ã€ŠHumanity ?ã€‹


 Humanity ?

    Human beings live for their deepest desires. To fulfill his dreams, he''s capable of doing a lot of things. Until he forgets the first thing he lives for: to live. But what is living?

    But was it really to live that Marc had decided to go to school today? Was it really what he wanted to live for? Like most teenagers, Marc hated school. He didn''t get picked on. He even had lots of friends. Buddies, rather. He''d never considered any of them his friend. He thought they were all fake. They were all there to please the popular guy or girl.

    It wasn''t that he''d never dreamed of a girl or wanted a relationship. It was just that he didn''t think she was the one or that she wouldn''t like him if he asked. So he pretended to smile at other people''s jokes and never talked to girls. He didn''t go to parties because he didn''t drink and he simply didn''t want to go.

    That was his life. It was a mixture of joy and unhappiness. He had no plans for the future. His parents forced him to work and find a plan for the future. He didn''t really like it, but he had no choice. He''d never had a choice. Like the day he was forced to go back to school. He''d understood that day that he''d never have another choice in his life.

    He had often said that he didn''t mind dying. Sometimes he''d call it out in conversation. His buddies would look at him with judgmental eyes, only for him to laugh and say it was a joke. Nothing more to it than that. But his buddies had already changed the subject of their conversations.

    This was his life. Marc''s life. He didn''t hate it like he didn''t love it.

    But that day, Marc''s life would change completely.

    That day. It was a Monday like any other. Marc got changed, said goodbye to his father, took the bus and set off for 8 hours of classes, each as boring as the next. He bumped into one of his friends - well, buddies, at last - an acquaintance he talked to more than the others. He didn''t really dare call him a friend, because he knew he wouldn''t be there when he needed him, he could ignore him for the star of the school, and they were so different. So much so that one wondered how they''d ended up as friends. Truth be told, they had a lot in common too.

    ¡°Hi Gibbs¡±

    ¡°Hi.¡±

    They talked for a long time. After that, he knew that the popular guy and his gang were on their way, and there was no way he was going to be able to talk to him properly.

    The first class of the week was math. Marc was good at math, but he didn''t want to do it all his life. And despite the fact that he was good, his average was around 5.5/10. For one simple reason: he wasn''t studying hard enough. But Marc didn''t care. His motto was ¡°No problem¡±, so it was easy to see why he didn''t want to bother. He was just too lazy to get good marks. The proof was that the one time he''d decided to study properly, he''d gotten 8/10 on his test. That was going to raise his average, but the next test he''d got a 3. You''d think he was deliberately keeping his average at 5.

    He was sitting in the 3rd row of the class. The rightmost bench. But what he didn''t like was that he wasn''t on the window side. It was his other friend, well, his other buddy he talked to the most. Less than the other one. This one listened even less than the other, and he thought he was a clever idiot.

    At the same time, that''s what he was. The intelligent idiot.

    On this particular day, the subject under discussion was trigonometry. Sine, cosine, etc... Marc found it easy, but that wasn''t going to stop him from getting 6/10 on the test.

    Marc was thinking in a vacuum, as if his brain had switched off. He knew this happened to a lot of people, but this time it seemed different. The spot he''d been unconsciously concentrating on seemed to glow from a point. Marc stood in the void for 5 minutes, concentrating on the point of light and not knowing how to leave. Just as he managed to pull himself out of this state, he heard a voice: ¡°Aregis¡±.

    Marc raised his head slowly. But he noticed that, at the same time, 5 people in the class looked up in amazement. He didn''t think too much about it and decided that the maths class must be so boring that many people felt they were leaving.

    The class ended normally. Marc put his chair back in its place, and headed for the exit to his next class. As he passed, he glanced at one of the people who had looked up at the same time as him. She still looked a little dazed by the moment. He was about to go out when he heard the person say, ¡°Aregis.¡±

    Marc stopped in front of the door, blocking the way to anyone who wanted to get out.

    ¡°Move over a little Marc.¡±

    He turned and went to stand in front of Elie.

    ¡°What did you see just now?¡±

    Elie looked at him distraught. As if she''d seen something horrible.

    ¡°Did you see it too?¡±

    Marc didn''t know if she''d seen the point of light or something else.

    ¡°You saw a point of light too?¡±

    ¡°A point of light? ¡±

    Obviously that wasn''t what she''d seen. She''d had to see something else but still had to hear the word Aregis at the end.

    ¡°No. I...I saw... ?

    Marc didn''t like people who stuttered. He couldn''t stand waiting for someone to string 5 words together before he could speak.

    ¡°Did I see the end?¡±

    The end. These words echoed in Marc''s head.

    ¡°Hurry up, I haven''t got all day.¡±

    Marc was trying to get his head straight. The words he''d heard Elie say were totally ridiculous. The end of the world. It couldn''t be possible. According to the Bible, the end of the world was supposed to arrive in a world of peace, after the millennium. And Mark was sure that neither the millennium nor the end of the world was here yet.

    Strangely enough, Elie came up to him and tugged at his sleeve while he was with his group of buddies. Depending on the circumstances, this could prove strange. That a girl should invite a boy to talk when they never did was usually the start of a little story.

    Elie wasn''t a repulsive girl, she was even pretty. Not as pretty as the most popular girl in school, but still. Simple and kind. But if she came to talk to him, it was for something other than love.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Can I talk to you?¡±

    Marc, pulled along by Elie, looked at his group of buddies all shocked at the idea of a girl dragging him off to talk to her alone.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°You know what I want. What did you see? ¡±

    Marc knew this was going to be complicated. Since the vision, Elie hadn''t spoken to her friends and she''d been looking in his direction all the time. He sighed, knowing that coming after him by the sleeve might give people the wrong impression of them.

    ¡°I just saw a point of light and also heard Aregis.¡±

    Elie stared into his eyes for at least a minute. Decidedly this girl was shameless.

    ¡°We need to go ask the others what they saw.¡±

    ¡°What? Why? Imagine they were actually just in the moonlight.¡±

    ¡°And then, at least we''ll have tried.¡±

    Before he could say anything, Marc found himself tugged by the sleeve again. Elie pulled him into the middle of the corridor. That''s when Marc realized.

    ¡°Wait, you''re not going to...¡±

    ¡°AREGIS!¡±

    Elie had shouted it loud and clear across the courtyard. Marc suddenly felt uncomfortable. He''d understood that she wanted to attract people who''d heard the word, but she really could have done it differently.

    ¡°Voila. This way, they''ll come to us.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ''to us''?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, from now on, we''re companions.¡±

    That, too, she''d said quite loudly. So high that Marc understood why people were looking at him as if they were watching a movie.

    ¡°No, for me, it''s ciao. You''re too embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°No. Please stay with me.¡±

    That, too, she''d said out loud. Marc couldn''t take it anymore. People were looking around as if it were a romantic comedy. He was about to take her back when he saw her eyes. They were clearly not normal. They looked at him with despair and horror, as if they''d been through war. No, worse than war, the end of the world.

    Unfortunately for him, Marc couldn''t help looking at her eyes. Which made everyone think they were about to kiss. After all those words, he was bound to fall in love. But just as everyone was waiting for the show to peak. Another boy emerged from the crowd. Those watching held their breath, thinking it was Elie''s guy who''d come to fight Marc.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Interesting Marc. I didn''t know you could have a girlfriend. Maybe the world really has come to an end. Maybe I should go see if chickens have teeth now. ¡±

    ¡°That''s not funny, man.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. I guess the reason you''re here is because you also had that vision and heard that word.¡±

    ¡°That''s just it, we didn''t see the same thing but heard the same thing.¡±

    ¡°We should talk about this somewhere else don''t you think?¡±

    The crowd complained that they couldn''t hear what they were saying. In the end, they saw the three simply walk back into the building without a fight. Disappointed, they went their separate ways.

    Chris wasn''t the type to talk to Marc. In fact, he was Marc''s least favorite person at the school. The star, the handsome, the popular, etc... But the fact that he didn''t like him, he didn''t show. To tell the truth, it wasn''t that he hated him, but since the Bible says you should love your enemies, he liked him less than the others. He avoided talking to him, but Chris tried to talk to him often.

    ¡°I think we''re isolated enough as it is. I wouldn''t want the others to see me with you.¡±

    That was what he thought. He only talked to her because he could see that her popularity was growing. He didn''t want to sully her image by talking to her face to face. They weren''t on the same level. Marc wanted to leave.

    ¡°Let''s get this over with. What did you see?¡±

    ¡°I suppose you don''t have the same version of events. But what I saw were feathers. Lots of black feathers littering the ground as far as the eye could see. I saw myself in the middle of these feathers. It was dark and I was alone. Just as I managed to turn my head, I also heard the word Aregis.¡±

    The three looked at each other. Their visions had nothing in common, but they were all strange. None of it made sense. Maybe they''d all had a dream and the teacher or someone else had brought them out of it by saying Aregis. But Elie countered this theory by saying that she''d asked her friends and no one had heard her. So it was the only word that united their dream.

    Another student burst in on them. He was a young, brown-skinned boy called Nathana?l. He was rather tall and muscular, but very friendly. But more importantly, he was also one of the students stunned by the absence he''d had in class.

    ¡°Have you heard that word too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but we didn''t see the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Since you''re all here, I can tell you what I saw. I saw a tall man, dressed all in black with a robe. He had six wings on his back and you couldn''t see his face. He stood in the middle of a field of black feathers. He held a sword and brandished it high into the sky. At the end of the sword, a light shone so brightly that I couldn''t look at it. Just as I turned my head, I heard him say ''Aregis''.¡±

    By now, everyone had fallen silent. The vision they had just heard gave them cold sweats. It was as if Nathana?l''s vision was the fusion of all the others. The light Marc had seen at the end of his sword and the field of black feathers Chris had seen. The one vision we all didn''t know about was Elie''s. But we understood that it was the man in the black robe who had surely brought about this famous end.

    Another girl appeared in the room.

    ¡°Manon. Don''t tell me you too...¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard the word Aregis. At first I thought it was a joke you''d played to wake me up. But when I saw you gathering here, I knew something was wrong.¡±

    Manon looked at Chris before sitting down next to him. Marc, and everyone else in the room knew one thing about her. She was one of Chris''s groupies. One of the pretty girls who followed him everywhere. They called themselves friends, but deep down everyone knew what she really wanted. Marc liked her a lot less too. This made him want to leave even more. The only thing he didn''t understand was that Elie kept sticking to him. Like a cat hiding behind its master to protect itself from a dog. His trauma was such that he hadn''t let go since the last time.

    ¡°What I saw was a sky. I was above the clouds. But the clouds were so pure black that you couldn''t see anything below. When I tried to see what was below, a red light came from above. When I looked up, I saw a horror. The light was coming from several falling meteorites. But in the middle of these meteorites were two eyes watching me. Crimson-red eyes that seemed to contain something. But I turned my head before going any further.¡±

    Manon''s vision complemented Nathana?l''s.If it was dark, it was because of the dark clouds. But what worried Marc most were the eyes. The eyes that were all looking down. This confirmed one of his theories.

    All this was being organized by someone. Not someone. Something. A being more powerful than them. The man in black? No, the eyes didn''t belong to him. But what if it was? Nathana?l had said they couldn''t see his face.

    And why them? Why had they had these strange visions? What''s going to happen to this world?

    Everyone''s killing themselves while they think. Elie had gripped Marc''s sleeve even tighter. Nathana?l didn''t look very well. Manon had stuck to Chris.

    There was silence in the room for another 5 minutes when Chris spoke up.

    ¡°I think we should all just forget this weird stuff.¡±

    Manon nodded immediately. Nathana?l continued:

    ¡°He''s right. I don''t want us to think about it. I don''t want us to organize meetings to talk about it. Or try to solve the mystery. Let''s leave it aside, it''ll be better for everyone.¡±

    Marc said nothing. Something wasn''t right. Where was the fifth person?

    He''d seen her in the yard when Elie had cried out, but she hadn''t come.

    ¡°I don''t think we should tell anyone about this. ¡±

    Hadn''t they seen him? It was true that Marc was in the 3rd row. So it was easier for him to see the whole class. He was the only one who had seen him. Except he''d forgotten his name.

    ¡°Wait, I saw...¡±

    Ring

    Marc didn''t have time to finish his sentence. Ringing had replaced all sounds in this school. The ringing sounded louder than usual.

    ¡°Good. I hope we won''t be talking after this.¡±

    Chris had gone first. Followed by Manon. Nathana?l looked at Marc.

    ¡°Marc. You''d better forget it.¡±

    He stood there for another 2 minutes. Marc was the kind of person who arrived late. So much so that the teachers hardly ever remarked on it. The one he was worried about was Elie. She was still clinging to his sleeve.

    ¡°Shouldn''t you be leaving too?¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°Me, it''s normal.¡±

    ¡°Is it? It''s normal for a student to often arrive late for class.¡±

    ¡°For me, yes.¡±

    Marc had to leave too. Besides, he had science and he really shouldn''t be late for this class. If there was one thing Marc had never done at school, it was get expelled.

    ¡°Listen. I know this may sound strange to you, but it''s best if I stay close to you.¡±

    He couldn''t believe his ears. As much as Marc had never received a compliment from a girl, none of them had ever told him she should stay by his side. To him, it sounded more like a declaration of marriage. In his head, he was already imagining the children, the house, the dog, kindergarten, the nursery, the bottle, the car, death.

    ¡°We''re too young for this.

    Bye.¡±

    For him it was the best way to get rid of his embarrassment.

    ¡°Wait. You just don''t get it. You''re one of the only ones taking this event seriously and you''re the first one to come to me. I can''t trust anyone else, least of all Chris.¡±

    There was one thing he liked about her and that was that she wasn''t a Chris groupie. He sighed.

    ¡°I understand, but right now we''ve got to get to class. We might get yelled at if this keeps up. We''ll talk about it after school.¡±

    ¡°We go to the same class.¡±

    ¡°We are? Let''s go then.¡±

    They both climbed the stairs. When they got to class, the other students started teasing him about being late with a girl. But he didn''t care. The only thing on his mind at the time was this collective vision. Or not. Maybe it was just a coincidence. But why was the word Aregis common to everyone. Was it just someone who said it? Why were the visions all complementing each other? Why them?

    And why hadn''t the last person come forward to talk about it? She wasn''t the shy type.

    Marc thought about it. He didn''t understand what had happened to them. He glanced around the classroom but didn''t see the last person. She probably didn''t have class with him at the time.

    It had been a very long day for Marc. He left the classroom with a heavy head. Several times the teachers had asked him to concentrate on the lesson, but if he''d seen what he''d seen, he probably wouldn''t be talking like this.

    He walked out of the school and was surprised to see Elie waiting for him with her pals. They glowered at him. Marc knew why. He walked with Elie to his bus stop without saying a word. Elie seemed tense and Marc seemed in a hurry. They looked like a couple on the verge of breaking up.

    Marc was waiting for his bus as usual. Elie was waiting for hers.

    ¡°Don''t you want me to go to your place?¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡±

    ¡°Nothing. ¡±

    Marc couldn''t take it anymore. What did she mean? There were limits all the same.

    ¡°Listen. We''re not a couple. We''re not friends. So you''re going to have to stop acting like one. This is a joke, right?

    A hidden camera of your buddies? Because if it is, it''s really not funny. ¡±

    ¡°It''s not.¡±

    ¡°I know the vision you saw has most certainly traumatized you, but am I really going to solve the problem?¡±

    At these words, Elie turned pale. Marc thought she was going to die instantly. He was already imagining the consequences of those words.

    ¡°No, that''s not what I wanted...¡±

    ¡°You were in my vision.¡±

    Silence reigned for a moment. Marc didn''t know what to say. Maybe she''d finally let out a few words of what she''d seen, but Marc didn''t want to have heard them. He was in it. The others'' visions had no people in them, so why was he appearing in Elie''s?

    ¡°I....I was in it.¡±

    He didn''t want to insist and ask for further details given how pale she''d turned the last time. The bus arrived late as usual.

    Marc got on without saying a word or looking back. Perhaps if he had, he would have noticed that Elie was getting on with him. It wasn''t until he sat down on a seat that he saw him get on the bus.

    ¡°Wait a minute. She''s on the same bus as me.¡±

    Marc figured he really had to work on his memory sometimes.

    The journey was also interminably long. The road he''d been traveling for 5 years seemed longer than usual. Elie looked out of the window. Her gaze seemed lost. Marc said nothing. Just as he was about to go out, he picked up his bag and turned back to her.

    ¡°I''ll still be here, don''t worry.¡±

    Elie turned around. She didn''t know what to say. For the first time in her life she felt really comfortable with someone.

    She felt a warm breath pass through her body. Marc, completely embarrassed, turned and rushed out of the bus. He''d never had a girlfriend, and since fate had given him a girl to protect, he had to take a chance. Marc was taken for a guy capable of anything, a no-nonsense type. He could talk very easily to girls he didn''t know and to new people. But deep down, he was a great stressor. He did all this to make himself look comfortable wherever he went, and to please other people.

    Marc was just starting to walk home when he turned around and saw that he wasn''t the only one to have got off the bus. Elie was there, watching him. Red as a tomato. For Marc, this was already the most embarrassing moment of his life. After all that talk about her staying on the bus, she happened to be getting off at the same stop as him. Marc felt even more ashamed than the time she''d screamed all over the yard.

    ¡°Why are you here?

    ¡°I live on the same street as you.¡±

    ¡°If you want I can come over to your place¡± made more sense now.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    The two companions set off in the same direction. This time, the tension was palpable. Marc hoped to disappear and Elis wanted to go back in time.

    ¡°Well, I guess you''re stopping here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Hi then.¡±

    ¡°Hi.¡±

    Elie turned right to go home. Her house was a large estate. The garden, on the other hand, was small but the rest was covered in flowers. It suited her personality. As she passed through the door Elie turned in Marc''s direction.

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you for not leaving me alone.¡±

    Marc turned too. He''d already had his fill of embarrassment for the day. He didn''t want anyone to see them.

    ¡°You''re welcome. I''ll see you tomorrow. Bye.¡±

    With that, he pressed on and hurried home. Elie liked Marc. He was a nice, intelligent boy who often played the fool. Although she couldn''t imagine him being her boyfriend, she couldn''t help it now.

    Marc jumped out of bed as soon as he entered his room. What a hard day. He needed some rest. He looked at his phone to see if a new chapter of his favorite novel had come out. To his surprise, the first thing his phone showed him was the death of a man on a building site. He had stumbled and fallen five stories. He was apparently unrestrained.

    ¡°These things happen. May his soul rest in peace.¡±

    Marc wasn''t an insensitive person. He just didn''t want to feel guilty about everyone dying. As far as he was concerned, everyone died and that was life. There''s nothing you can do about it. Death is normal.

    He wanted to forget about this man and concentrate on his novel, but another piece of information appeared on the screen. This time, it was the death of a head of state. Murdered in his home.

    ¡°Wow.

    He passed on the information without a hitch, but another came, and another, and another. Marc couldn''t believe it. People died and that was normal, but why was he receiving so many death notifications.

    They''d all died in different ways, and their deaths were either accidental or not. So why was he receiving all this?

    ¡°I guess I must have unintentionally asked for the death notifications. I should remove them.¡±

    As soon as he had done so, all the notifications had disappeared. Marc was relieved not to have to feel guilty about so many people.

    Finally, he read his new chapter without a hitch. The main character had succeeded in defeating the archdemon and had succeeded in destroying the throne. But the appearance of the new enemy troubled him. It was a man dressed in black and carrying a sword. He had six wings on his back and his face was invisible.

    This man was the perfect description of the man Nathana?l had seen in his vision.

    ¡°Well, there aren''t many details. This kind of person dressed in black who reminds us of death often appears in stories. Maybe it''s a coincidence.¡±

    Marc didn''t want to believe it. But deep down he knew something was wrong. He wanted to show Nathana?l the next day because an image of the man had been published. The illustration itself was by the author.

    At the end of each chapter, the author always left a message for his readers, who were few in number. Marc opened his eyes wide when he saw the message.

    ¡°This world is going to change.¡±

 The dream of the cathedral

    <div>

    ¡°The world is going to change.¡± That was the comment the author had left. After all these events, how could Marc think this was a coincidence? It certainly wasn''t. The visions he''d received surely spoke of a terrible moment. And Elie said she''d seen the end. This was far too obvious.

    Marc also sent a comment below the chapter in the comment space.

    ¡°Are the visions from you?¡±

    Suddenly, Marc felt he''d overdone it a little. He himself had said that the black character was common in stories. And the author was probably talking about the world of his work.

    ¡°What visions?¡±

    That was what he thought. He''d gone too far. But to be on the safe side, he sent a second message.

    ¡°What world were you talking about?

    ¡°The world of "The Fall of the Sky".¡±

    That was the title of the novel he was reading. Marc was completely out of his depth.

    ¡°Nothing then. Thank you for your work. It really is a beautiful story.¡±

    Marc had said that sincerely. It was the story of his life. He didn''t miss a chapter. He knew every detail. He''d get angry with the main character, or angry at him. He even had his own character in the book, thanks to the author. It was his story.

    ¡°Thank you. I''ll keep writing just for you.¡±

    Marc was moved. But that wasn''t why he''d started the conversation. At least he knew the author wouldn''t stop his novel because there weren''t many people reading it.

    ¡°I wonder what he meant by ''change''?¡±

    For the moment, he had to be careful of everything around him. Lest he run into that man in the black robe Nathana?l had seen, he had to be careful. He did a long search on the word ¡°Aregis¡±, but found absolutely nothing. It meant nothing.

    Marc sat down on his bed. He was thinking about what to do. Maybe he should give up? It didn''t make sense. But he was convinced there was something behind all this. Something incredibly powerful. He was still thinking about it when his mother called him to eat. Actually, when his mother called him to eat, it was more like calling him to set the table so they could all eat together. Marc had no problem with this. It made sense to him that if his mother or father prepared the food, he should set the table. Everyone had their tasks in this house.

    He was coming down the stairs when a horrible thought popped into his head. What if he lost them both? If all this really did lead to the end of the world, he''d lose his parents.

    Marc didn''t want to think about it. Even so, he couldn''t help shedding a tear when he saw his mother with the dishes in hand.

    ¡°Well then? The table''s not going to make itself.¡±

    He smiled and went off to set the table as his mother had asked.

    After lunch, Marc went up to his room. He really intended to get some sleep after his long day. He turned off the bedroom light and jumped into bed for the second time that day. There was no guarantee of a good night''s sleep, but at least the day was over.

    It didn''t take him long to fall asleep. Surprisingly, he had a dream. Marc rarely had dreams on days when he had school the next day. Marc was in the middle of a cathedral. It was huge and well-decorated, but he''d never seen it before. The door was wide open and an icy chill infiltrated the cathedral. The symbols on the stained-glass windows were all strange. Some had flowers with as yet undiscovered outlines. Others had human faces, at least resembling them, with rings around their heads. Six in all. Others had swords, all of them different.

    On closer inspection, it didn''t look at all like a cathedral. Marc wondered what he was doing here. It was the first time he''d had such a bizarre dream. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from outside. Someone was approaching the open door. Even the door was strange. It had all the symbols from the stained-glass windows, along with other symbols Marc couldn''t decipher.

    He looked towards the door to see who the person was who had to enter when his heart stopped. The man who had entered was wearing a black hooded robe. You couldn''t see his face, but he was holding a sword and had six wings on his back. The man from the vision.

    Marc began to sweat. His heart was beating ten times faster than usual. The man walked slowly towards Marc, but he couldn''t move. Fear had paralyzed his legs. The man reached him, but instead of bumping into him, he ran right through him. Marc didn''t want to turn around to see where the man was. But after five seconds that seemed like a thousand years, he heard the voice of someone he knew.

    ¡°Marc?¡±

    Marc turned as he heard Elie''s voice. The man in black was advancing straight towards her. He raised his sword to the sky. Neither he nor Elie could say anything.

    ¡°Aregis¡±

    The words echoed throughout the cathedral. With one clean stroke, the man cut off Elie''s head and he fell straight to the floor. His body remained upright. The man in black turned back to Marc. Although he had no face, it was easy to tell that he was looking at him. Marc almost fainted in his dream.

    ¡°Astreos¡±

    It was the second word he''d uttered. The dream ended the moment Marc fainted. He awoke with a start in his bedroom. This time, it was real. They had to take these visions seriously. Otherwise they were all going to die.

    Marc hadn''t slept the rest of the night. He kept looking at his bedroom door. To see if the man would come in. Before that, he''d even thrown up. He''d never had such a nightmare. He wondered if the others had too.

    Marc was discouraged. He didn''t want to investigate the visions anymore. He didn''t want to die. He didn''t even know if Elie was still alive. He didn''t want to know. But he got up anyway instead.

    ¡°Oh and then sh.t¡±

    Marc dressed as if he were going to school, but this time, He went to Elie''s house. He left his house and took four steps forward, before realizing that he didn''t even know where she lived anymore. There were two houses he couldn''t decide between. Finally, he took a coin from his pocket, flipped a coin, and rang the doorbell.

    The door didn''t open immediately. Someone was about to open the door when someone else told him to leave it. It was Elie.

    ¡°Leave it, it''s for me.¡±

    ¡°But, Elie are you all right? You look pale.¡±

    ¡°I''m fine, Mom.¡±

    ¡°Elie if that man came to hurt you believe me he''ll hear me.¡±

    ¡°No, Mum. It''s nothing, he''s a friend.¡±

    ¡°He''s abusing you, that''s it. I''m calling the police.¡±

    ¡°No, Mom. Please leave us alone.¡±

    There was a moment''s silence. Elie had raised his voice a little too much.

    ¡°All right. But if I notice anything. Your boyfriend''s going to jail.¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    The door opened at last. Marc didn''t even have time to introduce himself to his mother before Elie jumped into his arms. She was crying.

    ¡°Are you okay, Elie?¡±

    Elie''s mother looked at him so badly that Marc wanted to disappear again. He''d wanted to check on her, but now he wanted to run away.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Mom is ... ? ¡±

    ¡°Leave it. We''ll see each other more often now. It''s my turn to introduce myself.¡±

    Marc had a way with words. He could put a person at ease with just a few words. But the mission was to reassure the mother.

    ¡°Hello, madame. My name is Marc.¡±

    He hadn''t held out his hand, afraid she wouldn''t extend it in return.

    ¡°Why are you hanging around my daughter?¡±

    ¡°I''m not hanging around your daughter...¡±

    It was more like she didn''t want to let go of him.

    ¡°We''re just friends.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here so top of the morning?¡±

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    Marc knew how to find excuses as fast as his shadow. That was why he never got frozen or punished.

    ¡°I wanted to have a little chat with her while watching the sunrise.¡±

    And bam. Well romantic, well timed, well executed. Everything was perfect and she probably wouldn''t suspect a thing.

    ¡°Are you sure he''s not dangerous, Elie?¡±

    Elie''s mother loved her daughter more than anyone. She didn''t want to lose her. Especially if she went pale every time she opened the door, she wasn''t going to leave her with a guy like him. He seemed like a nice kid. Elie had already told her about him. A quiet boy in all circumstances, playing the fool when in truth he was rather wise and mature. A little too mature at times. You could tell when he was dropping philosophical phrases and everyone was looking at him. Often, he''d deny having said anything and go back to his idiocy.

    ¡°Good. Go do your talking away. But if you touch her, you''ll hear me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Marc had said this with a big smile, but in reality he wasn''t at all serene.

    Elie changed, said goodbye to her mother and they both left. Elie''s mother watched her daughter walk away, thinking that soon she would certainly no longer be her ¡°little girl¡±.

    Marc and Elie walked on without saying a word. The dream they''d both been having wouldn''t allow them to look each other in the face for ten minutes. Finally Marc broke the silence.

    ¡°You were there, weren''t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You made...¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Marc didn''t know what to say. But yet he had to keep talking about it.

    ¡°What did you see?¡±

    Elie didn''t answer right away.

    ¡°I too appeared in this sorts of cathedral . I looked carefully at everything around me, then looked down. I saw Chris in a white coffin covered with black feathers.¡±

    Marc couldn''t believe his ears. Chris was there too. Did that mean the others were there too?

    ¡°Then I heard footsteps coming from the door. I turned around and saw you. The man in black was walking towards you. I called out to you, then the man in black crossed you and came towards me. I didn''t even have time to do anything before he...¡±

    She didn''t need to tell the rest. Marc knew what the rest was. They walked a few more steps, then Marc took her in his arms. Elie cried and Marc said nothing. He didn''t know what to say. He didn''t know if they''d survive or if they''d find a way out. But one thing was certain: they were all in danger.

    The bus arrived late. Marc and Elie both got on. Elie was still wiping away tears. Marc didn''t know what to say. The journey seemed even longer than the last. Elie and Marc didn''t say a word.

    Arriving at the school, Nathana?l was the first to come and find them. Manon followed. Chris didn''t want to come. He still had dark circles from the night, but wouldn''t tell anyone why. Finally, they were all gathered in the same place.

    None of them said anything for the first five minutes. But Nathana?l broke the silence first.

    ¡°I saw a cathedral on a mountain peak. I wanted to walk towards it, but I felt footsteps coming from behind me. The man in black was walking quietly towards the cathedral too. I wanted to move, but I was scared to death. He approached me, raised his arm silently, said the word and cut my head off.¡±

    Nathana?l didn''t need to say the word. Everyone knew what he was talking about.

    ¡°I saw the same cathedral. Except I was lying down and could only see the roof. Black feathers started falling on me. I couldn''t move. I was as good as dead.¡±

    Chris wasn''t entirely wrong. He was in a coffin. We only put dead people in coffins.

    After Elie had told his dream, only Marc and Manon remained. Marc recounted his, but Manon seemed so traumatized she couldn''t speak. She turned pale and began to scream.

    ¡°No. No, no. I''d forgotten all about him. I don''t want to see him anymore.¡±

    Everyone was surprised. But they all wanted to know.

    ¡°Manon. Calm down and explain what you saw.¡±

    Manon tried to calm down, but tears were streaming down her cheeks.

    ¡°I was hanging.¡±

    At these words, everyone held their breath.

    ¡°I was hanging upside down over the cathedral. There was nothing I could do. I was beginning to run out of breath when I saw the same two eyes looking at me. They were watching me die.¡±

    Marc understood why she didn''t want to talk about it.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Chris glowered at Marc.

    ¡°Why are you the only one who isn''t dead?¡±

    Everyone wanted to know. Marc was the only one who hadn''t died in the dream. To be exact, he hadn''t been killed. He didn''t know if the dream had ended in his death or not. He didn''t know why he hadn''t been killed. He just didn''t know.

    Marc could understand their confusion. The fact that he hadn''t been killed and had been ¡°lucky¡± enough to hear a new word made him seem special.

    ¡°Oh. Excuse me. Maybe you''re a chosen one among us, right? You''re the only one who''s going to survive this tragedy.¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Chris. Marc hasn''t d... anything.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Nath. You can see I''m talking to the chosen one. The child of prophecy. The one for whom we''ve been shown this nonsense in order to see his advent.¡±

    No one dared speak. Everyone found it strange. It was at times like these that some of mankind''s most destructive feelings come to the fore: jealousy and frustration. They could provoke conflict and even war. Having what the other has. But in this case, it was more about being what the other is. A survivor.

    Marc had no quarrel with this. He understood Chris''s feelings very well.

    ¡°Maybe you''re the man in black who wants to kill us ? Or maybe you sent him to do it ?¡±

    Chris had grabbed him by the collar. He might not be able to lift him, but it was uncomfortable for Marc. But even so, he let himself do it.

    ¡°Why don''t you say something? You''re really in cahoots with the people who attacked us.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    ¡°I''m going to punch you in the face.¡±

    ¡°Chris, stop it.¡±

    The others stood up to stop him. Only Manon remained seated. She didn''t trust Marc either. She already didn''t understand why he didn''t like Chris and why he hadn''t been killed in the dream, but this was getting really suspicious.

    Nathana?l had pushed Chris away. Elie hadn''t done much. Chris had grabbed his bag and left.

    ¡°Damn. I don''t want to see your face again, you hear me.¡±

    Manon took her bag and left too.

    ¡°Don''t worry, Marc. It''s not your fault. I''m sure there''s an explanation but we just can''t figure it out. Maybe you saw something else that would help us understand.¡±

    Nathana?l really was a good person. Always looking out for others, he never complained when asked for something. He had an infectious smile and was as gentle as a lamb. Marc liked Nathana?l, even if he sometimes thought he was too nice.

    ¡°Two things. The first is that when I got home, I saw lots of notifications about the death of average people on my phone. The second was that the man in black had appeared in the novel I was reading and that the author had left a message under the chapter saying ''This world is going to change''.¡±

    Nathana?l took his information very seriously. Even though he told himself that the Man in Black was a character who often appeared in novels and that notifications of deaths were normal given that so many people died every day, he wrote them down in a notebook and put them in his bag.

    ¡°Okay. I don''t know what it means yet, but I promise I''ll look into it. That, plus the symbols in the cathedral, I''ll have no trouble keeping busy these days.¡±

    Nathana?l took his bag in turn, turned and looked at Marc.

    ¡°Eh. We''ll manage.¡±

    Marc opened his eyes wide. It was the first time anyone had comforted him. Usually, it was he who consoled the others, since he had an easy way with words. He''d even managed to bring some of Chris''s buddies back, even though he didn''t like him. Marc and Nathana?l got along well, even if they didn''t speak often. They were good people who attracted each other. Except that one seemed lonely and the other not. Marc seemed hurt by people, while Nathana?l saw only the good in them. This made them differ.

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    Marc had somehow regained hope. It wasn''t up to him to do himself in or let others die. Marc was worth more than that. He may have been only human, but that meant he had to consider himself above it all. Or else he was really getting a big head. But it was enough to give him the courage to face the dangers that awaited them.

    ¡°I''m here too, Marc.¡±

    ¡°I know you are. Don''t worry.¡±

    Elis didn''t want to leave these two to deal with this alone. She wanted to help. After all, she was included no matter what.

    Marc could see that he had to find a way out. But he didn''t know where to start. He''d look for this cathedral first, but he''d have to be prepared.

    ¡°It''ll all start after school.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    This time, something had to be done.

    After school, Marc already had an idea in mind. He had to know how to defend himself. And the first thing anyone did to defend themselves was take up combat sports. He had already checked the timetable, and could only take part in three sports at a time, so as not to overlap. Taekwondo on Mondays and Thursdays, karate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and jujitsu on Saturdays and Fridays. Sundays were rest days. He didn''t want to overexert himself.

    Elie decided to follow him, but the girls'' schedules were different. So they took the same sports, but he only had two classes in common, and that was jujitsu.

    It seemed silly, given that the man in black surely had supernatural powers and a ¡°magic¡± sword, but you never knew what to expect.

    They both went home and asked their parents directly for permission to enroll. To which Marc''s parents hesitated.

    ¡°Why all at once?¡±

    ¡°I want to know how to fight.¡±

    ¡°Did something happen to you at school?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Marc''s parents knew he wasn''t lying to them. For the simple reason that their son was already strong enough to defend himself. Not just strength. Their son had all the physical capabilities to stand up to someone doing mma.

    ¡°If that''s what you want, I won''t stand in your way. Become a great fighter Marc.¡±

    Marc often described his parents as the best parents in the world. As far as he was concerned, his upbringing had been anything but unsuccessful. He lived in fear and love of his parents. What could be better?

    ¡°But don''t come home and say you hurt yourself in every class.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry. I''m tough.¡±

    ¡°I know, but you never know.¡±

    ¡°I''ll call them right away.¡±

    This is why Marc loved his family.

    On the other side. Elie''s mom had grabbed a belt ready to do battle with this Marc.

    ¡°He''ll hear me.¡±

    ¡°No, wait, Mom.¡±

    ¡°He''ll hear me.¡±

    ¡°Marc''s chosen combat sports too.¡±

    At these words, Elie''s mother paused.

    ¡°Is it true?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Elie''s mother looked into her daughter''s eyes.

    ¡°I''ll go and ask him, will he say yes too?¡±

    ¡°You can go.¡±

    Elie''s mother took her belt and went to ring Marc''s doorbell. Marc''s mother opened the door.

    ¡°Hello, Catherine. How are you?¡±

    ¡°Hello Marie. I''d like to know if your son has decided to take up combat sports?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yes. How do you know about it?¡±

    ¡°Elie told me.¡±

    ¡°Did he? He''s not one to spill his guts to everyone.¡±

    ¡°Apparently, he''s my daughter''s boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°Boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It sounds like you didn''t know. Well, I''ll leave you to it. That''s all I wanted to know. Have a nice day.¡±

    Marc''s mother couldn''t believe her ears. Marc had never had a girlfriend. If he were to have one, it would surely be his future wife. She closed the door and ran to see her husband.

    ¡°Honey, did you know Marc had a girlfriend?¡±

    Marc''s father spat out the tea he was drinking.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Elie. Catherine''s daughter.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°The two ran upstairs to their son''s room.

    ¡°Marc can we talk for two minutes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, no problem.¡±

    ¡°Listen. We know that teenagers need that kind of relationship.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is he talking about?¡±

    ¡°They have trouble calming their hormones.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is she talking about?¡±

    ¡°I know Catherine''s daughter is a pretty girl and we''ll have a hard time changing your mind but...¡±

    ¡°We''re not a couple.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you''re not?¡±

    ¡°She''s just a friend.¡±

    ¡°Phew, that makes us feel better. We really thought you were going to get married.¡±

    The two had spoken at the same time.

    ¡°We''ll leave you to it then. Ah yes. They''ve all agreed to let you come to their class.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome.¡±

    After closing the door, Marc refocused on looking for the cathedral.

    ¡°Why do you insist on signing up for all this stuff?¡±

    ¡°I want to be with Marc.¡±

    ¡°But you don''t even have the same classes, since you''re a girl.¡±

    ¡°Some classes are in common.¡±

    ¡°But that doesn''t mean you have to do martial arts.¡±

    ¡°I don''t see why not.¡±

    ¡°Because it doesn''t do you any good. You do martial arts if you want to defend yourself, but you told me it doesn''t do anything to you. So...¡±

    ¡°Mom. I want to do combat sports. So why not?¡±

    Elie had said this with a broad smile. The kind of innocent smile that would bring down any mother. Catherine didn''t want to stop her daughter from doing what she loved. With the man she loved. Even if she didn''t love him.

    ¡°All right, then. I''ll sign you up. But don''t come to regret it later.¡±

    ¡°I could never regret it.¡±

    Elie was proud of her. She often got what she wanted from her mother, but this was no mean feat. She thought she''d never make it. As soon as it came to boyfriends, her mother wouldn''t listen.

    She went off to her room with a smile on her face.

    <div>

    <div>

 Aregis

    Marc lay back on his bed. Research into the cathedral had been fruitless. There were no references to a cathedral with unfamiliar symbols, faces, swords or flowers. He came to the conclusion he had anticipated. This cathedral didn''t exist. It was a dream after all.

    Marc didn''t want to sleep, which was logical given the frightful night he''d had last time. So he decided to think about how to find this cathedral. And whether or not it was a good idea to go there. If the man in black showed up by the time they''d found the place, he wasn''t sure he''d be able to face him.

    After spending an hour lying on his bed, Marc still didn''t want to sleep. Trauma. That was how Marc saw it. Elie''s head rolling on the floor, the man in black advancing towards him, different versions of the dream. Marc was the only one to survive, but that didn''t stop him from being afraid of having another dream.

    He thought back over his life. Just to force himself to sleep. He thought that if he just stood there, he''d eventually fall asleep. He thought back to his early days in high school. He''d been forced to move to another town because his family had moved away. He knew no one except his soccer teammates. He didn''t talk much, didn''t have many buddies, even if he did make a friend from day one. A friend he later lost sight of in 3rd year, as he wasn''t in the same class.

    His name was Mathiss. Together, they''d had a lot of laughs in first and second year. So much so that the teachers couldn''t stand them any longer and started making remarks.

    But in the third year, their friendship had cracked. Mathiss had joined another group. They didn''t talk much anymore. But he had met a stranger who had just arrived from Mexico. His name was Thoma. They were inseparable. So much so that one day when he was playing baseball, they both caught the ball in the air at the same time. Thoma was one of his best friends. He could discuss anything and everything with him. But the following year, Thoma changed schools again and Marc began the worst year of his life.

    Marc''s fourth year was horrible. All his buddies had found other buddies to talk to. So he was alone. In class, he was with one of his buddies with whom he couldn''t carry on a conversation without him ignoring him and turning to talk to Chris. Chris had started to grow in popularity. Girls were hanging around him and boys wanted to get closer to him to get closer to the girls. Marc hated it. So he preferred to keep to himself, but solitude was hard to bear.

    Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and the lessons just wouldn''t end. Marc just sat there, enduring the loneliness. No one to look out for him, no one to help him. He always ended up alone. On this year''s school trip, Marc had gone to follow one of his buddies who had been left alone. He thought he was going to reconnect, but as soon as they found Chris''s group, he stopped talking to him. They repeated the same things they''d done with his buddy. His mate didn''t mind as long as he was with the others, but Marc was fed up.

    So he decided to walk. Walk alone, away from the others. He wanted to sit down but couldn''t find any benches. So he walked alone. Alone. Alone. And it was then that he realized he was really alone....

    Marc had fallen asleep with a tear in his eye. He never wanted to go through that again.

    He didn''t dream about the man in black or anything to do with him. He dreamt of his loneliness that year. He saw himself walking alone again. But this time, it was rather peaceful.

    The next day was almost like any other. Marc woke up in a good mood because he hadn''t had a dream about the man in black. He looked at his phone, and to his surprise, the notifications of certain people''s deaths had come back. Far fewer than last time, but they were there all the same.

    Marc didn''t understand. He had deactivated such notifications. He wanted to do it a second time, but found that the buttons for such notifications had already been deactivated. He couldn''t figure it out. Maybe it was a bug, or maybe this wasn''t the way to remove notifications.

    Marc figured it wasn''t too serious at the time. But on reflection, he thought about the fact that it might have something to do with this case. The last time this had happened, there had been a lot more. But what was the difference with that day? All those stories about the man in black, the cathedral, the visions and that word... That special word...

    ¡°Aregis.¡±

    As he said it, Marc received a notification on his phone. A man had just died in an accident. His car had crashed into another car on the road. Unfortunately, this one was on a bridge, and the car had abruptly gone off the bridge, crashing into the rocks far below. The man had obviously not survived.

    Marc trembled as he held the phone. It couldn''t have been. It had to be chance. He tried a second time.

