After Mom traumatized all of us with her disgusting party trick, we took a short break and then kept going.

  We practiced a few standard martial arts moves, but nothing important happened. Then Jürgen had to leave to finish the paperwork for his upcoming tournament.

  "Hey, Taura," Mom walked over while the rest of us were chatting, "you’re pretty good with your kinetic powers. What do you think? Could you show Max a few tricks?"

  "Really?" Taura gave her a strange look.

  "Yes," Mom said. "Kinetic energy isn’t my specialty. I can only show him techniques, not the power side of it."

  "Mhm." Taura turned back to me. "What do you think, Max?"

  "I don’t mind," I said. Honestly, it felt a little weird to be taught by someone my age, but at this point, I’d seen so many more bizarre things in the last few days.

  "If you’re interested, I can teach you astral projection, too," Elek joined. "It’s something you can learn, not just a born-with-it thing."

  "Really? That’s cool," I turned to him.

  "Yeah, there’s a ton of stuff that’s learnable," he said.

  "But those who are born with the ability will always master it more easily," Hana added.

  "Oh? Your face-changing thing is learnable too?" I asked.

  "Kinda," she said. "But you’d need help from someone like me or my family, and even then you’d never reach the same level we can."

  That was a little disappointing, but I still felt like a kid in a candy shop. There were so many abilities I wanted to try.

  "We’re getting distracted," Taura said. "Let’s focus on kinetic abilities first."

  "You’re right," I admitted. "So... how do we start?"

  "Have fun, kids. I have to call an old friend," Mom said, and walked back into her office.

  "Basics first. Try that water-spitting trick again, but with air this time." Her cheeks puffed up slightly as she spoke. Then she grabbed an empty water bottle and tossed it into the air. She blew out a blast of air so sharp it punched a clean hole into the bottle mid-spin, like it had been shot with an invisible bullet.

  "Oh, so you can control air too?"

  "Not as well as water," she said with a shrug. "Okay, your turn. First, inhale."

  I sucked in as much air as my lungs could hold. My cheeks stung from the pressure.

  "Now focus your kinetic energy into the air in your mouth."

  I followed her instructions. The energy buzzed against my cheeks like I was hiding a malfunctioning electric toothbrush in my mouth.

  "Good. Now start rotating that energy," Taura said. "Imagine a vortex. Spin it faster and faster, build momentum in your air projectile."

  It took a moment, but I felt it. The buzzing shifted into something new.

  Something started moving in my mouth. The electric toothbrush feeling was replaced by the rotation of an electric fan. My tongue twisted violently, caught in the micro tornado swirling between my cheeks.

  "Great," Taura said, lifting the same empty bottle. "Now you’re going to shoot this. Focus a bit of energy into your lips, then pucker them in the direction you want to fire when you open your mouth. Pretend you’re blowing through a tiny invisible blowgun. It helps you aim."

  I concentrated. My lips tingled as the energy spread into them.

  "Now shoot!"

  I opened my mouth, puckered my lips, and fired the charged air blast.

  Well... it wasn’t exactly a kamehameha.

  All I managed to do was knock the bottle off Taura’s open palm.

  "Not bad for a first try," she said, picking the bottle back up. "You even punched a hole in it."

  She showed it to me. Sure enough, there was a second hole right next to the one she’d made. But my hole was barely half the size of hers.

  "From now on, do this exercise every day," Taura said. "Even doing it once or twice helps. And once you get good with air, you can move on to other substances."

  "Thanks. I can’t wait to break concrete with my spit," I joked, though honestly, if I ever reached that level, I’d absolutely try it at least once.

  Taura unscrewed the cap of a bottle filled with water.

  "Open your palm," she instructed.

  I stretched out my hand.

  She tipped the bottle and poured a small amount into my palm, just enough to form a shallow puddle.

  "This time, you’ll focus your power on water," she said. "For now, just channel energy into it."

  I stared at the tiny pool in my hand and pushed my kinetic energy into it. The water started to move, even though my hand wasn’t shaking much. It was definitely harder than working with air.

  "Good," she nodded. "Now shape the energy. Start by forming a small vortex."

  I used the same technique I did in my mouth. Honestly, it was a bit easier now; at least I could see what was happening instead of guessing. Watching the puddle twist into a tiny whirlpool was awesome. I felt like a magician.

  "Nice," she said, giving me a thumbs-up. "Now try a different shape."

  I thought of something simple and imagined molding the swirling water into a ball.

