Chapter 289: 289- is insane
289
~Lisa’s POV
When we finished our dinner, Lira sighed and leaned back. "We should rest early," she said. "Tomorrow might be another long day."
I nodded, pretending to agree. "Yeah. You’re right."
She smiled faintly, though her eyes looked tired. "Don’t stay up late, Lisa."
"I’ll sleep," I said with a smile.
We blew out the lamp and lay down on the straw mat. The hut grew quiet, the only sound coming from the crickets outside. I stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours. I tried closing my eyes, but my mind refused to rest.
Every time I tried to think of nothing, his face came to me.
Damon.
I turned on my side, clutching the blanket tightly. The image of him wouldn’t leave my head: his eyes, his voice, the way he smiled when he said my name. My chest ached so badly I could barely breathe.
"I miss you," I whispered into the darkness.
Lira stirred beside me but didn’t wake up. I bit my lip and turned to face the wall. I hated myself for missing him this much. I shouldn’t. I couldn’t.
Because the moment I remembered him, I also remembered them.
Rowan. Kael.
Just thinking about them made my blood boil.
"I hate you," I muttered softly. "I hate both of you for what you did."
The betrayal still burned inside me. I pressed my palm against my chest, shutting my eyes. "I can’t go back. I can’t ever go back."
The hut felt smaller the longer I stayed inside. The air was too still, too heavy.
Carefully, I pushed the blanket aside and sat up. I looked at Lira; she was fast asleep, breathing softly, her arm thrown lazily over the mat. I didn’t want to wake her.
Quietly, I slipped out of the hut.
The night air met me like a cool hand against my skin. It was calm, the sky full of stars, the moon high and bright. I stepped out to the open space behind the hut and sat on a flat rock. The forest around us was dark but alive. The crickets sang. The wind whispered through the trees.
I wrapped my arms around my knees and looked up at the sky.
"Damon..." I whispered. "Do you even think about me? Do you miss me?"
The night didn’t answer.
I smiled sadly.
The silence stretched again, and I took a deep breath. Sitting here, drowning in my thoughts, wouldn’t change anything.
I needed to do something, anything, to get him out of my head.
My gaze shifted to a small stone by my foot.
"I should train again," I said softly.
I stared at the stone, focusing hard. "Come on," I whispered. "Move."
Nothing.
I frowned. "Move!"
Still nothing.
I clenched my fist. My heart thudded. "I said move!"
The stone trembled slightly, almost as if something beneath it shifted. My eyes widened.
"Did I just?" I leaned forward. "No, that can’t be..."
But it did move again. Just a little.
A small laugh escaped me. "Alright," I murmured. "We’re not done yet."
I took another deep breath and tried again. The air around me felt warmer, heavier. I could feel my energy rising, pulsing faintly in my palms.
The stone lifted, barely an inch, but it lifted.
"Yes!" I whispered, grinning. "Okay... again!"
I tried another, then another. My concentration deepened. Soon, three stones floated before me, wobbling in the air.
I laughed quietly to myself. "You see that, Lira?" I said, looking up at the stars.
The stones dropped suddenly, making a soft thud on the ground. I groaned. "Alright, maybe I need to focus more."
I kept going. Time passed, I didn’t even realize how long. Sweat rolled down my neck, my body trembling slightly from the effort. I picked up small sticks, lifted pebbles, and made them spin in circles.
Every little movement felt like a victory.
I could feel my energy returning, my control growing.
"More," I whispered. "I can do more."
I turned toward a thicker branch that had fallen nearby. I extended my hand. "Up."
It didn’t move at first, but I refused to give up. My breath grew heavy, my heart racing.
"Come on... lift."
The branch shivered, then slowly rose from the ground.
My heart leaped. "Yes! That’s it!"
I moved it higher, then dropped it deliberately. It hit the ground with a dull thud. I laughed again, out of breath but thrilled.
Then my eyes fell on the tall tree a few steps away.
A wild thought crossed my mind. "Could I move that?"
I hesitated for a moment, then stood up and wiped the sweat from my face. My legs felt weak, but I didn’t care.
I stretched out my hand toward the tree. "Alright... let’s try this."
I focused harder than before. My temples ached. My chest burned.
"Fall," I whispered.
Nothing happened. The branches just swayed in the breeze.
"Fall!" I said louder.
Still nothing.
I clenched my fists and shouted, "I said fall!"
The air around me pulsed. My vision blurred slightly. Then....
Crack!
The ground trembled. The tree tilted, groaned, and fell with a loud crash.
I stumbled back, shocked and breathless.
I stared at it, panting. "Oh my goodness..."
I had actually done it.
A smile spread slowly across my face. Tears filled my eyes again, but this time they weren’t from pain; they were from pride.
"I have it in me just like Lira said," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I really do."
The night wind blew through my hair, cool against my sweaty skin. I could have stopped there. I should have. But something inside me wouldn’t let me.
There was one last thing I wanted to try.
I looked down at my hands. "If I can move all this... can I move me?"
It sounded insane, but I had to know.
I closed my eyes, focusing on my own body this time. I imagined myself as light as a feather, the same way I made the stones rise.
"Up," I whispered.
Nothing.
I tried again. "Up."
For a moment, I felt a pull deep in my stomach. Then... suddenly... the ground slipped away. My eyes flew open.
I was floating.
Just a few inches, but enough to make me gasp. I laughed, barely believing it. "I did it!"
But I lost focus for a second and dropped back down, landing softly.
"Okay," I said, steadying myself. "Again."
I tried once more, pushing harder. This time, I didn’t just float, I moved.
In an instant, I was standing a few feet away from where I had been.
I blinked, stunned. "Did I just....?"
I turned to the fallen tree. "Let’s test this again."
I focused on the spot beside it, and before I could blink, I was there. The movement was fast, like being pulled through the air.
I gasped and laughed at the same time. "This is insane!"
Over and over, I practiced, lifting myself, moving faster each time. The air around me grew warmer with every try. My body ached, but the thrill of it kept me going.
Sometimes I stumbled, fell, or even rolled into the dirt. But I’d get up again, laughing breathlessly.
"Faster," I whispered. "You can do this, Lisa."