CHAPTER 48: 48: LESSONS IN GRAVITY II

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Fizz zipped around the orb, his reflection warping in the darkness. "Excellent. Baby doom ball, round two. Now... make it move. Push it forward, like tossing a rock that hates reality."

John focused. He extended his will, pushing mana along the tether connecting him to the sphere. Slowly, almost grudgingly, the black hole drifted from his palm into open air. It hovered inches ahead, wobbling slightly. The grass under it bent inward, as though leaning toward an unseen gravity.

"Ha! Look at it go!" Fizz cheered, doing a somersault. "Like a baby bird leaving the nest. Except this bird kills things."

John gritted his teeth, sweat prickling his forehead. "It’s... heavy."

"Good. Heavy is honest. Heavy means it works. Now, left!" Fizz zipped to the side, motioning dramatically.

John tried to guide the black hole left. It resisted at first, then lurched a few inches, wobbling dangerously. He stabilized it, his arm trembling.

"Not bad! Now, right. Spin it around me like I’m the most important thing in the world — which I am."

John exhaled and shifted it right, tracing a shaky arc around Fizz. His concentration was razor sharp; the pull on his mana was real, like a weight pressing against his mind. A leaf drifted down from a branch above and vanished the moment it brushed the orb’s surface, leaving nothing behind.

The orb made half a circle before flickering and vanishing with a faint pop. John staggered, gasping as the sudden emptiness in his hand left him off balance.

Fizz clapped his tiny paws. "Bravo! You lasted longer than I expected. I was ready to dodge an accidental self destruction."

"Thanks for the confidence," John muttered, sinking to one knee to catch his breath.

"Confidence is overrated. Survival is what matters," Fizz said with a sage nod. "Now again. And this time, try not to wobble like a drunk squirrel."

John summoned the orb again, and this time it came faster. The flow of mana felt like a river that had finally learned its path. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm as he willed the void into shape. Darkness condensed in his palm, compacting into a sphere that seemed to drink the light from the morning air.

The system’s subtle guidance whispered in his mind, calm and precise.

[Ding. Mana Flow Stabilized. Suggestion: Reduce left-hand tension by seven percent. Breathing rate optimal. Current drain: 40 mana per second.]

John shifted his posture, relaxing his shoulders and letting his left hand rest on his knee. Instantly, the pull in his right arm eased, and the black hole floated more steadily, a perfect marble of darkness.

Fizz zipped around it, his reflection bending and warping in the curved shadow. "Ooooh. Look at that! No more wobbly apocalypse ball. You are almost competent, Master Forgetful."

"Almost?" John said through gritted teeth, keeping his focus on the sphere.

"Yes, almost. I am still expecting you to trip and throw it into your own face."

John ignored the commentary, channeling his will to move the orb. He pushed it forward an inch, then another. The black hole responded sluggishly at first, then began to glide in the direction of his intent. A soft hum resonated in the clearing as the gravity around the sphere distorted the air.

A stray leaf tumbled from a branch and drifted into the orb. It vanished with a faint pop.

Fizz squealed in delight. "Yes! Yes! Murder the leaves! Show them no mercy!"

John rolled his eyes but continued the exercise, guiding the orb in a slow circle. Each movement was like flexing an unfamiliar muscle. His mana veins thrummed, the drain steady but manageable. Sweat beaded on his forehead, sliding down his cheek as he focused on controlling the pull without letting the sphere collapse or veer wildly.

[Ding. Efficiency Increased. Projected Duration: 12.6 seconds.]

The system’s calm updates kept him grounded. He exhaled slowly, feeling the rhythm between his breathing, his mana, and the hovering void.

Fizz darted ahead and flipped upside down. "Excellent! Now, spin it around me like a hero showing off to his greatest fan—me!"

John moved the orb in a shaky arc, careful not to break focus. The sphere passed around Fizz, its pull tugging at the puffball’s fur. Fizz squeaked and spun in a little circle, his tiny wings flaring.

"Ha! My hair is majestic in the gravity wind! Do it again!"

John grunted, completing the circle before the black hole flickered and vanished with a soft pop. His knees hit the grass as he panted, the sudden absence of mana leaving him briefly lightheaded.

Fizz clapped his paws. "Bravo! You lasted longer than I thought. I even stayed in the splash zone. That is trust!"

"Splash zone?" John muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

"You know... the place where things explode, vanish, or turn into very sad pancakes."

John groaned and forced himself to stand. "Again."

He summoned the orb once more, and this time it came instantly, as if his body was learning the path of the mana instinctively. He guided it forward, then left, then right, building a pattern. With each attempt, his movements grew smoother. He could feel the connection—like a thread between himself and the void, one he could pull or slacken at will.

The forest began to bear the marks of his training. A fallen log now had a perfect circular hole through its center. Pebbles on the ground shifted whenever the orb drifted near. Even the morning mist seemed to curve around the sphere as if wary of touching it.

By the fourth round, his arms trembled from strain, but a spark of excitement burned in his chest. This was real magic—terrifying, destructive, and his.

Fizz hovered above his shoulder, chewing on a pinecone he had stolen from somewhere. "Not bad, Master Forgetful. At this rate, you might actually survive long enough to get a proper title. Circle Two, maybe even Circle Three, if you do not trip and fall into your own hole first."