Discovery and Isolation

Chapter 2

The events of the previous day played over and over in Aiden's mind as he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't shake the images of the car crash, the panic, the strange warmth that had spread through his body, and the inexplicable healing. His thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and curiosity.

After tossing and turning for hours, Aiden finally gave up on sleep. He glanced at the clock—it was just past midnight. Quietly, he slipped out of bed and went to his desk, switching on the small lamp. He needed answers.

Aiden opened his laptop and began searching for anything that could explain what had happened to him. "Human healing powers," he typed into the search bar, hoping for some kind of scientific explanation. The results were mostly about natural healing processes, but there were also articles about myths and legends, none of which seemed relevant.

Frustrated, Aiden continued his search, trying different keywords: "instant healing," "supernatural healing powers," "unexplained healing abilities." Hours passed, and the more he read, the more he realized that his experience didn't fit into any normal category. He was about to give up when one link caught his eye: a site called "Superpower Wiki." Curious, Aiden clicked on it.

The website was a massive repository of information about various supernatural abilities, many of which he had never even imagined. As he scrolled through the list, he found an entry titled "Vitakinesis." His heart pounded as he clicked on it, hoping for some answers.

Vitakinesis: The ability to manipulate the health and healing of oneself and others. Users can heal injuries, cure illnesses, and in some cases, even resurrect the dead. This power is often limited by the user's medical knowledge and experience.

Aiden's eyes widened as he read the description. It matched what he had experienced almost perfectly. The entry included various examples from fiction and mythology, but it was the practical information that intrigued him the most. There were tips on how to develop and control the power and even links to medical resources.

"So it's called vitakinesis," Aiden muttered to himself. "But how did I get it? And what else can I do?"

He continued browsing the site, looking up different abilities out of curiosity. Many of them seemed fantastical and far-fetched, but it was fascinating to see the range of powers people had imagined. However, two abilities he suspected he had—celestial body manipulation and concept manipulation—were noticeably absent from the list.

Hours passed, and as dawn approached, Aiden decided it was time to test his abilities further. He went to the bathroom, took out a small first aid kit, and made a tiny cut on his forearm with a sterilized blade. It stung, and a drop of blood welled up from the cut.

Taking a deep breath, Aiden focused on the wound, willing the same warmth he had felt during the accident to return. At first, nothing happened, and he felt a pang of doubt. But then, slowly, a faint warmth spread from his chest to his arm, and he watched in awe as the skin began to knit itself back together.

When the cut was fully healed, Aiden exhaled, feeling both exhilarated and exhausted. He had done it again. His vitakinesis was real, and he could control it, at least to some extent.

Over the next few days, Aiden continued to experiment in secret. He tested his vitakinesis on small injuries, like paper cuts and bruises, pushing himself to understand the limits of his power. Each time, he found that his ability to heal was directly related to his understanding of the injury and the human body. He spent hours researching basic medical procedures and anatomy, realizing that the more he knew, the more effectively he could heal.

One evening, Aiden sat in his room, surrounded by medical textbooks and anatomy diagrams he had borrowed from the library. He was beginning to see patterns and connections in the material, understanding how the body worked and how his powers could influence it. But there were still so many questions.

As he took a break, his phone buzzed with a message from Hana. "Dinner's ready! Mom made your favorite."

Aiden smiled and replied, "Be right there." He stood up and stretched, feeling a mixture of satisfaction and frustration. He had made progress, but there was still so much he didn't know.

Downstairs, the kitchen was filled with the comforting aroma of homemade food. His mother was setting the table, and Hana was already seated, her eyes glued to her phone.

"Hey, Aiden!" Hana said, looking up as he entered. "You've been holed up in your room all day. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just busy with some research," Aiden replied, trying to sound casual. He sat down and began serving himself, his mind still racing with thoughts about his powers.

His mother joined them, and they ate dinner together, chatting about their day. Aiden did his best to stay engaged in the conversation, but his thoughts kept drifting back to his experiments. He needed to find a way to practice more openly, without arousing suspicion.

After dinner, Aiden excused himself and went back to his room. He sat at his desk, staring at the screen of his laptop. The Superpower Wiki was still open, and he scrolled through the entries, looking for any more information on Vitakinesis, and looked through other kinetic abilities. 

"These are so interesting but how to incorporate them into reality and train."

The answer came to him suddenly. He needed a place where he could experiment without fear of being seen. Somewhere secluded and safe. He remembered an old abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, a place he and his friends had explored as kids. It was perfect.

The next day, Aiden made his way to the warehouse, carrying a backpack filled with supplies. The building was dilapidated, with broken windows and overgrown weeds, but it was quiet and isolated. He slipped inside and found a spot in the middle of the main floor, setting down his backpack.

"This will do nicely."

Chapter 2: End