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Her expression softened for a moment, a flicker of something unspoken passing between us, but just as quickly, she straightened up, slipping back into that regal, distant demeanor. “Fine. But remember, Adrian, control isn’t just about power, it’s about restraint.”

I watched as she lifted her hand with a smooth, deliberate motion.

The moment her fingers twitched, the surface of the pond responded.

It wasn’t just a ripple or a disturbance, was as if the entire body of water answered her call.

The water vibrated with life, swirling and shifting as if stirred by an invisible force.

In an instant, the pond surged upwards, forming a towering wall that defied gravity.

The wall was massive, easily twice my height, and as it stood there, shimmering in the sunlight, it was as though the very essence of the ocean had summoned and shaped.

The clarity of it was mesmerizing, pure liquid frozen in motion, yet never still.

Droplets danced along the edges, breaking off into a fine mist before rejoining the body of water with seamless fluidity.

The wall didn’t just rise, it loomed, strong and unyielding, as if she could hold it in place for eternity.

I sensed her power in the air, palpable and overwhelming.

She wasn’t struggling with it, no sign of strain on her face, no tightening of her muscles.

Instead, her hand hovered, steady and controlled, as the wall stood, motionless and silent.

The water itself seemed to bend to her will, obeying without question, held together not by physical force but by her sheer command.

It wasn’t just a show of power, was control, precision, mastery.

Every drop seemed to be exactly where it needed to be, forming a perfect, solid structure.

I couldn’t help but compare it to what I had done just moments before, barely summoning a small column of water.

She had raised an entire wall with nothing more than a flick of her wrist.

The sun glinted off the water, making it sparkle with a warm light.

I saw the pond’s depths reflected in the water, as the light refracted through it like glass.

It glowed with the potential for destruction, yet remained perfectly still, as if waiting for her next command.

The power radiated from it, raw, untamed, and yet completely at her mercy.

I swallowed hard, forcing down the unwelcome flicker of awe before it could crack through my carefully controlled exterior.

Power. Absolute power.

She wielded it effortlessly, bending the water to her will as if the ocean itself existed for no other reason than to obey her command. There was no hesitation, no struggle, just sheer, terrifying mastery.

And it was beautiful .

The display should have unsettled me. Should have made me wary. Instead, it captivated me. Dazzling. Hypnotic.

Mine. I think I just found my wife.

The thought struck swift and absolute, lodging itself deep. It was ridiculous. Impossible.

And yet, undeniable.

Then, with a simple flick of her wrist, she sent the wall of water crashing back into the pond, shattering the spell cast over me.

The sound was deafening, a roar that echoed through the air, sending waves rippling across the surface.

The impact splashed droplets into the air, spraying both of us with a fine mist as the water settled back into its natural state, calm and undisturbed, as if nothing had happened .

She turned to me, a small, knowing smile on her lips.

“That’s how you control it,” she said, her voice smooth but with an edge of challenge.

“Hydrokinesis isn’t just about calling the water.

It’s about mastering it. Shaping it into what you need.

If you can’t control it, if you don’t have the precision—it can just as easily destroy you as it can protect you. ”

I stood there, still feeling unsettled by her demonstration, wondering if I’d ever be able to match what she’d just shown me.

“Now you try it. It’s simple. You just need to focus,” she instructed, her voice calm yet commanding.

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical but intrigued. “Focus on what, exactly?”

“On the water,” she said, gesturing toward the pond. “Close your eyes, and feel the water, its presence, its movement, even when it’s still. Imagine it as an extension of yourself.”

I tried to focus, extending my hand toward the water as she instructed. Focus. Just like negotiating a deal, I told myself, though I knew this was different, far more unpredictable. “And then what?”

“Command it,” she said, her tone unwavering. “It responds to your will. Visualize what you want the water to do, whether it’s forming a wall, a shape, or simply moving. The water listens to your intention.”

I narrowed my gaze, concentrating on the still surface. My heartbeat synced with the pulse of the water. As I visualized the water rising, I felt something shift, a connection I hadn’t felt before. But it was fragile, like pulling on a thread you weren’t sure would hold.

“Use your hand to guide it, but remember, it’s your mind that truly commands it,” she added, watching me closely. “Start with something small, just a ripple or a stream. Don’t control too much at once.”

Control. The word made sense in business meetings, in boardrooms where I ruled with my intellect. But here it was different. The strain built, a thin tendril of water rising from the pond, unstable.

“Breathe,” she reminded me. “Inhale to gather your energy. Exhale to release it. Water moves with flow, not force.”

I adjusted my breathing, letting go of the tension. Slowly, the water rose higher, a thin column in the air. It wasn’t perfect, but it held.

A smile tugged at her lips. “Good. Now, try shaping it. Picture what you want, and the water will follow.”

I imagined a sphere, trying to keep it compact, but it quivered in the air, barely holding together.

A bead of sweat slid down my temple. Damn it, why is this so hard?

The power under my skin buzzed like a current I couldn’t fully control.

The tendril collapsed, the water splashing back into the pond.

“Not bad for your first attempt,” she said, though I could hear the amusement in her voice. “But remember, Adrian, water is both gentle and powerful. You’ll need to master both aspects to truly control it.”

I stared at the water, my mind racing. This wasn’t about charm.

It was about surrendering to something deeper, something beyond what I could manipulate with words or deals.

I’d spent years mastering control, in boardrooms, negotiations, commanding and destroying empires from behind polished desks.

But this was different. Here, no contracts or deals could help me.

And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted that kind of power.