Unintended Consequences

Chapter 3: 

The old warehouse stood silent and imposing as Aiden approached it once more, the midday sun casting long shadows across its dilapidated structure. Inside, the air was musty, and shafts of light pierced through the broken windows, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere. It was the perfect place for Aiden to practice without being disturbed.

Aiden set down his backpack and unpacked his supplies. He had brought more first aid materials, a small mirror, and some weights he had borrowed from the gym. He figured he might as well test the extent of his physical enhancements while he was at it.

Taking a deep breath, Aiden decided to start with something he knew: vitakinesis. He took out a small knife and, with a steady hand, made a shallow cut on his forearm. The sting was familiar now, and the sight of blood no longer made him queasy. He focused on the wound, closing his eyes and willing the warmth to spread from his chest to his arm.

Slowly, he felt the familiar sensation of warmth and healing energy flowing through him. When he opened his eyes, the cut was gone, leaving only a faint line where the wound had been. Aiden smiled, feeling a rush of satisfaction. He was getting better at this.

Next, he turned to the small mirror he had brought. He had read about more advanced uses of vitakinesis, like enhancing physical abilities. He stared at his reflection, focusing on his muscles. "If I can heal, maybe I can strengthen, too," he thought.

Aiden closed his eyes again, imagining his muscles growing stronger and more resilient. He visualized the warmth spreading through his body, enhancing his strength. When he opened his eyes, he felt a tingling sensation in his arms and legs. Tentatively, he picked up one of the weights. It felt lighter than usual, almost as if it was made of foam.

He tried lifting the other weights, amazed at how effortlessly he could move them. Excited, Aiden decided to test his limits. He found an old, rusted barbell in the corner and loaded it with weights. With a deep breath, he lifted it off the ground, feeling a surge of power coursing through him. For a moment, he felt invincible.

But as he held the barbell above his head, the warmth suddenly turned to a searing pain. His muscles spasmed, and he dropped the weights with a loud clang. Aiden fell to his knees, clutching his arms as the pain intensified. It felt like his muscles were tearing apart from the inside. He started using Vitakinesis to heal his arms.

"My muscles aren't used to that kind of strain even when enhanced. That settles it—I have to start doing exercises then," Aiden muttered, his voice strained from the pain. He realized that while he could enhance his strength, his body still needed to adapt to the physical demands. It was like having the power without the necessary foundation to support it.

After a few moments of healing, Aiden's pain subsided, and he managed to get back on his feet. He decided to take a more gradual approach, incorporating regular exercise into his routine to build up his muscle strength naturally. Enhancing his abilities with vitakinesis would have to come later, once his body was more prepared.

Aiden spent the next hour doing a series of basic exercises—push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. He focused on his form and breathing, determined to build a solid foundation. The exercises were challenging, but he pushed through, knowing it was essential for his progress.

After his workout, Aiden sat down and took a swig of water from his bottle. 

He leaned back against the wall, feeling a mix of exhaustion and accomplishment. The pain from earlier still lingered, a reminder of the risks involved in pushing his powers too far, too fast. He had to be careful, to respect his limits.

As he rested, Aiden's mind wandered back to the stressful situations he'd been in recently. He remembered the fear that had gripped him when he first discovered his powers, the uncertainty that came with every new ability. He needed to find a way to manage that fear, to control his emotions better.

In a moment of intense focus, Aiden closed his eyes and tried something different. He visualized the fear he had felt and then imagined replacing it with courage. He focused on the concept of courage, willing it to fill every part of his being. As he did, he felt a strange shift within him, a sense of empowerment that seemed to radiate from his core.

When he opened his eyes, the warehouse seemed brighter, and less imposing. Aiden felt a newfound confidence, a courage that wasn't there before. He stood up, feeling lighter, and more in control. It was as if he had unlocked a new aspect of his abilities without fully realizing it.

"what just happened?" Aiden looking down at his hands

Aiden decided to end his training early and go home. The sun had dipped below the horizon by the time Aiden made his way back home, casting long shadows across the city. The warehouse had given him a lot to think about. He had pushed his abilities to new heights and learned crucial lessons about their limitations. Now, as he walked through the dimly lit streets, he felt a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration.

As soon as Aiden entered his home, he was greeted by the familiar warmth and comfort of his family's presence. The smell of dinner wafted through the air, and he heard the clatter of dishes from the kitchen.

"Aiden, you're back!" Hana called from the dining room. "Dinner's almost ready. Mom's making spaghetti."

Aiden smiled, the tension of the day easing slightly. "Great, I'm starving," he replied, heading to his room to freshen up. He washed his face and changed into comfortable clothes, reflecting on the events of the day.

