Whispers Of Enigma

Chapter 20 - Closed Book

ALEX

Back at the dorm, I dove into everything I'd been neglecting all week: sorting through the mountain of unpacked boxes, finishing up my furniture setup, and catching up on a never-ending list of things that had piled up since school started. By the end of it, my place actually looked somewhat livable. But as I sorted my stuff, I couldn't help but feel like this had been the strangest first week of school I'd ever had.

Saturday morning, before I left, Marcus handed me that book—the strange encyclopedia of abilities he had stumbled upon recently. He hadn't seemed too eager to keep it, so I ended up taking it back with me, feeling both curious and cautious. The book was mysterious, almost surreal, and something about it pushed me into a rabbit hole, kind of like Silas's book. I started reading it over the weekend, page by page, and quickly found myself deep in it. The definitions, the bizarre abilities... it felt unreal. But the more I read, the more it intrigued me. I didn't stop there, either—I started searching online, digging up stories and legends, reading about people with supposed powers, side effects, consequences, potential dangers. Each page brought more questions than answers, and I was left wondering just how much was myth versus reality.

Then came the experiments. They started simple enough—little things, easy tests. After all, I already knew about that strange tolerance for heat, and now that I knew more, I wanted to see how far it went. First, I let the bathroom faucet run until the water was steaming, almost too hot to touch. I held my hand under the flow, expecting a sting, but instead, there was just... nothing. I felt the warmth, sure, but it was distant, like something I could tune in and out of at will. I concentrated, watching the water slide over my skin, but with an effort of focus, I could control the sensation, pushing the burn to the back of my mind until it faded completely. The thrill of it sent a strange shiver through me.

Curiosity growing, I decided to try something stronger, something I knew I had done before. I turned on the stove, placing my hand near the flame as it hissed and danced in blue and orange. Slowly, I moved my fingers closer, feeling the heat radiate against my skin. For a second, my nerves screamed at me to stop—but I took a breath, focused, and the sensation dulled as if my skin wasn't my own. My mind was racing, my heart pounding, but I felt steady, calm, like I was in control of something raw and unpredictable. It was bizarre, a little terrifying, and yet... thrilling.

Next, I pulled out a lighter. It was small, unassuming, but as I flicked it on, watching the flame leap to life, it felt like the perfect next test. Holding the lighter up, I hovered my thumb just above the flame's tip, letting it lick at my skin. The heat was intense, and I could feel the urge to pull back, to avoid the burn. But I forced myself to focus, to block it out—and to my surprise, it worked. My skin felt warm, but not painfully so. It was as if I could flip a switch in my mind, allowing myself to ignore the burn.

Each test became a little more intense, a little more exhilarating. It was like there was a layer to my senses that I could peel back, a depth to this resistance I hadn't realized before. With each new trial, I pushed just a little further, feeling the thrill, the rush of discovering something new and powerful within me. The fear didn't disappear—it was there, buzzing beneath the surface, warning me not to go too far. But the curiosity was louder, more insistent, urging me forward, urging me to see what else I could do.

But the more I tried, the harder it was. Not only to be in control, but to not get tired. Every experiment, building up, felt tiring near the end.

At first, I brushed it off as just the strain of focus, like the same kind of fatigue I'd get from a tough workout. But this was different. It was deeper, bone-deep, and it clung to me even after I'd let go. By the time I put the lighter down, my hand was trembling—not from pain, but from the sheer effort it took to block it out. My body felt heavy, like I'd been running for miles, like my energy was being siphoned off.