Night had fallen over Jisoo's small apartment, and the only light came from a weary bulb illuminating the cramped kitchen where Yoona was washing the dishes. The rhythmic sounds of running water and clinking plates blended with the laughter from a television show in the living room, where Jisoo lay sprawled on the couch, absorbed in her phone.
The monotony of the evening seemed to mirror the quiet life Yoona had tried to lead in recent days. But something inside her was stirring—an unease she couldn't quite understand.
As she rinsed a plate, her thoughts drifted, circling back to Jin and his words about the world changing. He had spoken of abilities, of transformations, but it had all seemed so unreal. Yet, a part of her couldn't help but believe.
That's when her hands became clammy. A strange sensation, like a shiver, coursed through her fingers. Before she could react, the plate slipped from her trembling hands and fell.
— "Oh no!" she gasped, reaching out instinctively to catch the falling object.
But what happened next defied all logic. Instead of shattering against the tiled floor, the plate halted in midair, hovering inches above the ground as if suspended by an invisible force. Yoona froze, her eyes widening in shock.
She took a step back, her breath quick and uneven, but the plate moved with her—fluidly, as though connected to her hand by an unseen thread. Trembling, she hesitantly raised her hand, and the plate responded, swaying gently from side to side.
— "What… is this?" she whispered, barely audible.
Before she could process what was happening, Jisoo burst into the kitchen, a mug in one hand and her phone pressed to her ear.
— "Yoona, have you seen where I put—"
She stopped dead in her tracks, her gaze locking onto the floating plate. Her eyes widened in disbelief. The mug slipped from her fingers, but before it could hit the ground, Yoona instinctively reacted. Her hand shot forward, and not only did the mug halt midair, but the droplets of coffee spilling from it froze in place.
Silence filled the room, broken only by Jisoo's sharp intake of breath. She brought a hand to her mouth, her fingers trembling.
— "Yoona… what did you just do?"
Yoona, just as bewildered, stammered:
— "I… I don't know. It just… reacted."
She moved her hand, and the mug floated toward her before settling gently on the counter. The coffee droplets finally fell, splattering onto the tiled floor.
— "This is impossible… this isn't real. No, this has to be a dream," Jisoo muttered, taking a step back. But the excitement in her eyes betrayed her disbelief.
Yoona, still shaking, felt a warmth rise in her chest—an energy unlike anything she had ever known. She raised her hands before her, staring at her fingers as if they belonged to someone else.
— "It's not a dream, Jisoo. This is real."
Jisoo, shaken but fascinated, finally burst out:
— "Okay, okay. Real or not, you just made a plate AND a mug float! What is this, Yoona? Telekinesis? Magic? Did you just become a superhero or something?!"
Yoona shook her head, trying to steady her breathing.
— "I don't know… It just happened. I just… felt it. Like some part of me knew exactly what to do."
Jisoo stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with childlike curiosity.
— "Wait, does it work with other stuff? Try this!" She grabbed a spoon and placed it on the table.
Yoona hesitated, then reached out toward the object. This time, she felt the warmth intensify, like a pulse radiating from her heart to her fingertips. The spoon lifted into the air, twirling gracefully before settling into Yoona's open palm.
Jisoo let out a breathless laugh, clutching her head.
— "Okay, this is official. We're living in a webnovel. Yoona, you just joined the X-Men!"
Despite herself, Yoona smiled, though her heart remained heavy.
— "You think this is funny, but… it scares me. If I can do this… then how many others out there can do things far more dangerous?"
Jisoo's laughter faded, her expression growing more serious.
— "Maybe… but maybe you can do something good with it, Yoona. Maybe this is a gift, not a curse."
Yoona looked down at her hands as the warmth gradually faded.
— "I don't know. But I feel like this is just the beginning."