Spreading News

Their hands collided in a sharp clap. But just as their palms met, Victor’s expression changed. The bright blue crystal embedded in his hand began to glow fiercely for a split second before disintegrating, crumbling into ashes that scattered between their fingers.

Jena gasped, pulling her hand back immediately. “Victor! Your… your crystal—”

Victor stared at his empty palm, the traces of blue dust lingering in the air. “Jena… what happened?”

She stumbled back, her heart sinking as she looked at her own white crystal. “I… I don’t know. I thought… I thought I had a normal power now. I didn’t think this would happen again.”

Her family, still gathered close, looked on in shock. Candy moved closer, her voice soft but filled with worry. “Jena, does that mean… you can still destroy crystals?”

Jena’s throat felt tight as she looked at Victor, her eyes filling with guilt. “I… I think so. I didn’t mean to—Victor, I’m so sorry.”

Victor shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile. “Hey, it’s okay. I don’t blame you. We didn’t know this would happen, right?”

“But I just took your power away,” Jena said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I was done with this. I thought… I thought it was safe now.”

Oscar placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Jena, we’re still learning about these powers. Maybe yours is… different in ways we don’t understand yet.”

Bea placed a comforting hand on Victor’s shoulder, her expression compassionate. “Victor, Why don’t you try touching the big crystal again? Maybe it’ll give you back your power or something new.”

Victor took a deep breath, nodding. “Yeah… yeah, I can try.” He gave Jena a reassuring smile, though she could see the unease in his eyes. “It’s okay, Jena. We’ll figure it out. I’m not mad or anything.”

Jena swallowed hard, nodding as she watched him step toward the large crystal. “I’m so sorry, Victor. I didn’t mean to… I just—”

Victor shook his head, glancing back at her with a smile. “Stop worrying, okay? I get a second chance to see what power I’ll get. Maybe I’ll get something even cooler.”

Taking a deep breath, he extended his hand, pressing his fingers against the glowing crystal. This time, it shimmered with a brighter, more intense light, like lightning flashing within. A new crystal formed in his palm, radiating a brilliant purple hue. Victor’s face lit up, a look of wonder crossing his features.

“Whoa…” he breathed, staring down at his hand. “It’s purple this time!”

Jena’s eyes widened, a mixture of relief and awe flooding her. “Purple… so what power did you get now?”

Victor held out his palm, focusing on his new crystal. The air around his hand crackled with energy, and in a sudden flash, a bolt of lightning shot out from his fingers, striking a rock a few feet away and leaving it smoldering.

He laughed, both shocked and thrilled. “Lightning! I can control lightning now!”

Oscar chuckled, clapping him on the back. “Looks like you traded in water for something a bit more… electrifying, huh?”

Victor grinned, clearly enjoying the surge of energy coursing through him. “This is awesome! Lightning feels way cooler than water.” He glanced at Jena, giving her an encouraging smile. “See? Everything worked out. You might be able to take away powers, but they can still come back—sometimes even better.”

Jena nodded, her relief finally settling in, though a sliver of worry remained. “I’m glad it worked out for you, Victor, but… what if it happens again? What if I accidentally take away someone else’s power?”

Candy reached out, putting a reassuring hand on Jena’s shoulder. “Look, we don’t know all the rules of these crystals or powers. But we do know that you have an incredible gift, even if it’s a little different. Just try to be careful, and we’ll figure out more as we go.”

Jena took a deep breath, absorbing their words. She looked down at her white crystal, its light pulsing softly in her palm. "Maybe… maybe you’re right. I’ll try to see it as a way to help, instead of something to be afraid of."

As Jena and her family marveled at their new powers, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the edge of the field. She turned to see a small crowd gathering, their faces a mix of awe and curiosity. More people from town had noticed the strange, glowing light in the distance and came to investigate.

“Is that… a crystal?” an older man murmured, stepping forward with wide eyes.

A young boy, barely ten years old, darted out from the crowd, his eyes fixated on the glowing rock. Before anyone could stop him, he reached out, placing his small hand on the crystal. A blue light flared around him, and when he pulled his hand back, a brilliant blue crystal was embedded in his palm.

"Whoa!” the boy gasped, staring at his hand. With a sudden look of excitement, he waved his hand, and a small burst of water shot out, splashing onto the grass.

People gasped, some backing away while others stepped forward in awe.

