Eddie shifted in his bed as he forced himself to sleep. He had been tossing and turning for the past hour or so, switching sleeping positions every few minutes. A soft whimper escaped his lips. He envied those who could doze off so easily. Every time he went to bed, he had to straighten, curl up, and contort his body in at least twenty different ways before he could feel comfortable enough to rest. And there was no single position that he could rely on—some nights he slept with his limbs spread out, and other nights he lay still and straight.

And to think that finding the perfect sleeping position was hard enough, finding the best way to wrap a blanket around the body was just as significant. Sometimes he would cover himself from head to toe, other times one leg would stick out, and occasionally he folded his duvet in a way that concealed his whole being except for his knees and lower thighs. He sometimes joked that he had mastered the art of "blanket origami."

At last, his body lay still once he had settled on the perfect position. He leaned his head to one side, his mouth slightly open as he dozed off. His left arm and leg were wrapped around a bolster, while his right limbs were relaxed on the mattress. The tension left his chest and back as he fell into a deep sleep.

Thwack! Eddie jolted upright as hard velvet smacked his left cheek. He lunged at his bedside table and reached for his phone to check the time. It was 11:30 p.m.

"About time you're awake," Louis said, appearing before his face. "You got a lesson in twenty minutes."

"What are you talking about?" Eddie said, exasperated. "Giorgino said the first lesson's tomorrow."

"He was talking about the one with the three of you, not your private lesson. You can check the scheduling app on your phone."

Eddie opened the application on his phone, which was a product of Nitean software. He checked the schedule for Monday night. Louis was right—he and Giorgino were to meet at 11:50 p.m., Central European Time.

Eddie kept the phone in one hand as he reached for the nearest light switch and flicked it. He covered his eyes. It took him a minute or so before his pupils had adjusted, and after they did, he then staggered towards the right side of the room and opened the door to his walk-in wardrobe. He entered it and undressed, tossing his sleepwear to one of the drawers. A yawn escaped his mouth as he put on his usual outfit: a short-sleeved t-shirt, close-fitting pants, and thin-soled sneakers, all of which were pitch black. He slung his messenger bag across his shoulders, placed his phone inside, then stepped out of the wardrobe. Louis was still hovering above his bed, waiting for his command.

"The usual," he said.

Louis lazily waved its pages, flashing a light that sent them to the antechamber. Eddie opened his palm and lit a yellow flame in his hand, which barely brightened his environment, and then glanced at his sides. The door was on the right. He strode towards the door and then entered the other room.

"Defluo."

Eddie curled his hand into a fist. A small speck of light appeared on the floor just as he extinguished his flame. He stood idly as he watched the light eat away at the ground. Once the opening was large enough, he jumped into the portal. He found himself on the other side a moment later.

Eddie turned his head around and searched for Louis. Once he had found it, he grasped it with both hands and let it lift him out of the pond; it was quicker than using his limbs to swim to the surface. They teleported as soon as they were above the water. Solid pavement crept over the pond; buildings and signposts replaced the trees; and bright lamps and electronic signs expelled the darkness. Eddie let go of Louis and peered at the sky. Above him, a royal blue hue began to sweep over the canvas of midnight black. Dawn was creeping over the horizon. Eddie felt his shoulder strap become weightier as Louis entered his bag and snuggled inside.

A launchpad lay right in front of him. Eddie set one foot inside it and leaped, thrusting all four limbs downward. Fwoosh. Fire blazed from his feet and propelled him into the air. His eyes darted around as he searched for the Gatekeeper base, and he spotted it three seconds later. He flew towards the building, landed, and made his way to the practice room.

Eddie rode the elevator to the hundredth floor and navigated through the corridors. He had memorized the path to the practice room, so there was no need for him to refer to his digital map. Exit the elevator, walk straight down the aisle, take the second left turn, and enter the second door on the right. Once he had found the practice room, he halted in front of its door and peeked through the glass pane. His mentor was standing inside, occupied with his gadget. Eddie knocked on the door before he entered and then made a short bow.

