The next day at school, Kai moved through the halls with his mind racing, still thinking about what he had learned from The Master Key.

  “Emotions fuel everything.”

  But the real question was how to summon them at will. How could he generate deep emotion without waiting for life to throw something painful—or joyful—his way?

  That was the missing piece.

  As he walked past the announcement board near the main hallway, something caught his eye.

  A flyer pinned to the center of the board in bold letters:

  Baseball Team Tryouts

  Looking for new members this season!

  Right next to it, another poster:

  Join the Acting Class!

  No experience needed — help us bring life to our next performance.

  Kai stared at both for a long moment, lost in thought.

  Baseball. Acting.

  But it was the acting flyer that pulled at something deeper inside him.

  “Actors… they make people believe they’re feeling things that aren’t real.”

  “They can cry on command. Laugh, rage, break down—all for a scene.”

  A spark of realization lit in his chest.

  “What if that’s what I need? What if learning to act could teach me how to summon emotions—and fuel my abilities?”

  A grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

  “Acting class, huh? Guess it’s worth a shot.”

  After school, instead of going home to his candle and the safety of his room, Kai made his way toward the theater room—heart pounding, unsure if he was about to make a huge mistake.

  The door was slightly open, voices and laughter drifting out.

  He peeked inside and saw a group of students already gathered, some standing in a circle, others sitting on the edge of the small stage.

  A tall, middle-aged teacher stood at the center, clapping his hands to get their attention.

  “Alright, everyone, settle down! Warm-ups in five!”

  Kai hesitated at the door, but then stepped inside quietly, hoping no one would notice.

  No such luck.

  A loud voice called out:

  “Hey! New guy!”

  Kai flinched, looking up.

  A guy with messy brown hair and an easy grin waved at him from the circle—Brandon, as Kai would later learn.

  “You joining or just watching?” Brandon asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Kai swallowed, unsure what to say. “Uh… yeah. Joining.”

  Brandon grinned wider. “Cool. I’m Brandon. Welcome to the circus.”

  “It’s not a circus,” a sharp voice muttered.

  Kai turned to see a girl sitting nearby, arms crossed, watching him with narrowed eyes—Naomi. Serious, intense, her long dark hair pulled back tightly.

  “It’s an acting class. Not a daycare,” she added, turning away.

  Kai’s cheeks burned, but before he could respond, another voice spoke—gentle and soft.

  “Don’t mind her. She’s like that with everyone.”

  A quiet girl with round glasses gave him a shy smile—Sam, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a notebook in her lap.

  Kai nodded awkwardly, grateful for the kindness.

  Standing a little apart from the group, leaning casually against the wall, was another guy—Leo—blond, sharp-featured, with an air of arrogance that practically radiated from him.

  “Hmph. Let’s see if he lasts the week,” Leo said under his breath, smirking.

  Kai’s jaw tightened, but before he could say anything, someone else caught his attention.

  Sitting quietly on the stage, sketching something in a notebook, was Lila.

  She glanced up for a brief second, her calm, thoughtful eyes meeting Kai’s—and for a moment, it was like she saw straight through him.

  Not judging.

  Not mocking.

  Just… seeing him.

  Kai quickly looked away, a strange flutter in his chest.

  “Alright, people!” the teacher, Mr. Alder, clapped his hands again. “Everyone up. Circle.”

  Kai was watching as one of the students, Naomi, took center stage to perform a short monologue.

  She started to recite her lines — sharp, clear, perfectly memorized.

  Her posture was flawless, her voice steady.

  But something was missing.

  Mr. Alder listened for a moment, then raised a hand to stop her.

  “Hold on, Naomi,” he said, stepping forward. “Technically perfect… but I don’t believe you.”

  Naomi’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  Mr. Alder smiled gently but firmly.

  “You’re saying the words, but I don’t feel anything. You’ve got to mean it. The audience doesn’t just hear you—they feel you.”

  Naomi crossed her arms, frowning. “I am saying it like I mean it.”

  Mr. Alder shook his head.

  “But you’re not feeling it. Acting isn’t about getting the words right. It’s about becoming the person. Feeling what they feel.”

  Kai watched, leaning against the wall, listening closely.

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  “Feeling what they feel…?”

  Mr. Alder continued, walking slowly as he spoke:

  “When you’re angry, you don’t have to think about sounding angry — it just comes out. Same with sadness, joy, fear. But when you act, you need to pull that feeling out of yourself and live it.”

