In the early morning, a gentle breeze swept across the green fields of Kirk Farm, filling the countryside with life.
Luke’s grandparents’ farm was located southeast of Maidenhead, only a short drive from Windsor.
As James parked the car, he looked at Luke.
“Go say hello to your grandfather first, then you can go find Will.”
“Okay, Dad.”
The moment Anna climbed out of the car, she dashed toward the house.
“Grandpa! Grandma! Anna’s here to see you!”
“Anna, slow down!” a warm voice called from inside.
It was Luke’s grandfather, Byron Kirk.
“Where’s Grandma?” Luke asked.
“She went into town to buy a few things. She’ll be back before long.” Byron smiled.
“Have you two eaten breakfast? Would you like something?”
“We already ate, Grandpa. I’m going to find Will now.”
“Go ahead, but don’t stay out too long. I’ll make something delicious for lunch.”
“I want to go with Luke!”
Anna immediately grabbed the corner of Luke’s shirt.
She had always been especially attached to her older brother.
Byron put on an exaggeratedly pitiful expression.
“So Anna isn’t going to keep Grandpa company today?”
Anna hesitated before looking up at him.
“…Okay. Then I’ll stay with Grandpa.”
She turned toward Luke.
“Luke, don’t stay out too long!”
Byron chuckled and crouched down beside her.
“Thank you, Anna. You’re such a thoughtful little girl.”
Anna beamed proudly before pointing at Luke.
“See? Grandpa says I’m more sensible than you!”
Luke rolled his eyes at his smug little sister before heading toward the bicycle parked outside.
The Johnson family’s farm welcomed visitors throughout the year, offering hands-on experiences like feeding lambs, milking sheep, planting crops, and picking seasonal fruits and vegetables.
The busiest season was Easter, when newborn animals filled the farm.
Lucky visitors could even witness or assist with livestock births.
There were also plenty of other attractions, including horseback riding, archery, and even pig races.
“Why are you so slow?” Will complained as soon as he saw Luke.
“I’ve been waiting forever.”
“I had to greet my grandfather first.” Luke shrugged.
“The animals aren’t going anywhere.”
“Hurry up!” Will grabbed his arm excitedly.
“The new owls are amazing. They can even deliver messages!”
“Deliver messages?” Luke laughed.
“What, are you raising Hogwarts owls now?”
“Hogwarts?” Will blinked.
“What’s that?”
“It’s… from a story,” Luke replied casually.
“Come on, let’s go see these incredible owls.”
He wisely avoided saying anything more.
After all, Harry Potter didn’t exist in this world.
He had only finished outlining part of the series and planned to publish it someday.
More importantly, he intended to use the money he earned to invest in Stark Industries after Tony Stark announced the company would shut down its weapons division.
If everything went according to the timeline he remembered, he would never have to worry about money again.
Thinking of Tony Stark reminded Luke of an embarrassing memory.
During a family trip to Bern, Switzerland, on New Year’s Eve in 1999, he had actually met the billionaire in person.
Wanting to see whether history could be changed, Luke had even tried warning him not to miss an upcoming date.
Tony had completely ignored the advice.
I wasted an entire year’s allowance convincing Dad to take me on that trip, Luke grumbled inwardly.
I’ll settle that score with Stark someday.
“Look! They’re all over here!”
Will excitedly led Luke around the farm, introducing every new animal.
The owls were particularly impressive.
Luke wasn’t convinced they could reliably deliver messages, but they were certainly large enough.
Judging by their appearance, they were probably Eurasian eagle-owls.
The final stop was a reticulated python.
Will confidently lifted it out of its enclosure and encouraged Luke to touch it.
Luke knew captive-bred reticulated pythons were generally calm if handled properly, but he still couldn’t suppress the instinctive unease of placing his hand on such a massive snake.
After spending the morning exploring the farm, Luke found himself standing outside, watching visitors practice archery in the distance.
A thought gradually formed in his mind.
“Will, I’m heading back now,” he said.
“It’s almost lunchtime.”
“Already?” Will looked disappointed.
“Why don’t you stay and eat with us?”
“No thanks. My grandparents are probably waiting for me.”
He waved goodbye.
“See you at school on Monday.”
“See you Monday!”
When Luke returned to his grandparents’ farm, he found Byron bottle-feeding a pair of lambs while Anna happily watched nearby.
“Grandpa,” Luke called, “do we have any wire?”
“Wire?” Byron looked puzzled.
“There should be some in the tool shed. What do you need it for?”
“I want to make a few metal rings for an experiment.”
“Luke’s definitely up to something again,” Anna said, seizing the opportunity to complain.
“Last time he said he needed my building blocks for an experiment, and he still hasn’t given them back.”
Luke simply ignored his little sister.
He headed down to the basement workshop and found some wire.
Using a pair of pliers, he bent it into several metal rings of different sizes.
For the smallest target, he attached a large hex nut instead.
Then he suspended the rings from the ceiling with thin strings so that they hung at different heights and angles.
Finally, he found a box of slender nails.
Looking at the suspended rings, Luke focused his telekinesis on a single nail.
Slowly at first, the nail floated into the air and passed cleanly through the center of each ring.
Then he increased its speed.
One nail became two.
Then three.
More and more nails rose into the air.
Sweat gradually formed on Luke’s forehead as he controlled each one independently, guiding them through rings of different sizes without a single collision.
Swish!
Clink!
Clink!
Clink!
Suddenly, every nail accelerated at once.
Like a volley of arrows, they shot through the tiny opening of the hex nut one after another before embedding themselves deep into the wooden wall behind it.
Luke slowly closed his eyes, savoring the sensation.
He could clearly feel it.
His telekinetic control had reached another level.
Both his precision and multitasking ability had improved dramatically, and he could now manipulate objects at much higher speeds than before.
Opening his eyes, he walked over to the wall and used a pair of pliers to pull out the nails one by one.
Twelve.
There were twelve of them.
Back home, he had only been able to control seven sewing needles at once.
Now he had successfully controlled twelve nails.
Two years of relentless training had finally paid off.
The next step was to find an opportunity to visit Kamar-Taj.
“Luke! Lunch is ready!” Helen called from upstairs, interrupting his thoughts.
After lunch, the family gathered in the living room to watch television.
James turned to Luke.
“Son, the animated adaptation of The Lion King has officially entered production. The studio would also like you to attend a book signing in early July. They plan to announce the animated film at the event.”
Byron looked surprised.
“I thought you told me they were just increasing the print run of the picture book. When did an animated film come into the picture?”
James smiled.
“After the book became a bestseller in several countries, a number of film studios approached us about adapting it. I discussed it with Luke, and he agreed.”
Luke nodded.
“I think animation can bring the story to life in a way that a picture book can’t. I also composed a song for the film. Mom says it’s pretty good, although the studio hasn’t heard it yet.”
Helen immediately nodded in agreement.
“It’s a beautiful song.”
Byron chuckled.
“It looks like we’ve got a little genius in the family. He can write stories, draw, and even compose music.”
Luke’s grandmother smiled proudly as well.
Anna puffed out her chest.
“Luke wrote the story for me! He drew the picture book for me too!”
She sounded as though she deserved part of the credit.
James continued, “The studio we’re working with is Ward Entertainment. They’re taking this project very seriously, so they suggested announcing the partnership during the signing event. Holding it in London will also make things much more convenient.”
“I don’t have any objections,” Luke replied.
“Good.” James nodded.
“Once we get home, I’ll let them know. I’ll also have them listen to the song you composed and see if they’d like to include it in the film.”
Luke smiled inwardly.
It’s ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight.’ I’d be surprised if they didn’t want to use it.