"Good morning, Elder."

Giorgino glanced up from his phone. "Good morning, Eddie!" he greeted him. "You're ten minutes early. I haven't even prepared the anti-sleep serum yet!"

"Well, better early than late," Eddie chuckled. "So do I just wait here or—"

"Actually, you can come with me downstairs. I'll get you something."

Giorgino folded his phone in half before he wrapped it around his wrist. Eddie followed his mentor out of the room. The two of them entered an empty elevator and descended to the first floor.

"Have you been to the concoction café before?" Giorgino asked.

Eddie shook his head. "I haven't."

"It's a place where we sell drinks infused with potions," his mentor said. "We call them concoctions or 'drinkables'—since they can make potions more drinkable, get it? I just got a part-time job there."

"Oh nice, what's it like?"

"Pretty hectic. The one run by the Guild is quite popular, especially during rush hour. I only wanted a job there because I like money and free stuff."

"Oh," Eddie said, "what kind of free stuff?"

"All employees are entitled to seven free concoctions a week," Giorgino answered. "That's good news for both of us because now we can drink wake shakes instead of those nasty anti-sleeping serums."

The elevator stopped and opened its doors. Eddie followed his mentor down the wide hallway. At the very end was a set of translucent double doors, which opened as soon as the two neared them. The two ambled into the café.

The concoction café was much like an ordinary coffee shop. Wooden furniture, dark metal accents, and exposed concrete gave the place an industrial aura; ambient lighting, plush seat cushions, and neutral colors provided a warm and cozy vibe; calm jazz music filled the room, sometimes drowned out by white noise and chatter; and a plethora of aromas wafted from the right side, where the counter and kitchen were positioned. The pair sat at a small table near the entrance they had just passed through. A single black button rested at the center of the tabletop. Giorgino pressed it. A hologram projected from it, showing the menu. The first thing he did was select something that changed the language to English. He then swiped a few times.

"So a 'wake shake' is a milkshake blended with anti-sleeping serum, but we also call them 'crams' because we drink them the night before exams. So here"—he pointed at the virtual screen—"you can choose the flavor, size, potency, and any toppings."

"What's potency?" Eddie asked.

"How strong you want the potion to be," Giorgino replied. "Ninety minutes should be good enough for you."

Eddie browsed the selection of beverages. He was thinking of ordering an existing item, but his mentor insisted on ordering a custom drink—"It's free anyway," Giorgino told him. Eddie went for a chocolate-based concoction with whipped cream and all the possible chocolate toppings. Meanwhile, his mentor went for an unusual combination—a mint-based shake infused with flower petals and berries. They placed their order using the same screen that projected the menu. Their drinks arrived just three minutes later, served by a robot that resembled a flying cooler.

Eddie's drink looked like an ordinary chocolate milkshake—it was thick, brown, and had white whipped cream floating on top. A colorful straw, which was bent in a weird shape, poked out of the glass. Before he took his first sip, Eddie asked, "Is it safe for humans to drink?"

Giorgino paused sipping. "Yup, it's totally safe. The human Gatekeepers always stop by here whenever they visit Nitea. They're the reason why we have an English menu in the first place."

"But aren't you human?"

"Like what, two percent?" he laughed. "I'm just as human as you are green-eyed."

Eddie let out a light laugh. He held the glass with one hand while he used his other to bring the straw to his lips. Slurp. It was sweet, sugary, and very chocolatey—exactly what he liked. He felt relieved that he no longer had to swallow the bitter anti-sleeping serum in its pure form; the wake shake was much more palatable. By the time he had gulped most of his drink, he noticed a broad, curved edge attached to the end of his straw like a miniature spoon. He used it to scoop up and eat the remaining whipped cream and toppings.

Crunch. Eddie looked towards his front. Giorgino had just taken a bite out of his straw.

"You can eat that?" Eddie asked.

"Mhmm." He swallowed. "Disposable straws are illegal here. You either use reusable ones or make them edible."

"Oh, pretty sweet."

