be addressed. Within that short interaction, I had cleared some theories in my mind.
It appeared that me and her had a special connection.
Obviously, it was because I hosted her body, but that was not what I meant. Only I could hear and see her. In other words, if she did not touch anyone or accidentally bumped into them, normal people wouldn't even know she existed.
I was expecting that she could be heard or seen if she were to touch me, but reality proved otherwise.
This really made me wonder, why was that the case?
Some other experiments had to be conducted, for me to draw a definite answer, but for now, we knew two things; One, I was the only person that could sense her (except when she was touched), and the other, arguably more important information, she was real.
She wasn't just a figment of my imagination. I more or less understood that already, when I saw her interacting with her surroundings, but it couldn't hurt to be safe.
"ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ," she voiced her opinion, "ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ's ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍɪɴᴅ."
She floated in the air, her pale face was shoved into my sight, As she came closer, to catch my attention her whole body was revealed to me. It looked like she didn't care how she exposed everything anymore.
Ah, whoops, she heard me. She hid her body again and glared at me.
"There is this thought in my head," I told her, "it might answer why others could touch you."
"ᴏʜ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪs ɪᴛ?"
"Well, do you still remember what happened when you first disconnected from this body?"
She twirled in the air, as she slowly got used to the feeling of zero gravity, "ʏᴇs, ɪ ғᴇʟᴛ ɴᴀᴜsᴇᴏᴜs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ. ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ sᴇɴsᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ. ɪɴ ғᴀᴄᴛ, ɪ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴇxɪsᴛᴇᴅ, ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ғᴏʀ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍɪɴᴅ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇɴ," she landed back on the ground, "ᴏᴄᴄᴀsɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ, ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇɢᴀɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴠɪsɪᴏɴ, ᴏʀ ʜᴇᴀʀ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴛɪᴅʙɪᴛs, ʙᴜᴛ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴏɴʟʏ ᴅᴀʀᴋɴᴇss."
"Yes, you didn't have a body at that time, right?"
"ɴᴏ," she shook her head, "ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴍᴜsᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ʙᴏᴅʏ, ᴅɪᴅ ɪ ɢᴀɪɴ ᴏɴᴇ."
"Yes, see, but isn't it because you wanted to have a body, which is why you had one?"
She thought about it for a moment, and then, as if struck by lightning, she realized, "ᴡᴀɪᴛ, ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ, ɪ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ?"
"Oh, you caught on fast," I nodded, "I'm not sure if I am right, but I think you are originally formless, but created your body when you willed it. For example, weren't you able to talk to me, because you wanted to? And weren't you able to see or hear, also because you really wanted to?"
She was shocked by the contents of my speech and hovered silently in the air. I didn't mind and gave her a minute to digest the information.
"ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴛᴏᴏ ᴜɴʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴀʙʟᴇ," she said dazedly, but she had to admit, it seemed plausible. "ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs? ʜᴏᴡ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋ?"
I tilted my head, "maybe your creation is incomplete?"
"ʜᴜʜ, ɪɴᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ?"
"How should I put it, I think, you can't create a perfect structure. If I had to put it, it would only be a mirage of an original? Or something like that? To us, it may seem real, but others, it may not be."
"sᴛɪʟʟ ᴡʜʏ ᴇxᴀᴄᴛʟʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪᴛ ʙᴇ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜɪɴɢ sᴛᴜғғ?"
"Uhm," I replied, "if I remembered correctly, what you really wanted to do, was to kill me right? You would need not only a body to do that, but also the ability touch stuff," I pointed towards my neck, "for example my throat."
"sᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴ ɪ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ ᴇxɪsᴛ ɪs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ʜᴀᴛʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏᴡᴀʀᴅs ʏᴏᴜ?" Her eyes reflected a ferocious glint.
"Don't put it that way, people might misunderstand," I reprimanded her, "I think you are focusing too much on sensing things, let me explain in a different way. Say Agnes, are you hungry?"
She raised her brows and then rubbed her stomach, "ᴀ ʙɪᴛ, ᴡʜʏ?"
"Then try creating some bread."
"ᴡʜᴀᴛ?" She exclaimed, "ʜᴏᴡ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ."
"Really, it's not too far fetched? Someone relatively famous from my place used to say 'eat my bread for it was my body', I giggled, "but anyways, if you are able to create a body, you should be able to create simple bread too."
She turned around the air, "ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ. ʜᴏᴡ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʙᴇɢɪɴ?"