    ¡°Aregis.¡±

    A new notification appeared. A woman had just killed her husband who was secretly beating her up. But Marc still didn''t want to believe it.

    ¡°Aregis. Aregis. Aregis. Aregis. Aregis....¡±

    He repeated it about fifty times, and about fifty notifs appeared on his phone. Each time he said it, another one came. There could be no doubt.

    Every time he said the word Aregis, someone would die.

    Tears streamed down Marc''s cheeks. He was no longer in control of anything. The thing that had taken control of the situation was making it clear that he was the cause of all these murders. Marc imagined the man in black looking at him. Pointing at him. Nathana?l was looking at him, Elie was looking at him, Chris was looking at him, everyone was looking at him.

    ¡°Murderer.¡±

    They were all saying the same thing. Marc cowered in on himself. Then another word came to him. The word the man in black had said in his dream after killing Elie.

    ¡°Astreos¡±.

    Elie had gone to catch his bus, but didn''t see Marc.

    ¡°Maybe he''ll go with his parents?¡±

    Elie was calmer than in recent days. She hadn''t had any strange dreams or visions. She was feeling better than usual. But not seeing Marc didn''t reassure her at all.

    Arriving at school, Elie waited. She waited for Marc to arrive. Nathana?l saw her in the distance.

    ¡°How are things? No other anomalies to report?¡±

    ¡°Marc isn''t here.¡±

    Nathana?l was surprised. She was worried about Marc. It wasn''t the first time he hadn''t taken the bus, and it wasn''t the first time he''d arrived late. So he needn''t have worried. But in view of recent events, it was true that the slightest action could bring suspicion.

    ¡°You know it''s not the first time he''s arrived late.¡±

    ¡°I know. But he''s going to ring the bell in 2 minutes.¡±

    ¡°Precisely.¡±

    Elie wouldn''t listen. She stood there waiting for Marc to ring, but he didn''t come.

    Elie eventually joined her friends and went to class, but she wasn''t at all reassured. Without Marc, she felt as if the sky could fall in.

    The English teacher also arrived late. The students were chatting in the corridor when she arrived. She opened the door and told the students to be quiet, as she had something to announce.

    ¡°Hurricane Ema has hit the TwentyProvince killing over 1 million people.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The students couldn''t believe their ears. One million dead was a substantial number.

    ¡°Yes. Apparently, it arrived earlier than expected and was more powerful than anticipated. The authorities couldn''t do anything and East of the TwentyProvince was razed to the ground. It was classified as the one and only Category 6 hurricane.¡±

    Elie couldn''t believe it. A million people had died in this tragedy. How could this be possible? With everything that was happening to her, she had to be contemporary with the biggest hurricane in history.

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    ¡°We''ll have a minute''s silence this afternoon.¡±

    The class continued in silence. No one wanted to speak. Elie looked around. Then she noticed Diane, who had a brother who was in the VingtProvince at the time. Clearly, he was no longer there. Diane looked empty. Tears had dried on her cheeks. Still, she had made the effort to come to school in memory of her brother. He had said to her:

    ¡°Promise me you''ll make it to school and meet me afterwards.¡±

    Diane had promised. But she could no longer keep her promise.

    Marc hadn''t come out of his room. His parents, thinking he was already at school, had both left for their respective jobs. Marc had just launched the biggest hurricane in history. He''d killed a million people. At that moment, there was no doubt. Those words were a portent of doom. As much as Aregis killed one person, Astreos condemned a million to death.

    Marc had become what he hated most. A murderer. He didn''t like them because he brought hatred, sadness, pain, depression and all kinds of negative feelings to the victims'' families or loved ones. He was the kind of person who left behind grieving families, lonely dogs, broken friendships, hearts to be mended.

    Marc understood a style of murderer. Those who did it for revenge. No matter how many times we said that revenge solved nothing, sometimes, when your daughter had been raped, then stoned, I don''t think you''d just want the offender to go to prison. You''d want him dead.

    Marc felt like one of those murderers. He wanted to die. He''d just killed people for a simple test. As they used to say, curiosity will kill you one day. In this case, curiosity had just killed over a million people.

    Human beings are curious, aren''t they? Isn''t it with the same curiosity that Adam ate the forbidden fruit? The human being can''t help thinking: if I do this, what''s going to happen next? This unbreakable desire to open the door, to look where one shouldn''t look. Many end up traumatized after that.

    Curiosity is like hands holding your head. If you''ve noticed something, the hands will turn your head without you noticing. Then they''ll tell you it''s dangerous. Your head will want to turn the other way, but the hands will hold you firmly. They''ll keep turning your head towards the thing. If you have a good mind, you''ll resist. If not, you just watch.

    Marc had given in.

    Elie quickly left the classroom. She had to go and see Marc. He clearly hadn''t come that day. She picked up her phone and called her mother.

    ¡°Mom, can you pick me up today?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you can take the bus, can''t you?¡±

    ¡°Is it urgent, please?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I''ll be right there.¡±

    Elie''s mother had arrived in a hurry. So much so that she''d nearly skidded off the road.

    ¡°How much time do you have left?¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    The car was obviously going too fast. Even though it wasn''t a sports car, Catherine had managed to overtake three cars at once. The other drivers were honking at her, but she didn''t care. Her daughter had an emergency.

    The journey took eight minutes less than usual. Elie''s mother looked at her daughter.

    ¡°Go on, sweetie.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome.¡±

    She watched her daughter get out of the car and run. But she wasn''t going home. Elie''s mother watched her daughter run straight for Marc''s house and opened her mouth wide. If she had to hurry, it was because of this punk. She couldn''t help letting out a scream as tears welled up in her eyes.

    ¡°I''m such a bad mother.¡±

    Elie headed straight for Marc''s house. Nothing seemed to stop him. It was very windy that day. A tree branch had been blown off and was flying towards Elie. She saw the branch coming straight towards her head and with a movement she didn''t know she had, she leaned back to dodge it.

    Elie didn''t even realize what she''d done and went to knock on the door of Marc''s house, while little Timmy filmed everything on his phone with his mouth wide open.

    She rang the doorbell. No one answered. Elie thought Marc was at home, so there was no way he wouldn''t open the door. Elie tried a second time and a third, but nobody answered.

    A car pulled up in front of the house. It was Marc''s mother.

    ¡°Elie. How are you? I suppose you''ve come to see Marc. I heard you...¡±

    ¡°Marc didn''t come to school today.¡±

    Marc''s mother seemed troubled. She would have been told. Unless her husband had forgotten to tell her again.

    ¡°Do you know why?¡±

    ¡°No. I figured you knew?¡±

    Marie opened the door. They both went upstairs to Marc''s room. When they opened the door, no one was inside. Marc wasn''t there.

    His mother began to panic. Elie rushed out of the room and grabbed her phone. But she soon realized she didn''t have his number.

    ¡°Damn!¡±

    They searched the house for a long time, but couldn''t find it. Marc had vanished into thin air.

    Marc''s father arrived.

    ¡°Go for it.¡±

    ¡°Well, Elie? Have you come to see Marc?¡±

    ¡°Your son is nowhere to be found.¡±

    She''d yelled at him many times in their lives, but now she really had to scream.

    ¡°He''s not in his room?¡±

    ¡°No. He didn''t go to school.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, that''s right. Didn''t I tell you?¡±

    ¡°No, you didn''t.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can tell you now. Your son didn''t go to school.¡±

    ¡°But it''s no use to me now.¡±

    While Marie grabbed her husband by the collar. Elie searched every corner of the house as if it were her home. She even found old family photos of Marc as a child. He often smiled in the photos. Elie wondered where that innocent smile had gone. She remained glued to one of the photos where Marc was holding a huge cuddly toy.

    Marc took one last look at the sky before heading home. His parents must have been worried. He''d decided to go out for a change of scene, but when he entered the house, he found himself in quite a mess.

    His mother was strangling his father and shaking him left and right. Elie was rummaging through the family photo cabinets. Everything was either misplaced or broken, or outright out of the house.

    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡±

    The three people he''d asked didn''t even turn around, continuing their strange activity. Marc couldn''t understand how it had come to this. When no one answered, he went into the house, grabbed a cookie and a can and went to his room.

    ¡°I''m in my room just in case.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Marc.¡±

    All three had answered at the same time. Marc went up to his room.

    ¡°Say, shouldn''t we keep looking for Marc?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but let me shake him up a bit more.¡±

    Human reaction time is less than a second. This meant that he was more than capable of realizing that the person he was looking for had passed in front of them. But obviously, too absorbed in their occupation, their reaction time had exceeded a minute.

    ¡°Marc?¡±

    The three turned back to the stairs.

    ¡°So, honey, was that Marc we just saw coming up the stairs?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And who are we looking for again?¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I don''t think we were looking there.¡±

    The three looked at each other. Marie noticed that Elie had tons of photos of Marc in her hand and was holding her husband by the collar as she was supposed to be looking for Marc. Elie noticed that she had tons of photos of Mark in her hands as she had to look for Mark. Marc''s father, well aware that he''d been shaken all over the place by his wife, noticed that Elie had tons of photos of Marc in her hands while she had to look for Marc. And so did he.

    The three looked at each other one last time before looking up the stairs again.

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    ¡°So Elie, why do you have this in your hand?¡±

    Marie let go of her husband. Elie kept the photos. They both ran to the bedroom. They opened the door without permission and it wasn''t even a second before Mark was surrounded by arms that hugged him a little too tightly.

    ¡°Marc, you''re okay. I was scared to death when I heard you didn''t go to school and weren''t at home.¡±

    ¡°Marc, are you okay? You didn''t come today. You promised me you''d always be here and that I shouldn''t worry.¡±

    Marc noticed the photos Elie had of him.

    ¡°I''m fine. I''m fine. I''m fine. No need to worry I just wasn''t feeling well is all.¡±

    ¡°Do you want us to make a doctor''s appointment?¡±

    ¡°No need, I''m fine. I think I''ve been a bit lazy.¡±

    ¡°That''s fine. But don''t ever do that to us again. Your father and I were scared to death.¡±

    ¡°And so was I.¡±

    ¡°Why didn''t you call me then?¡±

    Marc''s mother realized that she had a phone and could very well have called her son. The fact was, at the time, she''d completely forgotten it existed.

    ¡°I don''t know. Well, I''ll leave you to it.¡±

    Marie didn''t want to be taunted by her son.

    Elie was left alone with him in his room. The moment she realized this, her heart began to beat faster.

    ¡°I suppose you want me to tell you if my sudden absence is due to the man in black.¡±

    Elie calmed down. She had to be serious to talk about this subject.

    ¡°Sit down, please.¡±

    ¡°Where?

    ¡°Wherever you can sit down.¡±

    Elie''s heart began to beat faster again. There were only three places to sit in this room. The floor, the desk chair and Marc''s bed. Elie had no idea which one to choose. Finally, she sat down on the bed. She was beside herself when she sat down, but became serious again when she heard Marc''s voice darken.

    ¡°This morning, I received yet another notification about the death of someone in the world. I then thought that I hadn''t deactivated the button concerning this kind of notification.¡±

    Elie remembered. Marc had told Nathana?l about it the last time they''d seen each other at school.

    ¡°I looked and it wasn''t that. Then I thought about it and deduced that it might have something to do with this case. I thought about everything we''d said together and everything we''d been through. I said the word out loud.¡±

    Elie knew what word he was talking about and wanted to know what had happened.

    ¡°A notification appeared when I said it. By the way, every time I said that word, someone in the world died. To be sure, I repeated it about fifty times.¡±

    Elie was shocked. She understood why Marc hadn''t gone to school. He must have had all those deaths on his conscience. His mind must have been shattered. If she''d been in his place, she didn''t know if she''d have gone on or not.

    She suddenly thought of that hurricane that had hit the VingtProvince and a bead of sweat appeared on her forehead.

    ¡°You must have heard about the hurricane that hit the VingtProvince. That was me. I remembered the word I''d heard in my dream. The moment I said it the notification appeared on my phone.¡±

    Marc stared at the ground, not daring to look up. Elie couldn''t believe her ears again. She who had seen Diane, staring blankly at the end of the classroom because her brother was dead, was sitting in the murderer''s room.

    ¡°But, we pronounced it too. Why is it only you who got these notifs.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know.¡±

    Marc still hadn''t looked up. He was staring at the floor. Elie was looking at the carpet too. She watched him for a long time without saying anything. It clearly wasn''t Marc''s fault. His only problem had been to be too curious about the whole affair. Elie would have done the same. She couldn''t hate Marc. He''d stood by her so far and hadn''t even asked to know what she''d seen. He''d stood by her without question.

    Now he was the one in trouble. Even if he was a mass murderer, she could clearly put this in the involuntary category. She didn''t blame Marc, but she was sad for Diane.

    Elie stood up, crossed the room and went to hug Marc.

    ¡°Don''t worry, it''s not your fault. It''s not your fault. Whatever happens, until we finish this story, I''ll be by your side too. You''re a good person, Marc, don''t forget that.¡±

    Marc was still staring at the ground. He didn''t think he could be a good enough person to be comforted like that. But for all his pride, he cried his eyes out in Elie''s arms.

 The field

    <div>

    It took Marc a while to come to his senses. He returned to school a few days later. His mates asked him how he was, and he replied that he''d just had a headache.

    Elie had arrived at the same time as him. The rumor that they were a couple quickly spread. Every time people saw them together, they hoped to see something. But Nathana?l was always coming to meet them.

    There was nothing special about classes that day. Chris had spent the day making fun of Marc.

    ¡°You''re back the fragile one.¡±

    Whenever he made a joke about Marc, his buddies and groupies laughed. There were those who didn''t want to make fun of Marc and who held back their laughter even if it meant losing popularity, and those who didn''t hold back at all, even though the joke wasn''t funny, so as not to be frowned upon by Chris.

    Marc knew what each of them was thinking. He knew them all very well. He went on as if nothing had happened, which made Chris and his companions doubt the level of his jokes.

    Nathana?l came up to Marc at recess.

    ¡°You''re doing better. Elie told me what happened. It''s not your fault...¡±

    ¡°You''ve already told me, Nath. It''s very kind of you to worry about me.¡±

    Nathana?l could see that what he was saying to reassure Marc wasn''t really working. He had dark circles that he couldn''t hide, and he''d become distant and absent these days. He was becoming increasingly lonely. But Elie and Nathana?l always stayed by his side. In their school, the students called them ¡°the trio¡±.

    ¡°Listen. I don''t know if you''re interested in the rest of the investigation, but I still haven''t given up. During my research, I asked around about the people who were dying because of the word and I noticed that they all had one thing in common. They were already dead before you said the word. Logical, because it would take time for people to notice the deaths before sending the notification. ¡±

    Marc listened to Nathana?l in silence.

    ¡°I''ve been looking through the notices you''ve received, and there''s one that caught my eye. A man died in his field but we still don''t know why. The strange thing is that he died about a year before you received the notification.¡±

    Marc opened his eyes wide. A year before. This meant that notifications didn''t necessarily have anything to do with the note. No. Marc remembered this notification very well. It had appeared the last time he''d uttered the word. It was definitely related. But it also meant that the word didn''t give a damn about the laws of space-time. A word that transcended time but still afflicted death. A word that, above all, made its speaker pay.

    ¡°The field was left abandoned and no one wanted to buy it because everyone thinks it''s cursed.¡±

    ¡°He lived alone?

    ¡°Yes. No one to take it over.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I asked my parents to buy it.¡±

    Marc spat out the water he''d just drunk. He knew Nathana?l was rich, but that he was such a spoiled brat surprised him. All the guy had to do was ask and his parents would buy him a field.

    ¡°Don''t worry about the price. Even though it was huge, the price had come down because the guy had paranormally died in it.¡±

    That wasn''t why Marc was worried.

    ¡°I was thinking we could go for a drive. What do you say?¡±

    Marc pondered. He clearly didn''t want to face the man in black. Nor did he want to lose his companions to any of this nonsense. The only way to succeed without loss was for him to go it alone, but Nathana?l was obviously not going to agree.

    ¡°Elie mustn''t be involved.¡±

    ¡°You know very well she''ll follow you.¡±

    ¡°But don''t say anything to her on the spot.¡±

    Nathana?l sighed.

    ¡°All right, then. We''ll go after school. You''ll take my bus and I''ll get you there.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Elie had noticed the duo chatting in the distance.

    ¡°They excluded me like that.¡±

    She watched them leave after class. Marc hadn''t taken his bus, but Nathana?l''s. However, Elie knew exactly where he lived.

    When she got home, she went straight to her mother.

    ¡°Mom, I''ve got an emergency.¡±

    ¡°If it''s about that Marc guy again, don''t count on me.¡±

    ¡°It''s not about Marc.¡±

    Elie''s mother was slumped on the sofa. She''d spent the night telling herself she was a bad mother. Her eyes, too, were tracing dark circles. She looked into her daughter''s eyes.

    ¡°Can I really trust you? You''re not going to see that punk?¡±

    Elie struggled to hold her gaze. Technically, she wasn''t really lying. She was going to Nathana?l''s. Where Marc was supposed to be.

    Catherine resumed her strict motherly demeanor. She stood up as if she''d beaten Myk Tyson. Her face regained its color. Her muscles swelled on the spot. She looked her daughter straight in the eye with an intense gaze.

    ¡°Here we go.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±

    Marc arrived in front of Nathana?l''s house. The first thing that came to his mind was to wonder how it was possible to have such a luxurious house in the area where they lived.

    ¡°Welcome, sir.¡±

    The second thing that occurred to him was that even though comic books didn''t exist in real life, Alfred was very much present before him.

    ¡°You brought a friend. That''s a first.¡±

    ¡°No time for your courtesies, Fred. Can you take us to that famous field?¡±

    ¡°The one you recently asked your parents about? No problem, Fred. Hop in.¡±

    The third thing that occurred to him was that Nathana?l really was Batman''s son.

    They rode for barely 20 minutes. Marc suddenly regretted having killed a man who lived so close to home. But was it really his fault? It had been a year.

    They arrived at a huge field. As Marc didn''t know records, he quickly qualified it as the largest field in the world.

    ¡°If you plan to explore the place, be very careful because you could get lost. You could always locate my phone or the car. I''ll be here waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Fred.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome.¡±

    Marc and Nathana?l walked around the field for a long time, looking for any sign of an entrance.

    ¡°What are we looking for anyway?¡±

    ¡°We should be looking for where the corpse was. But to do that, we''ll have to enter the field.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we waiting for.¡±

    ¡°Aren''t you afraid to go in?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Marc''s eyes showed nothing. As if whatever was going to happen didn''t affect him anymore.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Let''s go then. Follow me.¡±

    The two entered the field. Marc followed Nathana?l through the immense ears of wheat. They walked for ten minutes. Marc could see nothing but wheat on the horizon. The wind blew across the ears, and the landscape was beautiful when they could see it. But a little too quiet.

    Marc walked. He walked and walked. Nathana?l didn''t seem to stop.

    ¡°Are we going to be much longer?¡±

    No answer. It wasn''t Nathana?l. Someone was there, stirring the ears of wheat. Marc kept walking, even though he''d noticed the deception. The man in front of him was walking fast and had disappeared in a flash. Marc kept walking to see if he was a little further ahead. But he stumbled over something. He opened his eyes wide again when he saw what it was.

    ¡°It''s...it''s him.¡± The corpse of the field''s owner lay there on the ground. His limbs were withered. His eyes were gone. His tongue, out, was being eaten by worms.

    ¡°Yuck.¡±

    Marc went to vomit a little farther away. It was the first time he''d seen a corpse up this close. He''d touched it on top of that. It took him some time to recover from this horrible sight. Lost in the middle of the field, he supposed that the first thing to do was to go home. Except that he had no idea which way he''d come. Nathana?l had Fred''s number, but not him.

    He tried to locate the phones around him.

    ¡°Tss!¡±

    Just as he''d thought, no one. This was clearly not normal. He''d figured it out when he''d stumbled across the corpse that must already have been taken far from here. This corpse wasn''t supposed to be here.

    Marc knew that his curiosity had led him to do things he shouldn''t have done. But he looked at the corpse a second time anyway. This time, he looked at it properly.

    Its two arms were pointing in two different directions. Both hands, or rather what was left of them, were pointing to two sides as if he wanted to show the way. Marc looked in the direction the left hand was pointing. Of course, he saw nothing but wheat.

    ¡°No matter which direction I choose, I''ll end up getting lost.¡±

    Marc was determined to do battle with this man. If this road led to the man in black, he''d fight to the death. At least, he''d try.

    So, after a brief reflection, he followed the direction of the left hand. Marc moved away from the corpse and began wandering around the field. He had no idea if he was following the right road, but thought he was walking more or less straight. The wheat crunched under his feet. Tension mounted the further he went. His heart was beating faster and his blood pressure was rising. Marc found it harder and harder to walk. His legs wanted to move less and less.

    Marc walked with difficulty for 5 minutes before stumbling into a space in which stood a door surrounded by mud. Mud deep enough to swallow him.

    Marc looked at the door and it took him no less than thirty seconds to realize that it was the cathedral door. The door was there, but not the cathedral. It stood there as if waiting to be opened. Like a portal to another place. If he''d thought it possible one day before these visions he wouldn''t be the same man now.

    Marc looked at the door, impassive. If he was meant to be anywhere, it was in there. He wondered how to get to her without dirtying his beautiful shoes. He had no choice. He had to walk through the mud.

    Marc took his first step into the mud, but at the same time his foot lost all available support. It sank completely, as if there was a hole where the mud had been. Marc found himself upside down. His feet where the ground was supposed to be, which now became the sky. His eyes saw a sight never seen before.

    The cathedral was there, but upside down. It was as if she were on the surface of the ground but in another world upside down, and the only thing separating them from her real world was the ground. Snow fell on the cathedral and the wind seemed to speak. Marc stopped thinking for this short time, obviously not knowing what to think. His eyes reflected the strange and incredible spectacle unfolding before his eyes.

    Marc soon found himself caught up in gravity, which pulled him back down to the ground. He sank back into the mud and found himself in the middle of the field, but not in front of the gate. He looked around and noticed he was in the middle of the field.

    ¡°What the hell was that. Was this really another world?¡±

    Marc had just realized that the possibility of another world had just been proven and that the man in black was surely from that world. This world looked totally different from his own. Totally, foreign.

    ¡°I''ve got to find Nathana?l. He may have fallen into one of these mud puddles.¡±

    Marc got to his feet quickly. He looked around to see if he could locate Nathana?l''s position. Unfortunately, all around him, nothing was moving.

    ¡°Never mind. I''ll have to take a wild guess.¡±

    Marc moved in a random direction. He made occasional turns and shouted to see if anyone would answer. But there was no answer. He began seriously to wonder if he wasn''t stuck in this field forever. Suddenly, movement appeared to his right. He watched carefully to see where the noises were coming from.

    ¡°Nath?¡±

    Marc knew one thing. Nathana?l wasn''t the type to play this kind of joke. Given that he''d called him before, if he were that close, he''d have answered.

    ¡°Whoever you are, I don''t feel much like playing right now.¡±

    No matter how impassively he said it, he was still stressing. The thing was getting closer and closer, and Marc took up a fighting stance. He''d never been in a fight before, but now was the perfect time. His stance resembled that of Jeet Kune Do.

    Marc knew the basics of combat. Whatever martial art he used, he knew how to fight.

    The thing sprang up from the tall wheat in front of Marc. He didn''t even take the time to look at what it was. He grabbed its arm and made it turn around. It was an aikido technique he''d learned on his own. The thing''s back slammed into the ground, and that''s when Marc saw it.

    It was a humanoid life-form, but it didn''t look much like a human being. Its body was so white you couldn''t even call it color. She wore clothes made of white linen that seemed to merge with her body. But the strangest thing was her face. It seemed completely perfect. Her hair was white too, but her eyes had no pupils. Upon closer observation, Marc noticed that there were like points of light in his black eyes. He moved a little closer and saw stars and galaxies, as well as a few black holes. She had a universe in her eyes.

    Marc took two steps back. This thing was clearly from the other world. He didn''t have time to question it when he heard other things moving in the field. This time there were a lot of them. Marc took one last look at the being on the ground. It had opened its mouth. Even his mouth revealed only complete blackness. But a word came out of the gaping void.

    ¡°Aregis.¡±

    The voice wasn''t human either. It echoed in Marc''s head, and all he could do was hold his head. It sounded so loud he thought it would explode. The pain made him crouch.

    ¡°I...mustn''t...stay here. They''re coming.¡±

    Marc moved forward as best he could. The being on the ground grabbed his foot and began to open its mouth. Marc gave it a hard kick before starting to run.

    ¡°Go to hell.¡±

    Marc ran as if his life depended on it. At the same time, his life depended on it. He didn''t know if Nathana?l had come across these things either. One thing was certain: they had to get out of this field.

    Across the field, Nathana?l knew he''d already lost Marc. Not only was he lonely, but he hadn''t been able to contact Fred. He was lost in the middle of the field. He had already tried to turn back, but soon realized it was useless. He was walking in the void, hoping to find his way back. He looked left and right to see if things were starting to move, but Marc''s presence seemed to have moved away at the link.

    ¡°Damn. I didn''t think this place was really haunted. I''ll have to find my way back on my ownuuuuuuul....¡±

    Nathana?l was caught in a mud puddle. His whole body disappeared from the surface. He found himself upside down in a world that didn''t seem to be his own. In the short time he was aloft, he saw in the distance what he recognized as the cathedral of his dream. But the journey was too short for him to be sure of what he was getting into.

    He plunged back into a mud puddle and found himself back in his own world. This time, he wasn''t standing in the middle of wheat fields, but in front of a door. Nathana?l recognized the door. It was the cathedral door, but the cathedral was clearly not there. His curiosity led him to open the door, but as he approached it, he was once again swallowed up by the mud. This time, he found himself upside down in front of the cathedral. A nervous smile appeared on his face. It did exist, but not in their world.

    Nathana?l wanted to deviate his trajectory but suddenly gave up. Strange beings were watching him. They were so clearly white that you couldn''t even call it color. They looked at Nathana?l with starry eyes, and he also noticed strange little wings on their backs. Much smaller than those of the man in black.

    Nathana?l interrupted his trajectory and let himself be drawn into the mud puddle. He went out into another corner of the field. He had no idea where he was, but one thing was certain: he had to get out of the field.

    He started to run and noticed that the strange creatures came after him as soon as he emerged from the mud. Nathana?l was a fast runner and now was the time to put his speed to good use. He ran into the field with no idea of where he was going. His run on the ground didn''t last long, as he crossed a mud puddle after ten minutes of running. This time he saw a mountain full of snow. He''d never seen so much. But the point he couldn''t miss was that at the top of this mountain was the cathedral.

    Nathana?l plunged back into a mud puddle and started running again. There was no time to dwell on what he saw. He had to run and get out of this field.

    But again he plunged into a mud puddle. This time, he found himself in a cave and hit his head on the ceiling. As he fell back, he saw someone banging his head in another corner of the cave.

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    The person turned around. It was Marc, all right.

    ¡°Ah hi. How are you?¡±

    They didn''t have time to say more.

    Marc had just seen Nathana?l. That meant he''d started running too. Marc was relieved.

    He plunged back into the cliff and started running again. He had finally lost sight of his pursuers, but still didn''t know which way he was running.

    ¡°It''s really not a great feeling running without knowing where you''re going.¡±

    Marc realized that if he came out of this field, it would be pure chance.

    He kept running until he realized that his opponents were right in front of him. He stopped, turned and was about to run the other way when he heard a familiar voice.

    ¡°Sh.t¡±

    ¡°Nath? Is that you?¡±

    ¡°Run you moron.¡±

    Nathana?l sprang in front of Marc and passed him.

    ¡°Oh Oh!¡±

    Nathana?l''s pursuers sprang up and started chasing Marc.

    ¡°This guy''s got no shortage of stamina.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, neither do we.¡±

    ¡°Did you know that when human beings feel in danger, they start doing things they don''t even know they''re doing. A kind of survival instinct. ¡±

    ¡°Would you shut up and run.¡±

    Marc knew he sounded a little too relaxed. The reason was simple, he didn''t necessarily want to survive. He''d killed millions of people. Normally, the sentence for such a crime was death. He blamed himself. He blamed himself so much. It was as if all the souls he''d killed were clinging to him, not letting him live.

    Marc closed his eyes as he ran and began to slow down. But Nathana?l grabbed his hand.

    ¡°Oh no. This is no time to feel guilty. If there''s one thing you can do now, it''s make amends. And for that you need to survive and not die like a coward.¡±

    Nathana?l''s words touched Marc to the core.

    ¡°Sir, is everything all right?¡±

    ¡°It''s Fred. Incredible, we''re running in the right direction.¡±

    They began to accelerate. Marc looked behind him. The strange beings were watching him. They didn''t seem to mean them any harm. They seemed rather desperate.

    After a long run, they finally jumped out of the field. They were out of breath and struggling to hold their breath. Fred came to meet them.

    ¡°Are you all right, sir?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It''s over. It''s finally over.¡±

    <div>

    <div>

 Superman

    The two boys turned to see if the strange creatures would emerge from the field. Fortunately for them, none had.

    ¡°Could there be a magic barrier or something?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense.¡±

    ¡°You know that with what''s just happened to us, anything''s possible.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, Fred. We''re going home. Tell everyone to stay out of this field.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sir.¡±

    Marc and Nathana?l struggled to their feet. They were both exhausted from the mad rush. Beyond that, their minds had seen something that probably no one else had. Another world. A hidden world where these strange beings lived. A world where the man in black surely lived.

    The journey home was silent. They didn''t want to talk for fear of making Fred doubt their activities. But Marc and Nathana?l kept glancing at each other, which worried Fred.

    ¡°You know sir that I''m your butler. If there''s a problem, you can tell me. That''s what I''m here for.¡±

    Marc and Nathana?l looked at each other. There was no real problem telling everyone about their adventure. But where there was a problem, it was that they probably couldn''t keep everyone safe. If they had to fight the man in black, no one would be able to win. They weren''t about to have any more deaths on their hands. But even so, Nathana?l spilled the beans.

    ¡°This field is cursed. We''re following a curse we received not long ago. In the future I''d like you to be able to take us to different places to help us with our investigation.¡±

    ¡°No problem, sir. Shall I report this to your parents ?¡±

    ¡°No. That would only worry them.¡±

    They arrived at Nathana?l''s house. When they arrived, someone was having tea with his mother. The two people spoke at the same time.

    ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡±

    Elie looked at Marc with a touch of anger. Mil¨¨ne looked at Nathana?l with a touch of concern. Marc didn''t know what to say. Instead, he wondered what she was doing here. On reflection, it seemed logical.

    ¡°We were just out to see the field you bought for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh. You could have left me a message. So I wouldn''t have to worry.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Mom.¡±

    ¡°That''s okay.¡±

    Elie was still looking at Marc. There seemed to be a fire in her eyes ready to engulf him. But she wasn''t the only one looking angrily at Marc. Elie''s mother was looking out the window. She understood why her daughter said it was an emergency. She hadn''t come to see the handsome, rich and generous Nathanael King, but rather had come to see her boyfriend Marc, who was at Nathanael King''s house. This had pissed her off.

    Marc began to stress.

    ¡°Okay. Someone give me a ride home.¡±

    Nathana?l''s mother looked at Elie.

    ¡°You live near him, don''t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We can drop him off.¡±

    Elie''s face beamed at the thought of being able to sit next to Marc in the car.

    ¡°No way.¡±

    Elie''s mother retorted.

    ¡°I don''t want him in my car.¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    ¡°Not another word, my daughter. I just don''t like the guy.¡±

    ¡°Mom, if we don''t take him back now, I''m not talking to you.¡±

    Elie''s mother looked at her daughter. Tears nearly rolled down her cheeks.

    ¡°No. Don''t do that, darling. I was only joking.¡±

    Marc felt embarrassed. They said goodbye to Nathana?l and his family and headed home. In the car, nobody said a word. Marc didn''t want to say anything to Elie for the same reason he didn''t say anything to Nathana?l in the car.

    When they got close to home, Elie was the first to speak.

    ¡°Mom, I''m going to Marc''s.¡±

    ¡°But, you...¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    Catherine couldn''t stand the look on her daughter''s face.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    She dropped them off at Marc''s.

    ¡°Come back for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    At Marc''s, Elie sat directly in the chair. Marc knew he had to unpack everything. He recounted his adventure in the field. At the end of each sentence, Elie seemed shocked. She began to lower her gaze.

    ¡°So this is what we have to face.¡±

    Marc didn''t answer. He knew better than anyone the fear these things could embody. But despite the strange, out-of-this-world appearance these things had unleashed, he wasn''t afraid of them. He wanted to defy them once again.

    Elie knew that a force outside this world was at work. But she hadn''t planned to be involved in this other world. Her only wish was for everything to return to normal. But unfortunately for her, that was no longer possible.

    ¡°Elie. You know I''d probably advise you to stay out of this one.¡±

    Marc didn''t want to involve anyone. Even if he wanted to take down the man in black, he had to do it alone. Especially not involve Elie.

    ¡°And you know I''ll probably refuse.¡±

    Marc looked at Elie this time. She was looking at him with a strange expression. Marc supported her gaze with a dark expression.

    ¡°This test, we''re going to pass it together.¡±

    Back at the school, the trio began to talk about their discovery. They hadn''t wanted to go back to the field for a long time, but wanted to find a way forward in all this.

    Today was the day of the sports class. Marc and Nathana?l were in the same group.

    ¡°Today, we''re going to do some jumps over the springboard you see there. Everyone jumps in their own way, and you can use your hands.¡±

    All the students jumped. At first Marc thought the teacher was pulling their leg. Jumping was ridiculous. Unless someone wanted to be an athlete, jumping wasn''t going to guarantee them a future.

    Yet two people were giving it their all. Marc watched a girl named Alice jump like a true athlete. Her jump was perfect. She did gymnastics, so it was normal. Nathana?l came up behind Marc.

    ¡°So, are you capable of doing better than her?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Marc was next. He took off like everyone else and jumped. He jumped without his arms to show the others that he could do it without them, but the result was still more than astonishing. Marc flew more than 5 meters into the air. The students couldn''t believe their eyes.

    Marc also noticed that he had jumped a little high. He began waving his arms and shouting in all directions. He was panicking at the thought of ending up on his head. But with uncommon agility, he landed back on his feet without making a sound. Like a cat.

    The gym teacher raised his glasses to make sure he wasn''t dreaming. Nathana?l swallowed a fly. Marc thought he was dead.

    Everyone looked at Marc. Marc looked at his hands. He walked over to the professor and touched his face to see if he could cross it. To his surprise, he couldn''t. He hadn''t become a ghost.

    He returned to the queue while everyone present was still looking at him.

    ¡°And...well continue.¡±

    Another student took off and jumped. Next to Marc''s, his jump looked ridiculous. Now it was Nathana?l''s turn. He took off, jumped, and also ejected 5 meters from the ground. The students were surprised again. Nathana?l''s jump was neater than Marc''s. Everything about him was elegant.

    The other students opened their mouths wide. What had happened to those two?

    Nathana?l looked at his hands and then went to touch the professor''s face to see if he had become a ghost. Clearly, he hadn''t become one either. He returned to the queue. No one was saying anything.

    Andre looked at his hands in turn. He thought he could do it too. He took off and tried to jump over the springboard, but caught his feet in it and brought the springboard down with him. The other students looked at him emotionlessly. They were too busy thinking about how Marc and Nathana?l had done their trick. Andre stood up with a cold look on his face and silently made his way back to the queue. Nathana?l and Marc were still looking at their hands. Alice wondered if she''d done the right thing by taking up gymnastics in the first place, and questioned her life. The teacher wondered if he shouldn''t resign.

    The class ended in silence. The teacher gave no more information, reflecting on his life. One by one, the students advanced towards the springboard like zombies. Each time it was Marc and Nathana?l''s turn, they jumped more than 5 meters each.

    At one point, Marc tried a bigger jump and leapt over 10 metres. Nathana?l saw him and did the same. Alice left the class, saying she had to die. Despite the danger of her words, none of the students reacted. Even the teacher was no longer with them.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    At the end of class, they all went back to the changing rooms. No one could speak. Marc and Nathana?l emerged from the locker room. They looked at each other for a good two minutes.

    ¡°I think...we''re...a bit...different than...?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I''ve noticed.¡±

    Silence reigned for 5 minutes.

    ¡°Do you think it''s from the field?¡±

    ¡°There''s no doubt about it.¡±

    ¡°Well, hello there.¡±

    ¡°Bye.¡±

    The two went their separate ways. Marc wanted to take the bus home, but an idea occurred to him.

    ¡°If I''m a superman, then I can run all the way home.¡±

    Marc moved his left foot back and got into position. He took a deep breath, concentrated and began to run. The impulse he gave left a hole and a gust of wind behind. Not at all, he was faster. The wind struck against him. The slightest insect bumping against his fig left a big impact. He was barely faster than a car, but the damage to a human body was not the same.

    Marc didn''t want to stop for fear of braking too hard and hitting someone. He realized that his physical condition had really gone beyond average. He was running really fast. It was a great feeling.

    He took a moment to calm down. He was on his way home.

    There was no one on the street, but Marc didn''t want to take any risks. He tried to jump vertically. Unfortunately, his jump took the form of a curve. His plan was to jump and land vertically. Which, come to think of it, was not a good idea.

    He landed at least a hundred metres further on. He rolled several times and found himself flying away. He crashed into a tree, but instead of the tree arresting his fall, he broke the tree into several pieces. It took the help of several trees to stop him in his tracks.

    Marc found himself on his back. He looked up at the sky, covered in wounds. They weren''t wounds, but scratches on his body. He stared at the sky for 10 minutes, thinking what his life would be like thanks to this.

    ¡°Now maybe I can even shoot the man in black.¡±

    Maybe it was a relief for him to have had that physique. Someone entered the devastated forest and saw Marc lying on the ground with his clothes torn.

    ¡°Oh boy. Are you all right?¡±

    Marc wasn''t listening. He was looking up at the sky. The clouds that had gathered above his head formed an eye. An eye that seemed to be watching him intently.

    ¡°I''ll get you, you dirty dog.¡±

    The person who had approached Marc thought he was dead, but Marc got up just as soon and made his way back to his house.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Thanks for worrying about me, but I''m fine.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay.¡±

    Marc patted her shoulder with a big smile and left without looking back. At home, his mother looked down at his clothes and cried out.

    ¡°Lord. What happened to you?¡±

    Marc was a master of excuses.

    ¡°I wanted to test my skills by climbing a tree. Unfortunately, this is the result. But don''t worry, I''m fine.¡±

    Marie looked down at his clothes. It was impossible to believe he was okay. His sweater was gone and his pants had become briefs. She patted him to see if he had any wounds or bumps or anything, but to her surprise, he had nothing at all except scratches. She stepped back to look at her son fully. He was smiling as if he''d just come out of a children''s playground. She saw again a smile she hadn''t seen in a long time.

    ¡°All right, I''ll let you go this time. But don''t come back with your clothes in such a state.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Marc went up to his room.

    ¡°By the way, you have your first karate class today. Get ready, I''ll drive you.¡±

    This was why she''d come back early.

    ¡°Don''t bother, I''ll go running.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? It''s 20km from here. ¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°But you...¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    Marc''s mother looked at him. She realized he was probably hiding something. A way to go alone or with someone maybe. Elie?

    ¡°Do you even know where you''re going?¡±

    Marc''s expression decomposed. By the way, he didn''t know at all.

    He changed and left with his mother. He tried to memorize the route so he could go alone later. They arrived at the agreed location. The building wasn''t that big, but there were still a few cars parked out front. They went inside and looked for the manager''s office. To tell the truth, they had no idea what to call it.

    They arrived at a wooden door. The gentleman who had shown them the way had told them it was a Japanese-style sliding door. The manager was apparently a fan.

    ¡°Well, I guess this is it.¡±

    Marc knocked on the door, then they heard a voice coming from inside.

    "Come in¡±.

    He opened the door and saw a man in a kimono sitting on the floor.

    ¡°He really is a fan of Japan.¡±

    ¡°Please have a seat. The class hasn''t started yet, but I assume you''re new since I''ve never seen you here.¡±

    ¡°Logical.¡±

    Marc had thought that out loud. He didn''t want to be polite anyway.

    ¡°My name is Thierry. I''m the director of this dojo.¡±

    ¡°Dojo?¡±

    He really was a fan of Japan.

    ¡°I wish I could...¡±

    Marc cut him off.

    ¡°Look, I didn''t come here to play around. I''ll get straight to the point. I''ll beat you either way. All I want is for you to teach me to perfect my karate. If you like, I''ll spar with you in front of all your students and then, when I''ve won, you can do as I say. ¡±

    Marc''s mother couldn''t believe it. Thierry thought he''d stumbled across a madman.

    ¡°Good. What''s your name?¡±

    ¡°Mine''s Marc. But soon for you, it''ll be sir."

    ¡°Very good, Marc. Have you ever done karate?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven''t.¡±

    ¡°Taekwondo?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven''t.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you plan to beat me?¡±

    ¡°I''ve got the basics.¡±

    Thierry looked at Marc. This wasn''t the first time someone had done this to him. Many others had tried it before him, but he''d beaten them. He laughed heartily and remained calm.

    ¡°Good. Come along now. Follow me.¡±

    Marc''s mother was looking for a way to kill him without him dying. She hadn''t raised her son like that. She looked at him with contempt.

    Marc saw her look and became a little frightened. He thought that, even if he had obtained super-strength, he couldn''t beat her.

    Marc and Thierry entered a large room filled with mats. This seemed to be the room where the students trained, as there were already so many of them. Everyone looked at Marc.

    ¡°Hello everyone. Today, I''m going to introduce you to your new comrade-in-arms, Marc. He''s come to my office for a challenge. Like you, Jin.¡±

    Marc looked at the student concerned. He had a dark look and was training alone at the back of the room. His hair, too, was a deep black. He appeared to be a bit of a reject, but his belt was black. Marc could tell from that alone. He was strong.

    ¡°Don''t worry, Marc. After you''ve had your fun, you''ll end up just like him. Dark, but strong.¡±

    Marc was still watching Jin. His movements didn''t reflect years of work, but rather genius. This guy was a genius.

    ¡°Right, get the tatami ready.¡±

    The students stepped back to make room for the centers. You could clearly see that the space in which they were going to fight was rectangular. Thierry got into position. Marc got into position.