"Speaking of sweet, this one's sweet—and sour. It tastes just like candy."

Eddie opened his mouth a little and bit his straw. Its taste and texture were reminiscent of hardened caramel with a hint of lemon zest. He felt it melt in his mouth as he chewed it to bits.

"I'll take that." Giorgino flicked his wrist. Their glasses slipped out of their hands, floated across the café, and landed on a conveyor belt that jutted from a wall. Eddie leaned his head to sneak a peek at the other side. He witnessed robotic arms picking up their glasses and washing them.

The bill popped up on their virtual screen. Giorgino tapped on his wrist-strapped phone. The screen flashed a lime green before fading away.

"Alright, let's go," he said.

Eddie ate the remaining part of his straw before leaving the table. The two of them exited the café and rode the elevator to the hundredth floor. They then entered their practice room. Eddie leaned his messenger bag against the wall before their lesson commenced.

"Anyway, so tonight will be the first time you'll learn telekinesis," Giorgino said, rubbing his palms together. "Personally I'm very excited to teach you this. But before we start, what is your definition of telekinesis?"

"The power to move matter with the mind?" Eddie guessed.

"Eh, you're not wrong, but you're not fully right either," his mentor said. "I'll tell you what telekinesis is: it's the extension of the sense of touch. And because of that, it's the most powerful ability anyone can have."

"The most powerful ability?"

"I know, that's a bold statement, but I think you'll understand the more I teach you. Basically, telekinesis is like having an infinite amount of invisible, intangible hands of any size, shape, or length. When you're moving something with telekinesis, you're extending your sense of touch. Let's start."

A table appeared between them. An empty glass rested on it.

"So for your first task, I want you to hold the glass and lift it using telekinesis," Giorgino instructed him. "Visualizing can help you a lot."

Eddie outstretched his right arm toward the glass. He glanced at his limb and pictured a translucent arm extending from his real arm. He then focused on the glass. He visualized his imaginary hand reaching for and curling its fingers around it. Tap. Eddie shuddered and retracted his arm.

"What is it?" Giorgino asked.

"I, I felt the glass," he answered.

"I told you, it's the extension of the sense of touch. Now lift it."

Eddie curled his fingers once more. He could sense the glass's cold and hard surface pressing against his palm and inner fingers. He raised his arm. The glass lifted into the air. He could feel its weight weighing down on his arm.

"Great. Now bring it into your actual hand."

How? Eddie wondered. He peered at the glass as he pictured his extra arm retracting into his real arm. Soon enough, the glass followed, approaching him steadily. He opened his hand. The object floated into his grip.

Drip, drip. A clear liquid trickled from above him and into the glass, filling it till it was half full.

"This one's tricky for beginners," Giorgino said. "Put the glass back on the table without spilling."

Eddie obliged and released the glass. Wobble. He felt it shaking slightly as it was suspended in the air, liquid lapping at its walls. He gradually pushed the glass across the room. It swayed as it floated towards the table, nearly tipping over at one point; luckily for him, he soon placed the glass on the table without any spillage.

Giorgino dropped his jaw. "Not a single drop?"

Eddie gave a confused look. "I thought I wasn't supposed to spill anything?"

"You weren't," his mentor confirmed, "but I didn't know you'd do it on your first try. It took me a whole day or two to get the hang of it."

The liquid vaporized in an instant.

"Lift it again," he instructed, "but don't bring it close to yourself. Just hold it up."

Eddie did as he was told. The cold and solid feeling returned to his hand as he held up the object. Swish. A long and sharp blade appeared out of thin air and in Giorgino's grasp.

"Remember, telekinesis is an extension of the sense of touch," he repeated. "That means you'll be able to feel whatever you're holding—heat, cold, and even pain. The good news is that you won't physically be affected. The bad news is that it'll still hurt. Hold still."

He held the blade up high and swung it. The glass shattered into several small shards.

"AÏE!"

