Spellbound

Chapter 9 - Traumhaft

traumhaft: dreamlike, gorgeous

"Transmutation is changing states of matter into another form," you responded, Stephen nodding in agreement.

"One ability of the Reality Stone, as you found out, is transmutation. It's one of the most defining abilities of the Reality Stone, and I think it's a good place to start. We'll start off with a simple material; a rock. If you can successfully transform that into another material, we'll try a metal; the iron ring. The next stage is a natural material; the rose. Finally, we'll try a live subject; the moth. You think you got that?"

"I'll try my best," you shrugged.

"Nope, wrong answer. Positivity please."

Huffing, you gave Stephen a scowl as you responded. "I will succeed in transmuting matter."

"Atta girl," Stephen praised you, sending a shockwave through your body.

Fucking hell.

"See, that wasn't too hard now, was it?"

Somewhat flustered, you went to reach for the rock, ready to get this done with, but he lightly smacked your hand away.

"I haven't finished my instructions. You don't even know what you're gonna change it into yet."

Leaning back onto your hands, you let Stephen finish the rest of his monologue.

"Turn the rock into an organic material, preferably non-flammable, and turn it back. Got it?"

Nodding, you reached for the rock again, sitting up straight as the object settled in your hand. Cupping it in your hands and closing your eyes, you focused on how it felt in your hands, the weight of it, the texture, the size. You now had a mental image of the rock clearly in your mind, allowing you the freedom to manipulate and alter it.

Now change it. You heard Stephen's voice clearly in your head, so you did. The rock shifted in your hands, changing from a solid to a more bendable matter: clay.

Opening your eyes, you glanced at the newly created object in your grasp, a chunk of reddish-brown clay in your hands. You'd done it.

Squishing the material, you looked up to Stephen, smiling proudly. He gave you a small nod of approval before speaking.

"Now change it back."

Rolling the now compressed clay back into a lump, you closed your eyes again and tilted your head down toward your work. A light grasp under your chin stopped you from continuing.

Looking up, you gave him a quizzical look. I thought I was doing it right?

"Eyes on me this time," he instructed, leaving no room for argument.

Starting again, you rolled the ball between your hands, keeping your eyes on his blue ones. Focusing again on the makeup of the clay, you willed it back into its original form. When you felt the material harder back into a rock, you let out a small sigh of relief.

Still maintaining eye contact, you handed the rock back to Stephen, having taken one of his hands and pressing the rock into it. Before you could remove your hand, he had brought it up to his lips, lightly brushing over your knuckles.

"Good job," he murmured, giving you your hand back.

Whispering out thanks, you watched Stephen summon back the tray, putting the rock back in its original place. Next, he presented to you the iron ring, holding it between two fingers.

"Well, it's a bit too early to be proposing, Stephen," you teased, putting a hand over your heart.

His face turned slightly red, and the ring lowered a fraction as he processed what you said. Placing the ring into your hand, he finally answered. "Trust me sweetheart, when I propose it's not gonna be a shitty iron ring."