    ¡°That''s not the position for someone who does karate.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Thierry raised an eyebrow. He wondered if Marc really wanted to learn karate. Marc soon understood why Thierry was confused. The position he''d taken was the same as the one in the field.

    ¡°Don''t forget our agreement.¡±

    ¡°I haven''t, don''t worry. In fact, I''m delighted.¡±

    The fight had begun. Thiery stepped forward and began with her best series of moves. The students recognized it.

    ¡°He''s dead.¡±

    ¡°He''s going to get his head blown off.¡±

    But to their surprise, Marc didn''t seem to be in any trouble. He dodged and blocked Thierry''s blows effortlessly. Thierry was sweating. He continued with a mae geri, a yoko geri, a mawashi geri, a kin geri...Nothing worked.

    Marc dodged every blow. Compared to that day, compared to the things he''d seen, Thierry was worthless.

    After his whole series, Thierry was exhausted. He''d used every move he knew. He looked at Marc in despair. Folded in half, with his arms on his knees, Marc stood looking like a master.

    Marc looked at Thierry before opening his mouth.

    ¡°Is this all you''ve got?¡±

    Marc''s mother, who had been watching the fight, was surprised. She knew her son was strong, but not that strong. Jin was watching it too, observing Marc''s supremacy for a long time.

    ¡°I guess it''s my turn.¡±

    Marc lifted his leg and Thierry flew to the back of the room. By the way, no one had seen Marc''s move. Jin opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°I think now everyone is my department. So take care of me.¡±

    Marc left the room. The students couldn''t believe their eyes. Jin tried to remember the movement, but he couldn''t; he really hadn''t seen it. He quickly got to his feet to follow Marc out the door with his mother. The students tried to lift the principal.

    ¡°Hey. Wait.¡±

    Marc turned to see Jin who had followed him.

    ¡°How did you do that? How did you manage to be so strong?¡±

    Jin didn''t want to look ridiculous in front of anyone. The day he''d arrived, he''d challenged Thierry in the same way. Although he''d managed to land a few blows and put him in difficulty, he''d lost the fight. The consequences were that he had to work harder than the others to prove to the other students that talent wasn''t everything. Naturally, he quickly caught up with his master''s level, which he didn''t see as such. Eventually, his level stagnated. With no example to follow, he began to play several sports at the same time. But in every sport, he always ended up surpassing his masters.

    Jin was well known. He was known by many names: the genius of martial arts, the king of combat, the champion. He had won many fights over a long period of time. All his trophies were proof of that. He was thinking of going abroad to fight stronger than the locals, until he ran into Marc.

    He hadn''t seen the blow Marc had just landed. He understood just by looking at his face. He was strong. Stronger than he was. If there was a way to level up again, it was through Marc.

    ¡°I''ve entered another world.¡±

    Jin''s eyes froze.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°It''s the truth. I''m not lying. I''ve returned to another world.¡±

    Marc''s mother wanted to hit him. Jin thought he was talking about a world beyond the normal state of human beings. A world where only beings as strong as Marc could fight. The world above geniuses. The world of superhumans like the greatsets fighters in the world.

    ¡°How do you get to that world?¡±

    ¡°Believe me, you don''t want to go there. It''s a dangerous world.¡±

    Marc''s mother hit him on the head.

    ¡°I want to enter it. If it makes me stronger, then I''ll do anything.¡±

    Marc looked at Jin. He didn''t know there were people who wanted so badly to become stronger even if it meant putting their lives in danger. He didn''t want to put him in danger, but the look on Jin''s face said he was willing to die for it.

    ¡°Doesn''t he realize that? Why get stronger if you''re going to be closer to death? What good is that strength going to do you?¡±

    Marie looked at Marc in astonishment. She didn''t think her son could say such beautiful things. Jin looked at the ground. He wondered how he would answer. He''d never found the right answer to that question. He remembered the time his mother had asked him.

    ¡°Why do you become so strong, Jin?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. I just want to get strong, that''s all.¡±

    He had no specific reason. Ever since the day he discovered fighting, he''d told himself it was fun. So even if he had to fight more often, he never wanted to lose. He wanted to be able to beat everyone, or at least stand shoulder to shoulder with the greats.

    Jin raised his head.

    ¡°I just want to be strong, that''s all.¡±

    Marc was still looking at Jin.

    ¡°Be strong huh? If you want to. Give me your number. I''ll give you a call. But know that I''m in no way responsible for what happens to you.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Marc and Jin exchanged numbers. Jin watched Marc leave. He could feel the excitement building. He was finally going to be able to become as strong as the top of this world.

    ¡°It''s not enough.¡±

    Marc thought back to the fight. He realized that even if he learned to master karate it wouldn''t be enough to defeat this guy.

    ¡°Mom, we couldn''t find someone who''s done every martial art possible.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Have you noticed that karate won''t take you to the top?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I''m willing to try with your father to find someone who gives lessons, but don''t you think you''re strong enough as it is?¡±

    Marc knew he''d probably had very few humans capable of facing him since he''d returned to the other world. But he needed to perfect his techniques.

    ¡°I just want to perfect my techniques.¡±

    ¡°If you like. But you know that people this strong aren''t all available.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    That was the risk. Marc thought he might have to learn on his own. Nevertheless, he was going to keep going to classes.

    He went home with his mother and saw Elie in front of her house. She had finished and returned before Marc.

    ¡°Good evening Madame.¡±

    ¡°Good evening Elie. I suppose you''ve come to see Marc.¡±

    ¡°Yes. He didn''t come home on the bus and he wasn''t answering Nathana?l''s calls.¡±

    ¡°Why was Nathana?l calling him?¡±

    ¡°Because I don''t have his number.¡±

    Elie''s mother looked at her son with contempt. She felt relieved that her son really didn''t take her for a girlfriend, but she didn''t really support his not even wanting to give her his number.

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    ¡°I forgot, that''s all.¡±

    ¡°Don''t do that kind of thing to a friend.¡±

    Marc felt embarrassed.

    ¡°Well, I''ll let you two talk.¡±

    Marie returned to the house, leaving the two young people in front. Elie spoke first.

    ¡°Why didn''t you take the bus.¡±

    ¡°Come along. I''ll explain inside.¡±

    Elie turned a little red. This time, Marc was inviting him straight home.

    ¡°D''a...d''accord.¡±

    They climbed the stairs and saw Marc''s father.

    ¡°Oh, hi Elie.¡±

    ¡°Hello sir.¡±

    David looked at his wife. His gaze searched for answers.

    ¡°Don''t worry. He didn''t even give her his number.¡±

    Marc''s father took a deep breath.

    Marc and Elie sat down. One on the chair, the other on his bed, then Marc began to speak.

    ¡°Since the field...well...since we''ve been in this weird world, we''ve gotten stronger. And not just by a little. Just now. We''ve been jumping, and Nath and I have been jumping over five meters every time.¡±

    ¡°Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. So I figured if we''d become that much supermen, I could run home. Unfortunately, my fall still hurts a little. Look over there.¡±

    Elie stood up to look out the window. His eyes then saw, the trees cut up and the damage in the forest.

    ¡°Is that you?¡±

    ¡°It''s me.¡±

    Elie stared at the trees for a long time, then laughed. His laugh made Marc shudder.

    ¡°Does that make you laugh?¡±

    Marc thought Elie''s laugh was beautiful. He''d never heard it because she never laughed like that.

    ¡°Well, it does. If I''ve got a superman like that with me, what can happen to me?¡±

    Marc opened his eyes wide. She was taking it well. Elie''s laugh was soft and jovial. Marc felt as if he could stop a war. He watched Elie laugh helplessly. His eyes reflected her silhouette.

    Then he managed to detach himself from her and blew out a breath. Elie calmed down too.

    ¡°Okay. You seem to be taking it well.¡±

 What the eyes see

    The weekend had arrived. Marc was relieved not to have school that day. He really hated school.

    Marc didn''t usually go out at the weekend. As he was very anti-social, he didn''t see anyone at weekends. Marc used to play soccer. He went out every Saturday and/or Sunday to play. But his passion for his favorite sport had faded with time. He didn''t run as much as he used to and didn''t want to as much. Nevertheless, he continued to run to stay in shape.

    However, Marc couldn''t really stay on his own anymore. Elie rang his doorbell several times.

    ¡°I''m coming. I''m coming.¡±

    It had become one of his only reasons for going out.

    ¡°You might only ring once next time. I can hear you, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But I know you''ll only really come down if I ring a few times.¡±

    ¡°What do you want this time?¡±

    ¡°Let''s go to Nathanael''s.¡±

    ¡°I don''t even know where that is.¡±

    ¡°But you''ve already been there.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I forgot.¡±

    ¡°We''ll ask my mother to take us there.¡±

    ¡°No way. She''ll kill me.¡±

    ¡°Yours, then.¡±

    ¡°It''s okay, we can walk. It''s an hour away.¡±

    ¡°I don''t want to walk.¡±

    ¡°And why is that, princess?¡±

    At the word ¡°princess,¡± Elie blushed a little.

    ¡°I suppose it''ll tire you out too much.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Very well, then. Bicycles then? Unless my queen wants me to carry it.¡±

    Elie definitely turned red. She tried to slap Marc, but he dodged easily.

    ¡°Wow, you wanted to kill me.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn''t have done you any good anyway.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Well, I''ll have Nathana?l send someone over.¡±

    ¡°Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he said I could.¡±

    Marc telephoned Nathana?l and another butler than Fred came at once.

    ¡°Isn''t it Fred this time?¡±

    ¡°Fred must stay with Monsieur Nathana?l. Please get in.¡±

    Marc opened the door and held out his hand to Elie. She was surprised.

    ¡°I know manners all the same.¡±

    The two climbed into the car while Elie''s mother watched them with a pair of binoculars from her window.

    ¡°If he''s rich like that, maybe I could ask him for money every time he sees Elie?¡±

    They arrived at Nathana?l''s house very quickly. Marc gently closed the door behind Elie.

    ¡°Thanks, Jean.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome.¡±

    Marc wondered why they were all so polite. He turned to go to the front door. He tried to look up at the house but it seemed bright. Much too bright. Marc found it hard to look. He put his hand in front of his face to try and shield his eyes, but nothing helped. The house shone like the sun.

    ¡°Well then, are you coming?¡±

    Finally, Marc managed to enter, squinting.

    ¡°Is it just me, or is this house shining a little too brightly?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I can''t see it properly.¡±

    At these words, Elie sketched a small smile.

    ¡°Wouldn''t you be jealous?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Marc understood. Only he could see the house glowing so brightly. He still tried to look around so as not to look ridiculous in front of the others. His vision adjusted and he managed to see the house correctly after a while.

    They entered the house. Nathana?l sat staring at his computer, concentrating with all his might. He looked like a teacher trying to correct a student''s badly-written copy.

    ¡°Always doing research. ¡±

    ¡°I''ve got no choice. We''ve got to sort this out.¡±

    Nathana?l was probably the one who wanted to stop this problem the most. He was constantly researching everything he''d seen. He was always taking the slightest note and counting even the most subtle details in his research. His motivation was encuragant, no one could contradict him.

    ¡°Say, why is your house so shiny?¡±

    At these words, Nathana?l stopped and looked at his friend as if he''d understood what he was talking about. Indeed, in this room, they were the only two people who knew what was going on with this house.

    ¡°I thought so. You see it too.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Elie didn''t understand at all. As far as she was concerned, Nathanael''s house was the same as last time.

    ¡°Was it because those two had been in the other world?¡±

    ¡°I think only we can see it and...¡±

    Suddenly, Marc and Nathana?l both stopped. Their vision of the person in front of them was not at all the same. For Marc, Nathana?l shone brighter than his house. But to Nathana?l, Marc was dark. Darker than anything he''d ever imagined. He didn''t give off a good impression at all. He was absorbing all the light around them.

    ¡°Wow. Looking at you, you really did look like an angel.¡±

    Nathana?l couldn''t understand why Marc was so dark. An unparalleled darkness had fled into his body. His gaze couldn''t tear itself away from his comrade even though he''d seen him countless times.

    ¡°Is it because of guilt?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Well. From my point of view, you''re very dark. You give off a certain aura that''s not very reassuring.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Elie looked at Marc in turn. He didn''t look any different. She''d always seen him as the Marc he''d always been. Apart from the fact that he''d had a bit of a breakdown and still felt guilty about killing so many people, he''d managed to overcome that. This was what Elie saw.

    ¡°Maybe I''m contaminated?¡±

    ¡°Yet you show no signs of contamination.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it will come with time.¡±

    ¡°Have you been feeling strange lately?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It''s really strange. We''ll see how it develops.¡±

    Nathana?l didn''t want to put Marc aside just for this strange aura. He thought he''d suffered enough as it was.

    ¡°Why else did you come to see me?¡±

    ¡°It was Elie who wanted to come, not me.¡±

    ¡°You may have information. Leads or clues.¡±

    ¡°You sound like a detective. I really don''t have anything yet. The words come from nowhere. The cathedral doesn''t look like any cathedral in existence. Neither do the symbols you described to me. It seems that if we want information, we''re going to have to get it from over there. And that''s really not a good idea.¡±

    ¡°I also don''t think all the answers are here.¡±

    The three remained silent. All their hopes of making progress in this case were blocked by a world they didn''t know. A world surely dangerous and full of mysteries. Marc was well aware of this. There''s no way to stop these things. They were only human, after all. The man in black and the beings in white were not.

    All they could do from the height of their humanity was survive. It was the first time he''d felt this way. An abyss that made him feel completely powerless. He couldn''t protect his parents. He couldn''t protect Elie. He couldn''t protect his family. And even if Nathana?l had become strong, he probably couldn''t protect him either. Therein lay human helplessness.

    Without a weapon, human beings weren''t that strong. He couldn''t win against a lion or even a bear. Apart from Sanson, who would dare attack a lion with his bare hands? That''s why human beings invented weapons. Muscles had never been enough. First to protect themselves from other species, then to protect themselves from themselves. If you took away everything human and put him up against a gorilla, no matter how many martial arts he tried, he wouldn''t win.

    This was certainly not the case with these strange beings. Marc knew it. Even if he, at that moment, could win against a lion. He probably wouldn''t win against the man in black.

    But...

    ¡°We''ve got to go back.¡±

    Marc didn''t care anymore.

    ¡°If that''s the only way, ...¡±

    He didn''t want to remain powerless.

    ¡°Then I''m going.¡±

    ¡°Out of the question. You could die out there.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You''re really serious.¡±

    ¡°But we won''t make any headway if we don''t. And you know it.¡±

    Nathana?l stared at the ground. Even though they''d inherited great strength, it didn''t make them invincible. Far from it. He''d rather stay here helpless than go there helpless. However, he knew that Marc was very angry about what he had done and that nothing could stop him from going to the other world. His eyes didn''t indicate courage, but indifference.

    ¡°I''m not following you, but I refuse to let you sacrifice yourself for nothing.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry. I''m strong, you know?¡±

    ¡°What you''re about to do, far exceeds your strength Marc.¡±

    Nathana?l looked at Marc. Both saw again the auras surrounding them. Light and darkness clashed.

    ¡°I know, but I don''t want to let this happen without me trying anything.¡±

    Nathana?l didn''t want to. It wasn''t a good idea. But was he simply going to wait until the end? Was he going to sacrifice a friend for one of these?

    ¡°Very well. You''ll go alone. I''m not going with you.¡±

    ¡°I''m going.¡±

    Elie wouldn''t let Marc go alone. Everyone knew it was a bad idea because only Mark had been there. The strength he''d received from it surpassed human limits. Elie was just a frail, helpless girl from his point of view.

    ¡°I wouldn''t let you go without me this time.¡±

    ¡°It''s dangerous, you know.¡±

    ¡°I know. That''s why it''s better to be two.¡±

    Marc knew he wasn''t going to convince her. He didn''t want to take her, but he had no choice. In any case, he and Nathana?l had survived the first time he''d gone in.

    ¡°Right, let''s go then.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Nathana?l watched the two walk away. Marc''s aura gave off a very bad feeling, but Elie''s gave off something else. Neither good, nor bad. Neither strong nor weak. Completely neutral.

    ¡°Be careful. I''ll walk you to the field.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Marc had turned to look at Nathana?l. He really gave off a benevolent aura. The light he emitted formed like wings.

    ¡°Is he really an angel?¡±

    On his way, Marc looked out the window. All seemed dark to him. The sky became overcast. Rain began to fall.

 The other world

    They arrived near the field. Elie and Marc got out of the car first. Nathanael came out next with a sword.

    ¡°What are you doing with that? ¡±

    ¡°My father likes to collect swords. Don''t worry, he''s got a permit for it. Anyway, I think you''re going to need it. ¡±

    ¡°What about me, don''t I have one?¡±

    ¡°Of course you do, Elie. Wait.¡±

    Fred pulled a second sword from the car. Swords were very beautiful. It contained special patterns and shone even in the rain. Marc looked at the sword he''d just received. He remembered that in movies and books, the first weapon heroes received was the one that accompanied them for a long time. An adventure with a partner he''d never forget. But that wasn''t the one he was naming.

    ¡°Your father won''t mind?¡±

    ¡°No. These are the least good in his collection.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    Elie looked at Marc''s sword. For some reason, she thought she''d seen it somewhere before. Which was obviously impossible, given that Marc had never carried a sword in his life. He''d always dreamed of it. But for the first time in his life, it was real. He was holding a sword. He had officially become, in his mind, a character in a story.

    ¡°You should have told me you were hiding such monsters.¡±

    ¡°I just couldn''t.¡±

    Nathana?l looked at Marc.

    ¡°Are you sure you know what you''re doing?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I expected that answer. Just be careful. Me and Fred are waiting for you here.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Elie and Marc stepped into the field. Their silhouettes disappeared and the movement of the wheat they had caused stopped. Nathana?l was worried about his friends, but he couldn''t hold them back. All he could do was wish them back alive.

    ¡°You know, sir, Marc is really strange.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°He rushes into danger as if he could conquer it, and he''s not afraid of death. Is that because of what you told me the other day?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. I told him that if he wanted to redeem himself, he had to save the world, not sacrifice himself. But was that a good idea?¡±

    ¡°Guilt can be a good quality as well as a nasty flaw. In any case, it doesn''t seem to be stopping him.¡±

    ¡°Fred. We''ll have to keep an eye on him.¡±

    ¡°Why''s that?¡±

    ¡°You may not be able to see it, but ever since I came back from the other world, I''ve been seeing a lot more things. Among these things, I can see a kind of aura manifesting itself from people. And Marc''s is horribly dark. It''s scary.¡±

    ¡°I see it. I felt it too.¡±

    ¡°You have?¡±

    ¡°Let''s hope he doesn''t become an enemy in the future. I have no desire to face him."

    ¡°Me neither, Fred, me neither.¡±

    Nathana?l looked out over the field.

    Much further into the field, Elie and Marc moved forward in sync. The field was quiet, which meant that the otherworldly creatures had retreated. Marc was looking for a mud puddle in the huge ears of wheat. After about ten minutes, he saw a puddle.

    ¡°Elie. Look.¡±

    Elie took her turn. The puddle really did look like a mud puddle. By the way, there was nothing special about it.

    ¡°You''re so sure of yourself. I don''t feel like dirtying my clothes over this.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry about it. Give me your hand.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Give me your hand.¡±

    Elie didn''t understand why she had to hold his hand. She turned a little red but quickly came to her senses. Marc didn''t understand why she was confused. After all, they had to be together to jump in there.

    ¡°Good. On three, we''ll jump. One, two, three...¡±

    The two took off and jumped into the mud. Marc could already see himself in the next world when suddenly something unexpected happened. They hadn''t made it through the puddle at all. Their clothes were covered in mud and he''d eaten himself headfirst into the dirt. Like a pig.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Is this a joke, Marc?¡±

    ¡°No. At least, not intended.¡±

    ¡°If it''s a joke, it''s really not funny.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. Look, let''s find another puddle and promise you it''ll work.¡±

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    After getting out of the puddle, Elie looked back to see if there was another one.

    ¡°Are you sure we should dive in? Marc?¡±

    Elie turned around. Marc had disappeared.

    ¡°Damn, he told me this could happen.¡±

    Marc got up from the puddle and pushed the ears of corn in front of him to see if Elie was all right. But to his surprise Elie had disappeared.

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    Marc stood up and thought. He knew he''d probably never see Elie again. The only way to see her was to get out of the field, which was proving to be almost impossible.

    ¡°Maybe I could see her in the next world. But this puddle takes us to different places. Even if it stays in the same place, it''s going to be difficult. But there''s no choice.¡±

    Marc advanced into the field. He couldn''t figure out where Elie was, despite his new vision. He tried to focus on one point by squinting, but as he began to do so, he was caught in a puddle. He found himself upside down again in the other world. He wasn''t in front of the cathedral, but on the mountain where it stood.

    He deflected his trajectory and avoided being sucked back into the puddle. With his new physical abilities, this was much easier. He noticed that the mud puddle he had passed through was a puddle of water.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The spot where he was standing was elevated. You could see the top of the mountain and the cathedral above. Marc watched the scene for a long time. At the foot of the mountain was a city of some kind.

    ¡°What is this? A city? The buildings are weird. So far I can''t see anything. But I''m not going over there. I''ve got to find...¡±

    ¡°MARC¡±

    Someone was shouting Marc''s name. The echo of her voice could be heard. Mark recognized her at first sight. It was obviously Elie.

    ¡°Elie. Stop shouting. I''m not sure we''d get much of a welcome if we were discovered here.¡±

    The voice diminished in volume. Marc and Elie searched for each other for ten minutes before finding each other again. Elie was covered in snow.

    ¡°How are you? Aren''t you cold?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°We''ve got to get off this mountain. But first we''re going to see the cathedral.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that''s a good idea. There might be people there.¡±

    ¡°I know. But we have to take the risk. If you want, I''ll leave you in the cave we saw with Nathana?l and...¡±

    ¡°So, where''s the damn cathedral?¡±

    Marc saw Elie rise to her feet as if she''d always been fit. He sighed and stood up in turn.

    ¡°Let''s go.¡±

    They climbed the mountain with difficulty. For Marc it was okay, but for Elie it was harder. As they climbed, Marc noticed that the snow was not normal. They weren''t leaving any footprints in it. It was as if they hadn''t stepped on it. He tried to crush a flake, but it didn''t melt and remained unchanged.

    ¡°Weird.¡±

    They arrived near the top where an ice staircase was attached to the cathedral. The cold had become more violent and the icy winds almost froze them in place. At the sight of their dream location, the two stopped. A dream come true, even reliving the imaginary place. The difference was that it wasn''t imaginary.

    The staircase began to tremble. Marc glared at the cathedral. If he was there, he was going to fight. The two arrived at the door. It was the same as the one they remembered. It still had those strange, indescribable patterns. It was as big as ever.

    Marc looked at Elie. His eyes didn''t want to go inside. Even so, he opened the door. It was heavier than he''d thought. It opened with great effort.

    Once the door was open, it was clear what was inside. Marc and Elie froze. Blood was pouring out of the cathedral. The floor was covered in it. At the far end of the room, where the coffin in which Chris lay, his back was visible. His six black wings were clearly visible. His long black robe was touching the floor, and with it, the blood. Marc could observe his aura. Or rather, understand it. For all around him was his aura. Marc could see nothing.

    He couldn''t speak, or even think of anything as the man in black slowly turned his head. They still couldn''t see his face, but this time Marc could see his eyes through the darkness. In fact, all he could see was a reddish-black glow emanating from what appeared to be the location of his eyes.

    The man in black stepped forward slowly. Marc and Elie could only watch. He took twenty meters, then thirty, then forty... Before ending up 10 meters from them. Then five, then one. Marc and Elie could only watch. He stretched out his hand slowly after standing in front of Marc for ten seconds and looking at him. Marc could only watch. His hand approached his face. Slowly. It didn''t even make a sound.

    Marc stared blankly at the hand of the man in black advancing towards him. His hand didn''t look like a hand. Rather, it was a black mass evaporating into the shape of a hand.

    Marc didn''t want to be caught. He didn''t want to die by his hand. No. On the contrary, he wanted to...

    kill him...

    Marc''s hand split the air to deflect that of the man in black.

    ¡°Run, Elie.¡±

    But Elie didn''t move. Her gaze was empty, staring at the man in black as if he wasn''t there. She was staring into the void.

    ¡°Sh.t¡±

    The man in black seemed surprised by Marc''s counterattack. However, he didn''t back down an inch.

    ¡°Eh!¡±

    Marc pointed his sword at the man who had the appearance of a fallen angel.

    ¡°Bring it on.¡±

    Marc was determined to do battle with this man who was the cause of his troubles. He hadn''t mastered the art of the sword, but as far as he was concerned, his abilities were enough to take him on.

    The man in black remained motionless. He watched Marc, then laughed. The most sinister, horrible laugh Marc had ever heard. His laugh seemed to gather billions of laughs at once, and a very high-pitched sound came out of his voice. Elie collapsed and lost consciousness. Marc tried his best to stand, but failed. His ears were bleeding. So were his eyes and nose.

    Still, the man in black didn''t attack. It was as if he was waiting for Marc to get up. Marc soon realized this. He leaned on his knee, picked up the sword and painstakingly pointed it back at the man in black. This time, he said nothing with it and simply spat blood.

    ¡°How can a laugh put me in such a state? If I hadn''t come here before I''d be like Elie now.¡±

    Marc looked at Elie. Anyone would have thought she was dead. But Marc could see she wasn''t.

    ¡°I''ve got to run away with her.¡±

    He looked at the man in black. His strategy was for him to gradually back away from the fight until he and Elie were going downhill together. It was a bit violent, but he had no choice. But before Marc could even take a step backwards, the man in black was only a few centimetres away. He punched Marc hard in the abdomen. Marc collapsed. Seeing Marc fall, the man in black stopped and watched him groan on the ground. He watched him for a long time before raising his hand. Black and red lightning struck his hand and a sword appeared. Its aura was as dark as that of the man in black. Marc couldn''t see it.

    Before lunging, the man in black said the word in a faint voice, as if whispering.

    ¡°Aregis¡±

    The sword was hurtling downwards at breakneck speed. When the man in black nearly cut Marc, the sword Nathana?l had given to Elie lit up. Or rather, it flashed a powerful light, throwing the man in black to the back of the cathedral.

    ¡°You?¡±

    It was the first time Marc had heard the voice of the man in black, apart from ¡°Aregis¡± or ¡°Astreos¡±. It was enough to make him faint for good.

    The light projected by the sword diminished and when it disappeared, Marc and Elie were gone. The man in black looked at the door.

    ¡°You were already here...Omrir.¡±

 Uninvited guests

    When Marc opened his eyes, he was in the cave he''d seen with Nathana?l. He was aching all over, even though he''d only received a single blow to the abdomen. He lifted his T-shirt and saw a large black and red mark on it. Marc didn''t want to look any longer.

    Looking out over the cave from where he stood, he saw Elie lying unconscious on the floor. After checking that she was all right, he stood up and looked at her hands. His aura surrounded him. It was the first time he''d seen it. A dark, gloomy aura. Much less dark and gloomy than that of the man in black.

    ¡°Am I an evil being like him? ¡±

    Marc didn''t want to think about it too much. But suddenly, he remembered all those people he''d killed.

    ¡°Perhaps, this is the manifestation of our murders? People''s anger.¡±

    Suddenly, Marc saw his aura change. Hundreds of hands grabbed him. Deformed faces stared back at him.

    ¡°Why? Why?¡±

    They kept repeating. Marc closed his eyes. The voices wouldn''t go away.

    ¡°Get out.¡±

    The voices wouldn''t go away.

    ¡°I''m going to make it. So get out.¡±

    ¡°I''ll never see Diane again.¡±

    ¡°Get out, I said.¡±

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    Marc opened his eyes. The voices disappeared at once. Elie looked at Marc with concern.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    Marc looked at Elie with a look filled with regret. But he didn''t want to flinch in front of her again. He had to get over it. Finally, he smiled.

    ¡°Don''t worry about me. You''re the one who fainted.¡±

    ¡°You kept saying ''get lost'', and you want me to believe everything''s okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Elie looked at Marc. She was worried about her partner''s condition. However, she quickly changed her train of thought. They had to get out of this world.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    Marc didn''t answer immediately. He could only go back home after taking such a massacre. If the man in black was watching, they couldn''t get in.

    ¡°I''m going to check out the village. You stay here and wait for me. If he shows up, jump in the water.¡±

    Elie understood Marc''s plan very well. She didn''t want to leave him alone.

    ¡°I won''t let you go alone. You''re really going to die this time.¡±

    ¡°You almost died last time. I''m the one holding up the most. So logically I should go on alone.¡±

    ¡°Marc. Think for two seconds. Imagine if everyone in this world was like him.¡±

    ¡°I''d run.¡±

    ¡°How? He was so much faster than us.¡±

    ¡°I''ve got Nathanael''s sword. It seems everyone who enters here gets major changes. Nath''s sword was clearly able to counter it. If it doesn''t, I''ll run. I promise.¡±

    Elie knew she couldn''t reason with Marc. But Marc knew he couldn''t reason with Elie. She stood up and stepped forward.

    ¡°I''m coming with you.¡±

    Marc looked Elie in the eye. It was impossible to resist. His dark gaze met his friend''s determined gaze.

    ¡°All right.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    The two left the cave and headed down the mountain, checking to see if he was following them. Fortunately for them, the man in black didn''t show his face. They arrived at the sort of town at the foot of the mountain. Marc immediately recognized the strange breed of white being who had attacked him and Nathana?l.

    ¡°It''s them. We''ll be careful.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    They positioned themselves where he could observe the city. Marc took a good look at everything. The city was much larger than any known city. The buildings rose to monstrous heights. It floated on a cloud that was at ground level. What intrigued Marc was that no one was there. Apart from the beings in white who made their rounds like soldiers, there were no real inhabitants. Some of the buildings were misshapen.

    ¡°It''s empty.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If it''s just them, I can beat them.¡±

    Marc wanted to emerge from his hiding place but stopped himself. Someone had just come out of one of the houses. Strangely, he seemed to have seen him somewhere before. As if this guy had lived in his world before.

    ¡°I think it''s all right. He lives alone on a mountaintop. He won''t make a move from here.¡±

    Marc could swear he''d seen this person before. The language he spoke was clearly not his own. But he understood everything. Suddenly, someone else began to speak. Someone who was in the house.

    ¡°You should watch out for him. He''s really not clean-cut.¡±

    ¡°I know. Speaking of which, what would you do if you had unwanted guests.¡±

    Marc and Elie flinched. They quickly realized they were the ones being talked about. Stares seemed to be coming from everywhere in their direction.

    ¡°I don''t know. Should we punish them?¡±

    Their eyes turned to the two teenagers. Marc and Elie stood up as the beings in white began to pursue them.

    ¡°Maybe he should learn to hide their aura.¡±

    ¡°Hush. He''ll find out.¡±

    Marc and Elie ran toward the mountain. The beings in white followed in their wake.

    ¡°Elie, don''t stop. I''ll slow them down.¡±

    Marc knew he was much weaker than the man in black. He slowed down as Elie noticed him slowing down.

    ¡°I''ll help you.¡±

    ¡°You really are.¡±

    The two faced the groups of white beings.

    ¡°Oh. They''ve decided to fight.¡±

    ¡°That means they''ve been here long enough and they know it.¡±

    ¡°Let''s see what they''re capable of.¡±

    Marc was the first to step forward. A white being leapt at his face, but he dodged and landed a heavy blow to the stomach. The white being spat out stars and black matter. Marc had no time to celebrate his blow when a second being holding a spear tried to thrust it into his heart.

    ¡°Careful!¡±

    This time, Elie kicked her hard. It was an front kick she''d learned in her class.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Marc realized he didn''t have to worry about her. The white beings swarmed in. Marc dodged and retaliated. Elie took all the ones Marc didn''t have. He even tried holds he''d seen on TV. He knew that the longer he stayed there, the stronger he became. Marc began to understand his true strength. Each blow he landed became stronger and stronger. The white beings stopped attacking Elie and concentrated on him. They had spears, swords and daggers, but nothing could stop Marc.

    Elie watched the fight. Marc seemed to take pleasure in cutting them down. He even perforated the belly of one of them. He deflected daggers and swords, shattered spears... She was even surprised when she saw several of them with rifles and snipers. Marc had taken a few bullets, including one in the thigh, and he even began to dodge them. His evolution was frightening.

    After about ten minutes, all the white creatures were on the ground.

    Marc wiped his bleeding mouth.In fact, his whole body was bleeding, but Marc couldn''t really feel the pain.The beings in white may have been on the ground and ko, but they were all looking at Marc with starry eyes.Their eyes that seemed to contain the universe. Suddenly, they all opened their mouths.

    ¡°Aregis.¡±

    The word echoed again in Marc''s head.He held his head in his hands, but nothing helped.The pain was immense.Marc was about to faint when Elie shouted loudly.¡°Stay with me, Marc. Don''t collapse now.¡±

    Marc slowly raised his head.He saw Elie about to cry on her knees beside him.Again, he smiled.

    ¡°Don''t worry.Those jackals knew exactly what they were doing, but I''m staying stronger now.¡±

    Elie had laid Marc down and put his head in his lap.

    ¡°Yes. You''re strong now.¡±

    Marc turned his head. He saw the person who had come out of the house and spotted them, advancing towards them.

    ¡°Be careful, Elie.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Marc looked at Elie, surprised by the tone of his voice. His gaze had gone from sadness to anger in less than a second.

    ¡°I''m warning you already, if this is about you fighting, you''re going to have to expect the worst.¡±

    Marc felt shame rising. Elie wasn''t very good with aftershocks, and she didn''t look at all capabl of fighting.

    ¡°At least she''s strong.¡±

    ¡°I see. I see.¡±

    Marc and Elie couldn''t see what the stranger saw. He put his hand behind his neck.

    ¡°It''s complicated. Good. I''m going to let you go this time even though he might hurt me. I don''t want any trouble, besides so I''ll send you home.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute. We didn''t get all our answers.¡±

    ¡°You don''t need them and I''m not going to give them to you.¡±

    Marc and Elie looked at their opponent. He was very handsome and seemed to be known by everyone. They had long black hair with a lock that hid part of his face. Yet his clothes were very simple. An apple-green shirt with white flowers, a little too baggy, and baggy jogging pants too. He seemed so relaxed that Marc and Elie were taken aback.

    ¡°I''ve seen you before, haven''t I?¡±

    At Elie''s question, he laughed. His laugh, too, was beautiful and harmonious.

    ¡°Of course you have, of course you have. My name is Mirades. Oh no, that''s right. In your world, I''m Known.¡±

    At these words, a blue light enveloped the teenagers. Marc couldn''t even move and didn''t try to challenge, but Elie tried to reach out.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Even so, the light enveloped them completely and they found themselves in a vast expanse of land. Marc and Elie didn''t understand where they were until Marc noticed Nathana?l''s car.

    ¡°There''s no more field.¡±

    Everything had become dry and hard. Marc could no longer see any puddles on the horizon. Nathana?l started running toward them.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

 A sword in the rain

    The three of them sat down in Nathana?l''s living room. Marc had started the story and Elie was filling in what was missing.

    ¡°Incredible!¡±

    Nathana?l couldn''t believe it. They really were powerful. More powerful than Marc after he''d obtained this strength. Even if he''d managed to get rid of the white beings, the man in black remained at a level completely unattainable.

    ¡°He told you he was famous. Do you know who he is?¡±

    ¡°I really feel like I''ve seen him somewhere, but I''m having trouble figuring out who it is.¡±

    ¡°I have that same impression, but I can''t see either.¡±

    The three friends thought for a long time. This extremely handsome and charismatic man he''d told them he was known didn''t tell them anything on earth. What''s more, they now knew that he either lived in this world or was just a story or legend.

    ¡°Maybe he''s a Greek god?¡±

    ¡°Or Egyptian?¡±

    ¡°Or the yeti?¡±

    Elie seemed very serious in her development. Marc and Nathana?l wondered if she lacked a little IQ.

    ¡°How could a guy that good-looking be the yeti?¡±

    ¡°Maybe they don''t have the same shape on earth.¡±

    That seemed more logical.

    ¡°In that case, could it be a known human?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he''s as handsome as over there?¡±

    At this question, Marc thought again to himself. Was he handsome? It didn''t look like it, but Marc cared a lot about his appearance. He often looked in the mirror to see if he was handsome or not. Even if he didn''t think himself excellent, he didn''t think himself ugly at all. His friends often told him he was lucky to be the way he was. But he wanted to know for sure.

    ¡°Hey, Elie? Am I handsome?¡±

    Elie couldn''t believe her ears. She turned a little red. As far as she was concerned, Marc wasn''t ugly at all. But usually, when a girl said a guy was handsome, it was because she liked him. Elie wondered if he was missing a little IQ.

    ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡±

    ¡°Just like that.¡±

    For Marc, the way to find out if a boy was really handsome or not was to ask a girl.

    ¡°Marc, are you serious? Let''s focus.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you''re right.¡±

    Elie breathed, reassured that he didn''t have to answer. She had no desire to reveal her feelings like that.

    ¡°But what else can we find out? Maybe ''known'' is his name?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? We really don''t know anything about these guys. I''ll summarize what we''ve got. The man in black is very strong. The world of these people is really weird. The known guy is ''known'' in this world. The white beings are like anti-human guards, or rather anti-intrusion guards. And the passages between the worlds of this field no longer exist. We don''t know the reason, but maybe it''s the ''known man'' he''s shut down for fear of getting tapped by someone.¡±

    ¡°That''s about all we''ve got.¡±

    Marc was clearly not satisfied with their visit. He had no way of stopping these guys or saving his friends. He''d only advanced one square on a board of a hundred. Or a thousand. He had the impression that the die was only showing them the face of the number 1.

    ¡°What can we do?¡±

    ¡°Warn people?¡±

    ¡°No one will believe us.¡±

    They began to get depressed. If there really was an end and it was near, there was absolutely nothing they could do. If the man in black decided to kill everyone that day, he''d kill everyone without a care in the world. Their vision came back to them. A nightmare they''d rather avoid.

    ¡°It''s discouraging.¡±

    ¡°Let''s keep researching. It''s the only way we can.¡±

    Nathana?l was trying to remotivate their group, but even he had his doubts. He hadn''t even had the courage to go into this unknown world. If anyone could do something, it was Marc. But when he looked at him, Nathanael still saw that black aura around him. If Marc became an enemy, would he be able to defeat him?

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    ¡°Good. Let''s go then. Thanks again, Nath. Without you, I don''t know what we''d have done.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome.¡±

    Marc and Elie walked out of Nathana?l''s house. It was still shining. They both got back into the car they''d been in. Elie went home.

    ¡°See you tomorrow, Marc.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Marc didn''t have time to tell her not to come back every day when she was already gone. He really couldn''t get rid of this girl for even one day. At the same time, he remembered that he had promised to protect her.

    Marc arrived at his house and went inside. He found his parents. He looked at them for a long time without moving. If he did nothing, they would die too. But there was nothing he could do. The man in black was strong. Marc didn''t want to lose them. Marc entered his house and greeted his parents. His father spoke first.

    ¡°Have you gone off and done something crazy with her again?¡±

    What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°You''ve been gone all day. It''s so rare to see you out on weekends.¡±

    Her mother had added a layer.

    ¡°So you were away with Elie Brudmand, master?"

    Marc turned and saw Jin cooking with his mother.

    ¡°But...But...But what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I''ve come to help my master''s mother cook.¡±

    ¡°Who said I was your master, and since when have you been showing up at my house like this.¡±

    ¡°Right now, I live alone. And since you said you''d make me stronger by entering this other world, I''m here to observe your daily routine.¡±

    ¡°If he lives alone, there''s no problem. He can stay home.¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    Marc couldn''t believe how serious this was. But Jin still wore the same look. The black look filled with lust for power. And that even while cooking.

    ¡°I''ll follow you until I can beat you.¡±

    ¡°Stop being so formal.¡±

    Marc told himself he''d gotten a strange brother, then left for his room.

    ¡°Never mind, maybe you''ll be better off by my side.¡±

    Jin bowed ninety degrees.

    ¡°Thank you, master.¡±

    ¡°Stop calling me master.¡±

    Marc sat down on his bed. It had been a busy day. He''d met the man in black for the first time in real life. Even if he hadn''t killed him in his dream, he hadn''t hesitated thirty seconds before trying to stab him. The light escaping from Nathana?l''s sword had protected him.

    ¡°How is this possible? Can this sword also increase its power level by going over there? Maybe if I find another entry I can get a sword that cuts mountains?¡±

    Marc took the sword Nathana?l had given him. A sword made of pure-looking metal. Even so, since its passage into the other world, it seemed to exude the same aura as Marc. He took it and began to wield it like the characters in anime. He had the gift of copying a lot of techniques just by seeing her once. Of course, it wasn''t enough to call him a master swordsman, but for him it was an incredible feeling.

    He started with the basics. A vertical cut, then a horizontal one. Then he tried some more technical ones. With the skills he had, he knew he could cut through a wall without any problem. He went out into his garden to cut a tree, a flying pebble, a falling leaf... He wanted to understand the very essence of swordplay. He knew that other people could do this without super abilities. So he tried to restrain himself.

    He split the earth in his garden several times. Beneath his feet, clear marks appeared more and more numerous. Marc looked at the marks. All more or less straight.

    ¡°It''s not perfect.¡±

    So he continued to cut the air. He tried several other techniques he''d seen. Then he realized that in this art, the legs were also indispensable. He began to move from left to right. He tried several moves with a jump. Although at first it didn''t look like much, precision gradually came with his movements. He cut more and more falling leaves. More and more pebbles in flight. His movements became faster and more precise.

    It occurred to Marc that moving like this didn''t make sense.

    ¡°What if I tried?¡±

    Marc used the shadow to imagine an opponent. An opponent who had traumatized him. His laughter, which housed a billion laughs, had been enough to immobilize him. His blood-red, black eyes. And that aura, darker than the word itself, enveloping everything he could see.

    No image emerged. Marc could only see darkness.

    ¡°That''s the way it is. Wait and see.¡±

    Marc first imagined the wings he''d seen from behind. Then the blood-spotted black robe, then the gaze, then the footsteps. Little by little, the powerful being appeared before Marc. Marc looked at him. He was far less impressive than he had been then.

    Marc wanted to move forward, but before he could think of anything else, he was cut off. The illusion stopped immediately. Marc was sweating profusely. Once again, there was nothing he could do. While this powerful being was not even a tenth of what he really was, Marc hadn''t been able to move.

