Chapter 60: Spider Web (2)
Judite was excitedly talking about a new spell she had tried the night before. A blue flame, she said. Only for a second, but it was blue! Aurora listened with a patient smile, pouring Lirium juice for everyone.
Lukas ate in silence, still processing.
The scrambled eggs were delicious and soft, creamy, with that light smoky flavor he loved so much. The bread was crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The Lirium juice burned slightly in his throat.
But his mind was far away.
Replaying the moment when his fingers had stuck to the door.
After breakfast, he approached Aurora.
His mother was in the kitchen, talking with Helga about preparations for lunch. Her hands were buried in a bowl of flour; they were making bread.
"Mom, can I go to the grove behind the house?" Lukas asked, his voice calm and controlled.
"I want to play and catch some insects for Prata and Tilbo."
Aurora hesitated.
She looked at her son with maternal concern, her brow furrowed, her violet eyes scanning his small face. He was little. Far too little to wander alone in the grove.
But he was smart. And strong. Very strong.
’He knows how to take care of himself.’ She thought.
’More than I’d like to admit.’
"All right..." She said at last.
"But don’t go too far by yourself. Stay close enough to hear us if we call. And come back before lunch."
"Yes, Mom."
He turned to leave, but Aurora called out to him:
"Lukas."
"Yes?"
"Be careful."
He smiled.
"I always am."
...
Judite went to study magic with a private instructor Clavor had recently hired, a retired mage named Master Thorne, who wore blue robes stained with potions and had a white beard so long it reached his navel.
Clavor went to the courtyard to train with his sword. The rhythmic sound of metal slicing through the air would echo through the mansion for the next several hours.
Aurora stayed behind to handle household matters, accounts, supplies, and the endless list of repairs an old mansion always required.
Lukas left through the back door. His heart was racing.
"I really need to test this new ability."
"I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since breakfast."
He walked toward the grove behind the mansion.
The path was short, about five minutes at a slow pace, but full of details Lukas already knew by heart.
The tall trees, with thick trunks and rough bark. The ground was covered in dry leaves and soft moss that cushioned his footsteps. The smell of damp earth, wildflowers, and something green and alive that he couldn’t name.
Birds sang above him, hidden among the treetops. Their voices blended into a complex melody Lukas tried to decipher; one little bird would begin, another would answer, a third would join in.
He found a small clearing.
Far enough away not to be seen from the mansion. Close enough to return quickly if someone called.
It was a circle of soft grass surrounded by tall trees that formed a natural wall. Sunlight fell directly into the center, warming the ground. A wide, flat stone rested on one side, perfect for sitting.
He sat on the stone.
Tilbo and Prata climbed down to the ground in front of him.
The ant positioned herself on the left, her antennae pointed toward him. The spider remained on the right, her multiple eyes reflecting his face.
Lukas took a deep breath.
"Let’s see what this can do."
He reached out toward a nearby tree.
He thought of "sticking."
His fingers touched the rough bark and instantly adhered.
As if an invisible glue had appeared between his skin and the wood. He pulled. The bark came away with it, torn from the trunk with a dry ripping sound, rrriip.
He released the intention. His hand slid normally.
He touched the ground. Stuck.
He lifted a handful of dirt and dry leaves, which remained attached to his palm as if glued there.
"Incredible..." He murmured, his eyes shining.
"It’s not just sticking. It’s like webbing. Thin strands that come out of my skin whenever I want."
He tried to produce more.
He concentrated. He felt a subtle tingling in his palm, a faint shiver, like a low-voltage electric current.
When he pulled his hand away, extremely fine silver threads emerged from his fingers.
They gleamed beneath the sunlight, so thin they were almost invisible. They were attached to a nearby stone. He pulled. The stone moved.
"I can produce webbing... like a spider."
He laughed, incredulous and excited at the same time.
Then he reached out and touched the trunk of the tree.
He thought of "sticking."
His fingers adhered immediately, firm as though welded to the bark.
He pulled himself upward.
With the strength he had received from Tilbo, climbing was absurdly easy.
Hand after hand. Foot after foot. Fast, coordinated movements without hesitation. The webbing in his hands held firmly. The strength in his arms pulled with tremendous power.
In less than a minute, he was several meters above the ground.
He stopped on a thick branch and looked down.
The ground seemed distant, a green-and-brown blur below. Leaves swayed around him, moved by the gentle wind. The sun shone on his face, warming his skin.
He smiled. His heart raced with excitement.
"It works... it really works."
To test it further, he let go with one hand.
He hung by only the other, his fingers stuck to the branch.
His body weight was no problem. The webbing held easily, without stretching or giving way. He swung slightly, testing its strength.
The branch creaked, crack, crack, but didn’t break.
The webbing didn’t let go.
He swung harder. The branch groaned in protest but remained firm. The webbing did not snap.
"Incredible..." He murmured, laughing to himself.
"I look like a monkey. Or rather... a spider."
As he swung while hanging by a single arm, a sudden idea appeared in his mind.
He remembered an old movie.
He had watched it once on the television of a bar when he still lived on Earth. It was one of those superhero movies, full of vibrant colors and exaggerated special effects.
The hero had spider powers.
He shot long strands of webbing to swing between buildings. He moved through the city streets with absurd speed and freedom.
Lukas stopped swinging. His eyes lit up.
"I wonder if I can do that?"