  Slowly, the vortex shifted, wobbling and fighting me before finally merging into a rippling little sphere.

  "Not bad," Hana said, eyeing the small orb in my hand.

  My next attempt was a cube, but that was way too ambitious. The sphere collapsed into a sad puddle at the center of my palm.

  "Alright," Taura said. "Focus your energy into the water again, but this time, throw it here." She held up the punctured bottle once more.

  "Okay, but, uh... you don’t want to put that on the ground? Or a table?" I asked. "In case I accidentally nail you in the face?"

  "Don’t worry," she laughed. "Hurting me with water is like injuring a dragon with a flamethrower."

  "Alright then." I gathered my energy again. The puddle swirled, the vortex forming more smoothly this time.

  "Now throw it, and channel the energy into your throwing hand as well," she instructed.

  I aimed and hurled the water as hard as I could, pushing kinetic energy through my muscles at the same time.

  This time, the effect was way more impressive. Throwing that water felt like throwing a tiny, soggy rock.

  The bottle shot backward and slammed into the wall. It didn’t tear apart, but the entire upper half was crushed flat.

  "That’s cool," I said, staring at the mangled bottle before turning back to Taura. "Can you teach me more?"

  "Well, there’s a ton of stuff," she smiled back at me. "And I think I know exactly what should come next."

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "Charging your opponents with kinetic energy," Taura said.

  "You mean like when I use tactile telekinesis on them?"

  "No. What I’m talking about is much stronger." She shook her head. "Hmm... would you mind if I demonstrate it on you? I’ll be gentle."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "Okay, but if you’re rough... I’ll probably cry," I warned.

  "Thanks. It’s for science."

  "Alright, just tell me when..." I didn’t even get to finish before she slapped me in the chest.

  It’s hard to describe what I felt. Something shot through my entire body... no, echoed through it. Yes, that was it: an energy echo bouncing off every corner inside me, like my organs had suddenly become a weird internal pinball machine.

  I blinked, trying to figure out when Taura got so tall, then realized it was me who had dropped onto the floor.

  "Are you alright?" she asked.

  "Yeah, mostly," I said as I stood back up. "What was that?"

  "I used my water manipulation on you and charged the water in your body with kinetic energy," she explained.

  "Wow. That was a pretty tough punch," I said.

  "Oh, that was just a warning shot," she shrugged. "If it were a real attack, your organs would be mush."

  "Good to know," I nodded, feeling my stomach do a full somersault.

  "Now you should try it," she said.

  "Okay. Stand still," I said, cracking my knuckles jokingly.

  "Not on me, of course." She waved that idea away and turned to Kelce. "Hey, Cece, can we borrow one of your nightmare pets?"

  "Of course," the Mumus girl nodded.

  "Thanks. We’ll need something relatively human-sized."

  "Here you go," Kelce said, summoning a small puff of black smoke that expanded into a portal. A familiar creature stepped through, the same monstrous minotaur Jürgen had beaten a few hours ago.

  This time, though, it stood completely still.

  "I turned his brain off, like he’s sleeping," Kelce explained. "You can use him safely as a training dummy."

  We approached the motionless beast. It towered over both of us like a furry skyscraper.

  "Alright. Put a hand on its body," Taura instructed.

  I placed my hand on its stomach; its chest was way too high for me to reach.

  "Now channel power into your hand," she continued. "Don’t push, punch, or try to lift it. Just focus your energy and hold it."

  Easy enough. I’d practiced charging my limbs countless times.

  "What now?" I asked, careful not to overdo it.

  "Now inject that energy into your opponent’s body. Imagine needles in your hand that deliver the kinetic charge. And do it fast."

  I followed her instructions, picturing several invisible needles extending from my fingertips where they touched the minotaur’s skin.

  "Kelce, turn his brain on," Taura said.

  The moment Kelce flicked whatever internal switch she had, the minotaur roared awake. Its massive hands twitched, ready to grab me. I didn’t think; I just shoved all my energy into its stomach through those imaginary needles.

  It worked. The minotaur launched backward, slamming toward the wall, only to burst into a puff of black smoke before it hit.

  "Good job," Taura said, patting my shoulder.

  "That was... great, but also pretty exhausting," I panted.

  "Yeah, not bad for a beginner," I heard Mom say from the doorway of her office.

  "You could be a great teacher, Taura," she added, turning to the minotaur girl.

  "Thank you," Taura replied politely.

  "Alright, everyone," Mom continued, raising her voice, "pack your stuff. We’re leaving."