  Kai’s eyes widened slightly, a spark igniting in his chest.

  “They pull the feeling out… not just pretend. They really feel it.”

  He looked down at his hands, his mind racing.

  “That’s what I need to do. If I want to travel back, I can’t just think about a memory. I have to feel it—like I’m there again.”

  Naomi tried the lines again, this time pausing, taking a breath — and when she spoke, there was a sharpness in her voice, a crack of real anger that hadn’t been there before.

  Mr. Alder smiled, satisfied.

  “Better. That’s what I’m talking about.”

  Kai’s pulse quickened.

  “If she can bring up real anger on cue… maybe I can bring up joy, fear… and use that to control my power.”

  A strange excitement hummed under his skin.

  As the class went on, Kai stayed in the back, observing, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

  By the time Mr. Alder dismissed them, Kai knew one thing for sure:

  “If I can learn to do what they do — to summon real emotion — I can master this power.”

  The next day, as the final school bell rang and students rushed to leave, Kai found himself walking back toward the theater room—almost on instinct.

  He wasn’t even sure why he was going.

  Maybe it was the way they had made him feel like he wasn’t alone.

  Maybe it was the moment when Naomi’s anger had felt so real, and Mr. Alder had actually believed her.

  Or maybe it was because, for the first time in a long while, he felt like he belonged somewhere.

  As he approached the door, he heard voices and laughter inside.

  Pushing the door open, he was greeted with a mix of smiles and waves.

  “Hey, Kai! You came back!” Brandon called from the stage, flashing him a grin.

  “Look who decided to join us again,” Sam said softly, smiling warmly.

  Even Naomi, though she didn’t say anything, gave him a small nod of acknowledgment.

  And Lila? She just smiled faintly from her seat, eyes calm but curious, like she’d been expecting him.

  Kai felt something warm stir in his chest.

  “Maybe this isn’t so bad.”

  Before Kai could say much, Mr. Alder clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

  “Alright, folks! Today we’re working on some emotional depth. Brandon, I’ve got something for you.”

  He handed Brandon a folded note — a scene for him to read.

  Brandon skimmed it silently for a few minutes, his usually joking expression turning serious.

  “Alright,” Brandon said after a moment. “I’m ready.”

  Mr. Alder gestured to the center of the stage.

  “Let’s see it.”

  The room grew quiet as Brandon took his place.

  Kai leaned forward, curious.

  Brandon started the scene—a simple monologue of a person losing someone they loved.

  At first, his voice was steady. But as the lines went on, his tone shifted.

  There was a quiver in his voice. His body tensed. His hands shook slightly as he delivered the final line—

  “You said you’d never leave… and now… now I’m here, alone.”

  As he spoke, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

  The room was completely still.

  Even Kai felt a tightness in his chest watching him.

  When Brandon finished, Mr. Alder clapped slowly, a small smile on his face.

  “Now that is what I call real emotion. Beautiful work, Brandon.”

  Brandon wiped his face, laughing awkwardly.

  “Yeah, well… you know, just doing my best,” he joked, but his voice still carried the weight of what he had felt.

  Kai couldn’t stop staring.

  “How did he do that?”

  As class wrapped up and people began packing their things, Kai hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Brandon, who was pulling on his jacket.

  “Hey… Brandon?” Kai asked quietly.

  Brandon looked up, grinning. “What’s up, new guy?”

  Kai shifted awkwardly but pushed forward.

  “That scene you did… how did you do that? I mean, you really looked like you felt it. The tears… everything.”

  Brandon’s grin faded a bit, and for a moment, something serious passed over his face.

  “Oh. Yeah.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck, looking thoughtful.

  “Honestly? I just… thought about something real. Something that actually hurt.”

  Kai blinked. “You mean, like a real memory?”

  Brandon nodded.

  “Yeah. I mean, Mr. Alder says if you want people to believe it, you have to believe it first. You gotta feel it for real.”

  He paused, glancing away for a second before continuing.

  “So, I remembered something from my life—something I don’t like thinking about. But when I brought that feeling back, it just… happened. The scene felt real because it was real to me, in a way.”

  Kai absorbed every word.

  “So that’s it. They reach into their own memories… pull out the feeling, and bring it to life.”

  Brandon gave a half-smile.

  “It’s kinda messed up sometimes, thinking about sad stuff like that. But… it works, you know?”

  Kai nodded slowly, his mind racing.