    Marc resumed his training. It was a full moon that day. The blue moon was huge in the sky. Its rays touched Marc''s blade. The sword seemed to glow softly before absorbing all the light coming from the moon. Marc was dark as the moon sent him a vessel of intense light. As if it wanted to pull him out of the gloom.

    Marc sliced through the air. Over and over again. Then he looked at the vessel of light the moon was sending him. He positioned his sword, then sliced through the vessel itself. The light, cut in two, stopped shining on Marc. Instead, it began to rain.

    Marc looked up at the sky. Even though it was clich¨¦, he let every raindrop fall on his face.

    ¡°Are those your tears, Lune?¡±

    The rain continued to fall. Marc took out his sword again and tried to cut off as many drops as possible.

    ¡°Stop crying. I''m not a man worthy of your attention.¡±

    The raindrops gradually diminished. Marc had almost missed them all. He wiped his blade and prepared to go inside when he saw Jin hiding at the bottom of his garden.

    ¡°Master. That was beautiful.¡±

    A tear rolled down his cheek.

    ¡°I thought you were insensitive. Don''t just stand there, you''ll catch a cold.¡±

    They returned together and each went to his room.

    Sunday passed quickly. Marc had spent the day cutting the aire with new and old techniques. His art was certainly improving, but he still couldn''t stop the man in black. He was getting sliced every time.

    Elie had come to see Marc. She met Jin before starting to train with them.

    Jin had spent the day imitating her. Since Marc wasn''t a master swordsman, he clearly couldn''t teach him anything. They''d gone to Nathana?l''s to get another sword.

    ¡°This is the last one I''m lending. My father will kill me if I keep giving it away like this.¡±

    Then Marc did his homework and went to bed. It was the last week before his vacation. Marc didn''t find it particularly exciting. The week passed quickly, and Thursday was just like any other.

 Changes

    The next day, He took his bus with Elie as he did every school day.

    ¡°You wield the sword well. ¡±

    ¡°No, it''s just that I''ve seen a lot of anime on it. There are always master swordsmen in them. All you have to do is copy them.¡±

    ¡°Ah well.¡±

    Elie thought about watching more fighting seriesThe journey was no longer than usual. The world had changed in Marc''s eyes. Almost everyone exuded a certain aura. The trees gave off more than the grass. The sky looked more imposing than usual. Air particles were clearly visible to him. Water reflected everything. Colors emitted waves. The people around him gave off a faint aura.

    It was as if he were in another world. Different from their world, but in another nonetheless.

    ¡°Marc, are you seeing other stuff too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    This was their new world.

    Arriving at the school, Marc noticed that it gave off a stronger aura than anything he''d seen on the way. At the sight of this aura, Marc pulled a face.

    ¡°I''m not even surprised.¡±

    Nathana?l arrived to greet them. Marc and Elie couldn''t get used to someone so bright. They both put their arms in front of their eyes.

    ¡°Oh, you''re overdoing it. By the way, Marc, that''s Jin, isn''t it?¡±

    Marc turned and found that Jin had been behind him the whole time. Elie gasped and slapped him.

    ¡°Bravo to you. You''re the second man to have noticed me. The first is obvious, my master.¡±

    Marc looked at Jin. He hadn''t noticed him at all.

    ¡°Yes, that''s it, that''s it.¡±

    ¡°You noticed me from the start, didn''t you, master?"

    ¡°Stop being so formal. When did you sign up here?¡±

    ¡°The day you beat Thierry at the dojo.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    Marc couldn''t believe he''d been able to find his address, his school, and sign up in so few days. Decidedly, Marc really didn''t understand Jin.

    The day passed quickly, like all the days of the week. Chris and Manon hadn''t approached the group. They hadn''t even wanted to talk to Nathana?l. As far as they were concerned, the whole thing was just a ridiculous dream. But on Friday, Chris didn''t come to school. Marc sensed this was not normal.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It''s like a sixth sense.¡±

    ¡°Why don''t I have that?

    ¡°I don''t know. Why don''t you go ask the known guy?"

    ¡°That''s enough. I don''t think it''s normal either.¡±

    ¡°Master, teach me to have this sixth sense.¡±

    ¡°You don''t want to shut up for two minutes. I told you you had to go into the other world first.¡±

    ¡°Then I still haven''t reached it.¡±

    Jin began to think about what he needed to do to catch up with his master.

    ¡°Do you think we should check out his place.¡±

    ¡°Maybe? But he''s not going to be happy to see us.¡±

    ¡°We''ve got no choice. Maybe it''ll teach us something else about this world.¡±

    The group of four prepared to go to Chris''s house.

    ¡°But, does anyone know where he lives?¡±

    The whole group stopped at Nathana?l''s question. They all had this annoying habit of going to a place whose location he didn''t know. All except Jin.

    ¡°I know. I thought he was an enemy of my master. So I found his address, his full name, his date of birth, the key to his house...¡±

    ¡°It''s okay, we get it. Just don''t do that in the future.¡±

    Chris''s house wasn''t that far from the school. They could walk there without any problem. The house was a nice mansion, but not as nice as Nathana?l''s.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry master, yours is more beautiful.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Marc''s house wasn''t all that beautiful.

    There was no car parked out front, but there was definitely a garage. However, as he approached it, no car seemed to be there. The house seemed empty.

    ¡°Marc, you''re seeing what I''m seeing.¡±

    ¡°I think I do.¡±

    Marc and Nathana?l could see the aura escaping from the house. Marc immediately recognized the aura of the known guy. It blended with others to form a strange mixture.

    ¡°Elie, you recognize it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it''s that man''s aura, but in very small quantities.¡±

    The aura escaping from the house was faint. Really weaker than that day. So much so, you''d have thought it wasn''t the same.

    ¡°Ringing?¡±

    Marc headed for the doorbell, but Nathana?l interrupted him, saying he''d better go ahead. He rang twice before he heard someone come downstairs. Chris opened the door.

    ¡°Nath? What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I came to see if you were okay.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? Nice all the way. I''m fine don''t worry.¡±

    Marc was hidden behind the wall. He knew Chris was going to be a lot less cooperative if he showed himself. But like Nathana?l, he could tell something wasn''t right.

    ¡°Are you sure? You don''t look well.¡±

    Auras could be seen blending on Chris. It formed a peculiar aura. Marc felt the ¡°known guy¡± aura gradually diminish. Instead came an aura that seemed to be gaining in strength.

    ¡°He''s not in there. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be so weak and it wouldn''t be diminishing. Either he''s just dropped his host, or he''s never been here. Famous guy? Chris is famous, but not famous enough. He''s only known here.¡±

    ¡°Very well, then. I''ll leave you to it then.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Nath?"

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°Is it just me, or are you glowing?¡±

    At these words, Marc''s heart began to speed up. It was impossible for Chris to see the auras, unless he''d been in the other world. Elie tried as best she could to remain impassive, but you could see her face gradually changing.

    ¡°I get that a lot now.¡±

    ¡°Say, wouldn''t that have something to do with this case?¡±

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    Nathana?l opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Don''t tell me you came here for that?¡±

    Marc began to sweat. The aura Chris exuded was growing.

    ¡°Marc''s here too, I guess.¡±

    Marc began to move.

    ¡°He came to see if you were okay. That''s all.¡±

    ¡°And I just don''t want to see him. So if he''s here, let me put one on him.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Chris rushed out and saw Marc glued to the wall.

    ¡°Damn!¡±

    Chris ran at him at full speed. Marc knew it was useless. The short time he''d spent there had made him a monster without equal in his world. Chris didn''t stand a chance against him. Even so, he didn''t try to stop him just yet. In the back of his mind, he felt a hint of vengeance. He couldn''t see it, but its aura smiled behind him.

    ¡°Chris, I wouldn''t do that if I were you.¡±

    Chris tried to stick his point on Marc''s face, but Marc dodged easily. He then dodged three of his fists to the face.

    ¡°Chris calm down.¡±

    ¡°Stop moving.¡±

    Chris tried again, but Marc caught his fist. He twisted his arm to put it behind his back like the policemen who subdue thieves. Seeing that Chris still hadn''t given in, he released him before kicking him in the stomach. Chris collapsed to the floor.

    The group leaned over Chris and stared at him for a few minutes. Elie spoke first.

    ¡°I guess he deserved it.¡±

    They all nodded before Nathana?l put him back in his bed.

    After Nathana?l returned, the group went their separate ways. Marc, Elie and Jin took the bus as usual. When they arrived at the bus stop, they saw children playing in the street where they lived. Marc walked home greeting the children, and Elie said goodbye to the boys.

    Suddenly, a tree that had previously been damaged at the trunk began to fall. Jin had seen the beginning of the fall and tried to move towards the children to deflect it. But Marc was quicker. He grabbed the tree as if it were a feather and threw it back up, all in front of the children.

    The frightened children looked at Marc. Eventually, the tree fell back to the other side.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    None of the children replied. Marc simply continued on his way. Jin couldn''t believe it. His master was obviously very strong. For Marc, this was proof that everything had changed.

    On the way back, he and Jin picked up their swords and resumed their movements. Little by little, the blows turned into art. Night fell quickly. The moon didn''t cry.

    Jin returned the latest. He couldn''t understand how his master could be so strong. He waved his sword in all directions before putting it down and repeating the basics of everything he''d learned in combat. His movements were beautiful and inspired genius. Behind all the different sports techniques he deployed was one of the world''s greatest geniuses. But he couldn''t understand why his master was so strong.

    He did it again and again and again. He didn''t understand how it was possible. He came home very late, full of questions.

    Meanwhile, Marc had been watching Jin fight. He could clearly see that Jin''s movements were much better than his own. He watched the genius move from left to right with ease. He knew that the only reason he was stronger than him was because he''d been in that strange world.

    Marc lay down in his bed. He stared at the ceiling. There was no decoration on this ceiling. At night, it looked like a dark sky, nothing more. Marc heard Jin come up to his room.

    ¡°Good night, master.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Jin. And don''t call me that.¡±

    Jin returned to his room without a sound. Marc stared at the ceiling in silence for a long time before falling asleep. As he drifted off to sleep, Marc noticed a faint flow in the air, as if she too had an aura.

    The next day, he took his bus with Elie as he did every school day.

    ¡°You handle the sword well. ¡±

    ¡°No, it''s just that I''ve seen a lot of anime on it. There are always master swordsmen in them. All you have to do is copy them.¡±

    ¡°Ah well.¡±

    Elie thought about watching more fighting series.

    The journey was no longer than usual. The world had changed in Marc''s eyes. Almost everyone exuded a certain aura. The trees gave off more than the grass. The sky looked more imposing than usual. Air particles were clearly visible to him. Water reflected everything. Colors emitted waves. The people around him gave off a faint aura.

    It was as if he were in another world. Different from their world, but in another nonetheless.

    ¡°Marc, are you seeing other stuff too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    This was their new world. Marc already knew that.

    Arriving at the school, Marc noticed that it gave off a stronger aura than anything he''d seen on the way. At the sight of this aura, Marc pulled a face. Marc already knew that.

    ¡°I''m not even surprised.¡±

    Nathana?l arrived to greet them. Marc and Elie couldn''t get used to someone so bright. They both put their arms in front of their eyes.

    ¡°Oh, you''re overdoing it. By the way, Marc, that''s Jin, isn''t it?¡±

    Marc turned and saw that Jin had been behind him the whole time. Elie gasped and slapped him across the face.

    ¡°Well done to you. You''re the second man to have noticed me. The first is obvious, my master.¡±

    Marc looked at Jin.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You noticed me right from the start, didn''t you maitre?¡±

    ¡°Stop being so formal. When did you sign up here?¡±

    ¡°The day you beat Thierry at the dojo.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    Marc couldn''t believe he''d found his address, his school, and signed up in so few days. Decidedly, Marc really didn''t understand Jin.

    The day passed quickly, like all the days of the week. Manon hadn''t approached the group. She wouldn''t even talk to Nathana?l. As far as they were concerned, the whole thing was just a ridiculous dream. But that Friday, Chris didn''t come to school. Marc sensed this was not normal.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It''s like a sixth sense.¡±

    ¡°Why don''t I have that?

    ¡°I don''t know. Why don''t you go ask the known guy?"

    ¡°That''s enough. I don''t think it''s normal either.¡±

    ¡°Master, teach me to have this sixth sense.¡±

    ¡°You don''t want to shut up for two minutes. I told you you had to go into the other world first.¡±

    ¡°Then I still haven''t reached it.¡±

    Jin began to think about what he needed to do to catch up with his master.

    ¡°Do you think we should check out his place.¡±

    ¡°Maybe? But he''s not going to be happy to see us.¡±

    ¡°We''ve got no choice. Maybe it''ll teach us something else about this world.¡±

    The group of four prepared to go to Chris''s house.

    ¡°But, does anyone know where he lives?¡±

    ¡°Jin?¡±

    The whole group stopped at Nathana?l''s question. Marc looked at Jin.

    ¡°I know. I thought he was an enemy of my master. So I found his address, his full name, his date of birth, the key to his house...¡±

    ¡°It''s okay, we get it. Just don''t do that in the future.¡±

    Chris''s house wasn''t that far from the school. They could walk there without any problem. The house was a nice mansion, but not as nice as Nathana?l''s.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry master, yours is more beautiful.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Marc''s house wasn''t all that beautiful.

    There was no car parked out front, but there was definitely a garage. However, as they approached it, no cars seemed to be there. The house seemed empty.

    ¡°Marc, you''re seeing what I''m seeing.¡±

    ¡°I think I do.¡±

    Marc and Nathana?l could see the aura escaping from the house. Marc recognized the aura of the guy he knew.

    ¡°Elie, you recognize it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it''s that man''s aura, but in very small quantities.¡±

    The aura escaping from the house was faint. Really weaker than that day.

    ¡°Should we ring the bell?¡±

    Marc headed for the doorbell, but Nathana?l interrupted him, saying he''d better go ahead. He rang a few times before he heard someone come downstairs. Chris opened the door.

    ¡°Nath? What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I came to see if you were okay.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? Nice all the way. I''m fine don''t worry.¡±

    Marc was hidden behind the wall. He knew Chris was going to be a lot less cooperative if he showed himself. But like Nathana?l, he could tell something wasn''t right.

    ¡°Are you sure? You don''t look well.¡±

    Auras could be seen blending on Chris. It was forming a peculiar aura. Marc felt the known guy''s diminish little by little.

    ¡°He''s not in there. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be so weak and it wouldn''t diminish. Either he''s just dropped his host, or he''s never been here. Famous guy? Chris is famous, but not famous enough. He''s only known here.¡±

    ¡°Very well, then. I''ll leave you to it then.¡±

    ¡°Say, Nath.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°Is it just me, or are you glowing?¡±

    At these words, Marc''s heart began to speed up. It was impossible for Chris to see auras, unless he''d been in the other world.

    ¡°I get that a lot now.¡±

    ¡°Say, it wouldn''t be related to this case.¡±

    Nathana?l opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Don''t tell me you came here for that?¡±

    Marc began to sweat. The aura Chris exuded was growing.

    ¡°Marc''s here too, I guess.¡±

    Marc began to move.

    ¡°He came to see if you were okay. That''s all.¡±

    ¡°And I don''t want to see him, that''s all. So if he''s here, let me give him one.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Chris rushed out and saw Marc standing by the wall on guard.

    Chris charged at him at full speed.

    ¡°Chris, I wouldn''t do that if I were you.¡±

    Chris tried to stick his fist in Marc''s face, but Marc easily dodged. He then dodged three of Chris''s punches to the face. Marc knew he already had the upper hand, but he wanted to see Chris crumple to the ground. He wanted to play with him, if only for the thirty seconds that followed the start of his fight.

    ¡°Chris, calm down.¡±

    ¡°Stop moving.¡±

    Chris tried again, but Marc caught his fist. Marc twisted his arm to put it behind his back like the policemen. Seeing that Chris still hadn''t given in, he released him before giving him a nice kick in the stomach. Chris collapsed to the floor.

    The group leaned over Chris and stared at him for a few minutes. Elie spoke first.

    ¡°I guess he deserved it.¡±

    They all nodded before Nathana?l put him back in his bed.

    After Nathana?l returned, the group headed for home. Marc, Elie and Jin took the bus as usual. When they arrived at the bus stop, they saw children playing in the street where they lived. Marc walked home greeting the children, and Elie said goodbye to the boys. Suddenly, a tree that had previously been damaged at the trunk began to fall. Jin had seen the beginning of the fall and tried to move towards the children to deflect it. But Marc was quicker. He grabbed the tree as if it were a feather and threw it back up, all in front of the children.

    The frightened children looked at Marc. Eventually, the tree fell back to the other side.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    None of the children replied. Marc simply continued on his way. Jin couldn''t believe it. His master was obviously very strong.

    On the way back, he and Jin picked up their swords and began their movements again. Little by little, the blows turned into art. Night fell quickly. The moon didn''t cry.

    Jin returned the latest. He couldn''t understand how his master could be so strong. He waved his sword in all directions before putting it down and repeating the basics of everything he''d learned in combat. His movements were beautiful and inspired genius. Behind all the different sports techniques he deployed lay one of the world''s greatest geniuses. But he couldn''t understand why his master was so strong.

    He did it again and again and again. He didn''t understand how it was possible. He returned very late, full of questions.

    Meanwhile, Marc had been watching Jin fight. He could clearly see that Jin''s movements were much better than his own. He watched the genius move from left to right with ease. He knew that the only reason he was stronger than him was because he''d been in that strange world.

    Marc lay down in his bed. He stared at the ceiling. There was no decoration on this ceiling. At night, it looked like a dark sky, nothing more. Marc heard Jin come up to his room.

    ¡°Good night, master.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Jin. ¡±

    Jin returned to his room without a sound. Marc stared at the ceiling in silence for a long time before falling asleep. Just as sleep came for him, Marc noticed a faint flow in the air, as if she had aura too. A stronger aura.

 Changes ?

    The next day, he took the bus with Elie as he did every school day.

    ¡°You wield the sword well. ¡±

    ¡°Didn''t I tell you? I''ve been watching a lot of anime.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Elie thought about watching even more fighting series. She''d watched quite a few the day before, but it was nowhere near Marc''s level.

    The journey was no longer than usual. The world hadn''t changed much in Marc''s eyes.

    It was as if he were in a world he knew. Different from their world, but in a different one all the same.

    It was their world. Marc already knew that.

    Arriving at the school, Marc noticed that it gave off a stronger aura than anything he''d seen on the way. Marc already knew.

    Nathana?l arrived to greet them. Marc and Elie couldn''t get used to someone so bright.

    ¡°Marc, isn''t that Jin?¡±

    Marc turned and saw that Jin had been behind him the whole time.

    ¡°Well done to you. You''re the second man to have noticed me. The first is obvious my master.¡±

    Marc looked at Jin.

    ¡°You noticed me from the start, didn''t you maitre?¡±

    ¡°When did you sign up here?¡±

    ¡°The day you beat Thierry at the dojo.¡±

    Decidedly, Marc really didn''t understand Jin.

    The day passed quickly, like all the days of the week. Manon hadn''t approached the group. She hadn''t even wanted to talk to Nathana?l. As far as they were concerned, the whole thing was just a ridiculous dream. But that Friday, Chris didn''t come to school. Marc sensed this was not normal.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It''s like a sixth sense.¡±

    ¡°Why don''t I have that?

    ¡°I don''t know. Why don''t you go ask the known guy?"

    ¡°That''s enough. I don''t think it''s normal either.¡±

    ¡°Master, teach me to have this sixth sense.¡±

    "I''ve already told you that you have to go into the other world first."

    ¡°Then I still haven''t reached it.¡±

    Jin began to think about what he needed to catch up with his master.

    ¡°Do you think we should check out his place.¡±

    ¡°Maybe? But he''s not going to be happy to see us. If it''s going to end up like last time...¡±

    ¡°We''ve got no choice. Maybe this will teach us something else about this world?¡±

    The group of four prepared to go to Chris''s house.

    ¡°But, does anyone know where he lives?¡±

    ¡°Jin?¡±

    The whole group looked at Jin.

    ¡°I do. I mistook him for an enemy of my master. So I found his address, his full name, his date of birth, the key to his house...¡±

    ¡°Don''t do that in the future.¡±

    Chris''s house wasn''t that far from the school. They could easily walk there. The house was a beautiful mansion, but not as beautiful as Nathana?l''s.

    ¡°Don''t worry master, yours is more beautiful.¡±

    ¡°You''ve already told me.¡±

    Marc''s house wasn''t all that beautiful.

    There was no car parked out front, but there was definitely a garage. However, as they approached it, no cars seemed to be there. The house seemed empty.

    ¡°Marc, you see what I see.¡±

    ¡°I think I do.¡±

    Marc and Nathana?l could see the aura escaping from the house. Marc directly recognized the aura of the guy he knew.

    ¡°Elie, you recognize it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it''s that man''s aura, but in very small quantities.¡±

    The aura escaping from the house was faint. Really weaker than that day.

    ¡°Should we ring the bell?¡±

    Marc headed for the doorbell, but Nathana?l interrupted him, saying he''d better go ahead. He rang a few times before he heard someone come downstairs. Chris opened the door.

    ¡°Nath? What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I came to see if you were okay.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? Nice all the way. I''m fine don''t worry.¡±

    Marc was hidden behind the wall. He knew Chris was going to be a lot less cooperative if he showed himself. But like Nathana?l, he could tell something was wrong.

    ¡°You don''t look well.¡±

    Auras could be seen blending on Chris. It was forming a peculiar aura. Marc felt the known guy''s diminish little by little.

    ¡°He''s not in there. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be so weak and it wouldn''t diminish. Either he just dropped his host, or he''s never been here. Famous guy? Chris is famous, but not famous enough. He''s only known here.¡±

    ¡°Very well, then. I''ll leave you to it then.¡±

    ¡°Say Nath.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    ¡°Is it just me, or are you glowing?¡±

    At those words, Marc sensed it was going to get out of hand again.

    ¡°I get that a lot now.¡±

    ¡°Say, it wouldn''t be related to this case.¡±

    Nathana?l opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Don''t tell me you came here for that?¡±

    Marc began to sweat. The aura Chris exuded was growing.

    ¡°Marc''s here too, I guess.¡±

    Marc began to move.

    ¡°He came to see if you were okay. That''s all.¡±

    ¡°And I don''t want to see him, that''s all. So if he''s here, let me put one over on him.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Chris rushed out and saw Marc standing by the wall on guard.

    Chris charged at him at full speed.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Come on, bring it on, Chris.¡±

    Chris tried to stick his point on Marc''s face, but Marc dodged easily. He then dodged three of his punches to the face.

    ¡°Stop moving.¡±

    Chris tried again, but Marc caught his fist. Marc twisted his arm to put it behind his back like the policemen. Seeing that Chris still hadn''t given in, he released him before giving him a nice kick in the stomach. Chris collapsed to the floor. Marc hadn''t found this amusing at all.

    The group leaned over Chris and stared at him for a few minutes. Elie spoke first.

    ¡°I guess he deserved it.¡±

    They all nodded before Nathana?l put him back in his bed.

    After Nathana?l returned, the group went their separate ways. Marc, Elie and Jin took the bus as usual. When they arrived at the bus stop, they saw children playing in the street where they lived. Marc walked home greeting the children, and Elie said goodbye to the boys. Suddenly, a tree that had previously been damaged at the trunk began to fall. Jin had seen the beginning of the fall and tried to move towards the children to deflect it. But Marc was quicker. He grabbed the tree as if it were a feather and threw it back up, all in front of the children.

    The frightened children looked at Marc. Eventually, the tree fell back to the other side.

    ¡°Are you all right? Don''t play here next time.¡±

    None of the children replied. Marc simply continued on his way. Jin couldn''t believe it. His master was obviously very strong.

    On the way back, he and Jin picked up their swords and resumed their movements. Little by little, the blows turned into art. Night fell quickly. The moon didn''t cry.

    Jin returned the latest. He couldn''t understand how his master could be so strong. He waved his sword about before putting it down and repeating the basics of everything he''d learned in combat. His movements were beautiful and inspired genius. Behind all the different sports techniques he deployed lay one of the world''s greatest geniuses. But he couldn''t understand why his master was so strong.

    He did it again and again and again. He didn''t understand how it was possible. He returned very late, full of questions.

    Meanwhile, Marc had been watching Jin fight. He could clearly see that Jin''s movements were much better than his own. He watched the genius move from left to right with ease. He knew that the only reason he was stronger than him was because he''d been in that strange world.

    Marc lay down in his bed. He stared at the ceiling. There was no decoration on this ceiling. At night, it looked like a dark sky, nothing more. Marc heard Jin come up to his room.

    ¡°Good night, master.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Jin. ¡±

    Jin returned to his room without a sound. Marc stared at the ceiling in silence for a long time before falling asleep. Just as sleep came for him, Marc noticed a faint flow in the air, as if she had aura too. A stronger aura. An aura he''d seen before.

    The next day, he took the bus with Elie as he did every school day.

    ¡°Marc. ¡±

    ¡°I noticed.¡±

    Marc had sensed it for a long time. Something wasn''t right. He didn''t know why, but he knew exactly what Elie was going to say, and Elie knew exactly what Marc was going to say back. On top of that, he had this strange feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.

    ¡°Jin?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jin was there. Marc knew it. But something inside him, made him think he wasn''t supposed to know.

    ¡°Tell me, have you enrolled in our school since I beat Thierry at the dojo?¡±

    Jin looked at his master in astonishment.

    ¡°Well, I''ll be damned. You are indeed my maitre.¡±

    Marc knew it.

    The three of them returned to the bus. Marc looked at the landscape. Auras blended together. It was an strange world he was used to seeing. A world he''d seen a hundred times without actually seeing it.

    ¡°Elie?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Elie was also looking at this world, which seemed familiar even though she was seeing it for the first time. Her gaze didn''t understand.

    ¡°We know this world.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jin didn''t understand what they were talking about.

    Arriving at the school, they noticed the aura they knew so well from their school. Marc gave a slight, nervous smile.

    ¡°How ironic.¡±

    Nathana?l arrived to greet them. His face showed total incomprehension. He knew exactly what he was going to say and what was going to happen. But Marc spoke first.

    ¡°Don''t bother, Nath. We know.¡±

    Nathana?l felt relieved. His eyes came back to life. He wasn''t the only one in this situation.

    The day passed quickly. They already knew all the answers and all the questions. Neither Manon nor Chris deigned to show their faces. They knew where Chris was.

    ¡°I guess we have to go see him.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But we already know how this is going to end, don''t we?¡±

    The three stared at the ground, blank of expression. Jin didn''t understand what was happening. The feeling of having already done this day and not just once was bothering them immensely.

    ¡°Let''s try to get home.¡±

    ¡°Let''s try.¡±

    They each headed home. Elie, Marc and Jin got back on the bus. Again. Jin didn''t understand.

    When they arrived, children were playing in the street where they lived. Elie and Marc knew what was coming. The tree began to fall towards the children. Marc rushed ahead of Jin, again, to go and help them.

    ¡°I told you not to play here, didn''t I?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    Marc knew he''d never told them that. Still, it wasn''t the first time.

    On the way home, Jin picked up his sword again. He couldn''t understand how his master could be so strong. He waved his sword about before dropping it to take up the basics of every martial art he knew.

    Marc watched Jin. His movements were far superior to his own. They were the movements of a genius. He knew that the only reason he was stronger than Jin was because he had been in this strange world.

    Marc lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Just as sleep came over him, he noticed an aura in the air. A powerful aura. Marc tried to get up.

    ¡°You...all along...it''s been you...¡±

    Marc closed his eyes to start a new day.

    The next day, he took the bus with Elie as he did every school day.

    ¡°Marc. ¡±

    ¡°Elie.¡±

    Marc couldn''t take it anymore. Again. Again that same feeling that haunted him.

    ¡°Jin?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jin was there. Marc knew it.

    ¡°Tell me, have you enrolled in our school since I beat Thierry at the dojo?¡±

    Jin looked at his master in astonishment.

    ¡°Gosh. You are indeed my maitre.¡±

    Marc knew it.

    The three of them returned to the bus. Marc looked at the landscape. Auras blended together. It was an alien world he was used to seeing. A world he''d seen a thousand times without actually seeing it.

    ¡°Elie?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Elie was also looking at this world that seemed familiar even though she was seeing it for the first time. Her gaze didn''t understand. The first time?

    ¡°We know this world.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jin didn''t understand what they were talking about.

    Arriving at the school, they noticed the aura they knew so well from their school. Marc gave a slight, nervous smile. A big, crazy smile.

    ¡°How ironic.¡±

    Nathana?l arrived to greet them. His face showed total incomprehension. He knew exactly what he was going to say and what was going to happen. But Marc spoke first.

    ¡°Don''t bother, Nath. We know.¡±

    Nathana?l felt relieved. His eyes came back to life. He wasn''t the only one in this situation.

    The day passed quickly. They already knew all the answers and all the questions. Neither Manon nor Chris deigned to show their faces. They knew where Chris was.

    ¡°I guess we have to go see him.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But we already know how this is going to end, don''t we? Again.¡±

    The three stared at the ground, blank of expression. Jin didn''t understand what was happening. The feeling of having already done this day and not just once was bothering them immensely.

    ¡°Let''s try to get home.¡±

    ¡°Let''s try.¡±

    ¡°It won''t make any difference, will it?¡±

    They each went home. Elie, Marc and Jin got back on the bus. Again. Jin didn''t understand.

    When they arrived, children were playing in the street where they lived. Elie and Marc knew what was coming. The tree began to fall towards the children. Marc rushed ahead of Jin, again, to go and help them.

    ¡°I suppose you''re all right. No need to ask if I hadn''t already told you not to play here.¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡±

    ¡°Never mind.¡±

    Marc knew he''d never told them that. Still, it wasn''t the first time.

    On his way home, Jin picked up his sword again. He couldn''t understand how his master could be so strong. He waved his sword about before dropping it to take up the basics of every martial art he knew.

    Marc watched Jin. His movements were far superior to his own. They were the moves of a genius. He knew that the only reason he was stronger than Jin was because he''d been in that strange world. But then he got angry again, because this wasn''t the first time he''d seen him like this.

    Marc lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Just as sleep came to him, he noticed an aura in the air. A powerful aura. Marc tried to get up. He shouted:

    ¡°Now that''s enough. Show yourself.¡±

    The streams of aura in the air began to move. This aura Marc knew so well even though he was only seeing it for the first time.

    A laugh echoed through the room. A laugh far less frightening than that of the man in black, but one he would never forget.

    ¡°Who are you? A guy from over there?¡±

    The aura moving in all directions gradually took on the shape of a person. But Marc could only see his eyes, which gave off a white glow, and his smile, which showed no good.

    He was strong. Very strong.

    ¡°Only now you can see me. Pretty disappointing for a guy like you.¡±

    ¡°A guy like me?¡±

    ¡°I see you haven''t heard. Mind you, I''d already noticed that a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Come on, you don''t even know what I''ve done and you openly accuse me. Omrir wouldn''t be happy.¡±

    Marc understood what he meant. Even though he knew this aura was dangerous and he had a huge sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, he couldn''t accuse him of anything.

    ¡°Who''s Omrir?¡±

    ¡°You don''t even know who Omrir is. You''re really disappointing. I could kill you at any moment, you''re so weak. Mind you, I noticed that a long time ago too.¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you? And what do you want? You may look innocent, but you smell guilty. And I really feel you''ve done something to us.¡±

    The aura smiled.

    ¡°It''s true. There''s nothing innocent about me. But I don''t deserve to die. Anyway, no one can kill me as long as you exist.¡±

    Marc didn''t understand her words at all.

    ¡°You''re going to get us out of here and then I''m going to do your face.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡±

    The aura that had gathered in human form launched itself brutally at Marc. He felt himself pushed back against a wall so violently that he was sent waltzing into the wall of his bedroom. He couldn''t breathe or even move.

    But this was different. Compared to this man, it was very different. Marc slowly got to his feet under the pressure of the man''s aura.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Marc struggled to his feet to resist.

    ¡°It''s true, after all, you''re not just anyone.¡±

    The aura calmed. Marc caught his breath before glaring at his assailant.

    ¡°And now you''re going to get it.¡±

    Marc lunged at the aura, trying to land a blow. He split the air in the direction of his opponent, but when his fist was only a millimeter away, the aura smiled and Marc found himself in the same position he''d been in before stepping forward.

    A drop of sweat appeared on his forehead. Marc hadn''t moved, or he''d pulled him back.

    ¡°Finally, even if it was you or even if it was him, there''s nothing you can do against me.¡±

    Marc thought nothing of it and stepped forward for the second time towards his adversary. But once again, he returned to his place gently.

    ¡°That''s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, it''s possible. Marc, you haven''t yet understood what''s happening to you and who I am. You can''t reach me in this state.¡±

    Marc was sweating profusely.

    ¡°Come back to me when you''ve understood.¡±

    The aura smiled again. Again? Marc shouted again.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

 Goagi

    The next day, he took his bus with Elie as he did every school day.

    ¡°Marc?¡±

    ¡°Oh sorry, I was just thinking.¡±

    ¡°You''ve got that d¨¦j¨¤ vu feeling too, don''t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I also feel like I know why.¡±

    ¡°We should ask Nath.¡±

    Arriving at the school, they discovered the powerful aura she gave off. Nathana?l came to meet them.

    ¡°How ironic.¡±

    Nathana?l''s eyes looked tired. But not because of fatigue, because of something that would wear him out.

    ¡°There''s no need, Nath. We know.¡±

    His face came back to life. He wasn''t the only one in this situation.

    The day passed quickly. They already knew the answers to all the questions. Neither Manon nor Chris deigned to show their faces. They knew where Chris was.

    ¡°I guess we have to go see him.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But we already know how this is going to end, don''t we? Again.¡±

    The three stared at the ground, blank of expression. Jin didn''t understand what was happening. The feeling of having already done this day and not just once was bothering them immensely.

    ¡°Let''s try to get home.¡±

    ¡°But I have a feeling I know how this is going to go.¡±

    Marc looked at his friends. Elie looked tired and Nathana?l was losing his reassuring light. The three of them had noticed that the day was repeating itself without actually starting. They had never really lived the day, but had the impression of having done it all before. In a dream, in another life, in another reality? This impression of d¨¦j¨¤-vu...over and over again...gnawed at their brains.

    But with all that, Marc looked up and noticed a strange aura. An aura so familiar he could have sworn he knew it without ever having seen it. An aura that wasn''t part of that impression, because it seemed to grow clearer every time he saw it. An aura that was the cause of their misfortune. He opened his eyes wide at the sight of it.

    ¡°You?¡±

    Elie couldn''t understand what Marc meant. She looked around to see who Marc was talking to.

    ¡°What is it, Marc?¡±

    ¡°It was you.¡±

    Marc looked around. It was the only one there. The aura had invaded everything he saw. The students, the teachers, the buildings, the animals, the area...everything was imbued with this aura. An orange aura that seemed to have eaten everything.

    ¡°Show yourself!¡±

    Marc''s shout had startled everyone in the vicinity. A girl had dropped her helmet not far away. Marc looked at her. The girl, who looked normal at first, flashed a devilish smile after a few seconds. But it disappeared as soon as Marc saw it. He then looked at a boy who was staring at him strangely from behind Elie. The boy''s facial expression was soon replaced by a devilish one of his own.

    Suddenly, he heard laughter from the sky. He looked up and saw a bird whose song was a delight to the ears. But the song soon turned to laughter, and the sky in which it was flying also turned orange.

    ¡°How long, Marc...?¡±

    The words came from all directions.

    ¡°How long...¡±

    Marc was sweating profusely. One of those drops of sweat tried to fall, but as soon as it hit the ground, it returned to Marc''s forehead, which was sweating even more.

    ¡°How long have you been going around in circles?¡±

    Marc hadn''t realized it, but he was indeed spinning in circles, trying to figure out where the voice he was hearing could have come from.

    ¡°How long has this loop been plaguing you?¡±

    ¡°Show yourself!¡±

    Marc''s cries now echoed in the void. Everyone looked at him as if he''d gone mad. But in the middle of the crowd, an aura gradually formed in human form. Elie and Nathana?l turned around at the same time and saw their attacker.

    ¡°What the...¡±

    ¡°How?"

    The orange aura smiled. Jin couldn''t see it but sensed something was wrong.

    ¡°Well, well. What a wonderful welcome. It''s not the first time we''ve seen each other, though.¡±

    Marc continued to sweat as memories came back to him.

    ¡°This isn''t even the first time we''ve fought.¡±

    Marc was now reliving all the times he''d faced this monster. Every time he fought, Marc sweated, and every drop of sweat that left his forehead came back to him. Elie, too, saw every fight go to her head. Every fight she lost and every fight she ended up on the ground, blood pouring down her sides.

    Nathana?l also relived the battles. With each fight, a sword pierced his heart, and with each fight he died on his knees on the ground, his light gradually fading.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    The three of them looked at the man who had done all this to them. Marc finally realized.

    ¡°4 million 602 thousand 037 times.¡±

    The drops of sweat continued to fall...

    ¡°Is it coming back to you now?¡±

    and kept coming back to his face.

    ¡°That''s how many times you and I have played.¡±

    The voice began to shout as if ready to laugh.

    ¡°And every time, you make the same face.¡±

    The voice definitely started laughing. The sadistic laughter even went through Jin''s body, which began to tremble. Marc wiped his brow and took a deep breath. For him, the time had come to stop all this.

    ¡°Bring it on.¡±

    ¡°You may say that, but is it really necessary?¡±

    Marc was still reliving all those fights against him. The man in front of him had only played with him every time they''d fought.

    ¡°You shouldn''t be so cocky now and show your true face.¡±

    The aura didn''t seem at all surprised.

    ¡°You''re right...¡±

    The flow of aura around him dispersed in a magnificent vortex, revealing this otherworldly being. His clothes were august. The colors blended perfectly and there was nothing to show that he was weak. Accompanying this, a magnificent infinity symbol was embedded in his chest.

    When he opened his eyes, a powerful wave struck Marc as if he were mocking him. His magnificent eyes were filled with vivid colors that could have made any woman fall over. The universe seemed to spin in circles in his eyes, in which was also the symbol of infinity.

    ¡°...and for the umpteenth time, I''ll make you a dead man.¡±

    All hesitated to move forward, as the being conjured up a stick Marc knew well without even having seen it.

    ¡°Arondoa¡±

    Marc saw in his memories that there was nothing normal about this stick. Capable of twisting and transforming, it was the strangest weapon he''d ever seen. But the worst thing about this weapon was that as soon as he touched it, the being could decide whether or not you went back in time. This being by the name of...

    ¡°Goagi¡±

    Goagi moved slowly forward, just as the man in black was doing in front of Marc.

    Marc watched this being move forward, remembering the nightmare the man with the look of a fallen angel had caused him. His footsteps, his aura, his cry, everything about this being had managed to get under his skin until it had left its mark on his mind. But he wasn''t the same, and the person in front of him wasn''t the same either. He could do it.

    ¡°Are you going to run at me again?¡±

    Marc felt his body stiffen. If Marc had already done a lot of fighting against him, Goagi had done the same and already knew all his moves. Nevertheless, Marc smiled and answered calmly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He charged at him at a speed the human being could probably not see. Goagi also quickly waved his stick to make a vertical strike. Marc dodged the blow and tried to land one on him, but he dodged back. He was now in a position of weakness. The stick hit him full force, while Goagi grinned. Marc found himself back in his starting position as if he hadn''t moved.

    ¡°Sh.t."

    Just as he decided to start again, he saw Elie who had jumped on Goagi with a sword in her hand. It was the sword Nathanael had given them.

    ¡°Let''s have fun again, my dear Elie.¡±

    The two weapons clashed and there was a powerful wave from the impact. Elie hadn''t turned back because Goagi had decided to have some fun. Elie''s blows, all as fast as a sound wave, were countered one by one. The waves of air created by the blows left heavy marks on the surrounding buildings.

    Seeing that she didn''t have the advantage, Nathana?l crept up behind Goagi to try to stab him. But before he noticed it, he was pulled back to his place.

    ¡°I saw you.¡±

    Elie was landing more and more blows, becoming faster and faster, leaving Goagi less and less time to react.

    ¡°Tch¡±

    Some of the blows began to leave gashes. Elie stepped back to gain momentum and strike him in the legs. But Goagi jumped at the last moment and drove the stick into Elie''s back.

    ¡°Elie!¡±

    Marc, who had witnessed the scene from afar, thought she had been stabbed. But she held her sword firmly behind her back to protect herself from the stick. She glared at Goagi.

    ¡°Get out of the way.¡±

    Elie sent him tumbling several meters away, but he remained perfectly balanced.

    ¡°AH, I''ll never get tired of that. Right, Marc?¡±

    Marc had appeared behind his back. He raised his foot high to give him a side kick, but he fell back a second. Goagi threw his stick at him, which Marc was able to dodge by stooping low enough. Unfortunately, when he raised his head, he was hit by a violent roundhouse kick.

    ¡°That''s how Taekwondo is, kid.¡±

    But to his surprise, Marc hit him in the face with a back kick, thanks to the speed he''d picked up from Goagi''s kick.

    ¡°You can''t teach me anything.¡±

    Goagi smiled. A little blood was coming out of his nose.

    ¡°That''s it.¡±

    Nathana?l appeared to his left and before he could react was struck by his sword. He went through the wall of the building to their left. All the students, panic-stricken, began to flee the school.

    ¡°Well done, Nath.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I just followed the movement but I don''t feel like I cut it.¡±

    ¡°No, this monster is stronger than that.¡±

    Through the hole in the wall, a smile and the infinity symbols on his body could be seen. In less than a second, he was back where he''d been before as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Watch out..."

    Marc didn''t have time to finish his sentence before he was hit by a side kick this time. He waltzed through the wall of the building on his right.

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    Nathana?l didn''t have time either. A front kick raised his head and a drop kick lowered it. Goagi finished with a 360 kick to send him crashing to the second floor of the school.

    ¡°I know taekwondo a lot better than you do.¡±

    Elie returned to the charge.

    ¡°Round 2.¡±

    But this situation was different. Goagi had the upper hand. The blows began to pile up on Elie''s body, and she found it harder and harder to stand. Still, in a last moment of hope, she managed to dodge one of his blows and tried to cut off his head. Goagi saw the sword closing in on her throat, but Elie came back in time a thousandth of a second early and took a heavy blow to the stomach.

    She collapsed to the ground, dropping her sword. Goagi grabbed her by the hair and lifted her off the ground.

