The Black Swan Effect: Chapter 53

I watched the Healer's hand sign the release form.

Josh had been in the Healer's Ward for two days not including when he arrived. For the entire first day he slept while the Healers were a hive of activity around him. They would check on him every hour. Check his pulse, check his breathing, check his temperature. Check. Check. Check.

And through those hours I thought he would never wake. I sat in a suspiciously burnt, plastic chair by his bed. I would speak to him; tell him how sorry I was. I would blabber to him when the room was empty of Healers and any other patients were asleep. I would murmur excuses of how I lost my temper, how I couldn't control my power.

The excuses didn't wake him.

The bell inevitably interrupted me and told me, I was late for my class. As I headed out, a tall man in his mid twenties entered. He held himself rigid like granite. His brown eyes met mine then glanced to my hair, a flash of interest flickered as if he recognized me. Dark brown hair was short and neat, a cleanly shaven face, a suit of a sharp cut. He had an ID tag hanging from the front of his chest by a red chord. I could only make out a few words in the glimpse that I had:

British High Council: Junior Secretary, Finance and Funding.

He quickly turned away from me and walked into the room.

"Right. I think I finally get what you are trying to say," said Mr. Pavillis after two hours.

Finally!

"So you switch on your powers and there is an increase in power density near you." He paused and I nodded in confirmation. "Right. So it's analogous to a magnetic field?"

"Yes."

"...and you can vary the intensity?"

"Yes."

"...what about the boundary?"

"What do you mean?" I frowned slightly and ran my hand through my bun. It had started out the day as a neat as a ballerina's, but it was now closer to a waitress' at the end of her shift.

"Have you tried setting a limit on its thickness so you have a shield like everyone else?" He said rubbing his chin.

We were both in his classroom and he had spent the past couple of hours testing my shield with me trying to explain. I was pretty knackered and sat on a desk at the front of the class. He seemed perfectly fine, however, and was leaning on his table. Every time he had tested me he had asked odd questions like this and then have abrupt gaps of silence as he pondered. He would ask me to strengthen my power, to weaken my power, to restrict the radius of my power- each time twisting me in a new way.

"No," I said.

"Try it."

And I did. I flicked the switch and the field was on. I tried to thin it but it was like grasping air, there was nothing tangible at all. I stopped.

"I can't do it," I said with a small pant.

He raised an eyebrow as if surprised at my answer. I had managed all his other challenges so far but he hadn't been pushing me - just finding out about my power that little bit more. This was like he was playing with the fundamentals of my power.

"Try again," he said. I was about to protest when he raised a hand, "This time try to imagine the edge of your power, not the beginning." He gave me what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. "Focus on what's happening at the edges."

I gave a quick nod and chewed my lip. Before I could doubt myself I clapped my hands together and threw up my power. I had gotten into the habit of making sure it only reached a meter in front of me so I always knew my boundary. I felt along the edge as if I were smoothing it with my hand. The more I paid attention to the edge of the field, the more aware of my power I was. I could feel things like molecules around me. I could feel their erratic jumps. Yet I knew they weren't molecules. It was power.
They would be drawn towards me and I threw them away. I wanted to repel the power because I was wanting to make a force field.

"Tell me what you see," he said.

I hesitated, "It's... weird."

I let out a shaky breath. "It's like there's... like it's... I dunno. The power is in me. I charge when I don't use it but when I do, it still comes. My skin... it covers me... it keeps it out but in. There's two layers of skin you see..." I felt the top layer where tiny zaps of energy were dancing like water flies on a river. I pushed the layer away from me slowly and felt a gap. I pushed it towards the edge of the dome. The energy between the edge and the top layer remained the same though: the power just got more and more concentrated.

I opened my eyes and saw tiny glimmers of gold retreating from me and getting more and more dense. I could vaguely make out Professor Pavillis grinning from behind the gold mist, but he soon disappeared as it solidified. What had been a transparent dancing of fireflies swarming around me was now like a fogged gold dome about half a foot thick with flashes of brilliant copper and steel marbling through. It was beautiful.

