Chapter Two: Perfect Trajectory

Lu Chen tested the vision forty-seven times beneath the overpass. Pebbles entered paper cups. A crushed can flew through a gap in the rail. Half a brick rebounded from three walls and returned to his feet. Whenever he fixed his attention on an object and formed a clear goal, possible paths appeared. Most were gray. One shone brighter than the rest. The line did not promise a miracle. It showed only the best outcome under existing conditions. On his forty-eighth attempt, he tried to throw a pebble through a car window a hundred meters away. Every line died. Pain speared his temple, and he vomited for ten minutes. The ability had limits of range and stamina.