  “Yeah… yeah, that makes sense.”

  Brandon grinned again, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder.

  “Hey, you’ll get the hang of it. You’ve got that mysterious vibe already—just gotta put some feeling behind it.”

  Kai laughed softly, feeling something unfamiliar but welcome — a sense of camaraderie.

  As Brandon walked off to join the others, Kai stood still for a moment, his mind buzzing.

  “So that’s how. Not just thinking — feeling. Digging deep.”

  He knew now what he had to do.

  If he could learn to pull real emotion from himself, like Brandon,

  he could control his powers — and unlock everything his father had left for him to discover.

  As he left the theater room, stepping out into the cool evening air, Kai felt something new burning in his chest.

  Not fear.

  Not pain.

  Hope.

  For the first time, he had a clear step forward—and maybe, just maybe, people around him who would help him walk it.

  Kai sat on the floor of his closet, candle flickering in the dim space, shadows dancing on the walls.

  He stared at the flame, trying to calm his breathing, focus his mind.

  “You can do this. Just like Brandon said.”

  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

  The pyramid formed easily now, sharp and clear in his mind.

  He let the spiraling sensation take over, body growing weightless, mind lifting free.

  And then, as he hovered outside himself, he tried to reach for an emotion.

  “Joy. Something good.”

  Instantly, the memory of his mom surprising him with the headset flooded his chest with warmth.

  The feeling was strong, real.

  And as soon as it filled him—

  Woush—

  The world spun, and when it settled, he was back in that memory.

  The same room.

  The same moment.

  His mom standing there, smiling wide, holding the box.

  Everything was perfect.

  But as beautiful as it was, this wasn’t what he wanted.

  “No… I don’t want to be here. I wanted to use the feeling to go somewhere else.”

  Frustration bubbled in his chest.

  “So this doesn’t work? Am I missing something?”

  The moment he thought that, he was yanked backward—

  Snap.

  Back in his closet, heart pounding, candle still burning low.

  Kai leaned forward, elbows on his knees, running his hands through his hair.

  “I need the feeling. But I don’t want to go to that memory. How do I use it as a tool—without getting dragged into the moment itself?”

  The question stayed with him all night.

  He couldn’t sleep.

  And when morning came, and the world moved on like nothing was different, Kai couldn’t stop thinking about it.

  “How do actors do it?”

  “How do they feel something real without falling into the memory?”

  After acting class that day, Kai caught up to Brandon while everyone else was packing their bags.

  “Hey, Brandon… can I ask you something?”

  Brandon grinned. “Sure, what’s up?”

  Kai hesitated, searching for the right words.

  “Yesterday… when you did that scene. You said you used a real memory to feel that sadness, right?”

  Brandon nodded. “Yeah.”

  Kai rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away.

  “How do you… I mean, how do you use that feeling for the scene? Like, how do you stop yourself from getting stuck thinking about the memory? Doesn’t it get in the way?”

  Brandon tilted his head, thinking for a moment, then smiled a little, like he understood exactly what Kai was asking.

  “Ah, I get it,” Brandon said. “Yeah, that’s tricky. Took me a while to figure it out, too.”

  He leaned against a chair, crossing his arms.

  “See, when I first started, I’d think about the sad thing — the memory — and yeah, I’d get lost in it. Like I was reliving it. And I couldn’t focus on the scene.”

  Kai nodded quickly, relief washing over him. “Yeah! That’s exactly what I’m dealing with.”

  Brandon smiled knowingly.

  “But then Mr. Alder told me something that kinda stuck. He said, ‘Don’t hold onto the memory — hold onto the feeling.’”

  Kai blinked. “What do you mean?”

  Brandon grinned wider.

  “I mean, instead of thinking about what happened — you know, the memory — I just let myself feel how I felt back then, but I stay here, in the present.”

  “Like, I remember what sadness feels like, and I let that live in my body while I do the scene. I’m not thinking about the past — I’m using the emotion now.”

  Kai stared at him, heart starting to race as the pieces began to click together.

  “Feel the emotion, not the story. Take the feeling and bring it to now.”

  “So you don’t think about what made you feel that way—just the feeling itself?” Kai asked, leaning in.

  Brandon nodded.

  “Exactly. You separate the two. It takes practice, but once you get it, it’s like holding a flame in your chest. You can use it however you want.”

  Kai’s mind raced.

  “That’s it. That’s what I need to do.”