    ¡°You''re clearly not strong enough yet.¡±

    But Elie didn''t give up. She managed to knock him back with a kick to the stomach. Although he hadn''t taken much damage, he had retreated a good two meters. Elie picked up her sword and lunged at him, but Goagi pulled her back in time while throwing hir stick at her face.

    She received it right in the face. Goagi found himself beside her again and hit her on the head. Elie collapsed, knocked out. But he didn''t have time to celebrate his little victory as Marc had already pounced on him. He narrowly dodged her foot, then her fist once, then a second time... In the end, Marc realized he was repeating the same action every time.

    ¡°You always realize it too late."

    Marc received a magnificent knee strike that sent him tumbling to the ground. Goagi smiled again.

    ¡°You''re too weak, Marc.¡±

    Nathana?l threw his sword at the otherworldly being from the top of the second floor, but he dodged it. He then jumped on Goagi.

    ¡°Don''t forget me.¡±

    Marc got to his feet too. Together, they managed to get the being in trouble. Goagi wouldn''t let them back down. He took a blow from Marc right on the cheek.

    Marc thought it hurt, but Goagi smiled. Nathana?l followed up with a series of punches to the head. He was smiling, despite all the blows he was taking. Marc was annoyed by this smile and started punching him too. Yet Goagi was still smiling.

    His infinity-marked eyes shone even brighter. At one point, his torso and eyes alone lit up the space in which he stood.

    Marc and Nathana?l took a step back. Goagi lit up through his symbols and, in a fraction of a second, Nathana?l, Marc and Elie were back where they''d started. The place they''d been before the fight began.

    ¡°Why do you look surprised, you knew it, didn''t you?¡±

    Goagi had no wounds left on his body. This was the power of one of these otherworldly beings. A power beyond Marc''s reach.

    ¡°You''re not coming. In that case, I''m coming.¡±

    Goagi split the air to find himself in front of three friends, but this time the first to react was, against all expectations, Jin.

    ¡°Jin? ¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I see him.¡±

 The best fighter

    <div>

    Marc understood that the more time you spent in this strange world, the stronger you became. It was as if you absorbed the energy from over there. But he''d never thought about the fact that you could do that just by being with beings who''d already been there.

    ¡°I see it now. I could only feel it when I was with you, but now I feel a great energy.¡±

    Marc realized something. If he''d managed to become this strong thanks to this world, then what about the fighting genius.

    ¡°Goagi, isn''t it? Let''s fight.¡±

    Goagi looked at Jin. To him, nothing was more damaging than one guest too many. But nothing was more exciting than knowing he was going to win.

    ¡°Bring it on, new guy.¡±

    Jin charged headfirst at Goagi and tried to grab him around the waist.

    ¡°Wrestling, huh? You really know how to fight.¡±

    Truth be told, Jin wasn''t the fighting genius for nothing. Although his skills excelled in the martial arts, he was also highly intelligent.

    Goagi jumped up and tried to stick him in the back in exactly the same way as he had done with Elie. But Jin dodged and Goagi took a terrific gancho to the ribs.

    ¡°Capoeira?¡±

    Goagi landed back on the ground unharmed, but before he could react he took a tsuki kizami to the same ribs.

    ¡°Kyokushin?¡±

    The third blow went straight for the crotch. A kin geri followed by an axe kick to the face.

    ¡°Karate. Tell me, aren''t you a fighting genius?¡±

    His entire childhood had been spent getting stronger by researching and finding combat sports. He''d faced experts in their field and defeated them in their field. Jin knew that wherever he went, he was...

    ¡°You amaze me as always, kid.¡±

    The strongest.

    Goagi straightened up and charged at Jin in turn. Goagi tried the same wrestling hold as Jin, but Jin blocked his head between his elbows.

    ¡°You think that''s going to stop me catching you?¡±

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    Goagi tried to embrace him anyway, but Jin escaped his arms to come and kick him on the back of the head. However, Goagi hadn''t moved a muscle. On the contrary, he''d even managed a terrific kick.

    ¡°Muay thai?¡±

    ¡°Eh yes, you''re not the only one who can practice all the martial arts.¡±

    Jin had managed to protect himself with his arm, but the blow had made him a little numb. That didn''t stop him from coming back at her with a broad smile.

    ¡°Are you coming back?¡±

    Jin struck his belly with all his might, but Goagi had sensed this and contracted his muscles for a counterattack. Unfortunately for him, he hadn''t expected such power from Jin and was unable to counterattack. Despite all his strength, he coughed up blood. Jin smiled.

    ¡°CQC, do you know it?¡±

    Goagi tried a punch but Jin deflected it to launch a counter. He tried a second, but this too was deflected. It was the same for all the punches that followed. Jin had the upper hand on this otherworldly being. A wave of fists slammed into Goagi. He dropped to his knees before taking Jin''s final blow.

    ¡°That''s some jeet kundo, boy.¡±

    Goagi waltzed into the building. The impact collapsed the structure on top of him. Jin, standing from the dust of the rubble, appeared to be the real monster.

    ¡°I see it at last. That world you told me to reach, master.¡±

    Jin was ecstatic in front of his companions, who couldn''t understand how he''d managed to defeat it alone when the three of them hadn''t.

    ¡°Ha. That''s why those who don''t have the names to fight don''t fight.¡±

    Jin looked in the direction of the debris.

    ¡°I like to fight fair, but if I lose, don''t blame me if I crush you.¡±

    Jin advanced towards Goagi but soon noticed that the building that had collapsed had been put back on its feet. Goagi was standing right next to him. Jin tried a taekwondo-style kick again, but Goagi crushed his head with his foot. No one could understand how fast he had teleported above Jin to land this blow.

    ¡°I was in the areas a second ago.¡±

    Marc understood the nature of Goagi''s power. It wasn''t really to make things go back in time. But to make them loop. He could start a day over a million times, but he could also choose when things came back into the loop. The infinity symbol didn''t mean that he was actually infinite because he was playing with time, it meant that the loop was closed by a loop. No matter which way you went, you''d always end up going back.

    Marc realized at that moment that he didn''t stand a chance against such power.

    ¡°So Marc, you''re not moving to help your friend.¡±

    Neither Nathana?l nor Elie moved. They''d realized he couldn''t beat this monster.

    ¡°You''re no fun at all.¡±

    Goagi straightened up. Jin left no sign of consciousness.

    ¡°I''ve had enough fun. I''ll stop tormenting you. Anyway, we''ll meet again in the end.¡±

    Goagi turned and greeted them. His body was uninjured. His orange aura manifested itself around him and began to create a violent storm. Then he left as if he''d never been there.

    Marc opened his eyes in his bedroom. He was sweating profusely. He watched as one of the drops of sweat fell from his forehead. The drop crashed to the cover of his bed without rising.

    ¡°He''s gone.¡±

    Marc stood up and tried to get his head around it.

    ¡°What day is it?¡±

    He looked at his phone. Saturday was the day it said.

    ¡°That guy really took off this time. I just can''t believe it. What am I going to do if they''re all like this?¡±

    Marc sat down on the edge of his bed. He buried his head in his hands.

    ¡°There''s nothing I can do.¡±

    At the same time, his mother, who was in the living room, was listening to Amour plastique.

    <div>

    <div>

 The library

    Marc stared at the ceiling of his room. He didn''t know if the others were all right. He''d spent all morning looking at his ceiling. His mother could see he wasn''t well. She''d spent the morning trying to understand why her son was so unwell.

    ¡°Can I come in Marc?¡±

    ¡°If you like.¡±

    She sat on the edge of his bed.

    ¡°You know...she was a good girl.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She was kind, thoughtful...¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°She was like a red flower among roses.¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    ¡°Wait, let me finish. I know your father and I weren''t necessarily for it, but...¡±

    ¡°Mom, we didn''t split up. We were never a couple.¡±

    Marc''s mother stared into space. She wasn''t in the right at all.

    ¡°Then why do you look so unhappy?¡±

    ¡°It really had nothing to do with it.¡±

    ¡°But tell me what it was instead of making fun of it.¡±

    Marc got up from his bed and sighed heavily. He obviously couldn''t say anything about this world or his opponents. Under no circumstances did he want to bring his mother into this.

    ¡°For you, if you had difficulties too great to overcome but you absolutely had to overcome them, what would you do?¡±

    Mary hadn''t expected such a question. As far as she was concerned, her son had always been proud and self-reliant. There was nothing he couldn''t overcome. She was proud of this, and a little saddened because he never asked for help. He often kept to himself.

    But when she heard her son''s question, she wondered if she shouldn''t worry a little more. This was her moment.

    ¡°Are you in that much trouble?¡± Look, I don''t think anything is insurmountable. But sometimes some things require more help than others.¡±

    ¡°What if the help isn''t enough?¡±

    ¡°Help will always be enough.¡±

    Marc was now looking at the ground. He knew that even all the help in the world wouldn''t be enough. But he wanted to believe his mother''s words.

    ¡°Thanks for the advice.¡±

    Mary didn''t feel she''d fixed things.

    ¡°I know what to do.¡±

    Marc stood up to get ready to leave.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To the library.¡±

    He figured he might be able to find some books talking about this world. Even if they were in the fiction category, they were still up for grabs.

    The city library was huge. It was the city''s only prestige. They had managed to make a bit of history by owning a lot of old books. Rumors even had it that there were scrolls preserved there.

    ¡°Let me see if I can find something.¡±

    Marc didn''t really feel he could have ancient books about a hidden world with beings as strange as each other. Even on the fiction side, he could find loads of books talking about a hidden world. That didn''t motivate him.

    ¡°Hello sir, are you looking for something in particular.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Perhaps you have books about another world.¡±

    ¡°We have plenty. Would you follow me, please?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever heard of the word Aregis?¡±

    Marc knew he''d just sacrificed someone. But he had to find the answers to his questions. His heart tightened.

    ¡°Aregis?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°No, sorry.¡±

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    Marc didn''t tempt Astreos for obvious reasons. The librarian led him to a shelf that seemed to open onto an infinite corridor. Some people were already reading.

    ¡°I recommend Jean Silvain. When it comes to otherworldliness, he''s probably the best.¡±

    ¡°Don''t you have something very old?¡±

    ¡°Old?¡±

    From the look on the lady''s face, Marc understood something. He didn''t know anything about this world. Not if it was ancient, not when it dated. He didn''t even know how to enter it or who ran it. The only thing he knew was that it was home to powerful beings accompanied by beings as white as snow.

    ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I''ve got Lavoisi if you want him, who''s the oldest in fiction.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I''ll let you choose.¡±

    The librarian left, leaving Marc in the fiction section. He picked up Lavoisi''s book and began to read.

    ¡°Although this world seems unreal to me, I''m well inside it and I''m not dead.¡±

    Marc wondered if this was a joke.

    ¡°It all started when I was in my garden. I was singing and dancing in the morning dew. Suddenly, I saw a flower and took it in my hand. It was a strange blue, the color of which I had never seen before. Fear gripped me and I let go of the flower. Its petals scattered to the four corners of the garden, and I watched the spectacle with a childlike gaze. Soon everything stopped and calm returned. But I knew deep down that nothing was over. The flower began to float and glow. There seemed to be stars appearing in its blue, as in the sky. Suddenly, I was sucked in, and all that was left of me on the spot was the wonder flower.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t think books could be so poetic. You''d think that''s how he wrote back then. It doesn''t give me any clues, but I''ll take the book.¡±

    Marc closed the book and started looking for others. Strangely enough, the books he found interesting were mostly Lavoisi''s.

    ¡°The rain fell on his sword, the moon shone on the battlefield. Nothing could tell us that the hero of the war was the one who had made such a massacre.¡±

    Marc began to really appreciate it. He told himself that if he wasn''t busy with all these things, he would have started writing like Lavoisi.

    ¡°The world mourned the hero''s death. Even the trees lost their leaves in tears. The only one not crying was the hero, for his soul had gone to more beautiful places.¡±

    ¡°Night is the worst enemy of light, for when night comes, light is silent. Ronsvelle''s hope was light. Night was everything else. The light fell silent, disarmed.¡±

    Although he appreciated Lavoisi''s style, reading him provoked a feeling of sadness. He picked up all the Lavoisi books he could and told himself not to read any more for the day.

    Unfortunately, reading led nowhere. Nothing spoke of such a world. Even Lavoisi had no answers. Marc remained seated on a chair on the shelf. All his occupants had already left. He observed the long, dark corridor that seemed to stretch on forever. He couldn''t see the end of the corridor.

    ¡°Maybe I should check out the books at the back.¡±

    Marc opened one of Lavoisi''s books.

    ¡°Those who try nothing, will get nothing but regrets. Those who try the impossible, will only get regrets.¡±

    That didn''t help him much. Marc took one last look at the end of the corridor. Never had anything seemed so far away. But he still wondered if he might have nothing but regrets in the future. He already felt enormous remorse.

    After ten minutes of walking, the corridor still didn''t end. The books were gathering dust. The floor creaked and the light disappeared more and more. Marc wondered if this corridor was one of Goagi''s traps. But then he noticed something.

    More and more books were missing. Dust hung in the air to such an extent that he could see less and less. Some of the wooden boards were missing as if they''d never been there in the first place. Marc began to panic.

    ¡°What''s going on here? Even if this is the end of the hallway, it''s supposed to be minimally maintained.¡±

    Marc turned to see if anyone was there, but as he''d suspected, no one was in the fictional corridor. In fact, he couldn''t even see where he''d really come from. The exit seemed far away, the entrance seemed far away.

    ¡°Sh.t."

    Marc didn''t know what to do.

    ¡°I didn''t come here for nothing. I might as well pick up some books and look at them.¡±

    Marc tried to take some books from the shelves beside him. But to his surprise, the pages of the book he''d chosen were blank. The same for the following ones.

    ¡°This can''t be true. They pretend they''ve got endless books, but in fact three quarters of them are empty.¡±

    In his desperate attempt to find a book, Marc picked up the first book by accident he''d chosen from the shelf.

    ¡°I''ve already taken that one. But...¡±

    The cover had changed. The title was now...

    ¡°The Prince of Death.¡±

    Marc opened the first page and saw that there were now lines and text. He began reading.

    ¡°Overwhelmed by his book, He didn''t realize that what awaited him at the end of the corridor was...¡±

    Marc finally understood the meaning of the title. Drops of sweat multiplied on his forehead. The last word he''d just read didn''t reassure him at all. He was afraid that the man in black would appear at the end of the corridor, sword in hand.

    Marc stood up and began to scan the corridor. Unfortunately, his fear was realized. Footsteps were heard. Panic-stricken Marc reopened the book to find out what was going to happen next.

    ¡°The footsteps multiplied in number. With their white wings, they chased the black-hearted being into the shadows.¡±

    Marc understood what was about to happen. Even if it was just them, he was afraid.

    The first white being emerged from the shadows. The same ones as in the field. One by one, they stepped out of the shadows and began to stare at Marc with their eyes that seemed to shelter space.

    Marc watched them for a long time before realizing that he had to run. What followed was one of the most memorable runs of his life.

    Marc sprinted in the opposite direction, but despite the power-up he''d received from the other world, he didn''t seem to be going fast at all. On the contrary, white beings brushed past him as he ran. Books fell left and right. Marc thought he was dreaming, but the corridor was no longer straight at all.

    Curves began to appear, and bookshelves fell one by one. The corridor didn''t look like it used to. Marc thought it best not to ask questions and to run until he saw one of the books on the shelf fall, hit the floor and start floating for no reason at all.

    Marc''s sweat drops were no longer falling to the ground, but rising upwards. He looked up to make sure he hadn''t been caught in one of those mud puddles, but nothing, apart from the ceiling, erupted into his field of vision.

    ¡°What the hell''s going on?¡±

    Marc began to see the light at the end of the dark corridor, but he could also feel the hands of the white beings behind his back. His speed failed to increase as if his legs were chained.

    ¡°Oh no. I won''t allow you. I''m not going to die today.¡±

    With the last of his strength, Marc ran to the corridor exit and threw himself out. If there was one thing he knew, it was that these beings never went out into the real world.

 The second library

    ¡°The real world?¡±

    Marc might have said it, but nothing about what he was seeing seemed real to him.

    ¡°Where have I landed? Where''s the library?¡±

    The place was still a library, but not the one Marc knew. He stood up to observe the surroundings before hurrying back to see if the men in white were still following him. Fortunately or unfortunately for him, there was no one there.

    ¡°Even they''re not here.¡±

    Marc took a look around. This library was far more beautiful than the one in his world, but it was also older. Everything was made of wood. Wood that wasn''t from his world. Streams of dust fell from the ceiling and filled the room. Although Marc still had time to visit, it worried him to see the room filling up with dust so quickly.

    The shelves were full of cracks, as if they were about to fall at any moment. A faint beam of reddish light shone through the room, turning everything in it crimson red. Marc contemplated this round window for a long time before continuing his visit.

    He walked for a good fifteen minutes before realizing that the library was huge, but that he couldn''t see anything ten meters away. It was as if the crimson-red light was following him, illuminating only where he was.

    Marc then tried to read a book in this famous library. He picked up a book at random and noticed that the author was also...

    ...Lavoisi.

    ¡°What? This can''t be happening. I''m still in the real world? No, this is absurd. Nothing here seems normal. Maybe he''s known in both worlds? Good luck.¡±

    Marc began to read.

    ¡°That very day, the storm came. The only support I had to protect myself was this little hut at the top of the hill. But when I got closer, I discovered that it wasn''t a hut, but a cathedral.¡±

    Marc paused in his reading. Given that he was in the other world, it seemed logical to him that this man was talking about the cathedral at the top of the mountain.

    ¡°No, it wasn''t a hill. But still...¡±

    He continued reading.

    ¡°I was approaching the place when suddenly I saw nothing. The sky turned black and fear came over me. A fear I''d never experienced before. I collapsed to the ground as a person appeared behind me...¡±

    Marc interrupted his reading at a noise that startled him. Observing the floor, he realized that the dust had risen too high and that the only thing keeping him alive was a shelf, which collapsed on impact.

    Marc narrowly dodged the shelf and began to look for the exit. His steps were restricted by the dust in which he was moving. Unable to find the door, he decided to punch a hole in the roof, but before he could do so, a hand emerged from the dust.

    ¡°Are you there?¡±

    A white being extricated his body from it before standing in front of Marc. Nevertheless, he didn''t manage to do anything as he received a tremendous elbow in the face. Marc then knocked him off balance by hitting him in the legs, and in his fall, he elbowed him back in the face.

    ¡°Remember that.¡±

    Marc was savoring this victory inwardly when another tried to get him from behind. Marc saw him and grabbed his arm in a judo hold he''d often seen on TV.

    ¡°I haven''t got time.¡±

    A third arrived as the room continued to fill with dust. It reached halfway up his shin. Marc tried to kick him directly in the face, but he dodged. Surprised, Marc kept him at bay with a back kick. But the being in white didn''t seem like the others. He grabbed Marc''s foot and threw him to the end of the room.

    Marc hit two shelves before landing. His mouth was full of dust. He realized this one was on a whole new level.

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    ¡°I''ve noticed something about you. Only powerful beings have an aura. You''re just puppets. You have no aura, no emotions. So what are you?¡±

    At these words, he launched himself at the being in white and grabbed him around the waist. To his amazement, he was able to keep himself on the ground. Marc had no choice but to lift him off the ground and smash his head on the other side. A magnificent german suplex.

    ¡°Now that''s wrestling, boy.¡±

    But the being in white had put his hand on the ground to avoid it. He spun to get out of Marc''s grip. Back on his feet, he attacked first this time. Marc got to his feet too, but too late. He received a knee blow to the stomach and spat out a good blow. The second hit him in the face, but Marc dodged.

    He stepped back two meters to make sure he didn''t get hit by the next one. The being in white approached cautiously but Marc moved in to land a 360 kick but his opponent ducked and grabbed his leg again.

    ¡°Again?¡±

    This time, Marc was launched into the air. He hit the ceiling of the library before falling back to the dust, where he was swallowed whole. A cloud formed as he fell. The being in white charged towards him, but by the time he arrived, Marc was gone.

    He had taken advantage of the dust to slip away and come charging back behind him. The blow was so violent that the dust from his fist completely dispersed over a distance of 10 meters around them. The being in white collapsed.

    ¡°You weren''t bad, were you?¡±

    Marc didn''t have time to claim victory as others arrived. He jumped over a shelf in a hurry and hit the ceiling.

    ¡°What ?"

    Dust was now pouring out of the hole Marc had made. He realized that the only way out was to find the real exit.

    ¡°Drat.¡±

    He climbed down from the shelf and began to run at the sight of the white beings. He soon realized that the dust was at the same levels throughout the library.

    Despite his great speed, one of the beings caught up with him and stood in front of him.

    ¡°This is the first time you guys have been this strong. But it''s hard to fight guys with no names. Can you tell me yours?¡±

    By way of reply, he received dust in the face. Marc''s eyes widened as he realized that these guys weren''t just stronger. They were smarter too.

    ¡°TCH.¡±

    The white being took advantage of this moment to deliver another blow to his stomach.

    ¡°Kyokushin?¡±

    Marc received it very badly. He stepped back again before thinking it was a bad idea, given those following him. He had to get rid of this one.

    First to go, however, was the being in white. Marc dodged the first punch, then the second, before grabbing his arm and breaking it. But it obviously didn''t hurt at all. Marc took a magnificent hook kick in return, but remained on his feet.

    The next blow was for Marc again. The next too. He picked up the blows one by one. From a distance, he looked like he was shrivelling up. However, Marc grabbed the arm of the being in white in turn.

    ¡°Are you done now?¡±

    Marc just punched him in the back. The blow was such that the being in white went through the floor. It was a risky gamble, but he''d made it.

    ¡°I''ve got to find the way out.¡±

    He resumed his run. The beings in white, though faster, could no longer catch up. Marc accelerated. The dust was leaving a clear path behind him. If he could compare himself to this world, he could easily have gone at the speed of a high-speed train.

    The shelves scrolled into his field of vision. The people in white lost sight of him and Marc accelerated again. Concentrating on his run, he couldn''t even see what was in front of him. The effect of the air on his face and the sensation of going faster and faster were so pleasant that he forgot everything else.

    But the exit was still nowhere in sight. He turned left, right, left and right again, but nothing revealed itself to be an exit. Marc began to think he was trapped here. The crimson-red light coming from the window disappeared. The people in white were swallowed by the dust. All that remained was Marc and his race.

    He thought back to his family and friends. He thought of the man in black watching him from the back of the cathedral. He thought again of Goagi. Their bodies seemed to materialize in the dust behind him.

    ¡°Give it up.¡±

    Marc began to slow down. The dust was getting into his clothes.

    ¡°Give up.¡±

    Marc thought back to the day he had condemned innocent people to death out of sheer curiosity. He slowed down again.

    ¡°Maybe I should just...¡±

    But a silhouette in the dust seemed to cry out to him to the contrary. It was the silhouette of Elie.

    ¡°Don''t stop, Marc.¡±

    Marc opened his eyes. He began to accelerate again.

    ¡°If you stop, you''re a dead man.¡±

    Nathana?l was there too.

    ¡°I told you to ask for help.¡±

    His mother was there too.

    ¡°I''ll always support you, son.¡±

    His father was there too. He thought back to the conversation he''d had with his mother, to whom he''d said...

    ¡°What if the help isn''t enough?¡±

    Marc knew it wasn''t his mother he was going to save from the man in black. It wasn''t his father he was going to fight against Goagi. It wasn''t Elie who was going to protect him from these people. It wasn''t Nathana?l who was going to get him out of all this.

    ¡°You can do it master.¡±

    Marc smiled as he heard Jin''s sentence. He thought back to his mother''s answer.

    ¡°Help will always be enough.¡±

    For the moment, it was. They were enough for Marc. A second breath came for Marc as he began to run faster again. He saw a wall straight ahead. It was clearly a dead end, but if he was going to try anything, this was it.

    A few meters from the wall, he heard people supporting him.

    ¡°Go for it!¡±

    Marc attempted a final leap towards the wall as the dust began to swallow him. But with one last look, the silhouettes could be seen stretching out their arms to push Marc towards the wall.

 The ruined castle

    Marc opened his eyes much later. He stood there watching the sky for a good ten minutes.

    ¡°Where am I this time?¡±

    Marc noticed he was wet before he realized it was snowing. Fine flakes were filling the sky.

    ¡°Oh no.¡±

    As far as he was concerned, the only place it snowed in this bizarre world was on the Man in Black''s mountain. But to his great relief, he saw when he stood up that he wasn''t on the mountain. The snow was falling so softly on the ground that he wondered if it was real.

    Marc looked around. He couldn''t recognize this place. He didn''t even know if he was in his world or not. No one seemed to be around. Ruined buildings served as decorations. On closer inspection, Marc realized it was a castle. He got up to look for answers.

    The ground was covered with a thin layer of snow no thicker than two sheets of paper.

    ¡°Why does this place look like it''s been abandoned for ages?¡±

    Marc could see nothing but snow and the remains of the ruined castle. He circled the mansion and discovered a large white plain behind the ruins. It stretched on forever, with no sun to complete its horizon. On the contrary, the sun seemed to be absent. The sky was completely white.

    Marc looked to the other side, but there was still nothing.

    ¡°I''m clearly not at home.¡±

    Marc then decided to visit the ruins. As he had expected, finding the gate was a real ordeal. The castle had seemed immense in its heyday, but it was now only twice Marc''s size. Even so, he found the door behind a pile of rubble. Made of heavy wood with iron remnants on the handle, it didn''t give way easily under Marc''s force.

    However, with a great deal of effort, he managed to open it. The whole house shook under the effect of the tremor. Marc discovered a ruined interior too. Some of the furniture was still in place, if he could call it that. The spiders had taken up residence in all but one corner of the ceiling, which had collapsed and let in the snow.

    ¡°It''s not very clean in here. Oh...¡±

    Despite the state of the room, Marc could make out behind a tattered wall a bookcase containing a book. Dodging the debris, he reached into one of the holes in the wall and grabbed the only book still there.

    ¡°Well, you my lad, are lucky I was passing by. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have found you until centuries later.¡±

    The book was thick but light. Dust had completely covered it. Marc wiped it with the sleeve of his sweater and discovered the novel''s author.

    ¡°Lavoi...si.¡±

    Once again, the author he''d enjoyed so much in his own world, the author he''d also discovered in the other world, was also the author of the only book on that little shelf in that ruined castle. Marc couldn''t believe it. Who was Lavoisi really?

    Marc turned the first page of the book.

    ¡°I don''t know if anyone will read this book. The world is filled with so much mystery that I could get drunk. Shame on me for trying to understand it. Shame on me for wanting to live. I don''t know if anyone will ever find this book. I hope the wise Iomir still lives. The journey will be long and things will repeat themselves. If there''s one thing I should say for you, look in the bottom drawer.¡±

    ¡°The bottom drawer? There''s nothing in that room. The only potential cupboard with a drawer is that one over there.¡±

    A wooden cabinet was stuck at the back of the room. Marc approached it. It had only three drawers, two of which were already gone. He opened the third, removing the cobwebs on top. A key was inside.

    ¡°Classic.¡±

    Marc took the key in hand. It was made of bronze. Its symbols reminded Marc of the symbols on the cathedral door. Marc immediately thought of the man in black, then forgot. He then picked up the book to read the rest.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°If you took the key, go to the stairs. I''ll leave you only a clue to move on. Go where the sun goes and go against the light. Count the number of roses in the field, don''t look at the death of the lost bird. Don''t look at your wings, you who are lost.¡±

    Marc had no idea what he was saying. He wondered if it wasn''t just the story of the book he was beginning to read. Nevertheless, he read on, trying to understand what the words really meant.

    ¡°It was the story of a prince under the sway of his queen. She wanted a world of peace with the one she loved. The prince didn''t mind, doing whatever his sweetheart wanted. Yet under the moonlight, tears fell in the kingdom of dreams.¡±

    ¡°It''s just a fantasy book. I wonder if I should really believe this guy. Maybe he''s right? After all, I found the key in the drawer. Could he have been here before? What did the clue mean? Who was it really for?¡±

    If there was one thing Marc didn''t like, it was asking himself too many questions revolving around an irresolvable mystery. He loved mystery, but hated not finding the answers right away. For this one he had to embark on a long investigation.

    ¡°Couldn''t you have given clearer details, Lavoisi?¡±

    One thing was certain, Lavoisi had been here before. He knew quite a bit about this world.

    ¡°Good. Now, how do I get home?¡±

    Marc looked around. The ruined castle didn''t really offer any possibility of portals to another world. He didn''t even know how he got in. In the room, there were three doors, all identical.

    ¡°He told me to go to the staircase. There''s got to be one behind one of these doors, or I''m a goner.¡±

    Marc headed for the door opposite the entrance door. As he approached, he noticed the more elaborate details of this one. Roots seemed to emerge from all sides of the door, eventually winding around the middle, leaving a circle containing someone''s face. The person appeared to be a neutral-looking woman. Her face was in profile and her long hair appeared curly. Marc said she was rather pretty, but looked unhappy.

    Marc slowly held out his hand. Deep down, he had no idea what he was getting into. The handle creaked and he gradually began to push the door open. The lady''s face lit up and the roots wrapped around it took on new colors. He entered cautiously in view of the spectacle he had just witnessed.

    The room lit up in turn, as if the light from the door was shining through it too. There wasn''t much in the way of order when he arrived, but everything fell back into place with the ship of light. There was a large table in the middle of the room. It was filled with plates and looked as if it had been laid out for a feast. But the food was rotten, and worms and flies were eating the wood of the table cause they had eaten everything edible. However, with the ship of light, the chairs fell back into place, the food returned and seemed edible again, and the worms and flies disappeared as if they''d never been there.

    The spectacle was quite astonishing. Marc also noticed that some paintings had fallen down but had been put back in their place. The face on them was still that of the lady on the door. At the end of the table, a chair that looked more like a throne dominated the entire room. Its red velvet and gold trim were reminiscent of royalty.

    Marc suspected that this castle must once have belonged to a powerful man or woman.

    ¡°Maybe the one from history? But why would it have ended so badly?¡±

    Marc walked around the room. He contemplated the paintings one by one. The woman turned her face a little more in each painting. Above the throne sat a painting of the woman from the front. An extremely enchanting face. So pretty that Marc remained glued to it for a good five minutes. The fact that her hair was crossed on either side of her face made the scene even more magnificent.

    When he came to, Marc looked at his eyes. Despite the vessel of light that seemed to be putting everything back into place, his face remained closed. The first thing pointed it out was her eyes. Whether from the front or in profile, her eyes revealed no emotion.

    ¡°No, on the contrary, they seem to show a slight anger.¡±

    An anger he couldn''t understand.

    After looking around the room, Marc restrained himself from sitting down on the red seat. But after a minute''s thought, he gave in to temptation and ended up sitting on it. However, as he approached the seat''s feet, he noticed blood dripping from the velvet. A huge puddle remained under the seat. Marc took a step back.

    ¡°What a horror. What does it mean?¡±

    The room soon filled with blood and Marc''s shoes were now red.

    ¡°I''ve got to get out of here.¡±

    Marc ran to the door, splashing more and more blood. He grabbed the handle but the door refused to open. He banged on it again and again, but nothing happened.

    ¡°Open up.¡±

    Despite Marc''s cries, the door didn''t give way. He felt trapped as blood reached his knees.

    ¡°You''ve got to be kidding me. This is how it ends.¡±

    The blood that kept rising had now reached his chest. Marc cast the most desperate glance at the portrait above the red seat. He wanted to see if he''d been betrayed by this lady who seemed to have been betrayed too. Yet, although his face hadn''t changed, tears of blood flowed from hes eyes making her look even angrier.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Marc looked away from the woman who seemed to have suffered more than he had. Blood rushed past his mouth, then his nose. He couldn''t breathe and let himself sink slowly. He gradually closed his eyes as he lost consciousness. With one last look, he thought he caught sight of the woman standing there, staring out of the window with the same look as in the painting. She slowly opened her mouth...

    ¡°The last night is often the most beautiful.¡±

    Marc didn''t understand the meaning of her words...

 Difficult times

    <div>

    Elie looked out the window. She was worried about Marc. She''d been calling him all weekend, but he hadn''t answered. No matter how hard his parents tried to tell themselves that he surely hadn''t disappeared, their minds couldn''t calm down.

    ¡°I''m sure he''s fine.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but you''re stressing too.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know.¡±

    Mary recalled the discussion she''d had with her son.

    ¡°I didn''t think he had such serious problems.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean such serious problems?¡±

    ¡°He spoke to me on Saturday morning to ask me what he should do when he encountered an insurmountable trial.¡±

    ¡°That''s not true.¡±

    ¡°You think I should have locked him in his room.¡±

    ¡°You''re abusing.¡±

    His mother looked at Elie through her window. She seemed more panicked than she was.

    ¡°Elie stresses more than we do.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know nothing can kill that kid.¡±

    Elie was sweating. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. She knew nothing in this world could kill Marc, only it was only what was in this world. If Marc had been swept into the other world, he''d be nothing but a vulnerable man.

    ¡°Why are you stressing so much about this guy?¡±

    Her mother had returned to her room. To her, Marc''s disappearance was good news. Deep down, she felt like dancing. But when she saw her daughter, she realized he was pretty important to her. Her daughter wasn''t answering any of her questions.

    ¡°That guy was just a gangster, wasn''t he? You should stop thinking about him...¡±

    She stopped dead in her tracks. Elie had turned around, glaring at her mother with the gaze of a beast ready to pounce on its prey. Her condition was unrecognizable. Her hair was uncombed and she had abominable dark circles.

    ¡°Mom, don''t talk about him like that. You don''t know him.¡±

    Catherine didn''t recognize her daughter.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    She left her daughter''s room. Elie looked out the window again. Night was beginning to fall. The sky was starry and the moon was in the foreground. Elie didn''t know what to do. For her, Marc was everything. He was her last hope in a world that was going to the dogs without understanding why. Her vision of a world in ruins, devastated by destruction, had shown her Marc. He was reaching out to her amidst the ruined buildings. He said...

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Elie, don''t worry, I won''t let you die.¡±

    Marc opened his eyes. This was the second time he''d fainted on leaving one of these strange rooms. The library was already a sustained phycological experience for him. As he lay on the floor, he had no idea where he''d landed again.

    ¡°Where am I this time?¡±

    The answer didn''t come directly to him. He didn''t want to get up, but he had no choice. He had to get out of here. He got up to see where he was. As it happened, he wasn''t really in a room. The place was just a huge, swirling staircase. It seemed to stretch endlessly from bottom to top.

    ¡°This can''t be true.¡±

    Marc realized he had to take those stairs. He began his long walk upwards.

    ¡°Down is often for hell.¡±

    The staircase was enclosed by four walls that didn''t let the light escape. Marc walked and walked and walked...

    With each step, he lost a little more of the will to go on. Then came the moment when he passed the hundred-step mark, two hundred steps, a thousand steps...

    ¡°Where am I going?¡±

    No sweat on his brow, just infinitely turning steps. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the tower. Nothing seemed more horrifying to see him walking endlessly.

    ¡°Why am I going out there?¡±

    Two thousand paces.

    ¡°Why am I here?¡±

    Three thousand steps.

    ¡°Why do I have to do this?¡±

    Five thousand steps.

    ¡°I just wanted to...¡±

    Seven thousand steps.

    ¡°I just wanted to...¡±

    Ten thousand steps.

    ¡°I wanted ...¡±

    From that point on, Marc''s pace increased to one step per minute. He put his foot on the next step and a memory flashed through his mind.

    He saw himself again, when he was younger, standing next to his father on a soccer pitch. That day, Marc was on the bench. He had totally missed his match. The coach had forced him to sit down.

    ¡°You don''t have to worry. Games like that happen.¡±

    He watched the others play. His gaze wasn''t envious or grumpy, it was sad. Sad that he didn''t measure up.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    His team scored a goal. They all celebrated as if he''d just won the World Cup. But Marc didn''t move from the bench. Tears welled up in his eyes. His father looked at him.

    ¡°The best thing you can do is turn that sadness into work so you never have to play that kind of game again.¡±

    ¡°But you said it happens a lot.¡±

    ¡°That''s what''s exceptional. The man isn''t perfect. But his strength comes from his convictions. If you turn that sadness into work, you''ll only get stronger every time you lose. In the end, you''ll never make that kind of mistake again.¡±

    Marc looked at his father, his eyes filled with tears.

    ¡°But never forget to always pick yourself up. Otherwise this sadness will kill you.¡±

    Marc saw the stairs in front of him again. His left foot rested on a top step.

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    He kept going. On and on. No longer counting the number of steps. Sometimes he would run and then catch his breath. He had decided to turn his sadness into work. He''d decided to move forward...

    4 million 037. That was the number of steps Marc had climbed. At the top, the view was not to be ignored. Clouds as far as the eye could see and a brilliant sun. Some clouds were golden from the sun and some were crystal white. The wind blew through Marc''s hair. His eyes sparkled in the sun. Nothing could describe what he was feeling at that moment. Nothing could describe that strange feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.

    Marc closed his eyes. When he awoke, he found himself in a white place. A woman was standing nearby. She turned towards him.

    ¡°You are here. Slave to fate.¡±

    Suddenly, everything disappeared. Marc saw the ceiling of the library again. The real library. The one from his world. The one in which he''d sought answers and received only more questions.

    <div>

    <div>

 Emotional reunion

    Marc now understood nothing. Lying on the library floor, he thought back to another adventure in this strange world. He thought of Lavoisi and its mysteries, the otherworldly library, the ruined castle, the lady on the blackboard, the throne of blood, the infinite staircases, the sea of clouds, fate''s slave...

    Fate''s slave...

    Why was he fate''s slave? Why had he shown her all these things? Who was she?

    ¡°In the cathedral dream, was I really spared because I was special?¡±

    He thought back to Chris''s words.

    ¡°Oh. Excuse me. Maybe you''re a chosen one among us, right? You''re the only one who''s going to survive this tragedy.¡±

    Marc closed his eyes.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    It was the librarian who had greeted him.

    ¡°I don''t think you can sleep here. I didn''t know you had so little interest in reading.¡±

    She was smiling despite the situation. Marc stood up and looked around. Everything was in order. The books no longer floated and the corridor remained straight. It was late and the only people left were Marc and the librarian.

    ¡°I''m sorry. How long was I asleep?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. I didn''t even see you come in today.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    To Marc, that meant he''d been inside the other world for several days.

    ¡°When was the last time we saw each other?¡±

    ¡°Three days ago, sir.¡±

    ¡°Three days?¡±

    Marc had been stuck for so long. He couldn''t imagine how worried his parents must be. He was going to have to explain himself with a credible reason he didn''t have.

    ¡°Thank you very much. Good-bye.¡±

    ¡°Bye.¡±

    Marc took off running. The way home was even shorter than before...

    Marc arrived in front of his house. The house seemed dark. He hesitated a great deal before entering. He reached for the door handle, but before he could touch it, his mother rushed out and caught him in her arms. Marc was stunned for about ten seconds before he hugged her too. He had never wanted a hug so badly. His tears began to flow.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Where were you?¡±

    ¡°At the library.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right."

    His father''s car pulled up in front of the house. He''d spent the day asking his classmates if they''d seen Marc. He got out of the car and ran to his son, whom he would also be hugging.

    ¡°For God''s sake, don''t ever do that to me again. At least answer the messages.¡±

    Marc pulled out his phone and noticed it was out of battery.

    ¡°Come home and explain what happened.¡±

    He didn''t know if he should tell the truth.

    ¡°You''ll never believe me anyway.¡±

    ¡°We''ll see about that, you runaway.¡±

    Marc returned home. The home he''d missed so much. They sat down on the armchairs and he began to tell his stories. Everything from the beginning...

    ¡°You''re right, I don''t believe it.¡±

    ¡°I warned you, though.¡±

    ¡°Tell us the real reason, then.¡±

    ¡°I told you what I did.¡±

    ¡°Marc, we''ll end up taking you to see a shrink.¡±

    ¡°Don''t bother, I''m not crazy.¡±

    ¡°Allow me to doubt that.¡±

    ¡°Darlings.¡±

    ¡°What? Your son is talking nonsense because he won''t tell us where he''s been for the last three days and you want to defend him.¡±

    Marc''s father was wound up. It was normal. As far as he was concerned, his son simply wouldn''t tell him the truth.

    ¡°Honey, has your son ever lied to you about anything serious?¡±

    ¡°No, but you want to believe his nonsense.¡±

    Mary didn''t know what to say. She couldn''t believe Marc either. No one could believe him.

    ¡°Look me in the eyes, Marc.¡±

    He looked his mother in the eyes. Mary''s eyes were frightened, Marc''s eyes revealed nothing more.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    ¡°In the other world.¡±

    Marc''s mother lowered her eyes. It was impossible to make him admit where he was. But she wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe in her son. His father was struggling.

    ¡°Let it go. Get some rest. We''re still happy to see you. You can''t even imagine how much I had to do to reassure your mother.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? You were the one who was stressed out.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. I know my son is invincible.¡±

    Marc watched his parents argue. An argument of relief. He knew relations between them had grown strained, but he also knew his family wouldn''t change for the worse.

    ¡°I love you guys. Thank you.¡±

    His parents paused to look at him. They didn''t often hear that phrase from their son.

    ¡°Oh, you know we didn''t do anything special. You came back all by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But I''m sure I would have found you.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Don''t you think? I''ve already told you about the orientation classes we had in sports.¡±

    ¡°You and your friends got lost.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but who ended up with them?

    ¡°Mathieu."

    ¡°And me.¡±

    Marc was genuinely relieved. Nothing had changed. He headed for the stairs to his room to get some sleep.

    ¡°Oh Marc.¡±

    Marc turned back to his father.

    ¡°You should wait for this little girl. She was really worried sick about you. I think she was more worried than your mother.¡±

    Elie. Marc didn''t know how Elie was doing.

    ¡°I''ll wait until after school to go see her.¡±

    ¡°Don''t bother. I sent her a message, she''s probably already on her way.¡±

    Marc walked to his door. As soon as he opened it, he saw Elie, out of breath in the small parking lot in front of his house. She was still dressed for school and had traces of blue pen in her hand. She looked up.

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    Despite her fatigue, she ran back to Marc and collapsed in his arms. Her face fell as she realized it wasn''t an illusion. She began to cry. She cried so hard, clinging to Marc, holding him with all her strength.

    Marc realized that Elie was undoubtedly the person who had suffered most from his absence. He hugged her back.

