I woke up groggy, my head pounding mildly and my back feeling far too sore. Even my biceps ached from a coffee-fueled, nineteen-round arm wrestling marathon with Jack, refereed enthusiastically by Malcolm. Alexandra was already awake, smiling warmly as she handed me a steaming cup of joe along with two pills that I assumed would help ease both my headache and soreness.

I returned her smile, kissing her gently on the cheek before slowly rising and making my way out of the bedroom. Today held many things to unravel and understand.

Solomon emerged from his own bedroom later, exhaustion evident in his slow steps. As he stumbled into the short hallway, he was immediately met by Jack, Malcolm, and myself—all of us standing with arms crossed, tapping fingers impatiently.

Rubbing his neck awkwardly, Solomon managed to mumble, “I uh…” clearly at a loss for words.

Jack clapped Solomon heartily on the shoulder, laughing, “You're lucky I wasn't called One-Eye Jack, kid—you could go blind doing that too much” We all broke into amused grins.

Heading down to the café, I mentally revisited the conversation I'd had with Jack and Malcolm the night before. It was remarkable to have stumbled upon such like-minded people. With tensions rising and whispers of war in the air, forming quick friendships seemed both wise and natural. Each of us had our quirks, myself included—I tended to overthink things, sometimes too much, other times not nearly enough.

It was still early; even Alexandra’s dad hadn't woken up yet. A quiet darkness lingered over the city, its depth more apparent here at street level than in the brighter grey heights far above.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked across the table at the five people sitting in various relaxed postures, smoking cigarettes or sipping drinks.

Solomon, the Density Knight.

Ana, the Healer.

Jack, the Wind Brawler.

Malcolm, the mage-eyed pickpocket whose skillful fingers last night had amazed me almost as much as actual magic would have.

And Alexandra… wait. Alexandra?

“Hey, babe,” I asked curiously, turning toward her. “What powers or skills do you have? I don't think I’ve ever asked.”

She laughed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. With a casual flourish, she clapped her palms together before slowly opening them like a book. A small pillar of flame shot up, dancing gracefully before settling into a hovering ball of fire.

“My dad always said to hide it because the mages of the city would probably bring me in for training, and I never liked that type of study… but we have a strong affinity for fire magic in our lineage. Mine is a mind-type, so I can conjure and control flames directly.”

I sank a little deeper into my chair, smiling knowingly. “Ahh, the fiery temper—it all makes sense now.”

“What was that?” Her eyes flashed dangerously as a not-so-smiley smile, reflecting the flickering fire.

I turned quickly, blowing a cloud of smoke in front of me to hide my smirk. The others chuckled softly at my reaction.

In the world of magic—not the innate abilities known as powers—people typically had vessels categorized as Mind or Body. Those with Mind Vessels could conjure and control elements psychically, while those with Body Vessels required physical contact with their medium and to train Qi. Each type had countless variations, abilities, and limitations, all influenced by genetics. Mine, a spiritual vessel was usually more rare and centered around religions and training within churches or more occult factions.

Alexandra explained further that her affinity was strictly fire, manifesting through her Mind Vessel, enabling direct elemental control and she had no real affinity for other elements or cared to train to.

“That explains why your dad cooks so perfectly,” I joked.

“It’s not a lot yet, though,” she admitted, closing her hand and extinguishing the flame. “Only about a five-foot area.”

Jack nodded knowingly. “It’s common. Most people start small, but through training and growth, your range and power can dramatically expand. One day you might control flames as big as this entire building.”

Alexandra smiled gratefully at the reassurance.

“Well, I can’t let you show me up,” I sighed dramatically. “If we're serious about investigating this fog, it's time I shared something too. I honestly don’t know why I’m breaking a lot of my common attachment codes, but I have a feel for people usually. The stuff going on around the city isn’t the usual oddities and…horrors.”

They gave me curious glances, waiting expectantly.

“First I’ll explain a recent development and then I’ll explain some off the odd sides of the city most don’t know about” Malcolm gave me a look I rarely saw in anyone but those of the underground. He knew my last statement.

Raising my hand, I revealed three faint lines that had appeared on the back of it—lines I’d first noticed only recently.

“I seem to have awakened a dormant ability,” I explained cautiously. “Like Frog here, I can absorb materials into my body and mimic their properties.”

Demonstrating, I picked up a nearby iron bar. It slowly vanished into my skin as the three lines changed, leaving two remaining alongside a strange symbol. My skin turned matte black and metallic.

Jack whistled in amazement. “Holy shit.”

“That's incredible,” Solomon murmured.

I tapped a fork against my skin, producing a metallic clink.

“It seems I absorb properties in stages—skin first, then muscles, then bones. It works with fire, water, air, metal, even rubber. But each has flaws.”

Alexandra leaned forward, intrigued. “What about fire?”

“Fire makes my skin unbearably hot at first, then ignites me completely if I absorb too much. It’s dangerous and uncontrollable. Water just makes me sweat buckets; it can heal wounds but dries me out badly. Metal makes me tough but extremely heavy and slow. Air leaves me too light to do anything substantial.”

Solomon leaned in eagerly. “Have you tried combining materials?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. I've only experimented briefly. It’s still pretty new.”

Malcolm finally spoke, eyes glinting curiously. “I noticed magical energy around you—unusual for a power.”

“Oh, yeah,” I shrugged. “It seems my body attracts magical energy naturally. Frog is strictly material, but I seem to have a broader scope.”

