Heroes of Veridia: Evelyn's Journey

Evelyn paced her dorm, her mind buzzing with the possibilities of her nature ability. She held out her hand and summoned a small vine, watching as it curled and grew at her command. Its movement was fluid and obedient, a direct extension of her will. She twisted it, making the vine coil into intricate shapes before releasing it, and letting it fall back into the ground. A few minutes passed like this—small, repetitive exercises, pushing her control and testing her limits.

She sat down, leaning against the wall as she stared at her hand. This power... it feels endless, she thought. What else could I do with it?

Her mind wandered to the trees outside, their roots digging deep into the earth, their branches stretching toward the sky. A thought began to form in the back of her mind, something more ambitious than anything she'd tried before. What if... what if I could do more than just control plants? She stood up, excitement bubbling in her chest. What if I could create something living?

The idea settled in her mind. A human-like figure, made entirely from her nature ability. It seemed almost impossible, but she was determined to try.

She positioned herself in the center of her room and stretched out both hands, channeling her energy. A small seed appeared in her palm, its shell glowing faintly with her green aura. Slowly, she lowered it to the floor, willing the seed to grow. At first, a simple plant sprouted, its leaves unfurling and branches forming, just as she had done many times before. But this time, she didn't stop there.

Evelyn closed her eyes, focusing on the shape she wanted—the form of a human. She could feel the energy within her stir, stretching beyond the boundaries she'd been used to. The plant began to grow taller, its branches twisting and curling unnaturally. Slowly, the leaves started to form a crude shape, resembling arms, legs, and a head. The body thickened, bark forming along what would be the torso. Thin branches intertwined to create the rough outline of a face, though expressionless.

The process was slow and required immense concentration. Evelyn's breath came in short, steady bursts as she guided the plant's growth. She controlled each vine, each twig, molding them into something more. She visualized the shape of a human and fed that image into her creation. Her hands trembled from the effort, but she refused to stop. Slowly, the form began to resemble a human silhouette.

Her nature ability took root in the figure, filling the interior of the creation with tree fibers, bark, and vines twisted together. It wasn't exactly flesh and blood, but it was close enough. The creature stood on two legs, rigid but balanced. Evelyn marveled at her work—this was more than she had ever done before. The figure looked human, though its body was made of nature—its "skin" was composed of smooth bark and the veins within were green, pulsing faintly with her energy.

She took a step back, examining the being. It stood motionless, waiting for her command. Could it move on its own? Could it follow her instructions? She extended her hand toward it and willed it to walk. The creature took a step forward, the movement stiff and unnatural but functional. The wooden limbs creaked as they walked toward her, each step slower than the last.

Evelyn's heart raced, a mix of exhilaration and disbelief. She had done it—created a human-like being using her nature ability. Though primitive, it moved. It was alive, at least in a sense.

Evelyn stared at her creation, a mix of awe and curiosity filling her mind. The figure stood before her—tall, elegant, but made of wood and vines. She couldn't help but marvel at how far she had pushed her abilities. But as she examined the form, an idea began to grow in her mind. It was nearly perfect, but not quite human. The texture was wrong, too rough, too plant-like.

"How do I make her have human skin?" Evelyn muttered to herself, circling the wooden figure. Her eyes traced the curves of the creation, admiring how the vines and bark had formed the shape of a perfect female body. The figure was well-proportioned, but something was still missing. "She needs to be flexible too, like a real human. Right now, she's just... stiff."

As if her nature ability could hear her thoughts, something incredible began to happen. The wood and bark of the creature's body started to shift. Evelyn stepped back, watching in stunned silence as a translucent, plastic-like substance began to spill out from within the tree fibers. It oozed from the cracks between the vines and bark, slowly covering the creature's form like a second skin. The glossy, malleable substance coated the wooden limbs, smoothing out the rough texture and creating a surface that closely resembled human skin.

Evelyn's heart raced as the transformation continued. The plastic substance wrapped itself around the figure, molding to every curve of the body with precision. The bark and vines were hidden beneath this new material, and the figure's once-wooden appearance became more lifelike by the second.

"Is this happening?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. The skin seemed to pulse with the same green energy she had infused into the creature, but now it was softer, more pliable. It even reflected light like human skin.

The creature's face, which had once been a blank, bark-covered shape, began to morph as well. Evelyn watched in awe as lips formed—full and smooth, much like a human's. The rest of the face followed suit, delicate features shaping themselves in perfect symmetry. Cheekbones, a nose, and eyelids appeared, all crafted with incredible precision. The lips parted slightly as if the figure was taking its first breath, and the creature let out a soft, almost human-like exhale.

Evelyn's mouth dropped open as she saw the final touch—the eyes. Her nature ability worked its magic once more, generating two glowing green eyes within the creature's eye sockets. The eyes blinked, as though they were adjusting to seeing for the first time. They gleamed with an eerie, yet strangely mesmerizing light, giving the creation a surreal and almost ethereal appearance.

The transformation was complete, and what stood before Evelyn now was no longer just a wooden figure but something much more. The creature moved its limbs experimentally, its joints bending smoothly, flexibly—just like a real human. It turned its head toward Evelyn, its expression neutral but alive. The skin it now wore was warm and soft to the touch, far from the cold rigidity of bark.

Evelyn stood frozen, mouth agape. "Wow..." was all she could manage to say. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing. This was beyond anything she had imagined.

