The Shape of Power

Chapter 6

It was early morning, the soft light of dawn barely slipping through the wooden shutters, when—

"Tyler!!!" Anessa's voice rang through the house.

Tyler groaned, flinching awake. She rolled out of bed and thudded face-first onto the cold wooden floor with a muffled grunt. Sitting up, she rubbed her forehead, still half-asleep.

The room was modest—walls of smooth, honey-colored timber with exposed beams overhead. A small desk sat near the window, cluttered with books and parchment, and a narrow dresser stood by the opposite wall. Her bed, little more than a thick straw mattress with a wool blanket, had clearly seen better days.

"Ugh… ow." Tyler muttered, pushing herself to her feet with an annoyed glare aimed in the general direction of Anessa's voice.

She shuffled out of the room and down the narrow staircase, the wood creaking beneath her feet. Entering the living room, she found Anessa seated at the table, sipping from a steaming cup of tea. A black, leather-bound book rested in front of her, its cover worn with age.

"So you're not using the bucket-of-water method anymore?" Tyler asked, yawning.

"Haha… no," Anessa replied with a sharp glare. "I learned my lesson last time."

Tyler smirked, the memory flashing in her mind—Anessa drenched and airborne, thanks to a reflexive boundary barrier.

"Don't be like that," Tyler chuckled. "Nice to see your English is getting better."

"It has been. Thanks to you," Anessa said with a small, proud smile.

"Anyway, why'd you wake me up so early? We don't usually start this stuff till mid-morning."

"Right," Anessa said, her tone turning serious. "The reason I woke you early—I have a question."

Tyler blinked. "Sure, ask away."

Anessa leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp. "How can you use magic?"

Tyler stared at her, confused. "Huh? Magic?"

'Wait… magic?' she thought. 'Is what I'm doing even considered magic here? The ability I asked Yahweh for—"boundary manipulation"—is classified more like a kinetic or conceptual ability in my world. But if it's functioning as magic here… did He tweak it to fit this world's rules?'

She shook her head slightly. "Can you… Tell me what magic is here? Like, how it works? Just so I know we're talking about the same thing."

"Wha—? Wait, are you saying you don't know what magic is?" Anessa asked, eyes wide with shock.

"Nope. Not one bit," Tyler replied, deadpan.

"But—but how—your abilities—" Anessa stammered, clearly struggling to connect the dots.

"And this is why I asked you to explain," Tyler interrupted with a flat look. "So I can actually answer your first question."

Anessa stared at her for a long moment, blinking in disbelief, then gave a small sigh and rubbed her temple. "O-okay… I'll explain. But keep in mind—it is complicated."

Complicated? Tyler thought, raising an eyebrow. This oughta be good.

"Alright," she said aloud, motioning for Anessa to go on.

Anessa nodded. "Okay, I think the best place to start is with the world's energy. To begin, I'll say this: no one really knows what the energy actually is, or even what its real name might be. All we know is that it exists, and it can be harnessed."

Tyler squinted. "Hold up. You're telling me the entire world uses this stuff, but no one knows what it is?"

"Yes… But also no," Anessa said, in mild frustration. "Different groups call it different things, and they all have their own theories and ways of using it."

"When you say 'groups', you mean…?"

"Well," Anessa began, counting on her fingers, "your average person—commoners, adventurers, even nobles—they call it mana, and using it is called magic. But religious folk, especially those in the major churches, call it divine energy, and their use of it is called miracles."

"So… same energy, just different marketing?" Tyler asked, trying to keep up.

"Exactly. But that's just humans," Anessa added.

Tyler tilted her head. "Wait, just humans? Are there… other races?"

Anessa gave her a confused look. "Of course. How far are you from?"

"Very far," Tyler said quickly, glancing away as a single cartoonish sweatdrop practically appeared on her temple.

"Well," Anessa continued, pretending not to notice, "take elves for example. They call the energy Aether, and their method of channeling it is called spellcasting. It's similar to human magic, but their approach is far more refined and deeply tied to nature."

'Ah, I see... so it's the same energy, but everyone just uses it differently.'

"Okay," Tyler said slowly, nodding. "So I think I understand. The energy is like… raw potential, right? And it's all about shaping it—molding it into different forms. That's how people use it?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Anessa replied, smiling faintly.

"Well, with that in mind…" Tyler paused, leaning back. "To answer your first question—no. My ability isn't magic. Or at least, not what you'd call magic."

Anessa tilted her head, curious. "Then what is it?"

Tyler hesitated, her expression unreadable.

'Should I tell her the truth? She's not a bad person… but still, I don't trust her completely. Not yet.'

"I'm honestly not sure," she said at last. "I only recently gained access to this ability. I've barely started learning what I can do with it."

"Ah… I see." Anessa's smile faltered slightly, her gaze dropping as a flicker of disappointment crossed her face.

'Sorry, Anessa. It's not personal… I just can't give you everything.'

"Anyway," Tyler said, steering the topic away, "since you brought up magic… do you know how to use it?"

Anessa looked up, surprised. "Yes. Why? Do you want to learn?"

"I do," Tyler nodded, "just… not right now. I already have my hands full, so I'll have to put it on hold."

"That makes sense," Anessa said thoughtfully. She stood, brushing down her tunic. "I'll create a regimen for when you're ready, then. That way, we won't waste time later."

Tyler smiled faintly. "Thanks, Anessa."

Anessa gave her a small nod and turned to leave, the soft creak of her footsteps fading as she exited the room, her forgotten tea growing cold on the table.

Tyler stood and stretched with a satisfying crack of her joints. "I'm gonna go for a walk," she announced, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips—one that clearly meant trouble.

Without waiting for a reply, she headed for the door, swinging it open and stepping into the morning air. The door clicked softly shut behind her.

'Time to put my training to the test.'

Chapter 6: End