Understanding the Crystal

The town of Tiga, once a peaceful haven, was now bustling with strangers—people from all over the world, drawn by the rumors of an enchanted crystal that granted superhuman abilities. It was barely dawn, but the noise outside was already loud enough to pull Jena from her sleep.

Groaning, she rolled over, rubbing her eyes as she tried to process the muffled sounds of voices and footsteps outside her window. She sat up, blinking, then glanced over at the clock on her bedside table. *6:15 AM.*

“Oh, come on,” she muttered, throwing herself back onto her bed. But the noise only grew louder.

“Jena! Are you awake?” Candy’s voice echoed from the hallway, full of excitement and a hint of panic.

Jena sighed, reluctantly swinging her legs out of bed. She padded to the door and opened it to find Candy standing there, her face lit up with excitement and—unexpectedly—actual light. The glow emanating from Candy’s palm flickered like a flame, casting a soft golden hue over the walls.

“Candy!” Jena whispered, shielding her eyes. “Your hand!”

“I know!” Candy whispered back, trying to shake her hand as if that would put out the glow. “I just wanted to knock on your door, and then—poof! I’m a human flashlight!”

Jena tried to suppress a laugh. “Come on, let’s get downstairs before you wake up the whole house.”

As they tiptoed down the stairs, they could hear more commotion from the kitchen. When they walked in, the rest of the family was already awake and in various stages of chaos.

Bea, their mother, struggling to hold her own. Bits of soil had spilled from the potted plants in the corner, trailing in patterns around her feet as she inadvertently pulled on the earth’s energy. Oscar, their dad, was holding a wilted houseplant, his brows furrowed in concentration as he attempted to revive it with his nature power.

“Morning, girls,” Bea greeted them, slightly flustered. “It’s barely six, and people are everywhere outside. I peeked out the window, and there are crowds in every direction.”

“Did you see what’s happening?” Victor’s voice piped up from across the room. He was seated at the kitchen table, examining his hand as tiny sparks of lightning crackled between his fingers. He looked both thrilled and terrified.

“I heard them outside my window,” Jena said. “It sounds like everyone who heard about the crystal showed up overnight.”

Oscar sighed, gently setting the plant down. “It’s going to take a miracle to get things under control. We’re still learning ourselves,” he muttered, scratching his head.

“Or maybe we just… figure it out together?” Jena suggested, looking around at her family.

Her mother nodded, giving her a small smile. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Jena. Maybe we should start practicing our powers here at home before we even think about going outside.”

Candy held up her hand, the light still glowing. “So, uh… any tips on how to dim this?” she asked, looking around at everyone.

“Focus, Candy,” Bea said. “Maybe try imagining a switch in your mind. A dimmer switch. Just… turn it down slowly.”

Candy closed her eyes, furrowing her brow. After a few moments, the glow dimmed until it was barely visible. She let out a breath, opening her eyes to check. “Hey, it worked!”

Victor grinned. “Okay, my turn! I need to learn how to *not* electrocute everything I touch,” he said with a nervous chuckle, glancing at his hands.

“Try imagining the energy leaving your hands, like water draining away,” Oscar suggested. “Maybe think of it like a faucet you can control.”

Victor took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fists. The tiny sparks that had been crackling along his fingers disappeared. “Wow… Dad, I think that actually helped,” he said, grinning.

“See? We’re getting the hang of it,” Jena said with a laugh, though she couldn’t ignore the anxiety bubbling up in her stomach. She hadn’t yet tried her own powers today, and after the chaos yesterday, she wasn’t even sure what her power might decide to do.

Bea noticed her hesitation and placed a reassuring hand on Jena’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, honey. We’re all learning. Maybe start small and see what happens.”

Jena nodded. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She focused on the faint sensation in her palm, picturing the feeling of air and wind. She raised her hand and… nothing. She tried again, feeling silly but determined. She imagined a gentle breeze, envisioning it swirling around her fingers.

Suddenly, a gust of wind burst from her hand, blowing back her hair and ruffling the curtains by the window. She opened her eyes in surprise, glancing around to see her family staring at her with wide eyes.

“Whoa! Jena, you did it!” Victor said, looking impressed.

“Yeah, and it was more than I expected,” Jena admitted, grinning sheepishly.

Bea clapped her hands together, beaming. “We’re all getting the hang of this!”

Jena peeked out the window, her eyes widening at the sight of the growing crowd stretching all the way to the plaza. People were standing in lines, hoping to touch the crystal and gain powers just like everyone else. She felt a pang of nervousness as she glanced down at her white crystal, embedded so visibly in her palm. The weight of her unique power gnawed at her, especially now that she knew what it could do.

The memory of what happened to Candy’s crystal still haunted her. What if she accidentally turned someone else’s powers to ashes? The thought made her stomach twist. Maybe there was a way to keep herself—and everyone around her—safe. If she was going to avoid accidentally turning people’s crystals to ashes, she needed to take some precautions.

Jena turned from the window, heading down the hallway to her room. Opening her closet, she rummaged around, finally pulling out a pair of thick gloves. She slipped them on, feeling a strange sense of relief as the crystal was concealed beneath the soft fabric. For the first time since she’d touched the enchanted crystal, her palm felt… normal.

But there was something else. She flexed her fingers, trying to summon the gentle breeze she’d practiced with that morning. Nothing happened. Jena raised her gloved hand, concentrating harder, but the air around her remained still.

“Hmm,” she muttered, surprised. She couldn’t feel the faint hum of power she’d grown used to. *Is it the gloves?* She focused, trying to summon the feeling of the wind again, but nothing happened. She turned her palm up, then down, feeling a strange sense of emptiness.

With a shrug, she walked back into the living room. Her family looked up as Jena entered, her gloved hands in front of her.

“Gloves, huh?” Victor said, raising an eyebrow. “Going for the mysterious look?”

Jena chuckled. “It’s more for everyone else’s safety. I don’t want to, you know… accidentally turn anyone’s crystal to ash.”

“Yeah, smart move,” Victor added. “Especially with all the people around here. It’s getting wild outside.”

Jena settled into a chair, flexing her hands again, feeling both relieved and a little anxious. The gloves created a barrier, blocking her from using her powers at all. *Maybe that’s for the best,* she thought, though she couldn’t shake the strangeness of feeling cut off from her abilities.

For the next few hours, the family went about their day, occasionally peeking out at the crowd, and Victor even stepped out to get a closer look at the commotion in town. Jena tried to distract herself, but her mind kept wandering back to her powers and the weight of the responsibility she felt.

Finally, she sat down on the couch and absentmindedly pulled off her gloves, ready to settle in. But as soon as she did, a tingling sensation shot through her palm. She looked down and gasped.

Her crystal was no longer white. It had returned to its original black.

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