Invention

5. Eternal

The more he replayed this memory in his mind, the more vivid it became. L had no doubt that he had seen all this on that particular day.

But his realisation still did not answer the question of what exactly this vision was about. What was that metallic object? Who was the silhouette? In what forest did it happen?

And what if he drew an analogy with the vision of his mother's death and assumed that all these events would only happen in the future?

The idea was so overwhelming and yet insane that L got up and started pacing the room.

So he is a seer then?

A seer in simulacrums? It sounded abnormal.

How is it possible to see the future?

L stopped. He remembered Lucy also talking about a vision she had in the simulacrum.

So she could see the future too?

How was he connected to Lucy? Was he a ghost and actually on Earth? This seemed absurd.

His thoughts again led him nowhere, and L tried to think in a different way.

So, there is a possibility that he saw events that will happen in the future. What are these events?

For some time L stood motionless in the middle of the room, unable to hold back the incredible and astonishing guess that was creeping up on him.

This vision could be related to his space flight.

Everything added up: he had seen the rocket flight, he had seen the landing. The forest was the place they would arrive, the glint of metal was the reflection of light on the shuttle's body, and the silhouette...

A shiver ran down L's spine. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head.

'It definitely can't be true!'

However, he had no doubt that he had seen his future, and these events could happen with some degree of probability.

Unable to stay in this room alone with his thoughts any longer, he grabbed his phone and, despite feeling exhausted, rushed out of the house.

He headed along the highway, and when all the last buildings were left behind, he stepped off the road, heading straight for the desolate expanse stretching to the horizon.

He walked for about half an hour before finding himself at a considerable distance from the road. There was nothing around him except dry shrubs, stones and bare rocks. Silence prevailed, occasionally interrupted by the quiet rustle of branches.

L sat down on the ground and, taking a deep breath, tried not to think about anything for a while. Then, gathering himself, he created a mental copy of himself and tried to lift a nearby stone from the ground. In a few seconds it flew up, and the whole being of L was once again filled with joy and jubilation.

He moved the stone in different directions, made it roll on the ground and spin in the air, and the boulder obediently moved exactly where L directed it.

Lowering it to the ground, L got up to look for other stones. He moved increasingly larger rocks, noticing that the more massive they became, the harder it was to maintain concentration to change their position.

Finally, L took up a rock weighing several tons, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not even budge it.

L's mental double was still nearby, but it absolutely did not help the situation: the stone remained immovable. L lost count of how many attempts he made to move it, but each time he failed.