Chapter 3: Sparks of Discovery

Maxim couldn't let it go. Despite his failed attempts to recreate the strange event from the day before, he knew something was different. The sensation in his hand, the pull of the stone, the wind—it had been real. His frustration only grew with each unsuccessful attempt, but underneath it, a flicker of curiosity burned brighter.

After school, Maxim returned to the forest, determined to understand what had happened. He had tried stones, sticks, even leaves, but none of them responded the way the stone had on that first day. The memory of the wind and the shifting air was vivid in his mind. If he could just figure out what had triggered it…

He crouched by the stream, staring at the smooth surface of the water. What if it's not about objects? he thought. What if it's about me?

Slowly, he stretched out his hand toward the water, his fingers just grazing the surface. For a moment, nothing happened. The stream continued its slow, steady flow, undisturbed by his presence. Maxim closed his eyes, trying to summon the feeling he had when the stone wouldn't leave his hand.

At first, there was nothing. But then, he felt it again—that faint tingling in his fingertips. It was subtle, almost like a whisper, but it was there. His heart raced. This time, he didn't try to force it. Instead, he let it happen. The sensation spread through his hand, up his arm, filling him with a strange warmth. He opened his eyes.

The water beneath his fingers rippled. Just slightly, but it moved. The surface shivered as if touched by an invisible force. Maxim stared in disbelief. It wasn't a coincidence. It's real.

His breath caught in his throat as he pulled his hand back, the ripples slowly fading. He tried again, and once more, the water responded. The sensation was different this time—not as forceful as the wind had been, but gentle, controlled. He wasn't sure how he was doing it, but there was no doubt now. Something inside me is changing.

Maxim sat back on the grass, his mind racing. This wasn't just some strange occurrence. It wasn't something random or fleeting. It was power. Real power. But what did it mean? And why him?

---

At dinner that evening, Maxim was quieter than usual, lost in thought. His mother, Alena, noticed.

"Max, you've barely touched your food," she said, glancing at him with concern. "Everything okay?"

Maxim forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, just tired," he replied, pushing his food around his plate. In truth, his mind was spinning with possibilities. He wanted to tell someone, but how could he explain what was happening when he didn't understand it himself?

His father, Viktor, didn't look up from his meal. He rarely noticed when Maxim was distracted. Viktor was a man of few words, spending most of his time in his workshop working on wood carvings. Maxim had inherited his father's patience and calm demeanor, but now, he felt anything but calm.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Alena suggested, her voice soft. "You've seemed a little out of it lately."

Maxim nodded again, grateful for the suggestion. He excused himself from the table and headed up to his room, feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

---

Later that night, as he lay in bed, the weight of the day's events pressed on him. He couldn't ignore it anymore. Something had changed, and it wasn't going away. Every time he thought about the way the water had responded to his touch, a thrill shot through him.

If I can do that, what else is possible?

His thoughts wandered to the idea of control. Could he learn to harness this power? The possibilities seemed endless, but they were also overwhelming. He didn't know where to start, or if there was anyone who could help him. No one on Earth used magic—or at least, no one he knew of.

For the first time in his life, Maxim felt truly different, like he didn't quite belong in the world he had known. He turned over in bed, staring at the ceiling. What now?

---

The next day at school, everything felt strange. The hallways, the classrooms, even his friends seemed distant, like they belonged to another world. He found himself distracted during lessons, his mind constantly drifting back to the forest, to the water, to the sensation in his hand.

During lunch, Maxim sat with his usual group of friends—Lukas, Tomas, and a few others. They joked and talked about the weekend plans, but Maxim felt detached. Lukas, his closest friend, noticed.

"You alright, man?" Lukas asked, nudging Maxim with his elbow. "You've been acting weird lately."

Maxim hesitated. How could he explain what was going on without sounding crazy? "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... a lot on my mind," he said, trying to brush it off.

Lukas gave him a skeptical look but didn't press further. "Alright, just don't disappear on us," he joked, laughing along with the others.

Maxim smiled weakly, but inside, he felt like he was already drifting away. The pull of the forest, the pull of something unknown, was growing stronger.