The door clicked softly shut behind him, the sound echoing in the sudden silence of his room. Elen stood for a long moment, the adrenaline of the confrontation with Vernon Dudley slowly receding, replaced by a profound sense of wonder and a burgeoning unease. Phily was safe, Whiskers was back in her arms, and even the normally unyielding Vernon had been...persuaded. But it wasn't the aftermath of the encounter that dominated his thoughts. It was the power itself.
He looked around his room, his sanctuary. The familiar posters of Quasar and other heroes adorned the walls, their vibrant images seeming almost to mock the ordinariness of his existence. Books, a chaotic jumble of fantasy novels, textbooks, and comics, overflowed from his desk, a testament to his insatiable curiosity. His worn training equipment lay in a corner, a reminder of his relentless pursuit of physical excellence. Everything was as it should be, yet he felt a seismic shift within him, a change so fundamental that it threatened to redefine his very being.
He had used magic. The realization was both exhilarating and terrifying. It was a power he had only read about in fantastical tales, a force that defied the logical, scientific world he thought he knew. And it resided within him.
Turning his attention inward, he focused on the constant, unwavering presence that had been with him for as long as he could remember. "Core," he said, his voice a mere whisper, yet resonating with an undeniable intensity in the silent theater of his mind. "Where did that power come from? That...that magic. Did it come with me? When I...when I transmigrated?"
The Core responded, its voice a deep, resonant hum that seemed to vibrate through his very bones, a sound that was both alien and intimately familiar. "The energy you wielded tonight is indeed magic. And to answer your question, yes, it came with you. The Core is inextricably linked to your soul, to the very essence of your being. When your soul transmigrated across the dimensions, the Core accompanied it."
Elen frowned, his mind a whirlwind of questions and half-formed theories. "But...I've never been able to use magic before. I didn't even know it existed, not like that. Why now? What triggered it?"
The Core's voice resonated again, patient and informative. "The Core has been in a dormant state, awaiting the necessary conditions for its activation. While you have been...you since the age of eight, the magic power within you only recently became sufficient to fully awaken the Core's functions. Think of it as a complex system, requiring a minimum energy threshold to become operational. The ambient magic of this world, though faint, provided the final catalyst. Your own latent magical energy, which has been steadily increasing since you were eight, finally reached the critical point. It was the spark that ignited the flame."
Elen sat down heavily on his bed, the worn mattress groaning softly under his weight. He tried to process the sheer enormity of what the Core was telling him. He had possessed this power since he was a child, a power that had lain dormant, waiting for the right moment to awaken. And the world he found himself in, this seemingly ordinary world, contained magic, however faint.
"So, there's magic in this world?" he asked, his voice a mixture of awe and trepidation. "Real magic? Not just...stories and legends?"
"After scanning, it was found that there is magic energy in the air. This energy, though subtle, almost imperceptible to most, exists. It is woven into the very fabric of reality, a faint hum beneath the surface of the mundane. And it is this subtle energy that, combined with your own inherent power, has awakened the Core and unlocked your magical potential."
A new thought struck Elen, a question that had been nagging at the back of his mind. "Why didn't it manifest sooner? I've been training, pushing myself physically and mentally. Why not then?"
The Core responded, its tone measured and analytical. "Your training has been invaluable, Elen. It has honed your body, sharpened your mind, and developed your strategic thinking. However, the development of your physical and mental attributes, while beneficial, did not directly trigger the activation of your magical abilities. The magic within you required a specific catalyst, a key to unlock its potential. Tonight, that key was provided by the intensity of your emotions: your protectiveness towards the girl, your anger at the injustice, your overwhelming desire to help. Magic is often deeply intertwined with emotions, with the will, with the very essence of one's being. Your strong feelings acted as the catalyst, the spark that ignited the dormant flame."
Elen remembered the surge of power, the feeling of being connected to something vast and primal. It hadn't been a cold, calculated force, but a burning, almost instinctive need. He had felt more alive, more...real than ever before.
"Core," Elen said, his voice filled with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. "Can you...can you analyze this magic? Tell me what it can do? What its capabilities are?"
"Affirmative. I will initiate a comprehensive scan of your bio-energetic field to assess the nature and extent of your magical abilities. Please remain still and focus your awareness inward. The process will take approximately ten minutes."
Elen closed his eyes, focusing his attention on the swirling energy within him. He could feel the Core's presence, a cool, analytical hum that resonated through his mind and body. He imagined tiny probes, extensions of the Core's awareness, reaching out, mapping the intricate pathways of his magical energy.
The ten minutes stretched into an eternity. Elen felt a strange combination of sensations: a tingling warmth spreading through his limbs, a subtle pressure behind his eyes, and a profound sense of connection to something ancient and powerful. He tried to remain still, to keep his mind focused, but the questions swirled within him like a tempest. What would the Core find? What was he capable of? Was this a gift, or a curse?
Finally, the Core's voice broke the silence, its tone calm and measured, yet carrying an undercurrent of...intrigue? "Analysis complete. According to the data, the magical energy within your body exhibits several key characteristics. Firstly, it grows naturally with age, increasing in both quantity and potency over time. This explains why it only recently reached the threshold necessary to activate the Core fully. Secondly, physical exercise and a healthy lifestyle contribute to its growth, though the effect is less significant than one might expect. Based on the data, your current level of fitness should have resulted in approximately a twenty percent increase in your magical capacity. The discrepancy suggests that your magic, while present, remains largely dormant, requiring specific triggers to become fully active."
Elen listened intently, absorbing every word. "So, exercise helps, but not by much? And it just...grows on its own?"
"Correct. Your physical training provides a foundation, enhancing your overall well-being and contributing to a gradual increase in your magical potential. However, the primary driver of its growth appears to be time itself. As you mature, your magical energy will continue to develop, regardless of your physical activity. However, focused training might yield better results. We need more data."
"And the trigger?" Elen pressed. "You said emotions triggered it tonight. Is that always the case?"
"Preliminary data suggests that strong emotional states, particularly those involving a sense of urgency, protectiveness, or intense focus, can indeed act as a catalyst for activating your magic. However, further experimentation is required to fully understand the nuances of this phenomenon. It is possible that other factors, such as willpower, intent, or specific environmental conditions, may also play a role."
"And what can I do with it?" Elen asked, his voice barely a whisper, filled with a mixture of hope and apprehension. "What are its capabilities?"
The Core paused for a moment, its voice resonating with a newfound sense of purpose. "Based on current analysis, the primary manifestation of your magical ability appears to be telekinesis. You demonstrated a capacity for moving objects with your mind, though the extent and precision of this control require further refinement. Other potential abilities remain unverified. The full range of your magical potential is still largely unexplored. We are only beginning to scratch the surface."
Telekinesis. Elen tested the word on his tongue. It sounded both fantastical and incredibly real. He had moved the trash cans, sent Vernon sprawling. He had done that. Him.
"So, I can move things with my mind," he said, stating the obvious, yet feeling a thrill course through him. "What else? What else can it do?"
"That remains to be seen, Elen. The Core's analysis is ongoing. We will need to conduct further experiments, explore different applications, and delve deeper into the nature of your magical energy to fully understand its capabilities. This will require time, patience, and a willingness to explore the unknown. "