The creature moved with newfound grace, taking a few tentative steps toward her. Its body moved fluidly as if it had shed the stiffness of its earlier form. The green eyes locked onto hers, as though it was waiting for her next command, ready to serve or perhaps... learn.

Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest. She had not only created life from nature but had also given it a form that was frighteningly close to humans. This was far more than she had ever expected. She didn't know whether to feel thrilled or terrified.

"What... have I done?" she whispered to herself, still in awe of her creation.

Evelyn approached her creation with cautious curiosity, her fingers gently grazing the warm, smooth cheek of the being she had brought to life. It had a sweet, earthy scent that seemed to radiate from within, filling the air with a calming fragrance.

"It feels like real skin," she whispered in awe, still amazed by the creation before her.

The creation gave Evelyn a bright smirk, revealing a set of perfect teeth that caught her off guard. The gesture was so human, so natural, that it made Evelyn blush unexpectedly. Even its mouth looked startlingly real.

Evelyn quickly retracted her hand, stuttering as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Um... Wo-wow. I... this is interesting. Can you talk?"

In a soft, sweet voice, the creation responded, "What would you like me to say?"

Evelyn's eyes widened in shock and excitement. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, or seeing. "This is perfect," she murmured, her happiness almost overwhelming. "Now, I can use my gift through you, and everyone will still believe I'm just a giftless, harmless girl."

She backed away a few steps, looking her creation up and down with admiration. "From now on, your name is Elena," she declared with authority, "and you will always be by my side."

As Evelyn continued to examine the flawless form of her creation, she noticed a rather important detail. Elena was completely naked. Raising an eyebrow, she gestured to the creation's bare body and pointed to her white tracksuit that lay neatly on the bed.

"But first," she said with a smirk, "put on some clothes."

Elena swiftly put on the white tracksuit, blending seamlessly into the environment. She was a near-perfect creation, her movements smooth and natural.

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the dorm.

Evelyn, cautious, opened the door and peeked outside. No one was there. She stepped into the hallway, scanning the students around. Everyone seemed to be minding their own business, chatting and roaming casually. Seeing nothing suspicious, she returned to her room.

Elena, standing nearby, tapped Evelyn on the shoulder and pointed to the bed. There, lying unconscious, was a pink-haired girl. "She was pushed through the wall by a masculine hand," Elena explained, her voice calm.

Evelyn rushed to the girl's side. Blood trickled from her head, making it appear as though she had struck something hard. But Evelyn knew better. This wasn't an accident. "Someone did this and is trying to blame it on me," she muttered, her eyes narrowing. Turning to Elena, she commanded, "Heal her."

Elena immediately obeyed, kneeling beside the injured girl. "As you wish, boss," she said. Placing her hand gently on the girl's arm, Elena sent a warm, healing energy through her. The wound began to close, and soon, the pink-haired girl stirred slightly as the injury mended itself.

Just then, the door to Evelyn's room was struck from the outside with tremendous force. The impact was so strong that the door nearly filled the entire space as it flew toward the three girls inside.

Reacting quickly, Evelyn extended branches from the walls. The wooden limbs stopped the metal door just before it hit them. With a mere touch of her finger, Evelyn directed the branches, which then hurled the door out of the room at an unimaginable speed.

The door shot into the hallway, where a silver-haired girl caught it just before it could hurt anyone in the dorm opposite Evelyn's. The silver-haired girl held the door in place for a moment before letting it drop to the ground with a loud thud. Students began to gather, intrigued by the commotion.

The silver-haired girl stepped forward, her intense gaze searching the room. "Where is she?" she demanded.

Evelyn, without hesitation, moved aside, revealing the pink-haired girl lying on the bed, now fully healed. She whispered to Elena, who had just finished her task, "Protect me, but don't hurt her."

The silver-haired girl stormed toward Evelyn and Elena, fury blazing in her eyes. "What did you do to her?" she demanded, her voice sharp as she flexed her fists. "What is she doing in your dorm?"

Elena, remaining calm, responded, "Let's talk."

"There's nothing to talk about!" The silver-haired girl was not in the mood for conversation. "Tell me what you did to her!" She threw a punch at Elena, who easily dodged it, allowing the girl's fist to crash into the wall behind her, cracking it on impact.

"Calm down," Elena urged once more, "and let's talk."

The girl's anger only intensified. "You're going to pay for what you've done."

As the tension between them grew, those who had gathered noticed the difference in Evelyn's room. It had become a comfortable, lush space, thanks to her nature abilities, in stark contrast to the barren dorms the other students had to endure.

Watching the silver-haired girl, Evelyn whispered to herself, "She must have a strength-enhancing gift."

The silver-haired girl launched another attack, but this time Elena blocked the punch with one hand, her calm demeanor never faltering. With a flick of her wrist, vines—thicker and more flexible than usual—emerged from her arm, coiling around the silver-haired girl's arms like cuffs. Elena effortlessly held her in place, restraining her without breaking a sweat.

The silver-haired girl struggled against the vines, her strength formidable, but Elena's grip remained firm. "Your friend is safe," Elena said soothingly. "Calm down, and we can talk."

Panting from anger and exertion, the silver-haired girl met Elena's calm, emerald eyes, her own still full of fury. "Okay, okay," she growled, then shouted, "Let go of me! I want to talk to her."

Elena cautiously released her, allowing the vines to retreat slowly. Once free, the silver-haired girl glared at Evelyn before bypassing her to check on her pink-haired friend. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft for the first time.

Evelyn stood back, observing, her thoughts racing. Even while checking on her friend, she's still angry.