    ¡°Don''t worry, Elie. I''m here.¡±

    These phrases didn''t really reassure her anymore. She wanted to be sure he was really there and would be even stronger in her arms.

 Lavoisi and Zodric

    <div>

    Sitting back in his room, one on the bed and the other on the chair, Marc told Elie everything. It was hard for her to hear. When they had finished, they remained in silence for ten minutes, until Elie recovered her senses.

    ¡°A ruined castle? A library? Endless staircases? You''ve seen it all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±

    ¡°And Lavoisi is an author who has written in both worlds?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I found his works in the other world. Here.¡±

    Marc had managed to keep a copy of Lavoisi''s books from his world and the one he''d found in the remains of the chateau. Passing the books to Elie, he noticed the dark circles around her eyes and her unkempt hair. He''d never felt so bad for anyone, and he didn''t think anyone could get into such a state for him.

    ¡°I should treat her better.¡±

    Elie took the books and consulted them. She really liked the way he wrote. A smile spread across her face. Marc contemplated that smile for a long time. For him, that little lift of the lip lifted his spirits.

    ¡°I like this writer. He writes a bit like you.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Poetic but deep. You write like that a lot.¡±

    ¡°I do?¡±

    ¡°You have other clues?¡±

    ¡°In the throne room I was in, there was a name written on the table. Zodric.¡±

    ¡°Zodric.¡±

    ¡°Especially the owners of the castle.¡±

    Someone knocked on the door.

    ¡°I hope I''m not disturbing you.¡±

    ¡°Nath.¡±

    Nathana?l entered the room. His smile at the sight of Marc lit up the whole room. He hugged Marc back.

    ¡°I knew you weren''t dead.¡±

    The two looked at each other. Nathana?l had become brighter. Marc had become darker.

    ¡°You''re even brighter than before.¡±

    ¡°I can''t help it. I don''t know how to stop it.¡±

    ¡°Sit down. We were just debriefing.¡±

    ¡°Zodric, who is he?¡±

    ¡°We don''t know.¡±

    ¡°We''ll have to find out and find this Lavoisi.¡±

    ¡°Was he even still alive?¡±

    ¡°We''ll see.¡±

    Marc picked up his Pc, which was on his desk. He typed Lavoisi''s name into his search bar.

    ¡°Lavoisi is a novelist born in...¡±

    ¡°What is it, Marc? Go on.¡±

    ¡°He was born in -10756 and died in -10738. This author is known not to have been confirmed dead but disappeared after 5 years of searching. ¡±

    ¡°What. That''s so old.¡±

    ¡°I knew that in Romane, he loved the ancient but not to this extent.¡±

    ¡°Could such old writings have been preserved? How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. I''ll read on. Lavoisi lived in Romane, in the town of Sire. He was unmarried and had no attachments. His life seemed pretty normal, except for the day when he went berserk and massacred the people at Orio church. From that day on, he disappeared without a trace. The only thing found at his home was his books. He was only eighteen, yet his bookshelves contained hundreds of books. The most mysterious thing was that he left a message on his desk. It read: woe to those who do not look at the stars.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°That''s chilling.¡±

    ¡°It''s not over yet. Today, Lavoisi''s story is in doubt. Some think he was just a kid who wanted to write what he thought.¡±

    Silence fell over the room. Marc began to think again. To him, Lavoisi didn''t seem like the kind of person who would slaughter people. But since he didn''t know the author at all, he couldn''t say for sure.

    ¡°We''ll keep looking on our own. For now, get some rest. You''ve got a hard day.¡±

    Nathana?l stood up. Marc looked at him, thinking that he was undoubtedly the wisest of all. Elie didn''t want to leave Marc for fear of losing him, but she had to leave the room and let him sleep.

    ¡°See you tomorrow, Marc.¡±

    ¡°See you guys tomorrow.¡±

    As soon as they closed the door, Marc collapsed on his bed. He hadn''t stopped running and thinking. His whole body was overheated. He closed his eyes and decided not to go to school the next day. It was the best sleep he''d had in a long time.

    Chris awoke with a start. His strange dreams tormented him enormously at night. It wasn''t the first time he''d woken up like this. He couldn''t take it anymore.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    He couldn''t help thinking it was his vision. That field of black feathers haunted him to this day. He could see himself lying in the field, the feeling of death rising in his arms, unable to move, unable to scream, the feathers slowly allowing themselves to cover his carcass before he heard that word roar in the distance.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Aregis

    He could no longer forget it. He couldn''t pass it by. He didn''t want to die... He thought back to Marc, telling himself that he couldn''t really accuse him of anything.

    ¡°Maybe I went a bit too far. There was no reason for me to get so worked up. But the fact that he''s the only person left alive in the whole damn cathedral is super suspicious.¡±

    He tossed the can in his hand in anger.

    ¡°I never really liked the guy. I was popular enough not to talk to him. But still, I felt like he was stealing my popularity when he''s not even that good-looking. Okay, so he''s not ugly. But still. I''m tired of it.¡±

    He took another can from his fridge and sat back in his chair.

    ¡°He''s still a nice guy, and when I''m with him, it gets on my nerves, but he''s cool.¡±

    Chris''s eyes closed heavily. He couldn''t stay awake anymore.

    ¡°I think if we''d known each other from the beginning, we could have been friends.¡±

    Chris fell asleep in his armchair.

    Marc awoke with a start. Something was missing.

    ¡°By the way, where''s Jin?¡±

    He sprinted to the next room to see if his student was still there. His bed was empty.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    He sprinted toward his parents'' room.

    ¡°Mom, Dad, where''s Jin?¡±

    His mother awoke slowly as if the news of his disappearance didn''t shock her in the least.

    ¡°He went looking for you the day you went to the library. I tried to hold him back but he said : Thank you, master''s mother, but I must do this alone, don''t look for me, I must fulfill my duty to the master.¡±

    Marc looked desperately at his mother.

    ¡°It''s true.¡±

    ¡°You warned him at least.¡±

    ¡°No, I forgot.¡±

    Marc looked desperately at his mother for a good minute before running to fetch his phone.

    ¡°Where the hell is he now?¡±

    Marc tried to call him, without success. He ran to the door, grabbed his sneakers and set off in search of her. But just as he wanted to get out, he saw Jin in front of the door, kneeling with his point down.

    ¡°Welcome back from your training master. I''m sorry I wasn''t there. I''ve been looking for you.¡±

    His clothes were battered, his shoes were soiled, and he had wound marks on his sleeves, which he''d lost, by the way.

    ¡°So I''ve been training too while you''ve been away.¡±

    Marc really didn''t understand Jin. A hundred questions popped into his head. In the end, he took a deep breath to pretend it was normal.

    ¡°It''s all right. You''ve worked hard, you deserve a rest. Go to your room and rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    ¡°Stop calling me that.¡±

    For Jin, his master''s approval was the best thing that could have happened to him.

    The next day, Marc and Jin stayed in the house to rest. They''d earned it. They met in the kitchen.

    ¡°So that''s what you did in the other world.¡±

    Jin didn''t understand much of what Marc was saying, but had clearly witnessed Goagi''s powers. He now knew that the world Marc was going to was real. Which made him even more determined to be his pupil for life.

    ¡°You''re definitely very strong, Master.¡±

    ¡°Stop calling me that.¡±

    Marc took a bowl of cereal and sat down on a chair.

    ¡°By the way, you''ve been practicing, haven''t you? You shouldn''t show me the fruits of that training. ¡±

    Jin''s eyes lit up.

    ¡°Come outside, we''ll see what you''re made of.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    They went out into the forest nearby. An open space was at their mercy.

    ¡°Five minutes.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Five minutes wasn''t much in the real world. But on their scale, it was more than enough for Jin. He took the first step. The air split and he disappeared as he moved. To a human being, this was impossible to see. But for Marc it was different. He caught Jin''s foot in mid-air. This sent him reeling back ten meters.

    ¡°Impressive.¡±

    But then Jin disappeared again, this time close to the ground, trying to tackle Marc. The latter barely jumped to avoid the tackle.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Still in the air, Marc took a nice high kick. His arms served as a shield. A pretty smile spread across his face. But Jin wasn''t finished. He disappeared a third time. This time, Marc couldn''t follow him. By the time he realized what was happening, Jin was already behind him.

    ¡°An lunge punch.¡±

    Jin''s eyes darkened. Marc had managed to follow him with his eyes. He grabbed Jin''s fist.

    ¡°That was hot.¡±

    Jin stepped back a good 20 yards.

    ¡°It''s been five seconds.¡±

    The fight was on. Jin''s rain of attacks wouldn''t stop. He tried everything. Marc had to admit it, Jin was much stronger than he was. His every move incited human perfection. But Marc was no longer human.

    ¡°Ten seconds left. It''s my turn to attack now.¡±

    It was brief and to the point. Marc disappeared from Jin''s field of vision. No matter how he turned his head, he was gone. He could feel the air move, but he couldn''t see his master. He was too fast for him.

    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±

    The hand put on Jin''s heart. This ended their fight.

    ¡°You''ve become even stronger, master.¡±

    ¡°It''s not much, I''ve been in the other world most of the time. You''re just rubbing shoulders with me.¡±

    ¡°By the way, when you spoke of the other world, I thought you were talking about a superior human state. But since the appearance of this famous Goagi, I don''t know what to think anymore.¡±

    Silence reigned for a while. Marc didn''t want to involve an innocent in his affair. No one around him was safe anymore.

    ¡°You know if you want to stop following me, you can. I''m not holding you back.¡±

    ¡°Stop following you? No, on the contrary, there''s a stage even more powerful than anything I''ve ever imagined. I can''t stop there. You''re the ideal person to achieve my goal.¡±

    Marc couldn''t believe it. He couldn''t understand how anyone could willingly put themselves in such danger, knowing all that could happen. Even so, he smiled.

    ¡°You. You''re really something.¡±

    Jin looked at his master.

    ¡°All right, then. Follow me to the end of the worlds if you like.¡±

    His master shone in the sunlight. His smile was like one of its rays. Nothing looked more beautiful than this student gazing in admiration at his master.

    On the way home, Marc began to research Lavoisi further.

    ¡°They don''t say much that''s new. The phrase ''woe to those who don''t look at the stars'' comes up a lot, but it''s always the same context. ¡°He massacred the people of the church of Orio.¡± I''ll try to find that church.¡±

    There was nothing normal about Orio''s church. Its symbols resembled those found in the other world. Its followers were said to be madmen who advocated nothing other than the idea of the descent of a celestial being.

    ¡°The great Zodric.¡±

    His name was there. The name that was inscribed on the table in the ruined castle. The name Marc had seen near the throne.

    ¡°A church that worships an otherworldly being. Chilling.¡±

    Marc read on carefully. The church had indeed been massacred and had also fallen into ruin. Corpses had been found on the site in all sorts of states. Burnt, lacerated, drowned, limbs missing... Hearts had been found in the center of the church, and the castle had suffered a major explosion.

    ¡°But worst of all, 4 other churches that also worshipped Zodric were destroyed and massacred on the same day. This day was called ¡°Zodric''s descent.¡±

    But nobody believed in the legend. Marc believed it wholeheartedly. He couldn''t help believing that all these actions had been programmed by this Zodric. The owner of the otherworldly ruins. An address was given with representative images

    ¡°Great. It''s not going to help me if it''s more than ten thousand years old. I hope I can see the ruins or some semblance of remains.¡±

    Jin entered the room.

    ¡°Did you find anything interesting?¡±

    ¡°Addresses and pictures. A name I know and significant events.¡±

    ¡°That doesn''t seem to delight you.¡±

    ¡°Let''s just say, I don''t think I''m going to find any friends there. It''s in Zvenne''s empire. We''ll wait until the vacations to go there. Good thing it''s in a week.¡±

    ¡°I''m already getting ready for the trip.¡±

    Marc looked at the painting of the place. Everything was dark and horrifying. Just thinking about it now puzzled him.

    ¡°Am I going to die this time?¡±

    Marc looked desperately at the images of Zodirc''s descent. Corpses littered the ground. From the image alone, he could see the sinister aura of the place. His eyes darkened.

    ¡°No, I''ll survive.¡±

    The next day, Marc had to take the bus back to school. Elie was so delighted that she regained her usual air just by seeing him leave the house. A radiant smile lit up the street. Jin and Marc couldn''t even look at her.

    As soon as he got on the bus, Marc noticed he was being watched. That was to be expected. A boy who disappeared from one day to the next and then came back as if nothing had happened, didn''t really fit in with what one might call ¡°everyday life.¡± Marc was well aware of this. Even so, he took the bus as if it were normal.

    ¡°Did you miss it?¡±

    Marc contemplated the scenery passing before his eyes.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    <div>

    <div>

 The Zvenne Empire

    The school days passed quickly. Marc, Jin, Elie and Nathana?l now formed a solid group. Chris and his group of friends just stared at them. But Chris seemed elsewhere. Manon simply avoided them. It was as if the curse had come from Marc. She was afraid of him.

    Marc, on the other hand, was living his life quietly, forgetting about the man in black, forgetting about Zodric or Goagi, forgetting about all the problems that had accumulated so far. He didn''t laugh, however, and rarely smiled. But the slightest of his smiles always delighted Elie, who began to smile too. Which lit up the whole room.

    ¡°You''re looking better Marc.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    One of Marc''s favorite teachers was Monsieur Gorac. His chemistry teacher. Attending his class was a blessing for him because they were always doing an enormous amount of experimenting. Color explosions, temperature variations, crystallizations... Marc loved the unexpected results every time. Waiting for the result.

    ¡°You''re gradually regaining your color. Make sure you''re ready for what''s coming next, I''ve got some heavy stuff in store for you.¡±

    ¡°I''ll be ready, sir. Don''t worry.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Marc watched his teacher leave. Elie, sitting next to him, hadn''t missed a crumb of the conversation.

    ¡°You like this teacher.¡±

    ¡°He''s nice and I like chemistry.¡±

    ¡°That goes without saying.¡±

    They ended the course with an experiment he had called Robius''s Star. For the experiment produced a blue vapor with the flicker of gold in the form of a star. Marc had enjoyed the day.

    But the vacations were fast approaching. It was time for them to visit the ruins of Orio church. The problem was telling their parents they were going to...

    ¡°The Zvenne Empire?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That for a vacation.¡±

    ¡°We''d like to go there for a week. ¡±

    ¡°Why there? You know how strict they are. The only good thing is that they''re tough these Zvennires. ¡±

    ¡°I don''t mind taking you. It''ll give me a vacation too.¡±

    ¡°Darling. You know how expensive it is.¡±

    ¡°But I know you want a vacation. It''ll do you good.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°I''ll buy you three restaurants...¡±

    ¡°Kids, pack your bags, we''re leaving tomorrow.¡±

    Her mother was like that. She liked restaurants. Marc knew his father had managed. In fact, he winked at him as he left.

    The Zvenne Empire was a powerful empire known for its strict rules. Although highly developed, there was no evidence that its inhabitants were happy. It was said that they were reduced to mere robots following the law. Several revolutions had already taken place to stop this powerful authoritarian system. But they all failed. The people didn''t rise, but they didn''t really suffer. They were all victims of the most powerful man in the world: Emperor Turcan.

    Turcan was known as the most powerful and politically influential man in the world. His fame stemmed mainly from the fact that his surname was Turcan and that he was much stronger than the average man. It was rumored that he had been the victim of an assassination attempt at knifepoint, but had fended off his assailants himself.

    ¡°If what they say about this man and his empire is true, we''re going to have a hard time finding the ruins.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, they''re still visible, but they''re off-limits? We''re going to have to make a bit of a ruckus.¡±

    Marc wasn''t at all confident. His goal was to find the truth, not fight the world. Becoming the enemy of the Zvenne Empire meant becoming the enemy of the world. He had to find a way in undetected. But to do that, they already had to arrive.

    ¡°One more check.¡±

    ¡°I told you he was strict. We should have spent our vacation in Igrir, it was quieter. Why do you necessarily want to go to Orio?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°For the history.¡±

    ¡°History? What history? Orio is a ruined town. The only history you might find there is the legend of the massacre. You won''t see anything else.¡±

    ¡°At least they have beautiful scenery.¡±

    ¡°That much is clear. That''s the only reason I''m letting you go out there.¡±

    Marc understood that his mother was letting them go to Orio because she herself could enjoy it.

    ¡°Orio is a beautiful town. The places of the so-called massacre are strongly present, but if you don''t stay there, you soon forget.¡±

    At that moment, it was certain. There had to be a remnant of a dark aura about the place. Dark for more than ten thousand years.

    They approached the city after more than five hours'' driving. The Zvenne Empire was immense. The great cities built to touch the sky left Elie speechless. The architecture of the buildings seemed to come from another world. On the streets, there weren''t many people. All those walking showed no special emotion.

    ¡°It''s sad to see, such a beautiful city for such gloomy inhabitants.¡±

    ¡°It''s because of the law they''re like that. Damn Turcan.¡±

    Marc saw these people too. He also saw cities. For him, everything was in order. Far too much in order.

    ¡°We''ve arrived.¡±

    The town of Orio was indeed beautiful, with an ancient style. The Turcan Emperor didn''t want to touch it, because for him, the old should sometimes remain the old. All the ruins were therefore preserved without maintenance.

    ¡°Magnificent.¡±

    Nathana?l saw on his left a carriage driven by two magnificent white horses.

    ¡°It''s downright rubbish.¡±

    There were houses that seemed to date back to the old days. The inhabitants were not dressed in the same way as those outside the city. It was easy to distinguish who the tourists were. The sun was beaming down on the houses, making them even more beautiful. But to enter the city, they had to pass a final check.

    ¡°Hello sir, can we see your papers? And can you tell us why you have come to the city of Orio?¡±

    The world language was Zvennese. Marc''s father spoke the language very well.

    ¡°Even here, you ask for the papers.¡±

    ¡°That''s the procedure.¡±

    All giving his papers, he replied.

    ¡°We''re here for a stay.¡±

    ¡°You picked the wrong time to come to Orio. Security must have been stepped up here.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°We can''t tell you sir, but the Emperor was very clear. Please be careful.¡±

    The car passed between the two guards. The blue of their clothes emitted a small light that reflected in Marc''s eyes.

    ¡°They''re stylish.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to stay here?¡±

    The four children looked at each other, then all answered in unison.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Marc''s eyes reflected the city that flashed before his eyes. Despite its bright colors of gold and white, he could see it very clearly. The aura that hung over the city.

    ¡°Head for the church.¡±

    Arriving at the hotel, the little family and friends were all shocked by the place. Everything was made of marble. If they''d walked in without knowing what it was, they''d have thought it was a palace. The entrance hall consisted of a reception desk at the far end of the room. To its left and right were two golden staircases winding up to the second floor, forming an arc. The floor was as gleaming as the walls. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings. Antique paintings hung on the walls. White armchairs sat on both sides of the room.

    ¡°So much for a hotel.¡±

    Opposite the reception desk, the lady behind it, who didn''t even seem to notice their arrival, smiled at them immediately.

    ¡°Hello and welcome to Orio.¡±

    Marc''s father dropped his sunglasses.

    ¡°It was the cheapest in town. There were no pictures.¡±

    ¡°How much did you spend on all this, darling?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Almost nothing.¡±

    As everyone stood in awe of the magnificent sight. The receptionist repeated.

    ¡°Hello and welcome to Orio. May I ask what name you booked Orio-bas under?¡±

    Orio-bas was the name of the company he''d rented from.

    ¡°Ah yes. Excuse me. Carl Zeymond.¡±

    ¡°I see. You''ve reserved three rooms. Here are the keys. They''re rooms 208, 211 and 212. Enjoy your stay.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    After receiving the keys, they all went straight to their rooms. And as agreed, their surprise was justified. The room, too, was all white and gold. It looked like something out of a movie. The velvet of the beds, the view of the city, the giant screens. Everything was perfect. Marc stared at the city for a long time. Especially the ruins he could see from his room. The sun illuminated them as well as in the photos.

    ¡°We''re on our way.¡±

    But as expected, the place was closed.

    ¡°What do you mean, closed?¡±

    ¡°Off-limits to everyone.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Why would we tell you brats. It''s forbidden, that''s all.¡±

    ¡°Marc, come here for two minutes.¡±

    Nathana?l took him aside.

    ¡°You know very well that if we get into trouble in this town, it won''t do.¡±

    ¡°I know, but we can''t just give up. You see it well. The aura of that ruin is powerful.¡±

    ¡°I know. But maybe the reason they closed the ruins was because something bad was happening there. You can see that even though there''s a huge amount of aura, it''s super dark and creepy.¡±

    Indeed, the ruin''s aura was sickening. Marc found it hard to stay put, and the guards changed every ten minutes. Some were even fainting on the ground.

    ¡°The heightened security, that''s why.¡±

    Marc hesitated. There was nothing he could do against the Zvenne Empire.

    ¡°But we can test something.¡±

    Marc looked at Nathana?l thoughtfully. What idea could this intellectual genius possibly have.

    ¡°I''ll try something, but the results probably won''t come right away.¡±

    ¡°How soon?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know.¡±

    ¡°I think I know what you mean. But if it doesn''t work, we''ll force our way in.¡±

    ¡°You''ll do it yourself. I don''t want any trouble.¡±

    Nathana?l moved towards the guards whom Elie and Jin were still harassing.

    ¡°Are you deaf or something? You can''t go in there. ¡±

    ¡°But since I''m telling you I''m stronger than you and so is he. We''re safe.¡±

    ¡°I don''t care.¡±

    ¡°I''m going to hit him.¡±

    ¡°Stop it, Jin. That''s the Zvenne Empire there.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me. But you tell your Emperor that the aura of this ruin is restless and something is going on. If he knows what to do, let him do it quickly.¡±

    The soldier''s head shot up as these were the most insolent words he''d ever heard against his Emperor. He prepared to draw his sword.

    ¡°In view of Article 3 of the Imperial Code, which stipulates...¡±

    ¡°Flee.¡±

    Nathana?l was the first to flee. Elie and Jin looked at him as if he were a coward who couldn''t back up his words. But when they saw that Marc had disappeared too, they ran as fast as they could.

    ¡°Hey, come back. How is this possible?¡±

    The guard couldn''t believe it. They hadn''t just run away, they''d almost disappeared. He''d seen them start and then disappear. As if their speed wasn''t of this world and he''d never seen them.

    ¡°But what happens in this town in the end?¡±

 The entrance of the most powerful sovereign

    The group of friends found themselves one street over. Elie and Jin didn''t understand the situation. She asked Marc for an explanation.

    ¡°We''re going to move the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Even Jin didn''t look serene. The Emperor was the last person in the empire who needed to be moved. If he got involved, they might all end up on the guillotine.

    ¡°We''ve gone mad.¡±

    ¡°Why we?¡±

    ¡°I''ll follow you in everything you do master. If you make a decision, I make a decision. If you go crazy, I go crazy.¡±

    ¡°It''s all right. I''ve got that. But I''m not crazy. Explain to them Nathanael.¡±

    ¡°If the Emperor closed ruins that hadn''t caused any accidents for ten thousand years, it''s because he''s able to see the aura that escapes from them. There''s no other explanation. I often assumed we were the chosen ones destined to save the world, but I never took into account that we weren''t alone.¡±

    At these words, everyone held their breath. They had always told themselves they were the chosen ones. Chosen humans with a noble destiny, and that they shouldn''t tell anyone about it. Hearing Nathana?l speak came as a shock.

    ¡°I could be wrong, but it''s the only explanation. If the Emperor learns that we''re able to see the aura of this ruin, he might move from his seat to let us in.¡±

    ¡°But...what if we don''t have anything special.¡±

    ¡°Then Marc will enter by force.¡±

    Jin looked at his master.

    ¡°I''ll come with you.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°You''re sick. We''re talking about the Zvenne Empire here. These guys would be able to kill us just for trying to break in.¡±

    ¡°Says the guy who insulted the Emperor in front of a guard.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t insult him. I just told him to do something.¡±

    Marc understood the importance of Nathana?l''s words. The slightest mistake could be fatal. They were clearly in enemy territory. As if they were in the other world.

    ¡°For now, let''s observe and have a good vacation.¡±

    Rest was important too. But during this long wait, Marc was still looking in the direction of the church. The golden light illuminated it every day. It was still perfectly in place, but some pieces had fallen off. These three peaks were very sharp, like deformed horns. It had lost all its splendor, but the light that came back every day was a reminder of how much more imposing it had been back then.

    ¡°They must have chosen this place on purpose.¡±

    Suddenly, Marc''s eyes opened wider. The door. The church door had markings resembling that of the cathedral.

    ¡°What are you looking at, kid?¡±

    A soldier had noticed Marc''s attempted glances from the terrace where he was eating with his friends.

    ¡°Nothing sir.¡±

    ¡°We can open this place up when the Emperor agrees. In the meantime, there''s plenty to do in Orio.¡±

    ¡°I know, sir. I know.¡±

    The guard watched sadly as Marc turned his head.

    ¡°Listen kid. I really like this ruin too. It''s a real shame it''s closed. I know you''ve probably made a huge trip to see it, but you''re going to have to take it easy and wait a while. I''m sure it''ll be open in no time.¡±

    Marc had never seen a guard so kind to Zvenne.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You''re welcome, kid. Enjoy Zvenne as much as you can.¡±

    Marc had seen the soldier''s face. His blue cap shadowed his face, but he could see his blue eyes and matte complexion very clearly. His black hair waved in the wind. He was rather handsome.

    ¡°Marc, you''ve got to stop getting burned. We''re going to get spotted.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°They''ve already seen us for a long time.¡±

    Marc continued sipping his drink, avoiding Nathana?l''s warning. Suddenly, his heart stopped dead in his tracks. Behind one of the church walls lurked a shadow whose green eyes could be seen quite clearly. The shadow was looking in Marc''s direction. He couldn''t make out exactly what the person looked like, but he was sure of one thing: it was the Emperor. The Emperor had come and was looking straight at him. Marc couldn''t understand how the presence of a shadow could make others guess who he really was. But here, he could make no mistake, for this shadow''s aura was immense.

    It was the most powerful aura Marc had ever seen in this world. It covered the sky, which changed its hue. He tried to look away, but saw that all his friends were in the same state. Jin''s hands were trembling slightly. Elie could hardly breathe. Nathana?l was sweating profusely. He looked away again and noticed that even the waiters weren''t moving.

    This wasn''t even due to his aura. At least, nobody knew that. The only thing they knew was that the Turcan Emperor was there. The Emperor of the most powerful empire, of the most powerful army, the Emperor whose name was known to all was present in this city.

    He looked towards Marc for what seemed like an eternity, then left. Everyone began to breathe again.

    ¡°Are these them? The ones you told me about. Exorian.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Majesty. The dark-skinned boy said he could see the aura of the church, telling you to act quickly.¡±

    ¡°I see. You may not be able to see them properly, but you can feel them, can''t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, majesty.¡±

    ¡°Did you see the dark aura coming off the black-haired boy in the red sweater.¡±

    ¡°No, Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Turcan could clearly see the auras of all four kids. He''d been fixated too long on that of the boy in the red sweater. It wasn''t large, but it gave off something odd.

    ¡°Exorian. Where are they staying?¡±

    ¡°Orio-bas, majesty.¡±

    ¡°Let''s go quietly. I don''t want everyone to know I''m here.¡±

    ¡°Very well, your majesty.¡±

    Marc and his group left the restaurant where they were. The experience they had lived through had made their blood run cold. The waiter who had given them the bill had two large stains under his arm. No one said goodbye. But they didn''t say goodbye either. Walking down the street, Nathana?l spoke first.

    ¡°He was there.¡±

    No one could answer. As if they hadn''t seen a man, but a superior being. Marc spoke second.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The most terrifying thing about the Turcan Emperor was just his presence.

    ¡°And what do we do now?¡±

    Jin had asked, but he was only looking at the ground. Even he didn''t dare confront him and his army.

    ¡°We try Erazel. We''ve already been waiting three days for this church. My guess is no one will let us in.¡±

    Nathana?l didn''t want any trouble. But since the Emperor had come, they were already in trouble. He hoped they''d tell them they could come in because he''d seen their aura, but he''d just threatened them with his presence.

    ¡°What do you think Marc?¡±

    ¡°I''m forcing my way in.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Marc wouldn''t give up. He didn''t want to give up after such a long journey. Orio''s church had answers and he wanted them. Even if it meant facing his army alone. He''d become capable of it.

    ¡°You don''t have to follow me, but if I stop here, I won''t be able to say I''ve tried everything to make amends.¡±

    Nathana?l, Jin and Elie all knew why Marc was fighting. The trauma was still stored inside him. That''s why he''d lost the gleam in his eyes. Nothing could stop him.

    ¡°I''m coming with you anyway.¡±

    Under no circumstances did Elie want Marc to do all the work. He''d promised he wouldn''t let her down. Her only hope couldn''t die like this.

    ¡°I''m coming with you too master.¡±

    Jin couldn''t let go of his master. He had to follow him to the ends of the earth to learn from him. Marc looked at his friends. A tear almost fell from his eye. He wasn''t that insensitive when he was with them.

    ¡°You''re sick, you know that? But I''m going with you anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°The gang''s all here.¡±

    ¡°Good. We''ll go tomorrow then, But remember I didn''t force you.¡±

    The four walked side by side down the sidewalk. The golden sun shone down on them.

    Marc and Elie arrived at their room. At first, Marc didn''t understand why he was with Elie, but then he looked at his parents. He realized that it was all a set-up.

    ¡°We''re not a couple.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, lovebirds.¡±

    Marc couldn''t say anything. He didn''t really want Elie to take a room with Jin and Nathana?l for all that. The simplest thing, for him, was for Elie to have her own room. But he didn''t want to leave her alone either.

    ¡°Let''s go Marc, I''ll shower first.¡±

    ¡°If you wa....¡±

    Again. It was back. The Emperor''s immeasurable aura was back behind that door. Elie stopped dead in her tracks. Marc stood on guard.

    ¡°Enter then. His Majesty is expecting you.¡±

    A voice came from the room. It did not belong to the Emperor but was very imperial. It indicated not a request, but an order. Marc felt compelled to open the door. When he did, he saw the emerald eyes glaring back at him. The Emperor was sitting on the bedroom chair. Legs crossed, he watched Marc and Elie with a superior air. They felt obliged to take a knee before the Emperor.

    ¡°I''ll be brief. Who are you people? And what do you want with these ruins? And as I have been brief, so be it too.¡±

    The voice of this human being was not normal. Every word made Marc''s head reverberate. He trembled with all his being.

    ¡°We are simple people who have seen many things. We thought that to avoid the end of the world, we''d find answers in these ruins.¡±

    Marc''s voice was still trembling. He was waiting impatiently for the Emperor''s answer.

    ¡°I like your answer. Tell me all about it.¡±

    Marc was sweating so much that a small puddle was beginning to form at the level of his head. Even so, he told the person standing in front of him what he''d been through. He omitted certain details but told what he could so as not to be killed by the man standing in front of him.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    It was the Emperor''s only response. Marc waited a few minutes before he began to move.

    ¡°I like your story. Come to Orio church tomorrow at nine o''clock. Don''t be late. I''ll tell you what I know.¡±

    Marc couldn''t believe it. Nathana?l''s plan had worked. Turcan rose from his seat and walked out as if nothing had happened, followed by his most loyal soldier. Marc still hadn''t seen his face. They waited about ten minutes before getting up again. Elie looked in the direction of the stairs to see if he was still there.

    ¡°I hope he won''t be here tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I hope so too.¡±

    They stood there for another dozen minutes before Elie wanted to go back into the bedroom.

    ¡°I''m going to wash up first, though.¡±

    She went inside for good while Marc was still scanning the staircase. A smile spread across his face.

    ¡°This is it. Here we are.¡±

 The entrance to the ruin

    The next day, after spending a horrible night imagining every possible scenario where the Emperor killed him, Marc met up with Jin and Nathana?l and explained what had happened.

    ¡°Damn. I hope he doesn''t show up today.¡±

    ¡°I hope so too.¡±

    ¡°I''m ready. Whenever you''re ready, boys.¡±

    Elie hurried down the stairs. Suddenly, Marc remembered the Emperor''s warnings.

    ¡°Don''t be late.¡±

    He hurried to his room.

    ¡°Why are you running, Master?¡±¡°He said we shouldn''t be late.¡±

    Nathana?l and Jin looked at each other before they too started running towards their room.

    They arrived at the church at eight fifty. Elie was already there. Out of breath, Marc arrived before the other two.

    ¡°We''re here. We''re here.¡±

    He looked at Elie, who wasn''t moving.

    ¡°What is it, Elie?¡±

    Marc looked up in the direction of Elie''s view and stopped too. Out of breath, the other two arrived as well.

    ¡°What is it, master?¡±

    Jin and Nathana?l both looked up and stopped dead in their tracks. The Emperor was there, sipping tea without even looking at them.

    ¡°Well. You''re right on time.¡±

    Marc wondered why all the important people in his life were beautiful. At last, he could see the silhouette of hir face. His blond hair, turning transparent white, seemed to be made of crystal. The shape of his face was perfect. His emerald eyes did the rest, shining in the sunlight. His pale complexion was perfect. As if it weren''t enough just to be Emperor, he was handsome. He sighed.

    ¡°You don''t have to pose all day. Today I''m just your guide.¡±

    ¡°Our guide?¡±

    ¡°That''s right. I liked your story. Now it''s my turn to tell you mine.¡±

    The Emperor Turcan set down his cup of tea, which was taken away directly by a soldier. His every gesture exuded poise.

    ¡°As you may know, I''ve only been Emperor for 7 years. My reign was limited to the formalities of keeping the Zvenne Empire to stable standards. So I haven''t done anything exceptional.¡±

    The four friends cleared their throats, knowing the ruler''s exploits.

    ¡°But there''s one thing that''s taken me from a mere emperor of Zvenne to the one I am now. It''s these ruined churches. The five churches from Lavoisi''s time have been emitting a different aura for the last month or two. At first I couldn''t see them, but the more time I spent studying them, the more my vision of things changed. Today, I''m clearly able to see these monstrous auras. ¡±

    Marc looked at the church behind the Emperor. Her aura was indeed very sinister.

    ¡°I''ve visited these churches hundreds of times before, but I don''t know what''s wrong. My soldiers can''t see the auras in them and not long ago, one of my men died in the church at Zvenne. Since I''ve learned that you can see the auras of these things, I''ve decided to accompany you on your visit. Perhaps you could help me find something.¡±

    Marc was relieved and worried at the same time. He didn''t mind the idea of the Emperor of Zvenne joining their exploration, but the slightest mistake could get them killed.

    ¡°Do you accept, or not?¡±

    For them, there was no hesitation. It was either let themselves go, or leave themselves a dangerous chance. It was better to act. Marc spoke on behalf of the group.

    ¡°We accept.¡±

    ¡°Good. From now on, I''m your guide. But if you manage to show me something interesting, I might reconsider our relationship.¡±

    Nathana?l smiled as he had never smiled before. Now was the time to give everything he had to impress the most feared man in the world.

    ¡°Go get ready. I''ve put some equipment at your disposal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    The four friends rushed forward. The Emperor watched them go with compassion.

    ¡°What do you think of them Exorian?¡±

    ¡°They''re young.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Like when I came to the throne. If their story is true, then the Empire I''ve long built may be in danger of collapse. The end of the world.¡±

    ¡°That won''t happen while you''re here, Majesty.¡±

    The Emperor huffed.

    ¡°You all put a nameless fear and faith in your Emperor, while I''m only one man. I try to be the perfect example every day, and it seems to be working for me. You don''t see this aura, Exorian. You can''t understand it. But you''re right. Whatever happens, the Zvenne Empire won''t crumble as long as I''m around.¡±

    ¡°We''ll help you too, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I certainly hope so. Here they come. Let''s get ready.¡±

    Marc returned with his friends. They had taken the equipment offered by the Emperor. Jin had on thin, black-and-white armor that seemed to suit his fighting style.

    ¡°Incredible.¡±

    Nathana?l seemed to glow even brighter in his.

    ¡°Can you stop that, please?¡±

    Elie also had a beautiful suit of armor with a flower-shaped crest over the heart.

    ¡°Beautiful.¡±

    But the most surprising was Marc. His dark black armor made him even more mysterious. His black gloves even hid his hands. He looked like a cursed soldier. A terrifying final boss whose aura filled the entire boss room.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Why black?¡±

    ¡°I think it went well with your aura.¡±

    He had a point. Everyone was forced to see how well it suited him. Even without seeing his aura, the soldiers mistook him for a troop general.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°If everyone''s ready, we''ll be going.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    The group of Jin, Nathana?l, Elie, Marc, Sub-Emperor Exorian and L''Empereur Turcan set off in the direction of a mystery too big for them.

    The interior of the church was immense. The walls had stood the test of time and only sunlight could penetrate. The rays all pointed towards the center of the platform on which a statue stood.

    ¡°Is...is... ?¡±

    ¡°Do you know this person?¡±

    ¡°To tell the truth, I''m not certain, but it could be famous...¡±

    ¡°Zodric.¡±

    The statue showed a standing man. His clothes were marked with nobility. His gaze pointed skyward. Two rays of sunlight came in the direction of his eyes, giving the illusion that the light was coming from his eyes.

    ¡°He''s a bit scary.¡±

    Elie had noticed that he looked menacing and that the statue itself gave off a sinister aura. Jin looked around the church. The pews were lined up normally. All located to the left and right of a path on which lay a black carpet.

    ¡°Isn''t it usually red?¡±

    Nathana?l looked at the engravings and paintings. The portrait of the man in the statue was almost everywhere. In the form of a fresco, a drawing, a painting, a statuette. This man haunted this church. But he wasn''t the only one.

    ¡°Look at the four corners of the church, don''t move forward yet.¡±

    The Emperor pointed his light towards the corners of the church, which were not illuminated. Statues of others sat in prayer positions. They all seemed to be moving towards the central statue. Though not as large, they all depicted nobles whose eyes were pierced and who seemed to be crying out in agony. Their aura, weaker than the central one, seemed to be screaming. Nathana?l stopped looking at them.

    ¡°Keep watching them. You''re here to find out their secret, aren''t you? But before we go to the center, take three steps forward, turn around and look over the door.¡±

    They all carried out the Emperor''s orders and saw a fifth statue. This one represented a woman with an instrument that seemed to be made for music. She too was noble, but still had her eyes, and her gaze seemed empty with a slight expression of anger. She was beautiful but seemed unhappy.

    ¡°She''s the only one who looks halfway normal. Marc?¡±

    Marc froze in front of the statue. It was her. The lady on the door. The one whose portraits were on every wall of the blood throne room in the ruins. She wasn''t represented any differently. He couldn''t be mistaken.

    ¡°Who did you recognize, young man?¡±

    ¡°The lady of the throne.¡±

    ¡°Then it''s her.¡±

    The Emperor looked at her too.

    ¡°I didn''t notice it the first few times either. No rays of sunlight usually reach here and she''s really in the shade. It''s only at this hour, ten o''clock, that you can get it for at least half an hour.¡±

    The Emperor''s gaze intensified.

    ¡°Even though her aura is the most soothing, it''s the only one we don''t show. As if we''re trying to hide her."

    Elie swallowed. If this church had really wanted to hide the one statue that seemed soothing, then Zordic had no good intentions.

    ¡°I guess the five statues correspond to the five churches and their objective was really the descent of this man.¡±

    They all turned to see the statue in the center. It was large and imposing. Jin thought that if this man were alive, he''d surely be more terrifying than the Emperor. No one wanted to advance in his direction.

    ¡°Unfortunately, we have to go in that direction.¡±

    The Emperor led the way, followed by Exorian. Nathana?l and Jin followed close behind. Elie started walking when she realized that Marc was still staring at the statue of the lady.

    ¡°Marc?¡±

    Marc''s eyes were riveted on her. He couldn''t help wondering where he''d seen her before.

    ¡°Coming.¡±

    Finally, he joined the group heading for the stage.

    ¡°Try not to lose sight of me. You can''t really see anything from here.¡±

    They passed by the statue. Nathana?l''s shivers began again. Elie looked at his eyes and stiffened.

    ¡°They''ve moved.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Everyone looked at the statue''s eyes. They were still perfectly in place.

    ¡°What are you talking about, Elie?¡±

    Elie was pale. Very pale. She pressed herself against Marc.

    ¡°Don''t let go of her again.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The Emperor''s order was very simple, but his emerald eyes indicated urgency. As he''d said, behind the statue there was no light. Darkness seemed to eat the light of the Emperor''s lamp. The place seemed to be closing in. They entered a corridor leading to a staircase. Each held the one closest to him, except for the Emperor and Exorian, who advanced serenely. As they descended the stairs, Marc felt Elie''s breath quicken. His own was accelerating too.

    In the church basement, the Emperor opened a massive black door. The room they entered contained a huge mechanism. A gaping hole reigned in the room, at the edge of which were rings engraved with ever-smaller or¨¦es. The walls showed little more than indecipherable writing, surely from the other world. At the bottom of the hole, though almost indescribable, they could all see...

    ¡°Blood¡±.

    The smell was stinking up the room. Marc covered his nose, but the sensation of blood entering his mouth made him want to vomit. A faint black tip protruded from the blood well.

    ¡°Do you know what that is?¡±

    ¡°No. Can you imagine diving in there yourself?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Well, neither can I.¡±

    The aura in this room was abominable. Worse than that of the entrance, Nathana?l had to get out to calm his headaches.

    ¡°This place is horrible.¡±

    ¡°I can confirm that. After my research, I''ll understand why Lavoisi could have massacred them all.¡±

    Exorian contemplated the hole.

    ¡°There are engravings in this one too. By the way, the whole room is engraved with an indescribable language.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried translating them?¡±

    ¡°Many times. But we have no basis for translating these cursed texts.¡±

    Marc looked back at the walls. He turned his head in all directions to observe the walls. Suddenly, he froze on one word.

    ¡°What did you notice, young man?¡±

    Marc raised his arm and pointed to the word in front of him.

    ¡°Aregis. I don''t know why, but it means Aregis.¡±

    ¡°How do you know...¡±

    The room suddenly began to shake. The blood at the bottom of the hole began to rise violently. When it reached the group, it materialized and began to take the form of the menacing-looking man. The man in the statue. It was a frightening sight, and the aura it emitted swept the room with great power. The materialized man with the black eyes looked at the group, then focused on Marc. Then he opened his mouth.

    ¡°You? What are you doing here?¡±

    Marc had a moment''s absence. He wasn''t even aware of what was happening. He couldn''t see the ama of blood. His eyes turned red and began to glow as he still pointed at the word on the wall.