I pressed on and pushed the inner layer closer and closer to the outer. The dome became thinner and thinner, but still contained all the energy it had before. The light from it was getting more intense and the metallic sheen began to merge into one brilliant fiery copper color. What had been mist became a waterfall curtain and what was liquid became solid.

There was now a blinding, solid copper dome over me. The surface buzzed and quivered with tension and shone like sunset.

"Okay Peter. That's enough," the Professor's voice echoed from the other side of the wall.

I immediately dropped it and it went rushing back into me. For that moment I could feel the rawness of it wriggle under my skin. It was intoxicating but quickly passed leaving nothing but a jittery feeling behind, an urge to do more.

"Do you not find that amazing?" He said. A conspiratorial grin was on his face, pulling at his leather tanned skin.

"I dunno. It feels..." I searched for the right word. Just now I had been surprised at finding the layers of power but not my ability to manipulate them. "...natural I guess," I said looking at my black shoes.

"Well done Lady Lomenos," the Professor and I both startled and looked towards the door. Leaning against the door with an amused look on his face was John. He lazily sauntered into the room with the relaxed nature of a panther.

"Young Master Lomenos. What may I do for you?" Inquired the Professor.

John quickly brushed the tall man aside with a glance that spoke words. "I am here to have a word with Lady Peter," he said, pulling his gaze to me, looking me up and down then raising an eyebrow. Pavillis nodded in acknowledgement and strode out of the classroom, shutting the door behind him.

"What do you want John?" I said. I jumped off the desk and straightened my skirt that was always too short for my liking.

"Leonardo wishes to meet with you."

I paused and looked at him, there was no lie in his eyes.

Leonardo wants to meet? It must be about me moving out of Lectures' Keep. Or maybe he wants to tell me about my mother and father? He was there that day when... when she died.

I kept my face completely blank as I thought all of this, John obviously became unnerved because he started awkwardly scratching his black hair.

"Anyway, he's finally managed to organize some time off work and he says he's available a fortnight on Thursday, if that is convenient for you?" He started standing a little straighter as he remembered the message.

"Thursday's fine."

He stopped fidgeting and tilted his chin up in his classic arrogant pose. "I shall confirm your response then. He suggested the Pavilion Cafe in town, but of course he shall rendezvous with you outside school gates. He says you may bring your own... escort, if you feel the need."

John then quickly gave the slightest bow possible and exited the room.

Professor Pavillis soon entered again and gave me a calculating stare. "You did reasonably today. If there's anything we can gather today it's that you're a quick learner and your powers don't tire quickly- even though your mental capacity might," the last part was evidently not a joke from the frown on his face. "I shall see you tomorrow after school again," he concluded.

"Thank you," I said bowing.

I stopped by the infirmary to see Josh before walking back to the Keep. I was about to go through the open door when I heard sharp whispers.

"...you were foolish to do such a reckless thing! Mother and Father are furious!..." A whipping voice came. "...you insulted every single Noble House with your ego that day-"

"I did not! You know how damn arrogant everyone is!" An equally fierce whisper replied. "Every single one needed taken down!"

Though the two were whispering they were practically yelling with anger.

"THEY were arrogant?! Now what were you doing? Don't try to explain your selfish behavior pretending it was justice! You were showing off and trying to look smart!-"

"Oh man up and stop being so jealous!"

"Jealous? JEALOUS! Of what?! Your lack of direction? Your blatant stupidity and disregard for consequences and honor! Mother and Father have had to beg for forgiveness from the House of Nero because of you! James had been threatened at school!"

The silence that followed was the most horrid thing I had ever heard. It stretched and stretched becoming thin and tense.

After a while I heard a sigh. "Josh... you're smart. Just stop being so stupid."

I heard footsteps coming my direction.

I fled back to the Keep.