112. Mastering Illusion

The next day. Clarice woke up to a brand-new day. She immediately recalled what had happened yesterday. After the power infusion, she manages to teleport to the kitchen, freeze the hands of the clock and make herself invisible for a few minutes. Now all she needs to do is keep practicing using her powers so she can teleport faster to anyplace, freeze any object much quicker and longer and make herself invisible for a few hours without being seen. Currently, she can only do those things for a short time. Now there are two particular things that she wants to try today: hovering in the air and the power of illusion. Excited to know if she could perform such an ambitious feat, she got out of bed, eager to start practicing. She entered the bathroom and stayed there for a few minutes to do some washing. Then she left the room and went to the kitchen to prepare a simple meal: a ham and egg sandwich and hot coffee. After she finished eating, she went to the living room, sat on the sofa and began to meditate, conditioning her mind and body to float in the air. Minutes passed, but nothing happened. Twenty minutes passed, and Clarice failed to levitate in the air. One hour later, she was still trying her best but to no avail. Frustration grew inside her. She was in that distressed state when Demetria descended the staircase and settled on the sofa. "Dear, what are you trying to do?" Demetria asked in a gentle tone. "I'm trying to levitate in the air, but it's already been an hour. I still can't do it," Clarice replied with a sigh, her eyes closed, in deep concentration. "Don't force yourself too hard. Try likening yourself to paper... so lightweight. Loosen up, free yourself from the heaviness that is holding you back from flying. Free yourself, pretend you are one with the air and the wind. Convince yourself that you are like a kite, soaring high in the air. Try that technique," Demetria suggested. "OK." Clarice murmured. She shut off everything and focused on freeing herself from the heavy pressure building up inside her. She pretends she flies like a kite, floating in the air. Then a miracle happened. She felt lightheaded like paper. She could feel her body moving up an inch, losing contact with the sofa. She dared not open her eyes, scared of what she would see and accidentally losing her concentration. "Dear, you are now floating in the air in a sitting position, hovering five inches over the sofa. Keep it going, slow but steady. I will warn you before your head reaches the ceiling," Demetria said. "Stretch your legs slowly in a standing position but don't lose momentum yet," she added. "Copy," Clarice replied with a smile, pleased with her successful attempt at levitation. "Don't open your eyes yet. The sight below might scare you and you will lose focus. Alright, stop! Your head is now a few inches away from the ceiling. I want you to descend slowly so you can land on the floor without falling, or you might injure yourself. Just relax and take it easy. You can do it," Demetria said gently, guiding her student, holding her breath. But she was ready to catch her if she suddenly fell. "Oh no! I can't do it anymore. I suddenly felt tired. I think I'm going to fall!" Clarice yelled in panic. "Relax, don't panic. I'll bring you down." Demetria waved her hands, freezing Clarice midair and gently lowering her back to the ground. The moment Clarice's feet landed on solid ground, huge relief washed over her. She opened her eyes and looked at her mentor gratefully. "Thank you for saving me." "No problem, dear. Try to perfect it next time. For now, take a rest. Every time you are tired, don't hesitate to stop and take a rest. You have plenty of time to practice everything. Don't pressure yourself too much. Always remember that we don't have a deadline to finish. Learn at your own pace," Demetria spoke gently, imparting wisdom to her trainee's impatient mind. "I will try to remember that. I'm so eager to learn and master everything at once so I can finally go home," Clarice said gloomily. "You will be able to go home sooner or later, just take things easy first," Demetria advised her. "OK. Thanks. I will do that," Clarice murmured. She lay down on the sofa. "I'm so tired," she said, sighing heavily. Demetria patted her hand to comfort her. "You are still practicing and trying to unleash your power, so things will be difficult at first. But as days pass by, things will get easier once you master power control and everything." "OK." Clarice slowly rose from the sofa. "I would rest in my room. I feel sleepy. I think I spent all my energy practicing levitation today." "Do you need help to go to