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*****
"Don't worry, it's a good thing."
Looking at Skye's apprehensive expression, Fini couldn't help but chuckle. He walked over to her side and spoke in a steady, reassuring tone. "Do you remember when I told you there was a power hidden inside your body?"
"Yeah, the vibrations," Skye replied, letting out a small sigh of relief. She nodded, though her expression remained puzzled. "What about it?"
"I can help you awaken that ability now."
Hearing Fini's words, Skye practically leaped off the bed. Her long, slender legs carried her quickly over to him as she asked excitedly, "Really? How do we awaken it?"
"Come on, I'll take you there."
Knowing that the Ancient One was still waiting, Fini didn't waste time with explanations. He took Skye's hand and opened a flickering orange portal leading directly to Kamar-Taj.
It was only when she stepped through the portal that Skye realized she hadn't even changed. Standing in this sacred, ancient place wearing a set of pink pajamas felt incredibly out of place.
"Fini, I haven't changed my clothes yet!" Skye whispered urgently.
"Uh..." Fini glanced at her somewhat adorable pajamas and shrugged helplessly. "Forget it. My teacher shouldn't mind. Let's just go over first."
Although Skye was reluctant, she had no choice but to accept the situation when she heard that the Ancient One had already been waiting for some time.
"Are you sure this 'awakening' won't change me into something else?"
The closer they got to the Ancient One's room, the more nervous Skye became. While she had been filled with excitement and anticipation moments ago, the reality of the situation brought a wave of worry and fear.
"Don't worry, I'm right here."
Fini noticed the flicker of fear in her eyes and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "The process might cause you to petrify for a moment, but don't panic. It'll be over very quickly."
Skye nodded. Compared to the sudden, chaotic transformation she underwent in the original timeline, having Fini there to explain things and the Ancient One to oversee the process made the situation much better.
Before entering the room, Fini turned to Skye for one final confirmation: "Are you truly ready?"
"Yes!"
Skye nodded firmly, her face set with determination. After learning about her biological parents, she had decided that she had to save them. This was a power she couldn't afford to walk away from.
Seeing that Skye had made her decision, Fini said no more. He led her before the Ancient One. Even Fini felt a slight pang of tension as he asked, "Teacher, what do we do next?"
"Miss Halsey, please go and pick up those crystals," the Ancient One said, gesturing toward the crystals revealed from the opened 'Obelisk' resting on the table.
Looking at the cluster of shimmering crystals, Skye took small, hesitant steps toward them. When she was close enough to reach out, she couldn't help but glance back at Fini.
Fini gave her an encouraging nod.
Skye took a deep breath, her heart racing as she picked up the crystal cluster. And then...
Nothing happened.
Fini immediately looked at the Ancient One, his eyes silently asking what went wrong or what the next step was.
The Ancient One simply gave a light wave of her hand. The crystal cluster suddenly seemed to weather away, crumbling into a fine powder that was instantly absorbed into Skye's body.
Immediately after, a layer of black, stone-like material began to spread across Skye's skin, threatening to envelop her completely.
Even though Fini had warned her about the petrification, facing it in person still triggered an instinctive surge of fear and panic. Her eyes remained locked onto Fini's.
Disregarding any potential danger, Fini rushed to Skye's side to comfort her. "It's okay. It'll be over in a moment. Trust me."
"Mm!"
Skye let out a muffled sound of agreement, and her heart suddenly felt much lighter. She closed her eyes and allowed the substance to wrap around her entire body.
Fini watched tensely from the side, unable to stop himself from asking, "Teacher, there won't be any danger with this, right?"
The Ancient One remained much more composed, sitting leisurely in her chair. She replied, "This is extraterrestrial in origin, so I am not entirely certain of its specifics. However, based on the current state of things, there don't seem to be any issues."
Soon, as the two of them spoke, Skye's transformation reached completion. Like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, the stone-like shell began to crack and fall away bit by bit, revealing Skye inside—looking seemingly unchanged.
Fini breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared that no accidents had occurred.
With the transformation complete, Skye could feel that something new had been added to her being. Unlike the original story where she was thrust into this blindly, she had been mentally prepared for what was coming.
"Fini!"
As soon as the petrification fully dissolved, Skye threw her arms around Fini. Her heart finally began to settle; she never wanted to experience that feeling of isolation and fear again.
"It's over, it's okay," Fini said, patting her back and comforting her as if she were a child. "Alright now, Teacher is still watching. Tell me, can you feel the superpower?"
"Yes..."
Only then did Skye remember that the Ancient One was right there. Blushing, she quickly released Fini and lowered her head, whispering, "I think I can hear some strange sounds."
"It feels like... I... I can control them."
As she spoke, Skye gradually closed her eyes.
Almost immediately, Fini felt the ground beneath his feet vibrate slightly. He quickly called out to her, "Skye, stop for a second!"
"Huh!?"
Skye opened her eyes in confusion, not yet realizing what had happened.
"You were just vibrating the floor," Fini explained. He glanced at the Ancient One, who wore a look of mild curiosity, and continued, "This power is quite dangerous. Let's try not to destroy my teacher's room."
"Ah!"
Skye was startled and hurried to apologize to the Ancient One. "I'm so sorry, Master Ancient One! I just wanted to see if I could control it."
"It's quite alright, Miss Halsey."
The Ancient One offered a gentle smile. "My room isn't quite as fragile as Fini makes it out to be. However, this power is very formidable. You must use it wisely, and ensure it does not end up hurting you as well."
"Yes!"
For some reason, Skye felt a profound sense of awe and respect toward the Ancient One. She nodded obediently, looking like a student taking a lesson to heart.
In truth, Fini knew Kamar-Taj wasn't that fragile, but he didn't want Skye recklessly testing her powers here. Furthermore, as the Ancient One noted, this ability had a high risk of causing internal damage to the user if not handled correctly.
"Thank you for your help today, Teacher."
Fini bowed gratefully to the Ancient One. Without her, he would have had to take Skye to that underground temple, where the conditions were unknown and potentially dangerous.
Afterward, Fini took the remaining fragments of the 'Obelisk' and left Kamar-Taj with Skye.
Upon returning home, Skye was still buzzing with excitement, peppering Fini with questions. "Did I really make the ground shake? What did it look like?"
"Alright, stop thinking about the floor for a moment."
Fini went into the kitchen and brought out several cups, each half-filled with water. Skye watched him, her curiosity piqued.
"What are you doing?"
"I want you to keep the water in the cups vibrating. Actually, never mind—let's increase the difficulty. Here, try to play me the 'Symphony of Fate'!"
Fini looked at Skye, recalling that her ability should be classified as vibrational waves. While powerful, it was exceptionally difficult to control. The first priority had to be helping her master the basics.
"?"
Skye simply stared at him with a look of utter confusion.
It was as if she were playing a video game and had skipped every single tutorial, only to realize she had no idea which buttons to press.
(End of Chapter)