“Look! He’s got powers!” someone in the crowd exclaimed, their voice tinged with amazement.

Jena’s heart pounded as she exchanged nervous glances with her family. “I… I think everyone can get powers from the crystal,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Candy nodded, her eyes wide with excitement. “It’s true! My whole family touched it, and we all got different powers.”

A woman in the crowd, eyes brimming with curiosity, took a hesitant step forward. “So… if I touch it, I’ll get powers too?”

Oscar cleared his throat, trying to calm the murmuring crowd. “Yes, it seems so. Each of us gained different abilities after touching it.”

The murmurs grew louder, and a few more people approached the crystal, their hands trembling with excitement. One by one, they touched it, and soon the field was filled with flashes of color as crystals formed in the palms of those brave enough to try. A woman gained a green crystal, her fingers twitching as plants around her began to sprout. Another man’s crystal glowed a deep red, and when he waved his hand, small sparks flickered in the air.

The crowd buzzed with energy as more people joined in, each discovering their newfound abilities. Laughter and gasps filled the air, and for a moment, it was as if everyone had been transported into a different world—a world where magic and power flowed freely.

Suddenly, a loud voice broke through the excitement. “Alright, everyone, let’s calm down here!”

The crowd parted as the mayor, a tall, sturdy man in his fifties, approached, flanked by several city officials. His sharp gaze took in the scene—the glowing crystal, the flashes of elemental powers, and the crowd buzzing with wonder.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded, crossing his arms.

Oscar stepped forward, nodding respectfully. “Mayor Garcia, sir. It’s… quite a long story, but to put it simply, this crystal here seems to be giving people elemental powers.”

The mayor looked at the crystal, then back at the family, clearly trying to process the information. “And you’re saying anyone who touches it… gains a unique ability?”

Candy stepped forward with a warm smile. “Yes, that’s right, Mayor. We’ve all been able to gain different powers, and so far, it’s been safe. People have been respectful with it, just trying it out one by one.”

The mayor nodded slowly, deep in thought. He turned back to the crowd, watching as a young woman with an orange crystal in her palm gently lifted a small rock from the ground, controlling it with her newfound earth powers. He seemed both amazed and wary.

After a moment, he turned to the Salvador family, determination in his gaze. “This crystal… it’s obviously something extraordinary. It has the potential to change everything. But we need to be careful. A gathering out here in the field might not be the safest way to do this.”

Bea nodded, understanding. “Yes, we were just thinking about that. It’s already attracting quite a crowd.”

Oscar crossed his arms, looking toward the town. “If we want everyone to benefit, it might be best to move the crystal somewhere central—somewhere everyone can access it safely. Perhaps the town plaza?”

The mayor’s eyes lit up, clearly intrigued by the idea. “The town plaza… yes, that’s central enough, and it’ll allow everyone fair access. But we’ll need to ensure it’s protected, so things don’t get out of hand.”

He turned to his officials. “Alright, let’s get a team together to carefully transport this crystal to the plaza. We’ll need guards to make sure it’s safe for everyone who wants to access it.”

The officials nodded, already pulling out their phones to make arrangements

Candy held up her phone, capturing the scene with a grin. “This is going to be huge! I’ll post it on social media—everyone will know about the crystal and the powers.”

Victor looked over at her, raising an eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Won’t it get… kind of chaotic if everyone knows?”

Candy shrugged, still smiling as she typed rapidly on her phone. “People are going to find out anyway. Besides, this is the biggest thing to ever happen here. We have to share it with the world!”

As she posted the video, Jena felt a twinge of anxiety. The thought of people from all over descending on their small town to gain powers was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. She glanced at her family, who looked back at her with expressions of shared uncertainty and excitement.

The mayor gave a nod of approval as a small team carefully lifted the crystal, carrying it toward a waiting vehicle that would take it to the plaza. “We’ll set it up for public access tomorrow,” he announced to the crowd. “This is a moment of great change for our town, and maybe even the world. Let’s handle it responsibly.”

The crowd cheered, energized by the mayor’s words. Some people already started discussing what powers they hoped to get, while others exchanged stories of the abilities they had just acquired.

As the Salvador family watched the crystal being transported, they couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation. The future was suddenly wide open, filled with possibilities they had never imagined. And as more people gathered, drawn by Candy’s social media post, it was clear that life as they knew it was about to change forever.

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