Jack grinned, clearly fascinated. “Then you definitely need to explore it more. What about electricity? Wood? Combinations like rubber and metal for flexibility and durability?”

Everyone turned excitedly toward a nearby electrical outlet, and Alexandra's eyes lit up with playful anticipation. “Electricity sounds fun—shall we try?”

A short while later, I found myself tied securely to a chair, belts and ropes wrapped around me as Alexandra eagerly held a cut electrical wire. A wooden spoon clenched between my teeth.

Just then, Alexandra's dad appeared, rubbing sleep from his eyes and pouring coffee. He paused, looking over our strange assembly—me strapped down, Alexandra holding a sparking wire.

He blinked calmly. “Alexandra, run the shop today, would you? I had a long night.” He sipped his coffee, seemingly unfazed, and wandered back upstairs, murmuring, “Ah, youth…”

We all stared silently after him, then burst into laughter, shaking our heads as we returned to our strange experiment.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This doesn’t feel right…usually you would go get tested, by mages or cultivators though we got none of them here” Jack even with his scarred arms that told tales of countless battles looked at me with trepidation, “Shouldn’t have to be like this”

“Jack…the tough part about this is the fact I have a spirit vessel. There isn’t anyone here for that, and even then they specialize in each spirit if it is that you receive at birth. I know that Frog has the ability to ingest and emulate materials and their properties. The only way to see what I can do, is test that same knowledge on myself.”

I nodded as two wires—split from a set of four bundled cables we'd scavenged—were placed against my arms. At first, the sudden shock was unbearably painful, like being stabbed repeatedly with a cattle prod. I was genuinely surprised by how much electricity still flowed through these old walls.

“Where the hell is this power coming from?” I winced, trying to refocus on the lines at the back of my hand.

The lines flickered, dancing briefly before reshaping into a single jagged lightning bolt. Sparks snapped softly along my skin as my body adjusted. Gradually, the unbearable pain faded into something else entirely—clarity. My nerves settled, and my thoughts sharpened, racing through my mind with exceptional speed.

I spat out the wooden spoon I'd bitten into earlier, no longer paralyzed. “More,” I growled through clenched teeth.

Jack exchanged a glance with Alexandra, who pointed to another outlet. He quickly plugged another set of wires in, cutting their ends neatly with his wind blade, then pressed them to my arms with visible hesitation.

Everyone watched nervously as a second lightning symbol flared brightly on my skin. The moment it appeared, my heightened mental state surged down my spine, threading through every nerve ending like branches of pure energy. It was exhilarating.

“Untie me,” I said calmly.

Solomon quickly loosened the straps, and I stood up. My thoughts moved swiftly, taking in every detail around me instantly.

“Jack, step back and throw a knife at me.”

Jack hesitated but complied. He stepped to the far side of the room, raised a blade, and hurled it at me with professional speed. To everyone’s astonishment, I sidestepped effortlessly and caught the knife between two fingers.

“Remarkable…” I murmured, analyzing myself. “The first level accelerates my mental capacity; the second boosts my reflexes enough to match my thoughts. It feels like I’m talking faster then I can think though I’ll have to adjust. Time does feel a bit dilated. Now, level three…”

Before anyone could stop me, I grabbed the bundle of wires and pressed them into my chest. Electricity surged violently, launching me across the room. I slammed against the wall but felt strangely unaffected. I reappeared nearly instantly beside them, wires back in hand.

“Incredible speed!” I exclaimed—but suddenly, I felt drained. Only several seconds had passed total from the third stage. My movements slowed dramatically, and my speech became sluggish. “Found...the flaw…” I groaned.

Solomon swiftly lifted me back to the chair, pressing the wires to my chest again. Gradually, the lightning symbols filled with glowing blue energy, replenishing me.

“It's like a battery,” I explained, pulling the wires away. “I use energy each time I activate the higher levels. Level one lasts hours maybe, two is significantly shorter, and three drains nearly instantly.”

Alexandra diligently recorded my findings, scribbling in a notebook. “What's next?” Malcolm asked, intrigued and sipping bourbon he’d quietly stashed away.

“Metal and lightning,” I decided, moving toward a copper tabletop nearby. The metal absorbed into me swiftly, coating my body. Returning to the wires, I tapped them against my metallic skin. Sparks flickered briefly, charging me faster than before.

“Metal conducts electricity efficiently. But let's test something else—metal plus fire.” I walked confidently to a stove, heating a metal pan until my skin began glowing with intense heat, taking on a molten hue.

“It works,” I said, fascinated. “Metal stores heat well, but there's no control. Just radiant heat.”

I tested combinations methodically, absorbing various materials. Wood, rubber, stone—each had unique, if limited, properties. Malcolm watched intently, visibly amazed.

Hours later, Alexandra summarized our experiments. “Fire, water, earth, air, metal, lightning—each has distinct states. Metal and lightning provide excellent synergy. Metal and fire make your skin extremely hot. Other materials vary greatly but are mostly situational.”

I nodded, satisfied. Solomon watched closely, impressed by the versatility.

“Now we prepare for the fog,” he finally said, grinning faintly. “At least we know you can handle being shocked nearly to death.”

I smirked back, lighting a vanilla cigarette as the group gathered around the table. Ana and Alexandra resumed chatting nearby, and Malcolm and Jack joined Solomon and me, filling the air with sweet smoke.

Jack leaned forward, holding up three fingers. “Motive, objective, preparation.”

“Exactly,” I replied, spreading a marked map across the table. Red X’s dotted the city, each one a piece of the puzzle we were about to solve.