"Think of why you want to create bread. To fill your stomach, to have something delicious, I think anything goes. And then reenact what you did to form your body."
ʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇɪʀᴅᴇsᴛ ɪᴅᴇᴀ.
ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴ, 'if you are able to create a body, you should be able to create simple bread too,' ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʙɪᴢᴀʀʀᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ ᴍᴜsᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴏssᴇss ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs?
ɴᴏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ɪ ᴘʀᴇᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ, ʜᴇ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs sᴜʙᴠᴇʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴs.
ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴜʀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀʏ. ᴛʜᴀɴᴋғᴜʟʟʏ ᴍʏ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴍɪʀʀᴏʀ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍɪɴᴅ ʀᴇғʟᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴍɪɴᴅ, ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀʀʏ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴘᴏʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.
ᴀ ᴘɪᴇᴄᴇ ᴏғ ʙʀᴇᴀᴅ, ʙᴀᴋᴇᴅ ғʀᴇsʜ, ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴄʀᴜsᴛ sʜɪᴇʟᴅɪɴɢ ɪᴛ's ᴡᴀʀᴍᴛʜ, ᴀ ғʟᴜғғʏ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɪᴏʀ, ᴀɴᴅ, -ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ғᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴍᴇʟʟ- ʏᴇs, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴜᴛᴛʏ sᴍᴇʟʟ, ᴀs ɪᴛ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴠᴇɴ ʙᴜɪʟᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍɪɴᴏᴜs ᴀᴘᴇʀᴛᴜʀᴇ, ʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴏᴅᴇɴ ᴘʟᴀᴛᴇ. ɪ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ʟᴀɪᴅ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴍᴇ, ᴇɴᴛɪᴄɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ᴀʀᴏᴍᴀ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴇᴅ ᴘɪᴘᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪs ғʟᴜᴛᴇ.
"There's nothing," I told her straight.
She shouted back, a bit annoyed, "ʏᴇs ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ."
"You are thinking too hard. It's good that you do, but try to be a bit more simple this time. Ask yourself, why would you need bread?"
ʙʀᴇᴀᴅ, ᴡʜʏ ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ ɪᴛ ɪs ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀᴛ.
Suddenly, the air between us changed. It was as if it condensed, and refracted the light, turning into darkness. And when it returned to normal, there was an ordinary piece of bread floating in front of us.
As soon as that happened, I felt Agnes growing dizzy and suddenly fall backwards.
ɪ ғᴇʟᴛ ᴀ ʙɪɢ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏsᴛ ᴍʏ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇ. "are you alright ," ʜᴇ sʜᴏᴜᴛᴇᴅ, ʜɪs ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴛʀᴇᴍᴏʀɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴇᴀʀs.
"ʏᴇs, ɪ ᴀᴍ. ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ғᴇᴇʟ ᴡᴇᴀᴋ."
She held her head and slowly hovered towards the ground.
Did she overexert herself?
But if she said she was fine, then it should be the case, I could only trust her.
I paid my attention to her creation. I reached towards the bread, while still a bit surprised that it worked, and touched it.
"This," I uttered, my eyes opened wide.
The texture and the smell, it seemed no different from a real one. At most, it was a bit harder than normal bread, but if put in front of me, I would never be able to tell whether it was created by Agnes, or just an ordinary one.
I tired plucking a piece from it, and felt that it reacted normally.
The crust was rough and grainy, and when I tried to rip it in half, there was a slight resistance, but in the end was not a problem. It made a dull sound and small crumbs fell to the ground. Inside the bread was the fluffy dough, perfectly baked, not too long to be dry, but also not too short to be wet.
I carefully bit into the the crumb, and a soft but sweet taste, with a burnt bitterness coated my tongue.
"This is certainly amazing," I said, unable to believe what I was doing.
"ʜᴏᴡ ɪs ɪᴛ, ʜᴏᴡ ɪs ɪᴛ," Agnes inquired.
"Well," I stared at the bread in my hand, "it's ordinary bread. Here try it."
She grabbed a piece with her small hands, and took an equally small bite.