    ¡°You...¡±

    Before he could finish his sentence, the blood ama dissipated and the blood fell back into the engraved well. Marc''s eyes turned black again and everything returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Marc?¡±

    Nathana?l looked at his friend in terror. He didn''t understand what he''d just done. The scene from his point of view had been shocking.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°That''s for you to tell us.¡±

    The Emperor drew his sword and put it under Marc''s neck, nicking it slightly. Elie was ready to pounce but Jin held her back.

    ¡°Who are you? And where do you come from? If I don''t like your story I''ll kill you.¡±

    Exorian looked at his Emperor. Nathanael could do nothing from his position. It was up to Marc to sort it out.

    ¡°I''ve already told you who I am and where I''m from. I''m not going to tell you the story a second time.¡±

    ¡°Then how come that man, the man in the statue knew you. Are you from that other world? Are you our ally or our enemy?¡±

    ¡°Marc isn''t with them.¡±

    ¡°That''s for me to decide.¡±

    Marc felt the gash beneath his neck slowly widen. He was sweating profusely and one of them finally trickled down the sword.

    ¡°I don''t know who this man was or what he wanted from me. But I can guarantee that I''m on your side and that I''m from this world. I propose this: if, after visiting the five churches, you find me suspicious, you can kill me.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Don''t say that, Master.¡±

    ¡°Stop, Marc.¡±

    The Emperor looked at Marc. Elie felt guilty. Guilty of not having put an end to his urge to end his life since that day. Since the day he''d killed millions. But the Emperor withdrew his sword. Exorian sighed.

    ¡°Let''s finish visiting. I''ll decide your fate after this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Elie threw herself at Marc.

    ¡°Don''t ever say that again.¡±

    ¡°Say what?¡±

    ¡°That you''re going to die.¡±

    Marc tried to console her as best he could. He really couldn''t understand why she cared so much about him. After all, he was just a murderer trying to make amends. But he said to Elie anyway:

    ¡°Don''t worry. I''m not going to die.¡±

    He hugged her.

    ¡°We''re going back up. There''s nothing else to see here. If your parents agree, we''re on our way to Erazel.¡±

    The Emperor led the way again. He walked quickly ahead of his group. Exorian joined him.

    ¡°You rarely leave threats alive. Why this choice?¡±

    The Emperor walked on for a long time without answering.

    ¡°Exorian. I have two revelations to make to you.¡±

    ¡°You can tell me anything, Majesty.¡±

    ¡°The first is that I want to see if this boy is really worth fighting for because he looks really important. I want to see what will become of him. And the second is...¡±

    The Emperor took some time to answer.

    ¡°I probably wouldn''t have won against him if he''d decided to fight with his aura following him around unconsciously.¡±

    Exorian was shocked to learn that his Emperor was afraid of losing.

 The glorious Zvenne

    After a long explanation and many attempts to wake Marc''s mother, who fainted at the sight of the Emperor...

    ¡°You could try being less intimidating.¡±

    ¡°And how am I supposed to do that?¡±

    ¡°Don''t be here. It''s simpler.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    They managed to leave Orio and set off in the direction of Erazel.

    ¡°I don''t understand why the Emperor''s carriages are accompanying us.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry, Mom.¡±

    ¡°So that''s where you were going, my son, every time you disappeared.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know whether to be proud of you or not. Trading with the Turcan Emperor, what an idea.¡±

    Marc told himself that his parents might never understand him. It was better that way. He looked out of the carriage window, to see many people watching him and his family being transported by the Emperor himself. They were all stunned, trying to figure out if this was a noble or important family.

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°Are they from another empire?¡±

    ¡°Why do they travel with the Emperor?

    ¡°Are they important?¡±

    ¡°What have they already achieved to have this privilege?¡±

    No one knew. Marc didn''t either.

    ¡°Do you think he really wants to help us, Marc?¡±

    Nathana?l was watching the crowd too. From his point of view, The Emperor couldn''t be a nice, powerful character. He had to have his big reasons.

    ¡°Maybe?¡±

    Marc didn''t really trust the Emperor, but compared to him, he had no choice. On the way to Erazel, he let himself sleep calmly on his seat, enjoying the light breeze that caressed his face.

    Erazel was more modern than Orio. These buildings rose higher and there was a huge tower right in the middle of it.

    ¡°So this is the most prestigious school in the world. Cartillar.¡±

    The school''s tower was over a thousand meters high. The rest of its buildings had at least ten floors each.

    ¡°What''s the point of so much space if the admission rate is so low.¡±

    ¡°To look pretty, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°It wasn''t the Turcan Emperor who erected this school. It was his father. Emperor Charles.¡±

    It was said that Emperor Charles had made the prestige of the Zvenne Empire and Emperor Turcan had made its glory.

    ¡°That doesn''t surprise me.¡±

    Erazel, though impressive, possessed an ugly flaw: her colors. Compared to Orio, where a magnificent golden sun illuminated the city, Erazel had only black clouds to keep it company. The atmosphere was very heavy because of the weather. It rained often, and there was hardly ever a ray of sunshine. Marc noticed that the city seemed to be extinguished. The aura it exuded was just as extinguished.

    ¡°What a sad town.¡±

    ¡°We''ve arrived at the place where you''re staying. We''ll leave you here. The children are coming with us.¡±

    Exorian may have been as polite as possible, but he seemed to be giving orders. They changed carriages to go with the Emperor to the ruins. Marie grabbed Marc''s arm as he stepped out.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Be careful.¡±

    ¡°I will be.¡±

    Marc didn''t want to worry his mother. He got out of the carriage and headed for the Emperor''s carriage. The rain was pounding down on him. The only lights were those of the street lamps. A dark, orange light.

    ¡°Are you coming, Marc?¡±

    The Emperor looked at Marc with emerald eyes that pierced the darkness. His look, reminiscent of superiority, landed on Marc''s dark eyes.

    ¡°I''m coming.¡±

    The Emperor''s carriage arrived at the ruins. The ground was strewn with stone. Nothing remained of the great church of old. All had been destroyed. One could still see the central statue, of which only the base remained. The other statues, whose eyes had been pierced, had been cut in half. There was no trace of the lady''s presence around the ruins.

    ¡°There''s nothing left here. It''s all in ruins. If you see anything more than me. Let me know.¡±

    Marc and his friends walked around the church. Some stones contained engravings, but no one could decipher anything. Nevertheless, Marc could read the word Aregis in some places.

    ¡°It''s weird that you can read that. Your connection with that word is pretty scary.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    ¡°There''s nothing else to take from this ruin. It''s in pieces. It''ll be the same with Monriv and Jacod, but we''re going to see them anyway. We never know. Your parents will stay here. It''s better if they don''t make all the trips.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    They set off for the towns of Monriv and Jacod. The results were identical. None of the ruins left the slightest clue. Jacod was burnt to a crisp and Monriv looked as if it had turned to dust. Marc could only read the word. It was time to go to the last place.

    ¡°Zvenne? The capital?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The last ruin is in the capital. I won''t be able to accompany you as Emperor if I don''t want to be spotted. ¡±

    ¡°Are we really going to Zvenne?¡±

    ¡°Try to be discreet. In Zvenne, they don''t like strangers.¡±

    ¡°Yes, chief.¡±

    ¡°Stop calling me chief.¡±

    The horses were soon replaced by luxury cars.

    ¡°We''ll change cars in Zirlande. We don''t want to attract attention.¡±

    They went from luxury cars to what he might call normal cars. Marc didn''t want to leave the fast cars offered by the Emperor, but he had no choice. Two cars left the Emperor''s guard.

    ¡°Aren''t you afraid of being isolated?¡±

    ¡°Afraid? Me? What would I be afraid of?¡±

    Elie quickly regretted her question when she saw the emerald eyes staring back at her intensely. Looking at the Emperor, Marc thought that he too needed to work on his aura. If he could reach a certain level, he was sure he could do as the Man in Black had done the day he conjured up the sword to kill him. For him, the aura represented one''s power. The more imposing, the more powerful. Which justified the fear he''d felt that day.

    ¡°We''ve arrived. ¡±

    Zvenne deserved the praise they were giving it. Jin''s eyes, dark though they were, lit up at the sight of the city. It was simply dazzling. Buildings of an architecture never seen before. Marc thought he was seeing the future in his present. Cars seemed to be flying through the sky, buildings were floating and people were running on the walls. Worst of all, everything seemed to be done in an ancient style, making the city seem supernatural. Elie thought the city had been made with superpowers. The city''s fantastic, futuristic feel was its charm.

    Nathana?l described it as the most beautiful city he had ever seen. Marc''s mother faints. Marc''s father faints too.

    ¡°Welcome to Zvenne.¡±

    How could such a city exist? The whole group was asking the same question. The cars moved slowly forward, then took a few bends, separating from the road that led to the Emperor''s castle. If they could call it a castle. An immense mansion rising almost to the clouds stood in the very center of the city. Dozens of pointed peaks, thousands of panes of glass, water all around, flowers in many places...the castle could reflect the glory of man.

    ¡°Emperor''s Glory. That''s the name of the castle.¡±

    A name so arrogant it suited him so well. No one could argue with this building. Marc looked at the Emperor. His aura had intensified, but it wasn''t threatening. It was glorious.

    ¡°The ruins are ruined here."

    Far from the castle and the center of the capital, the ruins of Zvenne''s church were impeccable. They seemed to reflect the splendor of the city.

    ¡°These are the ruins that have been best preserved. That makes sense to me, given that we''re in the capital. But they''re also the strangest.¡±

    Marc observed the ruins. His aura was indeed dangerous. But as he watched, Marc thought he recognized an aura he''d seen before. His breath caught, his vision disappeared, a drop of sweat slowly fell down his face before falling to the ground.

    ¡°Marc?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The aura vanished instantly.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Don''t worry.¡±

    Marc told himself it was a dream, but in that last moment of doubt he looked at Elie. She was no better. Her eyes seemed to indicate that she too had seen something. She looked at Marc.

    ¡°He was there.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The man in black.¡±

    The mood of the group grew dull. Everyone knew who this man was, and even though Jin, Exorian and the Emperor Turcan didn''t know him, he was afraid of him.

    ¡°So it was him.¡±

    ¡°Have you seen him before?¡±

    ¡°No. But I felt that aura the first time I came. And it was in that ruin that a man died. Since then, I don''t keep it. It''s too dangerous. Prepare yourself. Exorian, prepare my things.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Exorian did as he was told. The Emperor had never been so serious since they''d known him.

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You remember those white beings from the other world you told me about.¡±

    Marc''s eyes opened wide.

    ¡°There are some in there. They''re guarding this ruin.¡±

    Jin felt the excitement rising.

    ¡°As soon as I open the door, get into fighting stance. Let''s see what you''ve got.¡±

    The Emperor looked at them out of the corner of his eye. He was surprised to see that none of the kids seemed frightened.

    ¡°Here''s your sword, Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Exorian. Prepare yourself too.¡±

    The Emperor moved towards the door. Slowly, he opened it cautiously. As soon as it was ajar, he understood.

    ¡°They''re coming.¡±

 â€œI donâ€™t ask, i command.â€

    A mass of white beings came out of the door and threw themselves on the group. The Emperor was drowned under the bodies.

    ¡°Emperor.¡±

    Elie screamed at the top of her voice, but she needn''t have worried. Exorian knew it. It wasn''t the first time he''d fought against them. In just a few blows that seemed invisible, a dozen bodies were sliced open. The Emperor pulled his head out of the pile of white creatures before stabbing one of them who was moving towards Jin.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Nathana?l was astonished. It was the first time he''d seen him fight, and yet he was forced to admit that he had nothing to envy Marc or Jin. He might even have been better. His sword continued to cut cleanly through the beings that kept coming out of the church. They wouldn''t bleed or die when their bodies were simply cut in two. So they had to be destroyed or killed.

    One of the beings came upon Jin. His smile could not help but grow to his eyes. He suddenly disappeared from the white being''s field of vision before delivering a violent kick to the back of his head.

    ¡°My master is faster. You''re lucky.¡±

    Marc watched Jin smash the white beings before wondering who was whose pupil. It was sheer carnage. He single-handedly dealt with all those coming at the group, but one got lost and charged at Marc.

    ¡°I''ll take care of it.¡±

    Elie stepped in. She grabbed the arm of the being who had reached out to punch Marc in the face before giving him a magnificent Judo hold and smashing him to the ground.

    ¡°Don''t touch him.¡±

    Marc looked at Elie, wondering who was supposed to protect the other. Exorian looked at Elie, wondering who was the major-d''homme and who was the girl to protect. The two looked at each other and wondered if they were going to lose their places. The Emperor continued to slice and dice everything in front of him. His sword was unstoppable and his movements were clear. The beings in white began to back away from him.

    ¡°Well then. Aren''t you coming anymore?¡±

    His emerald eyes sparkled, which certainly didn''t make anyone want to approach him.

    ¡°In that case, I''ll come.¡±

    The Emperor jumped on the white beings. But Marc was afraid of one thing. He knew that these strange beings felt no fear. On the contrary, if they backed away, it was because they were up to something.

    ¡°Careful.¡±

    A white being emerged from the retreating group and countered the Emperor''s sword with another. The impact sent everyone nearby flying. A violent wind struck Marc head-on. This one was strong, and not just a little.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°You countered my sword. Interesting.¡±

    They both jumped back, ending up a good ten meters apart. The Emperor quickly put himself on guard. He had realized that this one was especially strong. The white being didn''t stand guard, observing the Emperor''s movements with eyes that reflected the universe.

    ¡°You''re not on guard? Aren''t you underestimating me a little?¡±

    With a sharp jerk, the Emperor split the air before him. Although he was a long way from the otherworldly being, the latter parried the blow as if they were standing next to each other. And indeed, the ground was sliced right through him, tearing the top of his clothes. The scene was impressive seen from afar.

    ¡°So, are you going to come now?¡±

    The being in white gripped his sword tightly before charging at the Emperor. The latter took a step back before countering with his sword. The two stood face to face, each trying to dominate the other''s sword by force. But they were no match for each other. The Emperor pushed him back violently and struck again, splitting the air a second time. As a result, the being received a huge gash across the upper body.

    The Emperor then attacked first, while the being was recovering from that famous blow. But as soon as he was close enough, the Emperor sensed imminent danger. The being copied the blow that split the air in the Emperor''s direction. A perfect copy of what he had seen. The Emperor narrowly dodged the blow and noticed the mark it made on the ground.

    ¡°Majesty.¡±

    Exorian saw for the first time his Emperor in a delicate situation. The being in white had recovered from his wounds and no longer had any gashes on his belly. The Emperor realized he had found a worthy adversary.

    ¡°I don''t like you.¡±

    The two stood on guard and began to turn in a circular trajectory.

    ¡°I haven''t got all day, so if you''d let us in, that would be fine with me.¡±

    Seeing that he received no response from the otherworldly being, the Emperor smiled.

    ¡°It''s true, I am the Emperor. I don''t ask. I command.¡±

    After this sentence, the atmosphere slowly began to change. Marc saw the Emperor''s aura surge in all directions, violently pushing back the being in white. The latter recoiled under the power of the aura. With his eyes filled with stars, he could see the Emperor''s eyes shining a powerful emerald green. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the white man''s field of vision. Then, in the blink of a second eye, he was right underneath him, gripping his sword, ready to do battle. Exorian didn''t see him move. With a third wink, the being in white''s head flew up in surprise at what had just happened.

    The Emperor took a step back, but the being''s body was still moving. He split the air and the blow reached Turcan, who narrowly parried it but didn''t push it away.

    ¡°I order you to die.¡±

    Angered by the creature''s unwillingness to obey him, the Emperor raised his sword, pointing skywards. The being in white took the opportunity to charge at him.

    ¡°Majesty.¡±

    Exorian despaired under the spectacle. The tip of the Emperor''s sword glinted under a ray of sunlight that illuminated it for that instant.

    ¡°Disappeared.¡±

    In an instant, his sword once again split the air, and not only that. The being in white was cut cleanly in two. The blow was so violent that it had two impacts. The first was the clean cut of the being in two, and the second was its total disappearance. It was as if he had been shredded by the power of the blow. Jin was stunned by this magnificent sight. Marc couldn''t believe his eyes. Exorian acted as if he''d always known the outcome of the fight, even though he''d been under stress the whole time. The Emperor looked up at his audience.

    ¡°This is surely not the end. There''ll be more inside. Get ready.¡±

    There was no immediate response. The Emperor entered the church alone. His green cape seemed to blaze in the sunlight. His gait was reassuringly safe. On his way back, he turned to Marc.

    ¡°You take care of those inside. Don''t disappoint me. ¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Marc smiled. They all smiled despite the enormous dangers that awaited them, and they all entered the church that could have been their tomb.

 Fight for blood

    The interior was as magnificent as the exterior. The walls, benches, paintings and central statue were all a little too well maintained. There was nothing to suggest that this was the site of one of the greatest massacres of all time. No corpses to speak of. The church was empty. The four statues were arranged in the same way as in Orio.

    ¡°They''re slightly different. Their eyes are no longer gouged out and they look at the man in the center with grandeur. It''s as if he''s made a success of his descent.¡±

    Indeed, all the statues seemed to be singing the praises of the man in the statue. But something was bothering Marc.

    ¡°Where is she?"

    ¡°I know what you mean, but let''s move on first.¡±

    Elie didn''t much appreciate Marc worrying about another woman. Even if she was a statue. They walked towards the central statue again. This time, it was right in the middle of the church and was positioned so that all the pews were facing it. The man seemed even more powerful than in Orio. He remained impassive, however, and still had the same look in his eyes.

    ¡°It''s a good thing his plans went awry. What would we have done with a guy like that on earth? What was his purpose?¡±

    The statue looked at Marc as if he were alive. As if it simply didn''t want to answer him.

    ¡°Let''s move on.¡±

    They walked around the room and met up near the entrance.

    ¡°Well. We''ve been all around the room, but there''s one thing you''ve missed again. Look up.¡±

    They all looked up at the ceiling. Hidden in the darkness, it wasn''t possible for a normal human to see the horror that lay there. Marc opened his eyes wide, Elie wanted to vomit, Exorian looked away, Jin could hardly breathe, Nathana?l began to cry in horror.

    ¡°It was probably necessary for that guy''s descent.¡±

    In the middle of the ceiling were hundreds, no, thousands of hanging corpses that seemed to magically pile up.

    ¡°How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°No matter how many times I''ve seen it, I''ll never get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Take a good look at all these people. Their corpses are still intact. There''s aura holding it all together. But, Marc, you wanted to know where she was. Look closely.¡±

    Marc made the effort to look up. Under the pressure, his heart was racing. He could hardly breathe and his vision became blurred.

    ¡°Look closely, Marc.¡±

    He raised his head to observe the corpses and discovered to his horror that a statue was holding all the ropes of the hanged men. It was her. It was the lady.

    ¡°Ahh....¡±

    Marc fell over in shock. The lady was holding all the strings of the hanged men and at the same time, she had swords planted in every direction in her body.

    ¡°I guess you weren''t expecting that. You seemed to appreciate her.¡±

    His breathing quickened again. When he saw that the statue had a black tear running down her cheek, his heart nearly gave out. This impassive-looking lady, with her cold, slightly hateful gaze, was weeping with the strings of the thousands of corpses she herself held. Marc fainted in shock. The aura in the room was far too powerful. The group fainted under the effect. The Emperor looked at them.

    ¡°It happened to me too. You''ll wake up in a few minutes. I assume you''ve figured out where the blood came from in Orio.¡±

    He sat down in a chair with Exorian at his side.

    ¡°Everything all right, Exorian?¡±

    ¡°I''m still having a bit of trouble. But I won''t leave you alone in that place anymore.¡±

    ¡°You may sit down.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Majesty.¡±

    The Emperor looked intently at the statue. His emerald eyes met its black ones.

    ¡°What did you want with our beloved world, motherf.cker?¡±

    Receiving no reply. He continued to observe the statue. However, he was surprised to find that Marc had already risen to his feet.

    ¡°Well, well. You''re mentally strong.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Marc wasn''t listening. He moved forward, clenching his mouth and fists so tightly that he began to bleed. With his hand over his heart, he struggled towards the statue. His blood trickled to the ground and evaporated under the pressure emitted by his aura.

    ¡°Marc, where are you...¡±

    The Emperor did not, however, stop him from advancing towards the statue. Exorian was shocked by the lack of respect he showed towards him.

    ¡°You insolent fool. You''re going to...¡±

    ¡°ZODRIC¡±

    Marc was so angry that he tore at his vocal cords to shout at the statue.

    ¡°What did you do to her? What did you do to her? ANSWER."

    Elie opened her eyes. She saw Marc shouting at the statue with all his might. She envied the one he was waxing for. Then she looked at the statue. It gaze had gone to Marc. It had moved.

    ¡°Marc. No...¡±

    Under the effect of the aura, she fainted again.

    ¡°Marc, what are you th...¡±

    The aura emitted by the statue increased violently. It swept across the room so strongly that all the windows shattered and the door opened wide. The benches were thrown back and the statues began to tremble as if alive. Marc, however, stood proudly in front of this one. Yet the last time he''d faced an opponent with such a terrifying aura was the time he''d confronted Goagi.

    ¡°You. Who are you really?¡±

    The statue looked at Marc, then slowly began to move. The Emperor and Exorian couldn''t believe it. Marc looked at the statue. His eyes turned red.

    ¡°You''re him, aren''t you? Or are you someone else?¡±

    The statue rose from its pedestal. From its height, it stared at the group as if they were mere ants.

    ¡°I''m going to find out soon anyway.¡±

    Before they could see anything, a powerful blow was thrown towards the ground. Marc and the Emperor barely had time to dodge.

    ¡°Exorian. Take the kids and get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Exorian rushed to carry the other three and take off running. But Jin woke up to the smell of a fight. His dark eyes opened wide as he saw the statue charging at his master.

    ¡°Magnificent, master. I was right to choose to follow you all the way.¡±

    In an instant, the immense statue was in front of Marc. It had no trouble moving. If anything, it moved faster than they did. Marc had trouble dodging its blows. He brushed against it every time. But his anger only increased as the fight went on.

    ¡°You''re getting on my nerves.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The Emperor, who had managed to shake off the statue''s attention, split the air again. The trace of the blow was marked on the ground, but the statue did nothing to dodge it. On the contrary, she took it head-on, but it did nothing for it at all. It charged at Marc again, as if the Emperor didn''t exist.

    ¡°Such insolence. You''d better look at me a little.¡±

    In the blink of an eye, the Emperor appeared right in front of the statue''s face. With a few visible strokes, he launched a flurry of blows at her.

    ¡°You''re annoying me, Emperor. You don''t belong in here.¡±

    Turcan was surprised that none of his blows managed to make a large cut on the statue. He soon found himself in front of a finger that swept him away with a flick. Marc continued to desperately dodge the stone giant''s blows. If this was stone.

    ¡°What did you do to her?"

    ¡°You should know.¡±

    The statue''s blows became faster and faster.

    ¡°You''re not him.¡±

    His right hand like a peg, he struck towards Marc with such violence that the whole town thought it was an earthquake. But strangely, Mark was not under his hand.

    ¡°Tell me what happened to her."

    His red eyes shone in the dust. Suddenly, the statue took a huge punch to the left cheek. She was pushed back against the church wall. Before it could get up again, this time it caught Marc''s knee in the face. From a position of strength, Marc landed a series of punches to the statue''s face. His red eyes shone even brighter. Blood poured from his hands. Rage. That''s what Marc felt at that moment. He was lost in his rage. His blows left indentations in the statue''s face.

    ¡°Not bad.¡±

    Suddenly, the statue''s aura threw Marc to the other side of the room. When he opened his eyes again, it was gone.

    ¡°I suppose I''d have an easier time of it, if I were your size.¡±

    The statue came up behind Marc, who noticed it too late. Its left fist filled Marc''s vision.

    ¡°My turn.¡±

    Fortunately, Jin''s foot deflected the fist''s trajectory.

    ¡°I''m going to...¡±

    Marc followed up with a direct fist to the face. And began to advance toward where he''d thrown it.

    ¡°Master?¡±

    Jin looked at his master. His gaze was terrifying; he was covered in blood, no longer looking like the master he''d known. Under this vision, Jin didn''t intervene in the fight.

    ¡°You''re definitely not him. He''d have killed me by now if he wanted me dead. But since you look like him, I''ll have a little fun.¡±

    The statue stood up and came face to face with Marc.

    ¡°Let''s have some fun, human.¡±

    Marc''s red eyes left a trail of light across the room. In a flash, he leaped over the statue.

    ¡°A circular kick.¡±

    The blow was quickly countered by the statue before they disappeared again due to their speed. Marc followed up with a heel kick. The statue avoided it. Front kick. The statue avoided it. A Brazilian kick. The statue avoided it. All Marc''s punches ended up being countered or avoided until the statue started to attack.

    Simple jabs to start with, then more and more lunge punches. She followed up with scissor punches and uppercut punches, all of which were narrowly avoided by Marc. The church was gradually deteriorating under the blows. The powerful wave of aura swept away the debris. Hundreds of blows were exchanged for a long minute. But suddenly, cracks began to appear on the statue''s body. It was clearly deteriorating.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    It soon noticed, but it was already too late. Marc, who could no longer see anything but combat, was hitting harder and harder. The cracks increased until the statue''s right arm exploded under one of the blows. One-armed, she took a magnificent roundhouse kick right on the right cheek and was thrown onto the door, which Exorian quickly closed.

    ¡°You''re lucky I only have this body to fight with...¡±

    Marc jumped on the statue and poured a series of fists into its face. Jin stared at his rampaging master, his red gaze lost in rage.

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    The Emperor stepped in front of him, but received no attention. On the contrary, he could hardly stop Marc from striking. Jin also tried to stop his master. He managed to get him to back away from the carcass.

    ¡°Perhaps we''ve met again, strange boy.¡±

    The statue lost its aura. It seemed to fade as if it had never been lit.

    ¡°No. Come back. Tell me what happened. Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Marc. That''s enough of that. He''s gone. We''d better save our strength for later.¡±

    Marc suddenly snapped out of his rage and came to. His eyes turned black again. He looked around and surveyed the damage.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Don''t you remember? It''s really sad.¡±

    The Emperor looked at Marc''s face to see if he was somewhere else. His anger had made him shiver for a moment. He didn''t want to make a decision yet, but Marc had to be watched, if not eliminated.

 To life and death

    ¡°I fought against it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    ¡°I was out of control?¡±

    ¡°Yes, master. You really don''t remember?¡±

    ¡°I have bridles in my brain but I remember yelling at it very well.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Then you fought him.¡±

    Marc held his head in his hand. He looked at the pedestal where the statue had originally stood and where it was after that. The church was a mess. The walls had holes and cracks everywhere. The beauty of the church had been smoked out after the fight.

    ¡°I''m...sorry.¡±

    ¡°That''s all right. You didn''t necessarily help us in the search, but you did get us to confirm something. The man was Zodric. The question now is where do you know him from?¡±

    Marc looked desperately at the Emperor.

    ¡°In Orio, you assured me you didn''t know this man.¡±

    The Emperor advanced slowly, while Marc backed away with difficulty.

    ¡°There, you just shouted his name. He reacted and said you reminded him of someone.¡±

    Marc began to sweat. He didn''t know the man, but this was already the second time he''d proved otherwise.

    ¡°I just called out his name because it was the only possibility. There was no guarantee he''d move. You would have said his name too by now, now that you know him.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know the man, but you do.¡±

    ¡°I assure you it came that way. Besides, you saw that he didn''t recognize me after all.¡±

    The Emperor''s eyes looked intensely at Marc. Marc wondered if he would be spared this time. They stood in silence for a long moment, then the Emperor dropped his sword.

    ¡°Let''s finish the tour.¡±

    Jin sighed. Marc too. Exorian entered the room with Nathana?l and Elie. Elie ran to check on Marc. Exorian went to his Emperor.

    ¡°You''re not killing him, Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Stop telling me what to do, Exorian. Stay in your place.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Majesty. ¡±

    ¡°But you''re right. We''ll have to keep an eye on him. Even if we have to go by force.¡±

    The Emperor turned his gaze to Marc and his group.

    ¡°No. We''ll have to keep an eye on all of them. They''re probably the biggest threat Earth has ever known.¡±

    After they had all gathered, the Emperor spoke of the continuation of their exploration.

    ¡°Orio''s room was already pretty good, but the rest will still surprise you. There are probably beings in white down there, which makes exploration almost impossible. I couldn''t get all the way there myself. But we have nothing to fear, since we have with us the man who overcame a mighty statue.¡±

    All eyes turned to Mark, who had regained his blank expression more than ever. The Emperor then led the way. They soon found themselves in front of a door leading to another floor. No beings in white stood in their way. In the middle of the way, the Emperor asked Marc a question.

    ¡°Tell me Marc. Why are you so worried about a woman who''s probably been dead for years?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know.¡±

    Marc lowered his eyes. He didn''t know why he wanted so badly for this woman to be safe and stop crying. Her story was probably from a long time ago, but Marc had this thought filling his heart.

    ¡°It''s all right. Just try to find out why before we go.¡±

    They walked for another ten minutes or so. The corridors were immense. They had no doors on the side but just engravings. Indecipherable engravings. Marc recognized one of the symbols from Orio. There was a circle and inside it, a kind of i that twisted to resemble a wave. At the edge of the circle, three symbols seemed to emerge from the outside. A second circle, a sort of flame and a horn. From a distance, the circle looked like a strange monster.

    ¡°It''s good that you''re interested in the engravings in this church now. Look at them carefully.¡±

    Marc scanned the walls. The engravings began to look more and more like drawings. Drawings of things they could understand. Marc recognized more and more drawings of people. At first, they were monstrous, then their silhouettes gradually became more refined. A smiling sun, a lake of lava, light coming down from the sky - Marc could see better and better. He continued forward to look at the drawings, but soon bumped into Elie, who had stopped.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°What''s the matter, Elie?¡±

    Elie was pale. She was paler than ever, and her complexion would deteriorate further before she collapsed completely. No words came out of her mouth. She paled even more.

    ¡°Elie!¡±

    She no longer noticed the presence of the others. No one understood what was happening. But Elie had no doubt. Before her was engraved the end she had seen in a vision that day.

    Marc looked at the wall and saw what Elie was on the ground for. Ruins, flames, blood, monsters, angels, beings never seen before, and in the middle of the drawing...

    ¡°I see you''ve noticed. These are the most visible drawings in the corridor. You can see destruction everywhere. It looks like our world, but it''s probably not what it looks like today. If this is what you saw in your dream, I''m afraid we''re all going to die here. The strangest thing about all this is that everyone seems to revolve around this man dressed in black holding his sword. His fallen angel appearance, his black wings, that monstrous aura earns him this place right in the middle of the corridor. Right in the middle of the stage.¡±

    ...the man in black sat, holding his sword with nothing to do. He wasn''t staring at the fallen world, he was staring at the people watching him. He was staring at Marc, who was staring at him. He was staring at Marc.

    ¡°Observe here as long as you like. I''ll be waiting. But they won''t wait as long as I do.¡±

    Hundreds of beings in white burst out of nowhere.

    ¡°You''ve got to be kidding me.¡±

    They were all about to fight when one of them opened his mouth. Marc saw him and immediately understood his intentions.

    ¡°Plug your ears.¡±

    ¡°Aregis.¡±

    The word echoed throughout the corridor. Marc twisted on himself to endure the pain.

    ¡°No. I mustn''t leave them alone. ¡±

    He did all he could to get to his feet when he realized he was the only one touched by the word.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°No. It seems this note only affects you. I thought you were invincible.¡±

    They were all fighting against the beings in white. Looking at them, Marc thought he probably didn''t need to help them. Especially when he saw who was protecting him. Elie dealt them violent blows, while Jin mastered them with every possible fighting style. Nathana?l was quick to slice them up, watching the Emperor to do the same and learn from him. He saw nothing but an opportunity to further protect his friends. His aura grew and blew across Marc''s face, giving him the impression of an angel fighting for him.

    But the surprise came from Exorian. He had a gun that never stopped aiming at his enemies'' heads. He didn''t miss until his gun ran out of ammunition.

    ¡°Exorian.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry about me. I''m his majesty''s butler after all.¡±

    A white being charged at him. With no fear in his eyes, he grabbed its arm before breaking it. He then grabbed its head and turned it 180 degrees. When that wasn''t enough, he tore his head off for good. Marc couldn''t believe it. The butler was without doubt the strongest human being he''d ever seen after Jin.

    Jin was just having fun in his corner, but could see Elie weakening. She hadn''t quite recovered from the engraving. She had only acted suddenly when she saw Marc writhing in pain. Jin stepped in to save her. He leapt above his master and kicked the first white being to approach. The latter caught his foot and stepped back a good three feet. Marc understood that they had adapted. After a while, he noticed that the white creatures came back stronger and more numerous, making it impossible to defeat them. Real killing machines. He also understood why the Emperor had never managed to finish his visit to Zvenne. They were there to keep the church''s secrets.

    But that wasn''t going to stop Jin from enjoying himself. His smile widened again, but he turned back to his master first.

    ¡°May I, master?¡±

    Marc didn''t understand why he was asking him.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    His smile widened again. The being in white split the air to reach him while his back was still turned, but that didn''t stop Jin from landing on top of him the next second and delivering a violent punch in the back. A second came up, trying to land a roundhouse kick which Jin easily countered before driving his knee into his abdomen.

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    Jin then grabbed his arm before twisting it, but while he was doing so the first man stood up and tried to catch him. He grabbed Jin from behind before slamming his head into the floor.

    ¡°Judo?¡±

    Jin was already out of his arms. Surprised, he took a huge fist to the face, completely deforming it. The second accompanied by the third charged at Jin, but none of them managed to hit him. His dodges were improving with time. The Emperor watched Jin''s fight, for he had drawn most of the white beings to him. He contemplated the boy''s movements.

    ¡°What do you think, Exorian?¡±

    ¡°He''s really very strong.¡±

    Jin struck and dodged like a master. No blow did any real damage to him. His agility and speed clearly surpassed that of his opponents. It was as if Jin was the final villain in a gang story. It was as if he were the being from the other world. If the beings in white didn''t wear this kind of clothing, Marc might have been confused.

    In the midst of all these corpses. Jin stood there exhausted.

    ¡°That feels good.¡±

    Everyone looked at him as if they were going to have to fight him next.

    ¡°What''s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Nothing''s the matter.¡±

    ¡°I don''t think this is the time to relax. There''s more coming. There''s always been others.¡±

    The Emperor stared worriedly at the wall. Every time he''d passed this way, more had come out of the walls. He''d faced thousands of them. He''d sliced through thousands of them, but each time he''d failed to reach the first-floor door. It was the closest he''d ever come. But unfortunately, beings in white began to emerge from the walls.

    ¡°Listen to me. We''re going to run to the door. Avoid unnecessary fighting. They''ll get stronger anyway. So run.¡±

    Marc looked once more at the engraving of the ruined world. He stared at the man in black staring back at him.

    ¡°I''ll kill you.¡±

    Then they all began to run, avoiding as many white people as possible. The corridor was immense, but with their speed, they could cross it quickly. They jumped, ducked, dodged every enemy in their path.

    ¡°Quickly.¡±

    The path, though short, seemed longer because of all the beings in white coming out of the walls. Their hands and legs protruding from the walls reflected a scene from a horror movie.

    ¡°What if there are more inside?¡±

    Elie had said this without thinking, but she was right. They had no idea what was behind it. It could be death or the man in black, but they were still going for it. The Emperor thought for two seconds before telling them...

    ¡°We''ll see.¡±

    It was the only answer he could give them. It made the group laugh. Even Exorian, who was blindly following his Emperor. Hearing the laughter, the Emperor himself let out a small smile. The door was closing fast.

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    With a shout, they opened the door before entering the room.

 Memories

    Nathana?l jumped to his feet. Proud to have walked through the door with the others, he looked around to celebrate their victory with the others before realizing he was alone.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He wasn''t just alone. There was no one within a radius of at least a thousand square meters. By the way, this wasn''t a room, it was an immense space in which there was nothing but water. Nathana?l''s feet were soaked because there was nothing but water where he was. About ten centimetres. A faint ray of sunlight illuminated it and the rest of the place was plunged in an immense fog.

    ¡°This can''t be true. I''m clearly not in my own world.¡±

    Nathana?l moved in one direction, then another, lit only by the faint ray of light that illuminated him. He had no idea where he was going. Water filled his sneakers.

    ¡°I don''t even know where I''m going. If we''ve been teleported to different places, I''ll never find the other...¡±

    Nathana?l stopped dead in his tracks. The fog had just dissipated in front of him, giving way to a memory he didn''t like at all. He saw himself when he was younger, surrounded by many smiling people who seemed to be laughing for a reason he knew very well.

    Nathana?l had always been rich. His father had succeeded in life. He wasn''t sure how he''d got there, but he was happy to know his father was happy. He had never asked himself what he did for a living. His father often told him:

    ¡°Don''t worry, son. Since I''m rich, you''ll always have plenty of friends.¡±

    He said it with a smile. Nathana?l took this as good news. At first, he had no friends. Few people wanted to be with him, for reasons he didn''t know. In fact, he never reached out to others, thinking that others would come to him. But no one did. Not until he knew he was rich. One day, he saw a parent say in his daughter''s ear:

    ¡°This one''s rich, Lana. You must be with him.¡±

    Nathana?l had smiled, thinking that his group of friends would finally arrive. That his life would be filled with friends. But instead, a series of uncontrollable illusions began.

    He''d made more and more friends. Each one more smiling than the last. One by one, they''d come to make friends with the rich man, and Nathana?l would greet them with a big smile. Some even said:

    ¡°My father told me to become with you because you''re rich.¡±

    Nathana?l smiled. He always smiled...always. But one day, he went home with his group of friends. None of them spoke to him. None of them listened to him.

    ¡°You know my dad, he has....¡±

    ¡°Who cares? When are we coming?¡±

    Nathana?l didn''t understand. Was this how a friend was supposed to behave?

    ¡°In five minutes.¡±

    Nathana?l walked alone ahead of his group. His friends were talking among themselves. Arriving at his place, they began to scan the house before searching every nook and cranny and enjoying themselves wherever they could. One of them even took advantage of the view to propose to Lana. None of them looked at Nathana?l. Nathana?l was alone. He was watching his friend propose to his first girlfriend. His lover, Lana.

    ¡°Am I not at home? I never said he could propose to Lana. I told him I liked him. Wasn''t I clear enough?¡±

    Nathana?l didn''t understand. Was this how a friend should behave? Everyone stared at them in wonder. Nathana?l tried to forget and enjoy his day, but he couldn''t. No one cared about him. He ran to catch up with the others, but nobody cared about him. He had become invisible. They were home.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Nathana?l huddled in a corner playing hide-and-seek. But during the game, he heard two girls talking, thinking he wasn''t there.

    ¡°The house is so nice. We should come back more often.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He''s so stupid, Nathana?l. He really thinks we''re his friends. What''s he thinking? I''m here for the house.¡±

    ¡°To think he tried to grab me earlier. I''m still shivering.¡±

    The tears fell from his cheeks. Nothing could stop them now. Nathana?l had realized that none of his friends were there for him. They were all there for his money. For his father''s wealth. He understood the power of this dangerous thing. He remembered his father''s words:

    ¡°Don''t worry, my son. Since I''m rich, you''ll always have plenty of friends.¡±

    This was not true. He had no friends. He only had freeloaders who resented his wealth. Sitting on the ground, his head in his arms between a black bin and a wall, between money and loneliness, there was this child who thought he had friends who appreciated him and who had just seen the truth behind his father''s words.

    After an hour, no one had come to get him. He just stood there. He came out of his hiding place, the trace of tears on his cheeks. He went downstairs. On the way down, he realized that his father was talking to Lana''s parents. They were laughing with a glass of wine in hand. He wasn''t even worried about him.Nathana?l went quietly to his room.

    ¡°I really didn''t have to see this again.¡±

    Nathana?l stood there in the fog, staring at his atrocious memory. The fog dissipated beneath the memories, and the people who appeared in it seemed to dissipate with the fog. A second ray had illuminated the scene. Nathana?l had seen everything, convinced that it would change. Unfortunately, nothing had changed. He continued to hang out with his friends, who weren''t looking at him. He lost his smile and even his entourage, so much so that they went to his place.

    He grew and grew. Making more and more friends. He believed in real feelings for some. He played the role of an angel, always smiling and always ready to help others. He never showed anyone that he wasn''t as happy as he made himself out to be. His warm smile hid a rich boy. That was enough for him in time.

    But one day, something caught his eye. Another boy who seemed as lonely as he was. He peered into the fog in search of this boy. He wasn''t ugly or perfect. He was quite handsome. He had a blank stare and was quite muscular. He wasn''t really alone when he was with his friend, but as soon as they were in a group, his friend forgot all about him and he became as invisible as a leaf. He knew people, but nobody saw him as important.

    He had no close friends, and sometimes you got the impression he was sad. He often walked alone....alone.

    The Nathana?l in the memory was looking for this boy in the fog. Nathana?l watched him. He ran in all directions and the black-haired boy disappeared and appeared in different places. The Nathana?l of the fog thought that maybe...for once...for the first time...someone could be...his friend.

    ¡°Grab him.¡±

    Nathana?l began to look for him too. Looking for this person who could perhaps be the first. Both were looking for him as if their lives depended on it. Being under the same beam of light, they chased the fog away with their arms and watched every move. Some people began to appear around them. They were looking for Nathana?l''s attention.

    ¡°So, Nathana?l, when do we come to your place?¡±

    ¡°You can lend me a hundred bucks. Can you?¡±

    ¡°Buy me that on my birthday, will you?¡±

    ¡°Can I have a ride in your car?¡±

    Their eyes were covered in fog. Nathana?l didn''t want to look. He was looking for the boy who was alone, and in the distance, he caught sight of him. He was walking in an unknown direction. The two Nathanaels rushed to catch him. The two of them ran, trying to avoid all the people who were after their money.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Don''t you have a hundred bucks?¡±

    ¡°Can I come or not?¡±

    Neither of them stopped to listen, but the foggy Nathana?l fell as one of the people grabbed his foot. Nathana?l turned around.

    ¡°Go ahead. I should have talked to him first anyway, and you know it. I thought he''d be like the others. I thought he''d only be after my money. But remember what Mom said: despite all our difficulties, at least one person will be there for us. ¡±

    Nathana?l continued to run, all the while demoralizing himself. He''d had a hard time leaving himself behind.