Eddie yanked his arm back as a sharp pain sliced through his palm. He stared at his hand. It seemed perfectly unharmed; not even a small cut or wound lined his skin. Eddie stared in disbelief—he swore he felt a thousand fragments pierce him. He held up his right hand with the other as he waited for the pain to subside.

"Anyway," Giorgino said, removing the table and shards with a swiping arm motion, "let's move on to something else."

A dozen spheres appeared in the air and floated next to Giorgino. They were about the same size as tennis balls, but had a smoother and softer surface. He picked one of them.

"For now, just catch normally. With your hands."

He tossed a ball toward Eddie. Eddie caught it. Another ball was thrown. He caught that one as well.

"Throw them back."

Eddie returned the balls to his mentor.

"Now, catch them using telekinesis. One."

He hurled a ball toward Eddie's right side. Eddie leaned towards the right, visualizing his arm extending and catching the object. Bump. He felt the ball's rubbery exterior as it stopped in its tracks. It flew into his hand.

"Two."

Giorgino flung another ball, aiming upwards this time. Eddie outstretched his arm. Tap. It briefly halted before it shot towards him and entered his other hand.

"Three."

Giorgino pitched a ball straight at Eddie's chest. He stepped back and held one hand in front of his torso. Bump. The ball stopped in midair before it flew into his pocket.

"Twelve!"

All the remaining balls shot toward him at once.

Eddie widened his eyes. Turned away. Swung his arms in front of himself to protect his face.

Fwoom. Goosebumps ran from his fingers to his elbows as if several hands had sprouted from his forearms. He slowly turned his head. All nine balls were floating above the floor, some of them hovering just inches from his body. Eddie exhaled a sigh of relief, relaxing his posture. He drew the balls to himself and carried them in his arms.

"You really are remarkable!" Giorgino exclaimed. The spheres disappeared shortly after. "Anyway, let's move on to something else. What instrument do you play?"

"I can play piano and guitar."

"Okay. Can you summon one of them, please?"

Fwoosh. A concert-sized grand piano appeared between the two of them.

"Now play it normally."

Eddie sat on the piano bench and rested his right foot on the damper pedal. His fingers tapped the keys, exerting not enough force to press them down and make a sound. What should I play? After pondering for a second, he decided to play Chopin's "Fantaisie-Impromptu." He first pressed a G-sharp octave chord with his left hand. After a slow and brief start, his fingers soon began bouncing quickly between keys. Below the waist, his feet were stepping on and releasing the pedals.

Screech. Eddie nearly fell off when the piano bench slid across the floor. It began moving backward! He leaned forward and stretched his arms as he tried to play. His fingers were slipping from the keyboard. At this rate, the black keys would be out of his reach in a few seconds.

"Use your telekinesis," Giorgino instructed him.

Fwoom. Eddie mentally projected a set of hands reaching toward the keyboard. He sat upright and relaxed his arms. Music continued to play even when he had his hands hanging in the air instead of pressing the keys. He glanced at the floor. There were still the pedals to deal with. If telekinesis could give him infinite hands, could he also use it to acquire imaginary feet? He stomped with one foot. The pedal lowered itself.

"You used telekinesis with your feet without me telling you," Giorgino noted, "and this is just your first day! Impressive!"

Fwoosh. The piano morphed into a desk while the bench transformed into a plastic armchair. With a flick of his finger, Giorgino pushed the desk towards Eddie. On its surface was a pen and sheet of paper.

"Pick up the pen."

"With telekinesis?" Eddie asked.

"Normally first," Giorgino replied. "Write anything."

Eddie picked up the pen with his right hand and jotted down a single word: anything.

"Hold still."

The pen slid out of Eddie's grip. With a mere glance, Giorgino positioned it right next to Eddie's hand, its tip on the surface of the paper.

"Now write with telekinesis."

Eddie turned his head towards the right. He pretended that he was grasping the pen. Though there was nothing but air between his fingers, it felt like he was holding something smooth and metallic. He moved his hand. The pen made a small stroke. He wrote, his eyes concentrating on the way the stylus glided across the sheet. Eddie frowned when he had finished writing—the pen strokes were messy, the letters were of different sizes, and overall it looked like it had been written by a child. It was nothing like his usual handwriting, which was neat and legible.

