The Spark of Instinct
"Jeff! Why aren't you dodging like you usually do?" Rain's voice called out from a distance. I clutched my head and looked up at her. Perched atop the machine that was relentlessly spitting out balls, she seemed to genuinely believe I could dodge them. H-how... how am I supposed to do that?Thud, thud, thud, thud! Head, face, arms, and legs. The small balls pelted my entire body. It didn't hurt terribly, but being constantly battered like this was far from pleasant.
"Cheer up, Jeff!" Even Shine, who was sitting nearby and watching me, seemed to think I could dodge them. With a tearful face, I threw myself onto the floor and rolled around. Rolling and tumbling, my vision spun as I rotated my body. But it was impossible to dodge every single incoming ball.
"Ugh..." I rolled around until my entire body was covered in dust, but I couldn't think of a single way to avoid them. Rough breaths burst from my lips, and my arms and legs grew heavy and limp. My lack of stamina made my body scream with exhaustion. Soon, the only thought left in my mind was the desperate desire to escape. And that was when it happened. Without even realizing it, I spread my hands and channeled my ability—not to attack, but to scatter it as thinly and widely as possible.
Crackle! A blue light flared before my eyes. A faint electromagnetic field rippled outward. Centered on my body, a vivid blue current expanded to cover a set radius. It felt as if my field of vision had suddenly expanded. Everything around me began to flood into my mind. Up, down, left, right. It was like looking in every direction at once. With a gaze that left absolutely no blind spots, I became aware of everything in my vicinity.
My mouth fell open in a daze. I could predict the trajectory of every single incoming ball. I moved my arms and legs. Instantly, a ball grazed past my clothes, missing me by a hair's breadth. Is this...? But immediately after, my concentration shattered. The blue current spread around me began to flicker unstably. The trajectories of the balls blurred in my mind, and the barrage of spheres descended upon me once more, cutting off my brief moment of perfect evasion.
"Take that, take that, take that!" Rain's voice giggled. She kept hammering the buttons on the machine. Tap-tap-tap-tap! Every time her small fingers pressed the buttons, the balls sped up. Since they were soft, they didn't hurt much, but the sheer volume of them pelting my face made it impossible to even open my eyes. Thud-thud-thud-thud! A torrential downpour of balls rained down on my entire body. Ultimately, I collapsed to the floor and burst into tears. The sheer sorrow of being forced to do something I couldn't manage overwhelmed me.
"Sob... Waaaaah!" Once the dam broke, the tears poured out uncontrollably. As I lay sprawled on the floor weeping, Rain's panicked voice reached my ears. "Jeff?" The balls stopped flying. The whirring of the machine died down. I heard footsteps approaching from all sides. Wiping my eyes with both hands, I crawled toward Shine. "Shine..." "Jeff..." "Ugh, *hic*..." Shine walked over and wrapped her arms tightly around me. Her embrace was so warm that I squeezed her even tighter, refusing to let go. Shine squirmed slightly as if she found it a bit uncomfortable, but that only made me cling to her more desperately.
"It's too hard..." My tears flowed relentlessly, much to my frustration. My face had to be an absolute mess, and the last thing I wanted was for Shine to see me like this. I buried my face in her chest and kept sobbing. "It's okay, Jeff." "Sob..." Shine's hand gently stroked my hair. Finding some semblance of calm in her arms, I squeezed my eyes shut as the embarrassment of my pathetic display washed over me. Crying like a baby at my age... it was so humiliating. Sniffling to catch my breath, I cautiously lifted my head. That was when I saw Rain standing beside us, looking incredibly restless. Seeing me look at her, she mumbled and raised her hands.
"I-I'm sorry, Jeff. You usually dodge them so well, so I thought you'd be fine this time too..." "I usually do...?" "Yeah..." According to Rain, it meant that I had been completing this training without any issues during the past few weeks—the period missing from my memory. Wiping away my tears, I recalled what had happened just moments ago. The instant the exhaustion cleared the clutter from my mind, my body had moved on its own. My ability had manifested naturally. And with it, that incredible evasion. I slowly nodded.
"I... really did that?" "Yeah." I released my hold on Shine. "Shine, did I really do that?" "Yes. You really did, Jeff." I took a step back from Shine and caught my breath. The ragged, sniffling gasps gradually quieted down. Perhaps because I had cried so much, my mind felt surprisingly clear. "So, Jeff, you can do it now too." Shine spoke with absolute certainty, as if she was sure I could perfectly replicate the movement and the way I used my ability just moments ago. I nodded. If she said so, then it was true.