  "Oh? We’re done for today?" Hana asked.

  "No, we’re just changing locations," Mom said, shaking her head. "I want to show Max something."

  "Okay... but what exactly?" I asked. I was curious, but also a little nervous; her tone had that ominous Mom is about to traumatize me again edge.

  "I’m going to fight someone," she said, "but this time I’ll use my powers."

  That Monday, I learned exactly why people called her Creepy Carol. But I’ll get to that in the next part.

  See ya, guys.

  Nah, just kidding. Obviously I’m going to tell you right now.

  ***

  We left the gym, and Mom drove us to the home of the conjoined twins, Alexa and Aletta.

  "The girls are hosting a little fight party here," Mom explained. "Their inner yard is big enough to act as a makeshift arena, and thanks to a few special Tulpas they use, the whole event is invisible to civilians."

  "Why would they need something like that? Is the fight party that spectacular?" Hana asked. If her face had been on, I’m pretty sure her eyes would’ve been sparkling.

  "Yeah, it can get pretty spectacular," Mom nodded. "But there’s also a certain guest whose presence requires... extra security measures."

  We eventually pulled up to the twins’ house.

  Alexa and Aletta were already waiting for us in the driveway.

  "Hello, everyone," Aletta greeted.

  "Hi, Creepy," Alexa said, waving at Mom.

  "I hope we’re not interrupting your party too much," Mom said, sounding a bit awkward.

  "We’re on a break right now, so no problem," Aletta replied.

  As we followed them toward the front door, I noticed the special Tulpas Mom had mentioned. They looked like tiny angels holding huge eyeballs in their hands. Above the house, the air was trembling, like someone had tried to edit something out of reality but botched the job, leaving wobbly distortion errors floating in the sky.

  "Where is everyone?" Mom asked as we stepped inside.

  "The girls took them into the city," Alexa said. "Just hanging out a bit."

  "Only one of our guests couldn’t go," Aletta added, "for obvious reasons."

  I had no idea what they meant until we reached the inner yard.

  I noticed the guest instantly, but my brain needed a few seconds to accept what it was looking at.

  "Hi, Creepy," the guest said, waving at my mother.

  "Nice to see you again, Nyxelle," Mom replied warmly.

  Under normal circumstances, I would’ve said hello too. But I was too busy processing the absolute absurdity standing in front of me.

  The simplest way to put it: Nyxelle was a Kaiju.

  A towering giantess (fourteen meters tall, as Mom later explained), but that wasn’t the weird part.

  The weird part was that she was wearing a wedding dress. Oh, and did I mention that it was a creepy, gothic, pitch-black wedding dress?

  Her pale face was framed by sharp black bangs streaked with violet. A delicate black lace veil draped over her head. Her gown was a flowing masterpiece of web-like lace and jagged edges, the ribbed bodice shaped like a Victorian corset. She looked like someone had mashed together a bride, a goth queen, and a final boss.

  And unbelievably... things were about to get stranger.

  "Everyone, this is an old friend of mine, Nyxelle," Mom said, gesturing up at the goth giantess. "Some of you may already know what she is, but Max doesn’t. So, Nyxelle, would you mind introducing yourself?"

  "Hi, kids," she said politely. "I’m Nyxelle, and I’m a Bridezilla."

  "Wow! I’ve never seen one in real life," Hana gasped.

  "And... uh... what exactly is a Bridezilla?" I asked.

  "A giant Kaiju-like creature that looks like a human woman in a wedding dress," Nyxelle explained.

  "Okay... and why the wedding dress? Is it some kind of ritual thing?"

  "Oh, I’m actually not wearing clothes," Nyxelle said. "Everything you see is part of my body."

  "Wait, the whole dress is your body?"

  "Yes," she nodded. "It all grows out of my skin. Even the high heels." She tapped the ground with her foot, the heel clacking sharply.

  "Okay. But why does it look like a wedding dress?"

  "Well, it’s actually the opposite," Nyxelle said. "Wedding dresses look like our skin-clothes."

  "What?"

  "Oh, I’ve heard about this," Kelce chimed in. "According to some researchers, people in ancient times saw Bridezillas and thought they were so beautiful that they started having women wear similar outfits for big occasions, like weddings."

  "Yes, that’s still the most popular theory," Mom said.

  "Oh. I think I get it now," I said, though honestly, I was still trying to mentally sort everything into the right boxes.