Dinner was a lively affair, with Hana recounting funny stories from her day at work and their mother sharing updates about her garden. Aiden joined in the conversation, but his mind kept drifting back to the warehouse and the progress he had made with his abilities.

After dinner, Aiden excused himself and retreated to his room. He sat at his desk, staring at his laptop. The Superpower Wiki was still open, and he scrolled through the entries, looking for more information on abilities that had a similar effect to what happened when I was training. looking through the kinetic abilities section he found two that match the description of what I was looking for.

Ideakinesis (Concept manipulation): The user can manipulate parts, parts of a set, all known parts, or all existent parts of concepts, change concepts, and their definition, create new ones by warping universal ideas, or create one out of nothing.

 Pathokinesis (Emotion manipulation): The user can sense and manipulate the emotions, including feelings, moods, and their effects, on themselves, people, animals, and other creatures, whether by increasing, decreasing, causing, or otherwise channeling emotions, even manifesting the emotional energy to a physical level.

After a bit more searching he found a sub-power of Ideakinesis and that was called conceptual element manipulation. deciding to test using conceptual element manipulation to see which one of the kinetic abilities he had. Aiden took a breath before picturing something- a flame that doesn't burn. He closed his eyes and focused, imagining the flame in his mind's eye. A flame that emitted light but no heat, a concept that defied the very nature of fire. He concentrated, willing the idea into existence. When Aiden opened his eyes, he saw a small, flickering flame hovering above his palm. It glowed with a soft, blue light, casting shadows on the walls of his room. He moved his hand closer to the flame, but there was no heat. It was exactly as he had imagined—a flame that didn't burn.

Aiden's heart raced with excitement. He had successfully used conceptual element manipulation. which meant one thing the ability he had used today was Ideakinesis so now that means the powers he has are Vitakinesis and Ideakinesis.

"While that's good and all how would I train this ability?"

Aiden hummed in thought before sighing deciding that he would figure it out tomorrow and he turned in for the night.The next morning, Aiden woke up early, eager to continue his practice. He made his way to the old warehouse, his mind focused on the tasks ahead. Once inside, he set up his supplies and began his training with Vitakinesis.

Aiden started with simple exercises, making small cuts on his forearm and healing them. He repeated the process multiple times, each time focusing on improving his control and efficiency. The more he practiced, the more he realized that his understanding of the human body played a crucial role in his ability to heal.

"I need more knowledge," Aiden muttered as he browsed through his medical textbooks. He made a mental note to spend more time studying anatomy and medical procedures. The more he knew, the better he could heal.

After an hour of Vitakinesis practice, Aiden decided to test his strength enhancement again, this time with a more measured approach. He started with light weights, focusing on gradually increasing his strength without overexerting himself. He lifted the weights, enhancing his muscles slightly and paying close attention to any signs of strain.

The training was challenging but rewarding. Aiden felt his muscles responding better to the enhancements, and the pain from overexertion was significantly reduced. He spent the next hour alternating between strength exercises and healing, pushing his limits while ensuring he didn't injure himself.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Aiden decided to take a break. He sat on the warehouse floor, sipping water and reflecting on his progress. He had made significant strides with Vitakinesis and strength enhancement, but his concept manipulation still needed more exploration.

"Let's try something different," Aiden said to himself. He closed his eyes and focused on a new concept—weightlessness. He imagined his body becoming lighter, defying gravity. The idea was abstract, but he concentrated on it, willing the sensation to take over.

Slowly, Aiden felt a shift. His body began to feel lighter as if he was floating. He opened his eyes and saw that his feet were no longer touching the ground. He was hovering a few inches above the floor, his body weightless. Aiden's heart raced with excitement. He floated higher, testing his control. The sensation was surreal, like swimming through the air. He moved around the warehouse, experimenting with different heights and speeds. The more he practiced, the more confident he became in his ability to manipulate this concept.

"Ok this works perfectly I start out with concepts that would only affect myself so I do something that would accidentally cause major issues."

Aiden nodded as he stopped using Ideakinesis and the concept of weightlessness stopped affecting him which led to a problem he was 11 feet off the ground and immediately dropped back down. Aiden braced himself for the impact, instinctively activating his vitakinesis as he landed hard on the concrete floor. The healing warmth spread through his body, quickly mending the bruises and minor fractures caused by the fall.

He lay on the floor for a moment, catching his breath and calming his racing heart. "Note to self: don't float too high without a plan to get back down," he muttered with a wry smile.

Chapter 3: End