Chapter 13: The Forge of Essence

Eli sat at the kitchen table, eyeing the mint leaves he had gathered from the garden earlier. His last experiment, combining the essence of mint with saltwater, had taught him something valuable: balance was everything. Too much of one thing overwhelmed the other, and it was all about finding harmony.

Today, though, he had a different idea. What if he could melt the mint entirely, the same way he had melted toys to reshape their essence? Could the essence of mint survive the process of being melted down, just as he had transformed plastic into a ring?

Slipping quietly into his father's workshop, Eli was met by the familiar scent of oil and metal. His fingers traced over the cool surface of the electric furnace his father had made for him. But this time, he wasn't going to reshape toys or metal. This time, he was working with essence.

Carefully, Eli dropped the fresh mint leaves into the small crucible and turned on the furnace. He watched as the leaves slowly wilted, the vibrant green fading into a dull brown. A sweet, minty aroma filled the air, mixing strangely with the scent of metal and heat.

Suddenly, something unexpected happened. A faint glow flickered around the edges of the mint leaves. The essence. It was like the mint itself was fighting the heat, trying to hold on to its energy.

As the heat intensified, the mint's resistance began to fade. Eli watched in awe as the leaves dried and crumbled into brittle brown pieces, eventually disintegrating into ash.

Disappointment started to settle in Eli's chest, but then something caught his attention—the room felt different. The essence of the mint hadn't been destroyed. It had dispersed, filling the air around him like a vapor.

Activating his Pure Eyes, Eli scanned the workshop. Sure enough, faint trails of essence hovered in the air, swirling lazily before fading out of sight. The workshop had become like a massive teacup, and the essence had steeped into the air, leaving nothing behind in the crucible.

Eli frowned in thought. What if he could capture that essence, rather than letting it dissipate? The room was too large, too open. It diluted the mint's essence. He needed something smaller—something that could contain both the mint and something solid, like the iron his father worked with.

Determined, Eli grabbed another handful of mint and rushed to find his father, who was busy working with molten iron on one of his projects.

"Hey, Dad, can I try something with the furnace?" Eli asked, trying to keep his excitement in check.

His father looked up, smiled, and nodded. "Sure, just don't burn the house down," he chuckled, assuming Eli was just playing around with his usual experiments.

Eli nodded eagerly. This time, he had a plan.

He carefully sprinkled the fresh mint leaves into the furnace, avoiding the hottest part. He didn't want them to burn to ash like before. This time, he would capture the essence.

With his father's help, they melted a small amount of iron, the molten metal glowing a bright, fiery red. His father, still unaware of Eli's true intentions, stirred the iron dust and mint leaves into the mixture.

Eli's heart raced as the mint sizzled and melded with the molten metal. Thin wisps of smoke rose, but the essence didn't escape into the air this time. It was fusing with the iron. A faint green hue spread through the molten metal—a sign that the mint's essence was blending into the very substance of the iron.

Eli held his breath as he watched the iron and mint essence swirl together in perfect harmony. The mint didn't seem to resist this time. It didn't burn up or disintegrate—it merged smoothly with the molten metal.

His heart soared. The iron was like a vessel, a teacup holding the essence instead of letting it dissipate. The experiment was working, and for the first time, Eli felt like he was on the verge of truly understanding his powers.

His father laughed lightly, ruffling Eli's hair. "Not bad, kiddo. You've got a good eye for this stuff. Maybe you'll take over the workshop someday."

But Eli barely heard him. His eyes were locked on the molten iron, now glowing faintly green. He could feel the energy within it—alive and connected. This wasn't just a random experiment anymore. This was a breakthrough.

For a moment, Eli was lost in awe. The essence was alive within the molten metal, glowing softly, as if it had finally found a place to rest.

But then, something changed.

As the molten iron began to cool, the greenish hue slowly faded. At first, it was subtle, but then it became more noticeable—the essence was slipping away. Eli's heart sank. The essence was unraveling.

The metal, once fluid and alive with energy, was solidifying. As it cooled, it lost its ability to hold the mint's essence. The once-bright green glow faded completely, leaving behind a dull lump of gray metal.

"Why now?" Eli whispered to himself, frustration creeping into his voice. His father, focused on his own work, hadn't noticed the shift, but Eli could feel it—the energy was escaping.

The molten state of the iron had been the perfect vessel for the essence, but now, as it cooled and became solid, it couldn't hold the energy anymore. Movement and fluidity had been the key.

Staring at the now-solid piece of iron, Eli's mind raced. The essence was gone, lost because the iron had cooled and become still. Essence needed to remain in motion—that much was clear now. Without movement, it couldn't be contained.

He thought back to his earlier experiments with tea. The essence of mint had dissolved into the water because the liquid was constantly moving. Solid objects couldn't hold onto essence in the same way—not when they were static.

That's the secret, Eli realized. Essence needs to stay in something alive, something in motion.

His father patted him on the back, still assuming this was just a fun experiment gone wrong. "Good try, Eli. You'll get the hang of it."

Eli forced a smile, but his thoughts were far away. He didn't have all the answers yet, but he knew one thing—he had to find a way to keep the essence in motion, even after the object solidified. This was just the beginning.

Despite the failed attempt, Eli wasn't upset. He had learned something valuable. Heat could extract essence, but motion kept it stable. Without movement, the essence would simply escape.

He grinned, thinking back to his earlier experiments. Molten iron wasn't the only way to work with essence. There were simpler methods—like hot water. Water was fluid, constantly in motion, and perfect for extracting and containing essence without the difficulties of using molten metal.

Eli glanced toward the kitchen, a new idea forming in his mind. Without wasting any time, he rushed to the garden, plucked another fresh mint branch, and dashed back inside.

In the kitchen, Eli filled a pot with water and set it to boil. He peeled a small root of ginger and sliced it, the spicy aroma filling the room. The mint leaves waited beside the cutting board, fresh and vibrant.

As the water began to bubble, Eli carefully added the ginger and mint, stirring the mixture slowly. The heat would draw out the essence, just like it had in the molten iron, but this time, the water's constant motion would hold the essence, preventing it from escaping.

With his Pure Eyes activated, Eli watched as the essences of the ginger and mint fused together in the water. There was no resistance this time—no fight. The essences merged smoothly, creating something entirely new.

Eli poured the tea into a small cup, watching the steam curl upward. The liquid had a faint golden hue from the ginger, with the green essence of the mint swirling within. This wasn't just tea—it was a fusion of essences.

He brought the cup to his lips, taking a slow, careful sip.

Immediately, the warmth of the ginger spread through his chest, soothing him, while the mint left a cool, refreshing aftertaste. But beyond the taste, Eli could feel the essence. It was gentle but vibrant, a perfect balance between the two elements.

Yet, despite the perfection of the tea, something still nagged at him. It wasn't what he was looking for. It was good, but it wasn't special. The tea held the essence, yes, but there was something missing. Something more.

Eli set the cup