  "And before you ask why I have a goth style," Nyxelle added, "we can’t control how our dress-body looks when we hatch. Some Bridezillas look normal. Others, like me, have birth defects. My gothic style is one of those defects."

  "And before you ask, Max," Mom added, "yes, she said hatching from an egg. Bridezillas are reptilian creatures. They just happen to look human."

  Looking closer, I finally noticed that her pale skin had a faint, scale-like texture, just subtle enough to miss at first glance.

  "Okay... and you’re going to fight her, Mom?"

  "Yes. She’s the perfect opponent for this," Mom said, already starting to warm up. "Are you ready, Nyxelle?"

  "Of course I am," the giantess replied with a grin.

  "Then let’s begin," Mom announced, taking her place in front of the towering Bridezilla.

  Without warning, a beam of purple light blasted out of Nyxelle’s mouth.

  Of course, she has a beam attack, I thought.

  It nailed Mom right in the neck and made a small dent in the ground behind her.

  A moment later, her head fell off and rolled toward us like a bowling ball.

  "Cool!" Alexa cheered.

  "I’m gonna puke," Aletta whispered, covering her mouth.

  I just stared at my mother’s severed head. I wasn’t shocked by the gore; I was shocked because the head was giggling.

  "Oh, shit," Mom’s head said, "I was going to play dead for a few seconds to freak you out, but I couldn’t stop laughing."

  Meanwhile, her headless body remained standing perfectly upright, as if nothing unusual had happened.

  Then it casually turned around, walked over to the head, and picked it up like someone retrieving a dropped wallet.

  Mom lifted her head, placed it back on her neck, and it reattached instantly, the wound vanishing without a trace.

  "My attack didn’t hit you, did it?" Nyxelle asked.

  "No. I dodged by opening my neck," Mom said matter-of-factly. "Your beam passed through the space between my flesh without touching me. The whole ‘head falling off’ thing was just to show off for Max in a memorable way."

  "You have a sick sense of humor, Creepy," Alexa said. "I love it."

  At this point, I wasn’t even surprised. Mom’s sense of humor existed on a level no amount of supernatural weirdness could surpass.

  "Alright then," Mom said, turning back to the gigantic goth Kaiju, "shall we continue?"

  Nyxelle fired off a rapid series of beam attacks, like someone had strapped a ray gun to a jet engine.

  Each blast looked like it punched clean holes through Mom’s torso, but no. Her flesh was simply opening up in perfect little gaps to let the beams pass through.

  "What do you think, Max?" Mom asked, her head casually rotating a full 180 degrees to look at me.

  "Sooo... your ability is... uh... what even is this?" I said, completely lost for terminology.

  "I have perfect control over my body," she replied. "Every single cell in my body is a tool that I can use however I want."

  As if to prove the point, her entire torso split open vertically like an anatomy display, allowing a vertical beam to pass harmlessly through. I could even see her tongue wiggling inside her skull. It was like watching a medical textbook come to life.

  "Ugh... pretty creepy," I cringed. "You’re, uh... very true to your name."

  "And you haven’t seen everything," she said with a grin before whipping her head back toward Nyxelle.

  Then Mom threw her fist, literally.

  Her right fist shot through the air and smashed into Nyxelle’s face, still attached to her arm by a thin, stretchy cord of muscle fibers.

  The giantess jerked backward, not from pain, but with a disgusted cringe.

  I couldn’t decide if it was cool or disgusting. Probably both. Definitely both.

  Next, Mom crouched low, and her legs distorted like fleshy springs. Bones cracked as they compressed.

  Then she launched upward.

  Her legs snapped back into normal shape mid-air just in time for her to kick Nyxelle under the chin.

  Nyxelle grabbed her with both hands, but Mom slipped through her fingers, literally again. Her body came apart into pieces like a wet jigsaw puzzle. Each piece slithered between the giant fingers, reforming into a complete body above Nyxelle’s cupped hands.

  Weirdly, her clothes were still on her and intact. Even more weirdly, there were no blood stains on them.

  Mom then kicked downward, launching herself free to land another blow, right between Nyxelle’s eyes.

  "Okay, okay, I give up. Sheesh!" Nyxelle hissed, shaking her head.

  "So," Mom said cheerfully as she landed beside me, "what do you think of Mommy’s powers?"

  Her legs made a gut-twisting crunch as she touched down, looking for a moment like she had a dozen extra joints before snapping back into place.

  "Kinda cool," I admitted. Gross as hell, but cool. I couldn’t help wishing I had powers even half as impressive.