They moved on to other exercises. Most of the tasks were simple—he was told to rearrange books on a shelf, turn gears on a machine, and carry weights from one end of the room to another, among others. Other tasks focused on precision, such as throwing and maneuvering darts so that they always landed on the bullseye. The last task was the most challenging—he had to climb ladders without using his limbs. No matter the difficulty, Eddie completed each exercise in less than five tries, often needing only one attempt to be successful.

Giorgino lifted his wrist and glanced at his phone. "We still have about ten minutes left, and you've done all the tasks I've planned for today," he informed. "I guess I can dismiss you early this morning. Anyway, here's the homework: you'll have to write one hundred words using telekinesis, but your handwriting should not change. You have until next class to prepare. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good. Goodbye."

"Thank you, Elder." Eddie made a short bow. "Goodbye."

Eddie walked towards one side of the room and picked up his messenger bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He waved at his mentor before he left the practice room and began his journey back to Earth. He descended to the ninety-ninth floor, stepped onto the launchpad, and walked towards the very edge. He leaned over it. The people and vehicles beneath him seemed so minuscule from his height.

The load on his shoulder lightened as Louis teleported itself out of his bag. "The usual?" it asked.

"The usual."

Eddie closed his eyes, jumped, and then fell. The cold wind breezed past his body as he approached the ground.

Splash. Louis had teleported him to the pond just before he could hit the pavement. He opened his eyes.

"Demergo," he said, bubbles escaping his mouth.

The water around him morphed into a sea of pale yellow as the portal swallowed him up. He relaxed his body, letting the current guide him back to Earth. A gentle push made him stand upright as the floor beneath him solidified. He was back.

Flash. Light cream replaced the dark red wallpaper as they teleported back to his bedroom. Eddie retrieved his cellphone from his bag, placed it on his nightstand, and then kept his messenger bag. Plop. He glanced to his right. Louis had just dropped his sleepwear onto the bed. He changed his clothes as his book levitated to the shelf and nestled itself between two novels.

"Good night, Ed."

"Good night, Louis."

Eddie tossed his clothes to the other side of the room. He waved his hand as he used telekinesis to put them in the laundry basket, smiling as he heard a the sound of falling fabric coming from the bathroom. This has to be my most useful power. He switched off his lamp, crawled onto the bed, and wrapped himself in a duvet. His eyes closed.

He could not sleep. Of course, he thought, the serum's still active. Eddie sat upright and glimpsed the wall clock; it was almost one o'clock in the morning. If the potion's effects would wear off after exactly ninety minutes, and he finished drinking it at 11:47 p.m., then he would not be able to sleep until 1:17 a.m.

Eddie sighed. What was he supposed to do for the next half hour? He stared at the window opposite his bed. Thick layers of curtains blocked him from looking out the window, but he did not bother to draw them. There was nothing to view but an ink-black sky and his backyard. His gaze wandered to the bookshelf, where Louis was resting. One of the novels had a bookmark sticking out of it. He extended his arm. The book wiggled its way out of the rack, flew across the room, and landed on his lap. He raised his left hand and flicked his finger to switch on the light. He then opened his book, picking up where he left off, and began reading.

The next thing he knew, he had finished reading four chapters. Strange. Eddie knew he could read a chapter in seven or eight minutes, so from his calculations, the effects should be wearing off soon. Yet, he did not feel somnolent in the slightest. Perhaps he was reading faster than usual. That could be the case. After all, he was reading an engrossing adventure novel. He turned a page—

Thud. The book slid out of his hand and landed on the floor as he instantly fell asleep.

✧ ✧ ✧

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how telekinesis works in my world. Though it is pretty neat, do you think Giorgino is right to say that it's the "most powerful" superpower? 🤔

Thank you for all the votes and comments so far! And if you haven't voted or commented yet, I'd really appreciate it if you do! 🥰