Noor was surprised by Jane’s analysis of his ability, despite her not fully understanding it. He rembered the voice that had spoken to him before—the one that hinted at the true nature of his power. There was a strange similarity between its cryptic words and Jane’s reasoning. He lowered his head in thought. Although pieces of his mory had been erased, fragnts of knowledge remained intact. It beca clear to him that his mind hadn’t been wiped randomly. The missing parts were deliberate—surgical. Soone had removed specific mories, likely to strip away his sense of identity and render him easier to manipulate.
Breaking the silence, Noor said with a trace of suspicion, "You know, I once read that the mind can affect the physical world. My father worked in cognitive science. Sotis, he’d take to his lab. I saw things that still haunt ."
Jane glanced at him, curious.
"There was a man," Noor continued, "connecting wires between two young n. The first was told to move his hand. When he did, the other man’s hand moved too—without his consent. The signals from the first man’s brain were rerouted to the second’s muscles. It was like watching possession through science."
Jane’s eyes widened.
"It evolved," Noor added. "They eventually removed the wires. Just helts. One man thought—and the other moved. A puppet, controlled by thought. Now imagine they no longer needed helts or devices. What if they injected nanomachines—microscopic systems inside the body that received neural signals? Soone could move your limbs against your will, control your actions from the inside."
He paused. The thought seed to unnerve even him.
Jane folded her arms, her tone quiet but firm. "That’s terrifying. But from what we’ve seen, it’s not impossible. Maybe... maybe we’re already being controlled in so way. Maybe we only think we’re acting freely."
She looked away for a mont, rembering. "There were also experints on telekinesis—machines amplifying brainwaves to move small objects. They said every idea has weight, even if it’s infinitesimal. Alone, your thoughts can’t shift anything. But imagine a thousand people thinking the sa thing, focusing on the sa object. That weight could multiply."
She gave a short breath. "There was also a water experint. A man spoke to water as it froze—positive words, calm thoughts. The crystals ford beautiful, symtrical patterns. Then he repeated it with hate, anger, and the ice turned ugly, chaotic. Thoughts changed the shape of matter. Our voices, our emotions—they physically affect the world."
Noor was struck. Her words stirred sothing deep, unlocking his own web of fragnted knowledge.
"If that’s the case," he said, "then what about Ivanov? His ability could be linked to nanomachines pulling iron from his blood—or maybe from his surroundings. These machines might coat his skin in iron at will. They must be embedded just beneath the surface, activated by ntal commands. That ans they’re countless—millions of them working in sync."
"And Ares," Noor added, his mind racing. "His ability to camouflage must work the sa way. Nanomachines in his skin mimic the environnt’s colors and textures. But how? Maybe when he touches sothing, those machines scan its geno, replicate the physical traits, and transmit instructions to the rest. That would explain how he mimics people, too—skin tone, hair, body shape. But maybe it’s all surface-level mimicry. The real Ares remains beneath."
He hesitated. "Or maybe they don’t just copy appearances. Maybe they alter his genes temporarily. But changing genes... that requires knowledge far beyond us. That part I still doubt."
Jane leaned forward slightly, intrigued. "And what about ?"
Noor looked at her, thoughtful. "Your case... it’s harder. I think your ability is tied to ti. Not in the classic sense—more like... perception. Maybe your brain processes information at unimaginable speeds. So fast, in fact, that you glimpse the future seconds before it happens. Then your body reacts based on that future knowledge. You’re not going back in ti—you’re outpacing it."
He paused. "That would also explain your fatigue. Your brain consus too much energy predicting, computing. It ignores your body’s needs to maintain that speed. There are AI models that can predict future outcos based on variables—like a computer knowing exactly how billiard balls will scatter after a strike. It’s not magic. Just math. Maybe you’re doing sothing similar, but with reality."
Jane was silent, stunned by how close he had co to the truth.
"As for stopping ti," Noor added, "that’s... different. That’s not just prediction. That’s manipulation. It might be that you’re creating gaps—pockets where the flow of ti is severed. Monts suspended between seconds."
Jane nodded slowly. "It feels like that. Like the world holds its breath, but I’m still moving inside it."
"I don’t know how," Noor admitted. "But soone out there does. Whoever gave you this ability understands ti on a level we can’t begin to grasp."
They sat with the idea for a while, the silence no longer empty, but brimming with possibility.
Then Jane asked, "And the others?"
Together, they began analyzing the abilities of the others—connecting theory to observation, building models in their minds, crafting explanations from science, mory, and logic. One by one, the mysteries seed to thin—never fully unraveling, but becoming clearer, like shadows lifting in morning light.
Eventually, they stood, their conversation paused but far from over. The road ahead was uncertain, but they now carried sothing more powerful than weapons or abilities.
They carried understanding.
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