A heavy silence settled after Glucux's departure. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Each of us was trying to process what had just happened. Kayne, meanwhile, watched our reactions with a piercing gaze.
"We have to find the Master as soon as possible," Komi declared, clenching her fists.
Juan nodded, but his expression remained troubled.
"It's not just about finding him. Glucux didn't show up twice in one day by accident. He's testing us... or worse, manipulating us," he said gravely.
I thought about the whole situation. My eyes landed on Katia, who looked deep in thought.
"Katia, do you feel anything unusual?" I asked.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then shook her head.
"No... and that's what's strange. I should be able to sense at least a trace of the Master's energy, but it's like he's been... erased."
We all exchanged worried looks. Kayne, still leaning against the wall, sighed before standing upright.
"I have an idea where he might be," he said. "But you're not going to like it."
"We're listening," said Komi.
"Glucux said he tied him up 'somewhere in the forest.' There's only one place where he'd want to lure us..."
A chill ran down my spine.
"...The Forgotten Temple," Komi whispered.
Juan swallowed hard. That name didn't bode well. The Forgotten Temple was an ancient ruin, surrounded by dark legends. Kayne once told me that those who entered without protection were lost forever—their memories wiped, their existence erased.
"Perfect..." muttered Katia, crossing her arms. "As if things weren't already bad enough."
"We don't have a choice," I said. "If the Master's really there, we have to go."
Kayne nodded and stepped closer.
"We leave immediately. We can't give him time to execute another plan."
We left the building and headed toward the forest. Night was falling, and a cold breeze whispered through the trees like a warning. Still, we pressed forward.
The trail quickly became winding and dark. The trees seemed to close in on us, and a strange feeling of being watched crept over us. Suddenly, Juan came to a stop.
"Wait, did you see that?" he asked, pointing to a shadow moving among the trees.
We froze. A blurry silhouette formed in the darkness, and then a deep, distorted voice echoed:
"You shouldn't have come here..."
A shiver ran down my spine. Before we could react, the shadow lunged at us.
"Watch out!" Komi shouted, activating her power.
I reacted instantly, igniting my right arm in flames while antimatter surged through my left. Juan activated his own ability, his eyes glowing with electric light. Katia floated slightly off the ground, ready to cast a spell.
The shadow halted a few meters from us, revealing its true form: a humanoid creature with empty eyes, its body covered in glowing marks.
"A Memory Eater..." Kayne whispered.
My chest tightened. These creatures were infamous for their ability to erase memories with a single touch.
"Don't let it touch you!" Kayne warned.
The creature let out a piercing shriek and lunged. A fierce battle broke out. Kayne used his lightning speed and time-manipulating skills to dodge attacks, while Komi tried to hit it with lightning bolts.
I gathered my energy and launched a wave of flames to increase my speed, but the Memory Eater dodged with supernatural agility. Katia managed to hit it with a binding spell, slowing it slightly.
"It's too fast!" Komi shouted.
"We have to trap it," Kayne said. "Marvens, try using both your powers at once!"
I took a deep breath and focused my energy. Pain shot through my body as I attempted to fuse fire and antimatter. An unstable sphere formed between my hands.
"Hurry!" Juan yelled.
The Memory Eater charged at me, but at the last moment, I unleashed the attack. An explosion of energy erupted, sending the creature flying. It shrieked one final time before disintegrating in the air.
Silence fell again. We were all breathing hard, but unharmed.
"That was... intense," Katia panted.
I stared at my trembling hands. Using both my powers simultaneously was dangerous—but incredibly powerful.
"We have to keep going," said Kayne. "If a Memory Eater is here, we're on the right path."
I never imagined this forest, leading to the school and the building, hid such powerful Spirits.
We resumed our journey, adrenaline still pumping through our veins. The Forgotten Temple awaited us—and perhaps, the truth about our Master... and ourselves.
As we neared the ruins, a bluish light appeared in the distance. Katia suddenly stopped.
"Something's wrong," she murmured.
The light pulsed softly, like a heartbeat, and a figure slowly emerged from it. Its face was hidden, but the aura it gave off was familiar.
"Master?" I asked, uncertain.
The figure took a few steps forward. A cavernous voice spoke:
"You shouldn't have come..."
The ground beneath us trembled violently. An invisible force threw us backward. I hit a large tree trunk and lost consciousness once again.
...
"Well, well... planning to get a membership at my place?" said Marvens the Spirit.
"Don't start with your jokes," I groaned.
I stood up and asked him:
"Are my friends okay?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?!" I shouted.
"You seem to forget—I see what you see and hear what you hear," he said.
"Well, that means you should know if they're okay, right?" I asked, frowning.
"Use your brain, kid," he said with a sigh.
After a moment of thinking, I got it.
"You can't see or hear anything when I'm unconscious, right?"
"Ding ding ding! Correct! You've just won... a revelation!" he said with a grin.
"A revelation? Why?" I asked, puzzled.
"No questions. Just listen," he said with a big smile.
"Each Demi-Spirit unlocks a mark that activates a second variant of their psychic power. But you, as the hero of the prophecy, you have four. You've already activated your first when you used more than one power at once."
"I don't get it..." I said, squinting.
"You'll understand soon. But for that, I need you to let me take control of your body for ten minutes. That's enough for me to eliminate the Spirit and show you one of your abilities—with no powers at all."
"Fine," I sighed. "But on two conditions: first, you promise never to hurt innocents or my friends while in control. Second, each time you take over, you have to reveal something about me or the prophecy."
He sighed and replied:
"Alright, deal. Now let me in."
I closed my eyes and let him take control.
From what I could tell, my eyes were closed. Nothing happened for about five seconds, then he opened them and said:
"Well, looks like I've come back from the dead!"
"From the dead? Does that mean I can come back to life too?" I wondered.
"Marvens, what happened to your hair? It's turned completely black," Komi said.
"And what's that weird writing on your face?" asked Juan.
"That's not all—your energy feels totally different, like it's a thousand times stronger than before," added Katia.
Kayne smiled and looked down.
At that moment, I understood: when the Spirit inside me took control, my appearance changed too.
"Don't worry, he's not an enemy," said Kayne.
"An enemy?" they all repeated in unison.
"Let me introduce myself: Marvens, one of the heroes—or rather, the former one," he said with a sly grin.