Chapter 37: The Magic Workshop

Maxim had been riding high on the success of his recent experiments. The test with the pencil and notebook had sparked a fire in him—he felt an incredible sense of mastery over his abilities. It was as if the act of writing, once so mundane, had become second nature, imprinted into his memory like a skill he'd practiced for years. He didn't need to focus on the objects anymore; the mere thought of wanting to write was enough to make the pencil lift itself into the air and start jotting down notes.

It was freeing.

Maxim had quickly realized that the only real limitation was proximity. The objects had to be within his range of influence, but even that felt like a challenge he could soon overcome. His abilities were growing every day, and with the energy from the crystals constantly replenishing, the usual strain was gone. He felt like he could keep going forever.

He was so caught up in his newfound control that he began testing it even further. One afternoon, he floated a notebook and pen into the air as he walked around the warehouse, practicing "automatic writing" while barely thinking about it. He walked in circles, lost in thought, as the pen scrawled across the pages with perfect precision. The feeling was intoxicating, almost magical.

Within a day or two, the warehouse began to resemble a wizard's workshop. Objects floated through the air, each performing small tasks as if they had a life of their own. A broom swept the floor, a cup of coffee hovered just within reach whenever Maxim needed a sip, and pens and notebooks circled around him, jotting down notes on their own. It was becoming so natural that Maxim barely noticed them anymore.

He felt no exhaustion, no drain of energy—quite the opposite. It was as if the more he practiced, the less effort it took to manipulate the objects. He marveled at how his powers seemed to adapt, becoming more efficient over time. Even more fascinating was that the energy required to move objects seemed to be diminishing. It was as if the crystals within him were optimizing the process, making everything flow effortlessly.

As he stood in the middle of the warehouse, watching the objects move about, a thought crossed his mind: How could I measure this? How do I know how much energy I'm using? His mind began to wander into ideas about wearable devices, something like smartwatches, that could track his mana usage in real time. It was just a concept for now, but he could already see the potential.

Before he could get too deep into his ideas, the door to the warehouse creaked open, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned, and there, standing in the doorway, was Lila. She had come to visit.

Maxim froze, his heart skipping a beat. He hadn't expected her to stop by, and now here she was, staring wide-eyed at the scene in front of her.

Lila's jaw dropped as she took in the sight. She had always known that Maxim had some kind of power, but seeing it firsthand was something else entirely. The warehouse looked like a scene out of a fantasy novel—objects floated lazily through the air, a broom sweeping by itself, pens writing in midair, and books flipping their pages without a hand to turn them. It was incredible.

"Maxim…," she said softly, her voice filled with awe.

But the second Maxim laid eyes on her, something inside him faltered. He had been so caught up in his own world that he hadn't considered what it would be like for someone else to witness all of this. His concentration slipped.

With a loud crash, every object that had been levitating dropped to the ground. The broom clattered against the floor, notebooks fell in messy piles, and the cup of coffee almost spilled before Maxim managed to catch it with his hand at the last second. The sudden silence in the warehouse was deafening.

Lila's expression shifted from awe to amusement as she watched him scramble to pick up the fallen objects. "Well, that's one way to make an entrance," she teased.

Maxim laughed, embarrassed. "Yeah… sorry about that. I guess I got a little too comfortable."

"You think?" she smiled, stepping further into the warehouse. "I mean, I knew you had some pretty amazing abilities, but… this? It's like magic."

"It's… kind of is," Maxim admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt a bit awkward, but seeing Lila smile made him relax. "I've been practicing, pushing myself. The crystals inside me—they've been helping a lot. But I think I might have gone a little overboard."

Lila knelt down to pick up a fallen notebook, flipping through the pages filled with notes that had been written in midair. "Overboard? This is amazing, Maxim. You're doing things most people couldn't even imagine. It's like you've created your own little world in here."

Maxim watched her as she flipped through the notebook, her eyes filled with genuine curiosity and admiration. He had never felt more seen, more understood. He hadn't realized how much it meant to him for someone else—especially Lila—to witness his progress. And it wasn't just about the powers; it was about sharing this part of himself with her.

He walked over and sat down on a nearby stool, looking at the chaos around them. "I've been thinking about how to measure all of this," he said, his voice quieter now. "How to track the energy I'm using, how much the crystals are replenishing. It feels like I'm on the verge of something bigger, but I don't know exactly what it is yet."

Lila closed the notebook and set it aside, looking at him intently. "You're going to figure it out. I can see it in you—you've always been this way. You won't stop until you've unlocked every secret."

Maxim smiled at that. "Maybe. I just hope I don't accidentally blow something up in the process."

Lila laughed, standing up and brushing off her pants. "Well, as long as you don't blow up yourself, I think you'll be fine."

Maxim stood as well, the tension that had built up earlier now completely gone. They stood there for a moment in comfortable silence, the air between them light and easy. He wanted to say more, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he just looked at her, grateful for her presence.

"Come on," Lila said, nudging him gently. "Let's clean this up before you lose your mind trying to figure out how to measure magic."

Maxim chuckled and began gathering the fallen objects, his heart lighter than it had been in a long time.