Chapter 27 – A Clearer Path
The confession had brought him peace.
For the first time in years, Thomas felt the tight knot in his chest loosen. The secret he had buried so deep inside had finally been shared—and instead of fear or rejection, it had been met with warmth, tears, and unconditional love.
Now, in the fading light of late afternoon, he sat beside Sister Mary in the quiet common room, the air filled with a calm silence.
"I've been thinking," he began softly. "About how I want to grow. With my abilities, I mean. I want to train—not just get stronger, but more precise. More stable. So I don't hurt anyone. Or myself."
Sister Mary turned to him, eyes still a little red from crying earlier, but her expression was steady and thoughtful. "That's wise," she said gently. "But promise me you'll be careful. Power… especially the kind others don't understand… can be dangerous. Not just to them, but to you. One mistake, and someone could panic—or worse, try to stop you out of fear."
Thomas nodded. "I understand. I won't be reckless. I'll test everything slowly. And I'll tell you. Every step."
He leaned into her again, hugging her like a child—but inside, he felt older than his years. Stronger.
This time, he wasn't hiding anymore.
Time Skip: Age 10
Two more years passed.
By now, Thomas had grown into a sharper version of himself. Still kind, still loyal to the orphanage—but more focused. More deliberate. He had shaped his magic into tools, sharpened like blades in the hands of a careful craftsman. Four distinct abilities, all tied to one concept: space.
He called it Space Affinity.
1. Blink
His first and most natural power—instant teleportation. What once allowed him to leap across rooms or escape trouble now let him jump across entire cities. As long as he had seen the location (in person or through a clear photo), he could go there. Within the same country, distance was no longer a boundary.
Strengths:
Instantaneous movement across vast distances.
Ideal for rescue, infiltration, or evasion.
Silent and nearly undetectable.
Limitations:
Requires visual familiarity with the target location.
Cannot carry overly large or heavy objects without destabilizing the jump.
Demands full focus and clarity—panic blurs the destination.
2. Reach
A power that allowed him to pull or send objects at a distance. Once limited to summoning things into his hands, it had evolved—now, he could manipulate objects from anywhere, as long as he had line of sight or could perceive them with Echo.
Strengths:
Precise and versatile object manipulation.
Functions through walls with Echo's aid.
Perfect for subtle interaction—unlocking doors, retrieving tools, or disarming threats.
Limitations:
Doesn't work on living creatures.
Requires clear perception of the target's position.
Mass and complexity of objects can affect reliability.
3. Echo
The sense that let him "see" space. Within a one-kilometer radius, Echo gave him a full mental image of structures, rooms, tunnels—even movement. Over time, Echo had become lighter, more natural—like an extension of his own awareness.
He described it like sonar from a bat—unobtrusive, yet constantly feeding him information.
Strengths:
Full spatial awareness within a one-kilometer range.
Allows him to detect hidden rooms, moving figures, or secret paths.
Doesn't rely on light, angles, or visibility.
Limitations:
Cannot read fine detail—no text, colors, or faces.
Dense metal or reinforced materials can block or distort it.
Requires mental discipline to narrow focus or avoid overload.
4. Switch
His newest ability—born from instinct, refined by thought. Switch allowed him to instantly relocate non-living objects within a 100-meter radius. The objects could be swapped with another or simply shifted to a new position.
Strengths:
Excellent for traps, repositioning tools, or intercepting threats.
No sound, no light—purely spatial.
Works through barriers as long as coordinates are known.
Limitations:
Cannot affect living beings.
Requires precise knowledge of location and size.
Overuse causes nausea, disorientation, and magical fatigue.
Thomas kept a notebook hidden beneath his bed—filled with diagrams, test results, and notes on how to improve. He experimented cautiously, never drawing attention, always alert. The powers were no longer just tools to survive; they were becoming a part of who he was.
And still, the orphanage remained his home. He continued helping—teaching younger kids, fixing broken shelves, organizing books, translating assignments. Sister Mary often told him he was doing too much, but she smiled every time she said it.
Helping them made him happy.
Because now, he was no longer just protecting a secret.
He was protecting a family.
And with that peace, the decision that once terrified him had become clear.
He would never hide again.
He had no reason to.
Yet, he also knew—not every truth needed to be shown to the world. Not because he feared rejection anymore, or because he was ashamed.
But because this power, these abilities—they were his greatest weapon.
Not just to defend.
But to overcome.
In a world that didn't always play fair, his silence was no longer born from fear.
It was strategy.
And Thomas Space had every intention of winning.