your room? I can help you," Demetria offered. "No, thanks, I can manage," Clarice replied and walked slowly towards her room. "I'm going to the city. Is there anything you want me to buy for you?" Demetria asked. "Two live chickens. I want to taste their blood," Clarice responded, reaching for the door handle of her room. "OK. See you later." Demetria disappeared from the living room. Clarice proceeds to her room, lies down on the bed and drifts into a deep sleep fifteen minutes later. Hours went by. When Clarice woke up, it was already 4:00 in the afternoon. She had slept for several hours. It was a good sleep because she felt energized after waking up. Every part of her body is vibrating with energy. She left the bed and exited the room, heading to the kitchen to eat something. She's starving because she skipped lunch. After she finished heating the pork and beans in the pan, she ate them right away. She washed the dishes and tidied up the kitchen afterward. With nothing to do, she stepped outside the house and breathed fresh air, wondering when her mentor would return home. She's worried that when she gets thirsty she has no blood to drink. She was in that anxious state when Demetria landed in front of her, holding the bag containing squirming chickens. "I bought you three chickens, dear," Demetria said, handing the bag to her. "Thank you so much. You just came on time." Clarice smiled in relief. She tied the chicken rope to the post to prevent the animals from escaping. "Why? Are you thirsty, craving blood?" Demetria asked. "Not yet, but these chickens will come in handy soon," Clarice replied. Demetria inquired. "How are you feeling now?" "I feel better and energized after sleeping for almost seven hours," Clarice answered. "So what do you want to try right now? Continue practicing levitation again or practicing illusion?" Demetria asked. Clarice was interested in illusions. "Do illusions work like magic? For example, I think of a flower or paper, will they appear immediately in my hands?" "You mean like this?" Demetria demonstrated her mastery of the art of illusion. She opened her palm, and paper, scissors, a knife, glass and the stem of a rose appeared and disappeared from her hands one at a time. Clarice clapped her hands in glee, loving the mind-blowing spectacle. "Amazing! You look like a magician!" "And here's another one," Demetria said. Flames leap from her hands. Clarice's eyes widened in shock and fear. "Is that even real?" "Come and feel it in your hands so you can see the difference," Demetria said. Clarice approached her mentor and placed her hand near the flame. "Oh, it's hot! It's real! But why are your hands not burning? Impossible!" she gushed in shock and disbelief. "The flames are meant to scare and harm enemies. It's not going to hurt the one who created the illusion," Demetria explained. "Amazing!" Clarice gushed in a thrilled voice. "How about water? Can you summon water?" "Sure," Demetria replied. "Let's go outside so we will not make a mess here and wet the floor," she responded, walking to the main door. Clarice followed her mentor outside. The moment Demetria stepped onto the ground, she opened her palms and a small ball of water began to appear, getting bigger and bigger every second. Then she tossed the water balls into the air, and they fell and shattered to the ground like rainfall. Clarice's eyes twinkled brightly, clapping her hands gleefully like a child after finishing watching a fantastic magical show. "Incredible!" she raved in absolute delight. "It's your turn, dear. Try it!" Demetria ordered. "Start with paper first, then if you have already mastered it, move on to other objects until you are able to master the art of magical illusion flawlessly." Clarice nodded her head. "OK. I will try producing paper first in my hands in the living room." "Alright, enjoy practicing. See you later." Demetria walked to the staircase and climbed the stairs. Clarice sat on the sofa and began practicing the art of illusion. She closed her eyes in deep concentration, trying to condition her mind by summoning a paper in her hand. After several failed attempts, she successfully managed to produce a paper in her hands after one hour. Next, she tried summoning the glass, scissors, rose flowers, and the knife and succeeded. However, when she tried the flames and water, she suddenly got tired and could no longer go on. It seems her body can only perform a few illusions for a limited time. She finally accepted the reality that learning takes time. She stopped practicing and went to her room to rest. She will resume her practice tomorrow, focusing on summoning the water and flames.