"Rain." "Yeah?" "I'll try again." "...Are you sure you're okay?" Rain asked, her expression filled with worry. I nodded at her. "Yeah. And don't stop this time." "Okay." At my response, Rain turned and ran back. Climbing onto the massive ball-launching machine, she waved at me.
"Shine." "Yeah." Shine smiled brightly, as if there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Looking at her, I wondered for a moment if I was the strange one here. "I'll give it a shot." "Mm, I know you can do it, Jeff." Her words filled me with confidence. Taking a small, deep breath, I turned and walked back to the training area.
"Start!" The moment I shouted to Rain, she vigorously slammed the launch button. Click! The instant her small finger pressed the button, the machine roared to life and began spitting out balls once more. My vision was instantly filled with spheres flying at me from all directions. Recalling the sensation from earlier, I channeled my ability. Crackle! A blue current of electricity sparked from my fingertips and wrapped around my entire body. The resulting electromagnetic field rippled outward, casting a thin barrier around me. It was slightly smaller than before, but it was the maximum size I could maintain right now.
My arms and legs tensed with just the right amount of anticipation. The moment an incoming ball breached the blue barrier, my body moved. Twist my arm. Lift my leg. Spin to the side. The movements flowed like water, executed with absolute minimalism. Every single ball grazed past me. The faint rustle of wind against my collar brushed my ears, but I didn't look. My gaze remained fixed straight ahead, right where the balls were coming from. Once more.
Watching me continuously dodge the balls, Rain's smile returned. Her eyes sparkled as she began to rapidly mash the buttons. The machine's roar grew louder. The speed of the balls accelerated. An even greater deluge of spheres blanketed the air. I took a step forward. The blue barrier surrounding me began to expand. A faint current of electricity laced my exhaled breath. Crackling sparks brushed past the flying balls. As I dodged, a hazy memory began to resurface. I mimicked the movements from that memory exactly. My physical body aligned perfectly with the memory of myself fluidly weaving through the barrage.
Unlike before, strength surged into my arms and legs. My movements grew sharper. Yet, as I dodged, I realized something instinctively: my current movements were inefficient. The balls were getting faster and more numerous. I glanced at Rain while dodging, and she seemed entirely confident that I could handle this speed without any trouble. Thud! A ball clipped my arm and bounced off. My movements were growing sluggish. A ball flying too fast grazed my cheek.
"This is the final speed!" The final speed. The balls began to fly at an even more ferocious pace. Faster. To move with even greater precision... what did I need to do? I searched my memories. In those hazy, fleeting recollections, the version of me in them had definitely dodged balls at this speed. Remember how. I bit my lip. And in that instant, a certain scene flashed through my mind. The massive dark clouds Rain had summoned. The blue lightning dragon coiled within them. When I was struck by the lightning falling from the sky, I had been able to move at speeds transcending sound itself.
Of course, I couldn't enter that peak state—the Origin State—right this second. Thump! A heavy thud echoed from my heart. My arms were no longer bound by the power-suppressing bracelets. Those bracelets I used to wear had constantly restricted my abilities. Having grown accustomed to that life, I had always subconsciously capped my output to match that suppressed level. But now... with nothing holding me back... if I were like I was back then, when I had lost consciousness... if I were that version of myself...
Crackle! A burst of blue light erupted before my eyes. Blue currents of electricity began to wrap around my entire body. The electricity, originating from my heart, surged through my limbs. It was faint—incredibly faint. A current so weak it couldn't even compare to static electricity spread through me. Yet, my body began to move. Before I could even think, my body read the signals sent by the wide-reaching electromagnetic field. The moment my body registered those signals, it reacted instantly.
This wasn't a reaction speed originating from the brain, but a speed that adjusted dynamically to the movements around me. The blue current enveloping my entire body allowed for a reaction time far faster than any bioelectricity sent from my head. I didn't think. I simply moved. Reading every piece of information sent from my surroundings, my body automatically commanded itself. An unbearable thrill washed over me. A sense of omnipotence filled my entire being. It was the same confidence one felt when facing an incredibly easy problem. The tear-stained face from earlier was now wearing a bright smile.
This was fun. For the first time, I realized how exhilarating it was to use my ability to do something extraordinary, something others couldn't. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I turned my gaze toward Shine. She was smiling. I smiled back at her. Even as I did, I could read the movements of the balls perfectly. Sight didn't matter. The blue barrier spread in all directions told me everything. There were no longer any blind spots. Shine, I did it. Just like you said. I did exactly what you said I could.