ɪ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ sɪɴᴋ ᴍʏ ᴛᴇᴇᴛʜ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴀғ. ᴛʜᴇ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴏғ ᴀ ᴄʀᴜsᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴇxᴄʟᴀɪᴍ ɪɴ sʜᴏᴄᴋ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sʜᴇᴇʀ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴄᴏɴsᴜᴍᴇᴅ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ sʜᴜᴅᴅᴇʀ. ʙʟᴀɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ, ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ʜɪᴛᴇʜʀᴛᴏ ғᴀɪʟᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴀᴍɪɴᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀsᴛᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ ɪᴛ ᴍᴜsᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴀsᴛᴇᴅ ɢᴏᴏᴅ.
"But look," I called out to her, and pressed the bread to the ground, causing it to sink in without any resistance, "it couldn't be touched either."
She observed the phenomenon curiously, crouching in the air while watching the bread sticking half in the ground.
"And that's not all," I said and walked towards a window.
The morning sun met my face, nibbling on my skin, and I inhaled the fresh air. On the outside, I saw the small garden separating the mansion from the farmers. There were many colorful flowers and the stone road let towards the entrance that was guarded tightly. My eyes fell on a flock of birds, some flying around, but most bathing in the warm light.
I threw a piece of bread towards them, or it was more accurate to say I pushed a piece of bread towards them, as it was not bound by gravity and just left on a straight line, until it hovered above the birds. But none of the budged, as if uninterested in my act.
"It couldn't be seen or smelled either," I completed my sentence.
"ʜᴏᴡ ᴘᴇᴄᴜʟɪᴀʀ," she muttered, "ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪғ ɪ ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ?"
I agreed to her idea and we held each other's hands, fingers interlocked, of course.
Just like watching a play, the birds began moving all at once. At first, they were surprised by the bread crumbs floating in the air, but soon after they began fighting over them, without much hesitation.
The crumbs moved from bird to bird and peak to peak, until it ended up with the big bird that joined the fray midway. It quickly flew away and began pecking the bread, much to the ire of the other birds.
"ɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ sᴇᴇ ɪᴛ," she grasped tighter, "ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ᴘᴇᴄᴜʟɪᴀʀ."
"I think that proves my conjecture, though," I smiled, "because they can not only touch, but also perceive it. Both important aspects for eating, unlike you who can only be touched."
ɪ sᴛᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ʜɪᴍ, ᴜɴᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴏʀᴅᴇᴀʟ. ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ʜᴇ ᴇxᴛʀᴀᴄᴛᴇᴅ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴍᴀʟʟ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ, ʜᴏᴡ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ?
"It's not that impressive, most of them were only guesses anyways."
To summarize, the girl had the ability to create imaginary items, while me, or more specifically her body, could make them into real objects.However, for some reason, the objects were only half complete and for now would only mimic whatever the intent of their creation was. The idea was still crude and might have some mistakes, but it should be able to guide us into the right direction. Truth be told, I didn't think that was the original intent, but we had slightly cheated on establishing its uses.
I wondered if that was how magic worked, if it even was magic. But one thing I knew, it definitely wasn't mine.
I stared at the bird who took the bread. At the beginning he was delightfully swallowing the small pieces, but after the third bite, it abruptly reacted. It began chirping encasssantly and flew around in circles. In the end, the bird kicked the bread and flew away in disgust. If it could puke, it probably would have done it.
Agnes too, watched the whole scene, and didn't know how to react, she unwittingly let go, making the bread disappear for anyone but us.
"sʜɪᴛᴛʏ ʙɪʀᴅ, ɪғ ɪ ɢᴇᴛ ᴍʏ ʜᴀɴᴅs ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ, ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ɢʀɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ғᴏʀ ᴅɪɴɴᴇʀ."
"Don't get so worked up, we still have work to do."
She raised her brows and asked, "you want to keep going?"
"Of course," I rummaged around, searching for anything that could be useful, when my hands landed on an empty glass. For some reason, it was hidden in a drawer and still had a reddish stain. But I wasn't planning on finding out its history this time. Instead I smashed it against the wall creating small shards.
I took the sharpest I could find and gently pricked my fingers, only for blood to come out, "we still need to know the details. How far can you go, how fast can you fly, do you need to breathe," a sharp light reflected from the shard in my hand, gathering and focused on the ground, "what happens when you manifest in an object, do you bleed, do you feel pain, does my pain transmit to you, do you heal, all these questions which I needed answers to."
Agnes slowly backed away, drifting into the distance. I didn't understand why when we still had this much to do.
"ɪᴛ's ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇʏᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴏᴡ," she told me, her voice slightly trembling.
I could only reassure her, because it was for the greater good, and committed myself to the experiments without her permission.
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