  “I don’t need to go back into the moment to grab the feeling—I need to hold onto the feeling itself and bring it wherever I want.”

  “Thanks, Brandon,” Kai said, smiling more genuinely than he had in days.

  “You have no idea how much that helps.”

  Brandon grinned and slapped him lightly on the back.

  “No problem, man. You’ve got something going on — I can tell. Just keep at it. You’ll figure it out.”

  As Brandon walked away, Kai stood still, feeling a new kind of hope burning inside him.

  “So now I know… Emotion isn’t just a door to the past. It’s a tool. A key I can use anywhere.”

  His eyes narrowed, determination filling his chest.

  “Next time, I’ll hold the feeling — and go where I want to go.”

  Kai didn’t waste any time when he got home.

  As soon as he stepped through the door, he tossed his bag aside, ignored dinner, and went straight to his room.

  Locking the door, he stood there for a moment, breathing heavily.

  “Alright… Let’s do this.”

  He sat down in his closet, lighting the candle that had become a familiar companion.

  The flicker of the flame cast soft shadows over the walls, and as Kai stared at it, his mind sharpened.

  “I need to feel it. Not the memory, not the day—just the feeling.”

  Closing his eyes, he focused, letting his breathing slow.

  Soon, the pyramid appeared, clear and steady, anchoring his mind.

  The spiraling sensation returned — comforting, familiar.

  As his body grew light and he floated free, Kai reached deeper.

  “What did Brandon say? Hold onto the feeling—not the story.”

  But as he tried to recall that happiness, nothing came.

  He was calm — but not joyful.

  His chest felt empty.

  Frustration crept in.

  “No, I can’t give up. Focus. Focus on the feeling.”

  Again and again, Kai reached for that happiness — how he had felt when his mom surprised him with the headset — but all he could see was the scene, not the feeling.

  His hands tightened into fists.

  “Come on, Kai. You can do this.”

  And then — a flicker.

  A memory—not of the moment, but of how light he had felt inside, like the whole world had been okay for once.

  His lips twitched into a soft smile.

  “That’s it… right there.”

  He focused harder, holding onto that joy, like a small flame he refused to let die.

  As the emotion grew stronger, something changed.

  Kai felt his face soften into a real smile, and for the first time, his body relaxed fully in the floating space.

  And then—

  Woush.

  The world around him shifted violently, like he was being pulled through water.

  But instead of landing in a specific memory, he was suddenly in a place he had never been before.

  A vast, smoke-like space, swirling with colors—deep blues, soft purples, streaks of white and gold.

  It felt like he was floating inside a cloud, yet there was no ground, no sky—only shifting colors and calm energy.

  Kai’s eyes widened in awe.

  “Where am I? What is this?”

  The emotion of joy was still burning inside him, but now it felt like it was holding him in place here.

  As he floated, Brandon’s voice echoed clearly in his mind, as if speaking right next to him.

  “Don’t hold onto the memory—hold onto the feeling.”

  Kai focused on those words, and as soon as he did—

  Woush—

  The colored mist snapped away, like a curtain being ripped back.

  And suddenly—

  He was standing in the acting class again, but it wasn’t now — it was earlier that day.

  Right in the moment when Brandon had been speaking to him.

  “I mean, instead of thinking about what happened, I just let myself feel how I felt back then. I let that live in my body while I do the scene.”

  Kai stared, heart pounding.

  He looked around — the same chairs, the same students packing their bags.

  But no one noticed him.

  It was like he was watching the moment from outside of time—an observer.

  Still, it was real.

  Alive.

  The second he let go of the joy, everything spun again, the world twisting and pulling—

  And then—

  Snap.

  Kai gasped, eyes flying open, sitting back in his closet.

  The candle flickered quietly.

  He was back.

  But now, he was smiling wide, heart racing, excitement bursting in his chest.

  “I did it. I actually did it.”

  Kai sat for a long moment, letting the feeling settle.

  “So this is what it is. The emotion is like… a guide. A bridge. If I hold it, I can go to moments in time.”

  It wasn’t about the memory itself.

  It was about the frequency of the feeling.

  Joy had taken him to a moment of learning—a joyful connection with Brandon.

  The feeling had carried him there.

  Kai leaned back against the closet wall, eyes wide, a grin tugging at his lips.

  “I’m starting to get it… I can really do this.”

  For the first time, he saw the path forward—and though he didn’t know where it would lead,

  he knew one thing for sure—

  He had unlocked the door.

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