Chapter 12: Lessons in Balance

The car ride home was quieter than usual, and Eli could feel the tension in the air, like a thick cloud hanging between him and his mother. She was driving with her usual care, but her eyes were distant, her grip on the wheel tighter than normal. The silence made him uneasy.

"Mom," Eli said softly, breaking the stillness, "what's wrong?"

His mother turned slightly, startled by the question, as if she hadn't expected an interruption. She quickly smiled, but the worry in her eyes remained. "It's nothing, honey," she said in that soft, comforting tone, but Eli could taste the unease in the air—it was thick, like heavy rain about to fall.

He frowned. "Am I really sick? Is that why you're trying to protect me by lying?"

His mother's fingers tightened around the steering wheel for just a moment. She didn't show her surprise, but Eli could sense it, just like how he could sense people's emotions. The same way Dad could read people so well. His father had always been able to understand others with such ease, as if he could hear their thoughts. Eli realized he was doing the same thing, feeling the undercurrents of emotion without needing words.

His mother took a deep breath and finally replied, her voice soft but firm. "It's not something you need to worry about, Eli. Mommy just needs to take extra precautions, that's all. You're fine."

Eli nodded, though he wasn't entirely convinced. There was truth in the tension he felt. She didn't want to talk about this particular subject, and he could tell. He decided not to push her.

After a few minutes of quiet, his mother inquired, trying to shift the mood, "How's your father's homework coming along?"

Eli smiled, the tension easing slightly. "I think I get it. The resistor reduces the power so the LED gets the right amount of energy. Too much energy burns it up, and too much resistance stops the flow completely."

His mother chuckled, her smile warm and proud. "My little scientist," she said affectionately. "Look at you go. You'll be curing cancer in no time."

Eli beamed, feeling a rush of pride at her praise.

They finally arrived home, and by the time Eli climbed out of the car, he felt the weight of exhaustion settling in. The events of the day had drained him more than he realized. He didn't even feel like eating, despite the long day at the hospital.

"I'm going to sleep," he mumbled to his mother as they entered the house.

"Alright," his mother replied softly, "but before you go to bed..." She followed him to his room, carrying a small IV bag. "Do I need this?" Eli inquired, sitting on the edge of his bed as she prepared the IV.

"It's just in case," his mother replied, her voice calm. "We don't want you feeling weak again, do we?"

Eli nodded and let her attach the IV to his arm. He lay back in bed, feeling the cold flow of the fluids entering his system. His mother sat beside him for a few moments, her hand gently stroking his hair. It was comforting, the way she always made him feel safe, even when things were strange.

Before she left the room, she attached a small sensor to his chest—a precaution, she said, to keep track of his vitals while he slept. Eli didn't mind. He was too tired to care.

"Goodnight, sweetie," she whispered, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "Sweet dreams, my little one."

"Night, Mom," Eli murmured, already half-asleep.

His mother lingered for a moment, watching him. She smiled softly before leaving the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

What neither of them noticed was the faint glow of eyes watching from across the street, hidden in the shadows. The eyes flickered briefly, catching the light from a passing car before disappearing into the darkness.

Eli woke up feeling refreshed, the warmth of the morning sun spilling into his room. The IV had done its job, and his mother had already removed it before she left for work. Today was different—his father was home, so there was no need for another hospital visit.

He stretched lazily and glanced at the small chart of formulas his father had given him, neatly pinned to the wall. Eli always wrote down the formulas in the morning to keep them fresh in his mind, though his father had told him he was already far ahead of his peers. Still, the repetition helped.

But today, Eli had something more interesting to explore—his essence powers.

After yesterday's strange discovery, he wanted to see if he could manipulate essences beyond just observing them. He had seen essences move—now it was time to see how they behaved when combined.