The Tales of the Shadows

4. Little Things Make You

"Your hold on your energy is good, Evelyn! You can feel what it is, how it is, where it is. To control it - visualise it - as the wind and feel its flow, where it urges to go. Understand it. Then urge it to go where you wish to go, just like changing the temperature would do so for air."

Excitement bubbled within Evelyn, though she contained it well. She could see her energy in her mind and without opening her eyes, using her other senses to picture her surroundings, she ran in a straight direction. A fairly slow speed for a Shadow-Trapper, an impossible speed for living things - even faster than the speed of sound - but the thrill Evelyn felt in that moment was inexpressible. The bracing wind, the warm sun, her feet running through the water drops resting on the blades of the grass... and that feeling that couldn't be conveyed. That personal feeling.

Suddenly Evelyn came to a stop, her surroundings confusing her. It seemed as if a lake were in front of her but her energy wished to go forwards.

Trusting its urge, Evelyn followed trail of her energy; she couldn't fall behind, although her energy was within her so perhaps it was all in her mind. But that didn't make it any less true.

Let it be free but know it.

The joy was pure and Evelyn had never felt so lively before. However soon enough, as she gradually increased her speed - or at least she thought she did - she felt the energy leave her behind considerable, and not just in one direction.

The energy bounced. It went upwards. Evelyn also felt her father's illusion some distance away from her and realised it was time to stop.

She opened her eyes slowly, noticing her father was quite some distance away, but he had begun to walk already. He didn't want Evelyn using her ability too much in that moment.

Evelyn realised she had lost control.

Still, she walked rather quickly to her father, keeping absolute control over her energy at all times. As her father's somewhat short, casual and comforting demeanour finally reached her Evelyn was at ease, though she really did not want to disappoint him.

"The beginning was perfect, Evelyn, you technically did it! You increased your speed while being in control all the way until the last moment. Now I know there's a great thrill in what you did and it is easy to get lost in that emotion - I understand because creating illusions is fun, but I can't go as far as to alter reality ahaha. But if you do lose control, the consequences can be very bad. You will learn about that when you learn more about your ability, and that's why we'll keep practicing!"

Evelyn nodded enthusiastically, closing her eyes and focusing within herself. She did want to impress her father and understand his thoughts because she valued them greatly, but she wished they could spend some leisure time together, too.

It was alright, however. In that moment, listening to him was good.

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"Have you ever wondered why a Shadow is always at peace and is satisfied whenever they die?"

Evelyn was confused as to why her father asked such a question, but nevertheless she was curious and shook her head.

"No Shadow can really die without such a feeling. A Shadow starts giving much of its energy to the surroundings and takes very little only after it feels it has done everything. Even when the fatal spot is shot, if its will is too strong, it cannot die.

"That's interesting, isn't it? I think it makes us value time. To not bring it close, but to not flee from it either."

Evelyn wore a small smile, nodding happily. Death isn't sad, she thought. Then her eyes fell.