    ¡°After all, I''m just a memory, aren''t I?¡±

    For Nathana?l it wasn''t just a memory. It was him. He hadn''t changed. That''s why he was chasing the boy that day, and why he was still doing it. He reached him and grabbed his shoulder after a mad dash through the water. Marc turned around.

    ¡°Nath?¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    ¡°What''s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Will you be my friend?¡±

    Marc seemed surprised by the sudden proposal. His eyes lit up and it took him a while to reply, coming to his senses. After a long moment, he smiled.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    It was the first time Nathana?l had seen him smile so much that he could see his teeth. He realized that he''d made a friend that day. A true friend.

 Memories 2

    Marc turned to see if they had closed the door. He quickly realized that no one was there.

    ¡°This can''t be right. Not again.¡±

    He''d experienced this kind of travel between worlds without consent before, but this was a lot. He was tired of making these trips.

    ¡°Where am I this time?¡±

    In the room, it was dark. Nothing seemed to be around. Complete blackness. He tried to touch things, but nothing came near his hand. He called out to the Emperor and his friends, but no one answered. He was alone as usual.

    ¡°What a drag.¡±

    He started walking in an unknown direction. With the darkness preventing him from seeing his way, he turned left, then right, then left, then right again, before realizing he was probably going in circles. He tried to punch the air to see if anything was moving to dodge. He tried to jump to see if this room had a ceiling, but nothing worked. He was stuck in the dark. This was probably the hardest place for him to get out. So he walked in one direction, not seeing where he was going at all.

    Loneliness soon hit him, even if the situation already seemed familiar. Like that day he''d walked alone on a school trip. He couldn''t forget it. He kept on walking in the hope of finding a way out, but the pitch-black darkness continued to obscure his vision. Nothing wanted to show itself. An absence of light could be felt. He walked on for a long time. A very long time. His fatigue increased with every step, but he walked on.

    His pulse slowed as did his pace. It reminded him of the stairs he''d climbed in the library. He couldn''t help thinking that these enemies or this bizarre world were after him. He continued walking without light. His eyes emptied of all emotion. He continued his long, seemingly unstoppable walk.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    But for a moment, he stopped. Thinking of all he''d done so far, he realized that walking wasn''t going to help him. So he contemplated the void for ten minutes, then a good hour, then a second...

    ¡°Have I given up? Why am I here again? Where are they? They?¡±

    Marc opened his eyes. It was the first time in his life he''d worried because he didn''t want to be alone. He''d never wanted the company of others, but that had changed. He wanted to see them. So he called out to them.

    ¡°Where the hell are you? Where are you hiding? Where''s the way out? Emperor Turcan? Exorian? Jin? Elie? Nath? Nath?¡±

    Hoping to see them again, he became restless. He started running anywhere, trying to catch invisible things. His pulse quickened and his eyes regained some semblance of emotion. He looked to his left. The darkness was beginning to dissipate. Memories of him fighting with Nathana?l and Elie surfaced. Jin fighting like a master with Goagi on the receiving end. The chase between the beings in white and him and Nathana?l. The meetings they had every time they''d found some semblance of something, but in the end it was nothing.

    He even saw himself with his parents. With his father teaching him what a oriented control was. With his mother teaching him to cook. With his father teaching him how to do a bicycle and finally collapse on the ground without touching the ball.

    ¡°Maybe I shouldn''t have seen that again. Didn''t he go to hospital?¡±

    Forgetting this memory, Marc preferred to continue his race against the void. He didn''t necessarily have a chance of winning, but he wanted to see them again. To see those who had supported him. They were very important to him and he knew it.

    ¡°I don''t know where I''m going, but I want to go with you.¡±

    At the same moment, an arm caught his shoulder. Marc almost jumped.

    ¡°This is it. I''m dead.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha!¡±

    ¡°Nath?¡±

    ¡°I was desperate. There was no one there. I ran a long way before I caught up with you.¡±

    ¡°So did I. I think they''ve separated us.¡±

    ¡°They?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know who but surely someone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Probably someone. Do you know where the others are?¡±

    ¡°No. No idea. Come on, we''ll look for them.¡±

    ¡°Better.¡±

    The two walked into the gloom that had mixed with the fog.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you too.¡±

    That was enough to understand their hearts.

 Forced awakening

    They continued walking in unknown directions. No more memories surfaced. All they could see was darkness, but at least they weren''t alone, and that reassured them.

    ¡°Do you think they''re locked up somewhere like us?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. I don''t even know how we ended up here. By the way, how did you find me?¡±

    ¡°I saw you, so I ran to catch up.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we''re not really alone? Maybe it''s just an illusion?¡±

    ¡°Sad illusion.¡±

    ¡°That you said.¡±

    ¡°I think if Elie had wanted to catch up with you she would have.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we''re the ones who should be looking for her with all our hearts?¡±

    ¡°And what about Jin?¡±

    The two thought back to the times Jin had slaughtered his enemies without mercy.

    ¡°I think he''ll be okay?¡±

    ¡°Go for Elie first.¡±

    They shouted his name into the gloom, but no one answered. A certain echo began to materialize. The voices repeated but nothing answered. They still seemed alone. Marc looked around to see if there was any light, but there was none. Fog and complete darkness filled the place.

    Marc thought hard about Elie. He didn''t want to lose her. He''d promised to protect her. Whatever she''d seen in her vision, he was ready to face it. At least, he''d try. He really wasn''t confident about the enemies he''d have to face, but Elie was a priority.

    Then he thought back to his return from the library. Elie''s face, looking as if she''d lost everything. The way she had protected him. The way she''d comforted him after that day when he''d killed so many people. In all this, she had always been the one to console him, reassure him or protect him. He''d never done anything for her. However, the best thing he could do to reassure her was to do nothing. But he couldn''t stop there, so she decided to support him. For her to have her shield against the end, she had to protect him. Marc hated this feeling of guilt.

    ¡°Elie. If you can hear me or see me, forgive me. I didn''t measure up. I didn''t do what I wanted to do. I''m sorry. ¡±

    He held out his hand.

    ¡°If we could have the slightest chance of being together again, I promise to watch over you until the end. I promise.¡±

    Suddenly, the fog lifted where he had held out his hand. Elie''s hand now held his. Unfortunately, she was on the ground unconscious. She''d raised her hand so she could hold Marc''s even in her condition.

    ¡°Elie. Are you okay?¡±

    Marc worried immensely. He checked her pulse. She was alive.

    ¡°Is she okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just unconscious. We''ve got to get out of here.¡±

    Nathana?l had never seen him so worried. Marc carried Elie on his back.

    ¡°Next.¡±

    ¡°That''s Jin. But I think we''ll have trouble finding him. How did you find Elie?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Uh..."

    Marc felt a violent breath pass by his shoulder. A body had just passed by him at such speed that he hadn''t seen it. The cause: Jin. He was fighting a multitude of people, all different. There were beings in white, boys in judo uniforms, army soldiers, policemen, wrestlers, actors from well-known action movies - in short, anyone who could fight. There were even animals fighting against him. He was alone against thousands of opponents, crushing them one by one. The reason was simple. The memory he had seen was the time he had been beaten by Thierry, the Judo teacher. He hadn''t accepted this memory. Filled with rage, he charged at Thierry and landed a series of relentless blows.

    After that, all the students got up to face him, and when he''d finished defeating them, he faced policemen, then the army, then...He didn''t know how long he''d been fighting, but he didn''t want to stop. His black hair, dark eyes and narcissistic smile were taking pleasure in this never-ending fight.

    ¡°A sad illusion?¡±

    ¡°Doesn''t apply to some people.¡±

    ¡°Looks like it.¡±

    Jin didn''t even see his master come into his field of vision caught up in the battle.

    ¡°I''ll take care of it.¡±

    Nathana?l entered the crowd as Jin noticed the number of opponents diminishing. In a flash, his gaze turned to Nathana?l, whom he had spotted as a powerful enemy. He disappeared from the center of the crowd to reappear in front of Nathana?l, who blocked his punch.

    ¡°I will not be left behind. Do you hear me?¡±

    But Jin couldn''t hear him. On the contrary, his smile widened; he''d found a powerful opponent to play with. The two stepped back as the crowd surrounded them without any other enemy intervening.

    ¡°We''ve got to get out of here, Jin. Then I''ll have to wake you because your master is busy right now.¡±

    Jin approached slowly. His aura expanded into the room and two eyes manifested above staring at Nathana?l.

    ¡°I see. Then come.¡±

    His sentence barely finished, Nathana?l received a tremendous circular kick to the face.

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    He then followed up with a blow to the abs. Nathana?l stepped back a good twenty meters. His feet were smoking on the ground.

    ¡°I don''t know anything about martial arts, but I know what I have to do.¡±

    Jin lunged at him again. He jumped up and lifted his leg to try and kick him in the head, but at the same time, Nathana?l drew a sword out of nowhere and countered Jin, who was surprised by the sword''s presence.

    ¡°I''ll remind you who we are.¡±

    Nathana?l''s aura swelled in turn, completely encompassing Jin''s.The light shone so brightly that Marc needed to turn his face away.

    ¡°Is that on purpose?¡±

    Jin stared at the spectacle in amazement. But even so, it didn''t stop his smile from returning. He lunged at Nathana?l before holding back. He''d already seen his position. It was the same as the Emperor''s when he sliced through the air with his sword. Nathana?l released the pressure and the blow went so fast that Jin barely avoided it. It wasn''t perfect, but it was enough to launch a huge jet of light that split the place they were standing in two.

    ¡°It''s not that.¡±

    Marc retorted.

    ¡°No, it''s not. But what is it?¡±

    Jin smiled and went on the attack, seeing that Nathana?l was unfocused. Even though he quickly got back on his guard, Nathana?l received quite a feint before taking a Brazilian kick. Jin followed up with all kinds of kicks to keep his distance from Nathana?l''s sword, which at times shot out huge, powerful jets of light. Before delivering the final blow, Jin replied to Nathana?l.

    ¡°Thank you, for this magnificent fight.¡±

    ¡°You''ve been awake for a long time, haven''t you?¡±

    Jin smiled. So did Nathana?l.But this time, Jin''s smile was gentle.

    His fist split the air in the direction of Nathana?l, who was collapsing.

    ¡°Would you stop?¡±

    An armor-covered hand stopped the fist''s trajectory dead in its tracks. Nathana?l sank to the ground permanently as he saw who had arrived.

    ¡°We had to get out of here and you were fighting. We''ll have to rethink our sense of ownership.¡±

    The Emperor held Jin''s hand firmly. Exorian followed close behind.

    ¡°Emperor Turcan.¡±

    ¡°I''m fine, thank you. But there''s something more urgent. We''ve got to get out of here. Exorian takes the girl and frees Marc.¡±

    ¡°Right away, sir.¡±

    ¡°It''s all right. She''s not heavy.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, Marc?

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Marc shivered at the thought of the intense gaze of emerald-green eyes returning.

    ¡°Good. Now that we''re all together, we need to...¡±

    ¡°You''re all here.¡±

    A female voice had interrupted the Emperor. Exorian turned quickly to shoot the person who had dared interrupt the Emperor, but stopped when he saw a woman wearing a dress of dust. Her eyes looked like two broken light bulbs that no longer shone. She had a hat made of cobwebs and a beautiful body that looked extremely fragile. One thing was certain: she wasn''t human.

    ¡°I''ll send you home.¡±

    Marc watched as the lady sent them dust, which he recognized instantly. It was the dust in the otherworldly library.

    With a last breath, he tried to ask her the question.

    ¡°Was that you?¡±

    The lady smiled and gave him a compassionate look.

    ¡°Don''t cry, slave of fate.¡±

    It was the second time he''d heard these words, but he still didn''t understand their meaning. Marc extended his hand towards the lady, who brushed it away with her dust.

 Out of control

    Back in the church, the first thing the Emperor did, as an Emperor capable of handling any situation correctly and making wise decisions, was to point his sword at Marc.

    ¡°Who are you? And how come she knows you? If I don''t like your story, I''ll kill you.¡±

    Marc was sick of these forced interrogations where he stressed with all the water in his body.

    ¡°For the umpteenth time, I don''t know this person and I don''t know why she knows me.¡±

    ¡°You seem to be known in this other world but yet you don''t have a clue.¡±

    ¡°I haven''t the slightest idea.¡±

    The Emperor turned his cold gaze back to Marc. But this time, Marc''s gaze was cold as well.

    ¡°I don''t think this is the time to argue.¡±

    ¡°The Emperor wouldn''t argue with a boy like that."

    ¡°I know. I know he wouldn''t. But do you even know where we are?¡±

    The Emperor looked around. The room he had entered did not leave them unmoved. The walls were even more engraved than all the others in the church. Marc could read the word Aregis over fifty times. Although it seemed incomprehensible to them, they soon realized that there was nothing normal about this room. There were no drawings. Just engravings that wound around this room.

    ¡°I don''t get it. What was the purpose of this room?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know any more than you do. It''s the first time I''ve been there, but its aura is special. The engravings are numerous. Too many. And I wonder why there''s nothing else in this circular room. If we knew what it meant, we''d certainly know the mystery behind it.¡±

    As much as Marc wanted to decipher, it didn''t make sense to him.

    ¡°Why do we understand what beings from the other world say, but can''t read what''s written in their language?¡±

    ¡°There may be more than one?¡±

    ¡°But would everyone we came across speak our language?¡±

    ¡°We''ve only come across one, Marc. Two with Goagi.¡±

    ¡°With me, we saw the famous guy and the person he was chatting to.¡±

    ¡°And I also saw the lady.¡±

    The Emperor was unfamiliar with all his encounters. He couldn''t see what he was talking about at all, but he could situate them a little from their stories. Suddenly, they all heard knocks coming from the door.

    ¡°Exorian. Take pictures. The rest of you, get ready to fight. We''ve got to get out of this church.

    ¡°But sir, you know very well that pictures reveal nothing once taken."

    ¡°Let''s try anyway.¡±

    He put his hand on his scabbard and prepared to draw.

    ¡°His doors won''t crack, but we''ve got to get out of here. We''re too tired to engage in any combat so focus on protecting Marc and Elie and your survival. Clear?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Clear.¡±

    ¡°See you outside.¡±

    As he said this, he opened the door and drew his sword at full speed. The sword sliced the white being standing behind in half, and he charged forward.

    ¡°It''s been a beautiful day.

    There were perhaps over a thousand beings waiting outside the door. All with their starry eyes and fine white clothes. The Emperor charged through and sliced through whatever was in his way.

    ¡°Close the gap, Exorian.¡±

    This was his last order before a very tight escape. Jin moved to Marc''s front and Nathana?l to the rear.

    ¡°I''m going forward.¡±

    Jin led the way behind the Emperor. He struck as hard as he could into a white being to send it waltzing over the others, but they were so crowded that the blow was cushioned.

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    ¡°Try this.¡±

    Exorian threw a knife at him. Jin realized he had no choice. He slashed at as many of the beings as he could, moving forward with difficulty. The blows came from left to right and were impossible to counter. Jin, however, didn''t back down and kept moving forward. It was Marc''s turn to enter the white mass. He pushed everything in his path, even though nothing would budge. He gritted his teeth and asserted himself as best he could. The white creatures didn''t give in and pushed Marc back. Some even tried to grab Elie. Marc tried desperately not to let go. He clenched his teeth so hard that blood spurted from his lips. Fortunately, Nathana?l cut off the hands of those who grabbed him.

    ¡°Don''t worry. I''m here.¡±

    Exorian used his wires to slice through those who remained, but even so, their numbers remained immense. Suddenly, Marc had an idea. Like Nathana?l, he intended to use his aura as he had done against Jin. He couldn''t see it, but he tried to imagine it. He closed his eyes to concentrate on his atmosphere. His aura appeared so weak that he wondered what Goagi''s aura was really like. He couldn''t make it grow, but now was not the time to weaken. In a rush of adrenaline, he screamed so loudly that the walls shook. His black aura filled the room.

    Jin turned to look at the spectacle. His smile faded as he saw that his master had clearly lost control.

    ¡°Master?¡±

    The otherworldly beings were crushed under the pressure of the aura. One by one, they exploded and flattened on top of each other. Marc''s eyes went completely black, but despite his loss of control, his body continued to walk. The Emperor, who continued to cut ahead, watched Marc''s body carrying Elie, surrounded by a black aura as powerful as the statue''s, move forward as if it were a machine.

    ¡°You''re really not normal, Marc. I couldn''t even kill you.¡±

    Marc continued forward, unstoppable. He went down the stairs as if no one was there, then, out of the church, he set Elie down on the floor and stopped. Exorian closed the door and everyone gathered around Marc to stop him, but they knew none of them could. Marc straightened his head. His dark eyes met those of Nathana?l. Then the aura stopped and Marc collapsed to the ground.

    The Turcan Emperor sat down on a chair in his palace. The day he''d spent with the kids had exhausted him. He had taken them back to Marc''s parents and left as if nothing had happened. Exorian entered the room in his turn.

    ¡°Exorian, do you think I''ve made a mistake?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it will cost me dearly?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Majesty. And not necessarily for you.¡±

    The Emperor looked down at the floor, on which there was a huge carpet with the symbol of the Empire on it. A silver balance with each pan connected to black chains attached to the floor. A grey-green sword rested on the right-hand platter and a butterfly whose symbols marked the spirit flying over the left-hand platter. Although there was a difference in weight, the scale was perfectly balanced. No, in fact, it tilted slightly in favor of the butterfly if you looked very carefully. At the tip of the scale was a dazzling green light that made it impossible to see the objects behind it. But there were. A hand reaching for the scale, ready to catch it, and an emerald-green eye that seemed to be watching with a superior gaze.

    This was the symbol of the Empire, the explanation for which was never revealed. Researchers had tried to understand it, but the Emperor never deigned to give answers. Legend had it that only the Emperor had access to the meaning of this symbol, as it was passed down from ruler to ruler. The Turcan Emperor stared ardently at him.

    ¡°I think...whatever my decision...things would have started to go wrong. So I might as well let this innocent boy do his best to stop them. Even if it means making things worse.¡±

    ¡°Be honest, Majesty. I''ve known you long enough to know what you''re thinking. You liked his story, didn''t you?¡±

    Exorian looked at his Emperor still with folded hands staring at the symbol. Turcan looked up, then smiled.

    ¡°You know me too well, Exorian.¡±

    Exorian was surprised by the Emperor''s smile. He smiled very little, and had done so since birth. He had always been a man who never let anything show. But this smile was proof that he was human and, above all, worried.

    ¡°I think I''m getting old.¡±

    ¡°Majesty.¡±

    Exorian smiled back.

    ¡°You''re not even twenty-five.¡±

 Return

    <div>

    Marc awoke after what seemed like a long sleep. His head was screaming in pain. He felt as if he could hear voices coming from all sides.

    ¡°Murderer.

    ¡°Murderer.¡±

    ¡°Guilty.¡±

    ¡°Scumbag.¡±

    ¡°That''s enough.¡±

    ¡°Criminal¡±

    ¡°I said that''s enough.¡±

    The voices stopped. Marc opened his eyes and stopped holding his head. He looked around. He wasn''t in the Emperor''s dream hotel room in Zvenne. He had no idea where he was. He felt something heavy on his legs. Elie was resting on his legs, asleep, half on a chair. Drool was coming slightly from her mouth. Marc gasped and clung to the wall.

    ¡°Huh? Marc. You''re awake.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Elie took good care of you while you were asleep. When the Emperor brought you back I thought you were dead, but he told me you''d just had a tiring day. We made a short trip home, stopping at a hotel. When Elie woke up, she immediately said it was her fault you were in that state, so she just stood there looking after you.¡±

    Marc''s mother had returned and placed a bowl of soup on the bedroom desk.

    ¡°Clich¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Will you stop complaining every time someone helps you.¡±

    Marc looked at Elie, who had fallen back asleep.

    ¡°I''m fine, Mom. You can tell Elie it wasn''t her fault. Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°In front of the TV in another room, but you''re not going.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because this nice lady has stayed to keep you company and monsieur wants to leave to go and see his mates.¡±

    ¡°They must be tired too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they''re fine. I can guarantee it. But you''re going to stay here and keep an eye on Elie.¡±

    The anger on his mother''s face made him abandon all opposition. He ''sat down on his bed and waited for Elie to wake up again.

    ¡°Come on. I''ll leave you two alone.¡±

    Marc wondered if his mother wasn''t the man in black putting on an act.

    After ten minutes or so, Elie and Marc went to Jin and Nathana?l''s room. Elie was flushed. She had no idea Marc had been watching her when she woke up. She couldn''t forget his eyes at that moment when they met.

    ¡°Marc. Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Welcome back master.¡±

    ¡°I''m fine. What''s all the fuss about? What did I do before I passed out?¡±

    Nathana?l lowered his head. To him and everyone else, there was nothing ordinary about what he''d done.

    ¡°Well...¡±

    Nathana?l and Jin explained all the details there was to know about leaving the room. Marc couldn''t believe his ears.

    ¡°I''m not sure I understand. But finally what I wanted to do worked.¡±

    ¡°Marc, you mustn''t take this lightly. You were terrifying. Even the beings in white weren''t getting close.¡±

    ¡°That bad?¡±

    Marc didn''t know what to say. He knew that everything he''d done was to protect Elie behind his back. Elie regretted not being awake when Marc was carrying her.

    ¡°And do we have any info on the lady?¡±

    ¡°Marc, I told you...¡±

    ¡°I know, but there''s nothing I can do about it. All I wanted was to extend my aura and crush them with it. Like you did against Jin.¡±

    ¡°Did I do that?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, it all went wrong. I''m aware of that, but there''s nothing I can do about it. I''m still trying to make things right. To make right the wrong I did that day. Which would normally lead me to hell. But every time I try to do something, I''m always the one who''s considered a monster.¡±

    Silence fell over the room.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°That''s why...that''s...why....I didn''t want to involve you in my affairs...I didn''t want you to be associated with a murderer...I didn''t want to see you die.¡±

    Tears welled up in Elie''s eyes. Marc calmed down and looked at the ground. His gaze had lost all hope.

    ¡°I''m aware that I look suspicious. Aware of what I''ve done so if I can''t make it up to you...I might as well be dead.¡±

    Jin was fed up.

    ¡°Master. You often say that you want to die because what you''ve done is unforgivable. It''s true, but there''s nothing we can do about it. It wasn''t done on purpose and we''re moving on. I still have to beat you. We all have to stop the end of the world here if possible. And above all, I don''t think the people in this room and your parents will let you die. Because they love you despite what you''ve done and what you''ll do, and they''ll continue to love you.¡±

    Marc''s eyes brightened.

    ¡°Since I''ve been with you, I''ve wanted to move forward, and I''m moving forward because I''m with you. You''ve enabled me to do my best fighting and to become even stronger than before. Nothing will make me regret the moments I''ve spent with you. So if you died, I''d have to go and beat up Nathana?l, and I''m not sure he''d survive.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡±

    Marc looked at his friends. A smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°Jin.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    ¡°Don''t go beating up Nathana?l. You''re really not normal.¡±

    People didn''t see Jin as normal, and neither did his friends. All he saw in this dark adventure were the fights he could get into. That was it: Jin Ichimaru.

    ¡°As you wanted to know so badly, there''s no information about this woman. How did you want us to know?¡±

    ¡°Anything from the other world is beyond our reach.¡±

    ¡°You''re right. I was just trying to divert attention. I don''t think there''s any point insisting on these ruins. They''ve already given us a lot of information and they''re not going to give us any more. We''ll go in quietly and get some rest.¡±

    ¡°We''d better. ¡±

    Nathana?l looked at his friend. He didn''t seem so lonely anymore. Neither did he.

    Chris looked out of the window. The week''s vacation hadn''t changed much in his daily life. He wondered where Marc was and what he was still up to. Since that day, he''d seen that he''d never stopped looking for them and that they were accompanied by a new guy who was very good at sports.

    ¡°Tch. He''s not as good-looking as me anyway.¡±

    He''d also noticed that the physical abilities of these four had improved. He was systematically losing at soccer and all the other disciplines, and every time they played, Nathana?l, that Jin guy, and Marc made gestures that were clearly not human. Even Elie beat him at sports.

    ¡°It''s all nonsense. What have they done to their bodies?¡±

    He remembered the time Marc had knocked him out. Never in his life had he thought he''d lose to him. He never had. But then he remembered Marc''s movements. That ease of dodging as if he''d always done it. The power of his blow. And yet, he had observed that he was even stronger than that time. Every time he came across him, he felt an immense pressure. As if a powerful aura was bearing down on him.

    ¡°This is ridiculous. Now I''m rambling. I''m sure I''m dreaming.¡±

    He looked down at his phone.

    ¡°Maybe I should talk to Manon about it? See if she''s changed too.¡±

    He picked up his phone, dialed Manon''s number and waited for her to pick up.

    ¡°Hi Chris. How are you?¡±

    ¡°I''m doing good. I''m fine.¡±

    ¡°Why are you calling me that?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to know how you''re doing.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Does that sound so strange?¡±

    ¡°You''re not the type to call me for that.¡±

    ¡°I know. I know. I just wanted to know if you noticed anything weird about those jerks, too.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? You''re calling me to talk about them. We said we''d forget the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°I know, but they just piss me off. How do you like Jin?¡±

    ¡°He''s not bad. Wait, you''re afraid he''ll steal your competition. Don''t worry, you''re prettier than he is.¡±

    ¡°I''m not jealous. It''s just that they piss me off with their improved physical abilities.¡±

    ¡°That''s suspicious, all right. But do you really think it''s related to their research?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? I''ll go with them and see what it''s all about.¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you really going to hang out with Marc?¡±

    ¡°Hey, don''t insult him. He''s cool in person.¡±

    ¡°What''s the matter with you? You were the first one to come and insult him at school.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. I just don''t know. Forget what I said. ¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you''re okay, Chris. You seem out of it lately.¡±

    ¡°I''m fine. I didn''t call you in to play doctor.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Okay . I''m sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°I''ll leave you to it. Have a nice vacation.¡±

    ¡°Since when do you...¡±

    Chris had hung up. She was right: since when had he been worried about Marc? He didn''t even want to think about it, but ever since he''d thought about it that day, he couldn''t stop thinking about it.

    ¡°Damn it. ¡±

    Marc returned home and sat down on the sofa. His father returned with the suitcases.

    ¡°Well, well, well. What a vacation. Anyway, the Emperor is terrifying.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t know you''d planned all this.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t plan anything after Orio. Your son is the guilty one.¡±

    His parents both looked in his direction.

    ¡°How did you do it?¡±

    ¡°A magician never reveals his secrets.¡±

    ¡°You''re not a magician.¡±

    ¡°Who knows. I still managed to get the Emperor of Zvenne to move in person. Isn''t that a great trick?¡±

    ¡°It''s true that it''s a miracle.¡±

    ¡°Don''t encourage him.¡±

    ¡°That''s right. If you want to see el Marco, el fenomeno, this is the place."

    ¡°Yes, that''s right.¡±

    ¡°Pack your things.¡±

    Marc got up to get his suitcases. That little trip to Zvenne had helped, but it still didn''t make him understand why Lavoisi would have done this. He still didn''t know Zodric''s plans or what had happened to the lady. He didn''t know why Zodric thought he knew him and who that woman in the otherworldly room was. Nor did he know how the other world worked. It had only brought him more questions.

    ¡°And I still don''t know what''s going to happen. What did the man in black plan? Did the engravings represent the past or the future? Can I really stop them?¡±

    Marc opened his hand and looked at his palm. He felt as if he lacked power. Lacked strength. Lacking confidence. He knew it wasn''t enough to defeat him. The abyss he''d felt that day. The immense pressure that seemed to come from death. The absolute emptiness he''d felt around him. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Except the infinite power of this man or monster.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Marc noticed he was sweating.

    ¡°Did it affect me that much?¡±

    He went to his room to do some research, but stopped what he was doing to go for a walk.

    ¡°I''m going for a walk. See you later.¡±

    ¡°Walk?¡±

    His parents didn''t understand. He no longer saw the Marc he''d known. On the way out, he ran into Elie, who had decided to walk too. They walked together.

    ¡°How are you? Did you get home all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and you?¡±

    ¡°Short answer. I see.¡±

    ¡°What else did you want me to say. We had another brush with death. That''s all. But I''m still home safe.¡±

    ¡°All right, princess.¡±

    ¡°Stop calling me that.¡±

    ¡°Just kidding. Just kidding. You know your strokes hurt now.¡±

    ¡°I know. But I also know you won''t die from it.¡±

    ¡°You could avoid hurting me.¡±

    ¡°You''ve earned this one.¡±

    They walked for a good hour, talking about everything that didn''t concern this other world and their journey for a long time. To forget what lay ahead.

    <div>

    <div>

 How much time is left?

    The next day, Chris found the address of Marc''s house. Nothing out of the ordinary jumped out at him. He''d rather have gone to Nathana?l''s than to this poor guy''s. Even if the poor guy had hit him so hard he''d ended up ko.

    He rang the doorbell and it was Marc who opened it for him.

    ¡°Coming.¡±

    Marc ran down the stairs, opened the door and found himself face to face with the man he really didn''t like.

    ¡°Oh. Hi Chris.¡±

    ¡°Your tone of voice doesn''t sound like you''re happy to see me.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know you should ask it."

    ¡°Pitiful. I was just...coming by...to...well...you know.¡±

    ¡°Spit it out. If you want us to fight over what I give you last time, just say so.¡±

    ¡°No. I wanted to know how your investigation is going.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Do you care?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? Who knows?¡±

    ¡°No. Impossible. You''re here to dangle us in front of the world so everyone thinks we''re nuts.¡±

    ¡°Neither, so tell me how it goes.¡±

    ¡°Pfff. Come on in.¡±

    Marc let Chris in despite the fact that he didn''t trust him at all.

    ¡°Anyway, I could nag him into not saying anything.¡±

    They went up to the bedroom where Jin was already present. The two glared at each other as if they''d always been rivals.

    ¡°Master, why is he here?¡±

    ¡°Master?¡±

    Chris couldn''t believe it. Marc had no friends, but he did have servants whom he had subdued with the force of his fists.

    ¡°Did I make a mistake coming here?¡±

    ¡°Don''t call me master when there''s the others.¡±

    Chris couldn''t believe it.

    He was hiding the fact that he had slaves to surprise his enemies and jump down their throats.

    ¡°What''s the matter, Chris? Sit down?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    For the moment, Chris had to keep a low profile if he hoped to get out of there alive.

    ¡°I''m not going to hide it from you, but it would take too long to explain everything in detail. We''ve been through too much to explain it all clearly. If you want to know what happened, we discovered another world, the man in black, a guy who became a writer in both worlds, another guy who wanted to organize a bloody descent to earth, aura and improved physical abilities thanks to the other world, white beings who protect the mysteries of the other world, a guy who controls time loops, churches that were used to organize the guy''s descent, a guy who is known in our world and is called Mirades and Jin who is a mystery in his own right. ¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Chris''s expression had frozen. He hadn''t swallowed half the information because he found it completely...

    ¡°Ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Ridiculous. You''ve got to be kidding me.¡±

    ¡°After what you''ve been through, it still doesn''t make sense to you?¡±

    ¡°I''ll call the emergency room about your case.¡±

    ¡°I don''t think that''ll do the trick. Besides, you haven''t seen the news.¡±

    ¡°What news?¡±

    ¡°Look.¡±

    Chris looked at Marc''s phone. He and his group were regrouping in Orio and they were with...

    ¡°The Emperor of Zvenne. You were with the Emperor of Zvenne?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It''s a set-up. It can''t be.¡±

    ¡°Look on your phone.¡±

    Chris drew out his phone and hastily searched for articles about their meeting. No one was surprised when he saw it was all true.

    ¡°It''s not true.¡±

    ¡°Yes it is.¡±

    ¡°It''s not.¡±

    ¡°Yes it is.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°It can''t be.¡±

    ¡°Obviously not.¡±

    Chris was crestfallen. He lost all emotion on the spot.

    ¡°What would have happened if I''d gone after him first? I''d be dead.¡±

    Chris imagined Zvenne''s army descending on his home, destroying everything in their path.

    ¡°Convinced?¡±

    ¡°Not of the rest. I''m willing to believe that you''ve met the Emperor of Zvenne, even if it seems implausible. But the other world and all its blahs, I can''t easily believe. You have to understand.¡±

    Chris may have been traumatized by his dream and the vision, but he found it hard to swallow that a being from another world wanted him dead.

    ¡°It''s understandable. But unfortunately, there''s nothing we can do to prove it to you.¡±

    ¡°You can''t go back to that other world, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°No. We enter it at somewhat random times. It''s as if the other world made us enter.¡±

    ¡°And why not return to those passages?¡±

    ¡°They disappear after we pass through.¡±

    And Marc had no desire to return to the library or Zvenne''s church.

    ¡°I see. That''s even more far-fetched.¡±

    ¡°It''s up to you whether you want to believe us or not.¡±

    Chris didn''t want to believe them, and he didn''t want to hang out with them, but a certain something pushed him to think about it. An insatiable curiosity that was common to every human being. Hands gripped his head. He wanted to know and he wanted to become stronger than Marc, no matter how dangerous it was. In any case, Marc was alive. If he could survive everything he''d said, why couldn''t he?

    ¡°I''m going to accompany you from now on to see if it''s true. But don''t get me wrong, we''re not friends.¡±

    ¡°I know, Chris. It''s you who shouldn''t make the mistake.¡±

    The two glared at each other.

    ¡°And you have information about a possible passage.¡±

    ¡°I''m not too keen on going back, but if you want to kill yourself alone, go ahead.¡±

    Chris looked very uncomfortably at Marc. Decidedly, these two couldn''t get along.

    ¡°Is it that dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Probably more dangerous than anything you know on earth.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Just think, over there, some people have superpowers.¡±

    ¡°Like time loops?

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Chris wondered if this wasn''t a bad idea after all.

    ¡°Master, look at this.¡±

    ¡°What''s the matter? Huh?"

    Marc seemed bewildered. The newspaper article Jin had shown him did not bode well. Chris noticed it too.

    ¡°What''s the matter? What''s going on?¡±

    Marc looked at the window. His gaze had changed.

    ¡°They''re here.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The beings from the other world.¡±

    Marc and Jin tried to make calls, but the phone wouldn''t pick up. Their worried faces didn''t reassure Chris at all.

    ¡°Who are you trying to call?¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Marc was stressing enormously. They were already there. He didn''t know why, but they were already there. The phone finally picked up.

    ¡°Exorian, is that you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I suppose if you''re calling me, it''s because you saw the news.¡±

    ¡°There aren''t many articles on it because no one takes it seriously, but we wanted to make sure. Is it really them?¡±

    Exorian took a while to answer.

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡±

    ¡°Sh.t."

    Marc began to sweat. One of these white beings had been found lifeless in a town not far from Orio. The locals mistook him for a cosplayer so no one had panicked, but law enforcement had quickly fenced off the spot where he''d been reported. People had begun to wonder when the Emperor had arrived on the scene.

    ¡°There''s no other?¡±

    ¡°No. So far, it''s the only one we''ve found and it seems to be inactive. The Emperor asked me to tell you not to come. He''s taking care of the situation.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°Dear Marc, we like you and are grateful for what you''ve contributed to the investigation, but don''t underestimate us. The Emperor is powerful enough to handle things here. Besides, if it happened to you, you''d have to be in your own country to intervene. Don''t let your emotions get the better of you. Do you understand?¡±

    Marc didn''t answer. Exorian was right. He needed to think more wisely.

    ¡°On that note, I''ll leave you to it. I''m needed. Good-bye, dear Marc.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, Exorian.¡±

    The bell rang in the void. Tension rose in the room. Marc was stressing. If these beings were already here, how was he going to be able to protect the world with his current level. Could he even challenge them with his level?

    ¡°Marc?¡±

    ¡°Master?¡±

    His aura rose slightly with his stress. The situation was getting out of hand. By the way, he''d never been in control of the situation.

    ¡°Jin.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°We''ll double the search. If we find the slightest passage or strange site, we go in."

    ¡°Good. I''ll let the others know.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ¡°Chris. You''re much too late in the adventure. I wouldn''t want you to die on me, but if you really want to help us, you''re going to have to follow me around and get better.¡±

    Marc''s gaze was determined. Those black eyes seemed to come from the abyss. Chris was startled by the monstrous intensity.

    ¡°Marc. Did you see the article?¡±

    Elie had just entered the room.

    ¡°I saw it.¡±

    ¡°We''ll all die if they come down now.¡±

    ¡°No. I won''t let that happen.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, but in any case, you won''t die. I promise.¡±

    Nathanael arrived about ten minutes later.

    ¡°Well? Chris is here.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Nath.¡±

    ¡°Hi. I guess we''re meeting for the article.¡±

    ¡°I called Exorian who confirmed the events. It all seems to be true.¡±

    ¡°If those guys come down now, we''re dead.¡±

    ¡°I know. But we''re not sure what they''ll do. For now, let''s look for info wherever there might be some. We need to figure out how to stop the descent like Lavoisi did back then.¡±

    Marc looked at the book he''d taken from the library.

    ¡°If only that''s what he did.¡±

    Night came quickly. The search had turned up nothing special. Marc and Jin had searched all day in vain. Even Lavoisi''s book hadn''t written since the ruin of the other world.

    ¡°It''s not true. Nothing came of it.¡±

    ¡°It seems no one knows anything about this world. As if we''re the only ones who''ve been shown some of the revelations.¡±

    ¡°I despair. Even Lavoisi''s book doesn''t write the sequel, and in these novels there''s nothing to indicate a prior descent.¡±

    ¡°I think we should rest, master.¡±

    Marc''s gaze was growing tired. Dark circles were beginning to mark his face.

    ¡°You''re right. Let''s take a break. See you tomorrow.¡±

    Jin returned to his room. The moon let a thin ray of light into the house, but Marc closed the window.

    ¡°I need to sleep.¡±

    Marc closed his eyes slowly. Sleep struck directly at him. But just as he had dreaded it that day. As he hadn''t wanted to do since he''d dreamed it. Since that day, Marc had noticed that he no longer dreamed. He was no longer capable of it. The only times he dreamed....

    ¡°What''s this?¡±

    was to dream of this other, strange world. An enormous hourglass stood before him. A huge luminous vapor stood above it while a black fog slumbered beneath it. In the middle of the hourglass was a very bright light that prevented Marc from seeing the middle. Very white sand lay at the top, but as soon as it began to fall towards the bottom, it turned black. A very dark black that swallowed up all light. Time was running out.

    ¡°Time? Is this...the time we have left?¡±

    Marc gazed at the enormous hourglass. It floated in the air like a divine being. Its edges seemed to be made of gold and it seemed to be made of crystal. It was reflected in Marc''s eyes, and he could only watch. The falling grains of sand couldn''t let go of his attention. Suddenly, the darkness began to spread. Marc was waking up. He hadn''t realized that time here was completely disproportionate. A nervous smile spread across his face.

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    In a flash, he was sent back to the real world. He was sweating in his bed. He put his head in his hands and wiped his face.

    ¡°Damn. It''s tight."

 A true daily routine

    Marc went to tell Jin about his dream.

    ¡°Do you think it''s tight?¡±

    ¡°I tried to calculate approximately but obviously I''m not a machine. We don''t have a huge amount of time in my opinion.¡±

    ¡°Approximately how much?¡±

    ¡°In a range, between 6 and 8 weeks.¡±

    ¡°That''s not bad.¡±

    ¡°I think it''s short.¡±

    ¡°What do you think will go down?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea. I don''t know what''s down there. I don''t know their plan. I don''t know anything.¡±

    ¡°We''ll get through this, master.¡±

    ¡°You think so?¡±

    ¡°I''m sure of it.¡±

    ¡°You are?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    The two looked into each other''s eyes. Marc was desperate. He huffed.

    ¡°Honestly. I don''t understand you.¡±

    Marc remembered that school was due to start again on the same day. His mother woke him up by shouting at him in the morning, even though his classes had already started. Marc jumped to his feet and got ready for school.

    ¡°I''m so late. I''m super late.¡±

    His first reflex was to run, which surprised him by finishing everything he had to do in less than a minute. Marc was amazed at his performance. He often forgot that he wasn''t like the others. That he wasn''t really human anymore. He looked down at his hands, pensive, remembering all he''d done to get to this point.

    ¡°Are...we going to be able to...stop it?¡±

    Marc was well aware of that. They''d been too cocky. They had no chance of beating his monsters or preventing their descent. All they could do was wait. Wait for all this to happen before their eyes and hope they could save as many people as possible that day. They couldn''t even be sure whether it was really a descent or just pure destruction of humanity. After all, there was surely one being in this world capable of such a feat. So why fight it?

    ¡°Marc, if you really don''t want to go to school, I''m going to hit you.¡±

    ¡°No, I''m fine. Thanks.¡±

    Marc sped off, leaving only a vague draft in his wake. His mother watched him speed away. Her face froze in shock.

    ¡°That child...since when does he go so fast?¡±

    She leaned toward the door to see if he was still there.

    ¡°And what could be bothering him so much?¡±

    She thought back to the conversation she''d had with him when he''d returned from running away.

    ¡°Maybe his stories were true?¡±

    The wind was blowing hard and Marc arrived at school in less than another minute. Classes had already started and everyone watched him enter the classroom. Elie didn''t know what to say.

    ¡°You''re late, Mister Zeymond."

    Marc didn''t know what to say. He wasn''t even sweating or out of breath because the trip had been too short. From the point of view of the class, he just seemed to have dried off and didn''t feel guilty about it at all.

    ¡°I...I was...I overslept.¡±

    ¡°It''s really that, your...¡±

    Suddenly, a ringtone sounded in Marc''s pocket. His phone was vibrating to indicate a call from his mother. Marc picked up the phone.

    ¡°Surely you''re not going to...¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    The professor froze. His expression decomposed.

    ¡°Why did you run out of the house. Are you sick?¡±

    ¡°I''m at school right now, Mom.¡±

    ¡°You really want to make your tardiness worse. You think this is how...¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    The voice suddenly disappeared and resumed a few minutes later before the class itself came to its senses.

    ¡°What? What do you mean, you''re at school?¡±

    ¡°I''m at school.¡±

    ¡°Liar.¡±

    ¡°I''m in class right now, in front of everyone. The teacher''s here. You can ask him.¡±

    ¡°Put him on.¡±

    Professor Gilbert still couldn''t believe it. How could it be possible? In forty years of teaching, he''d never had such an affront.

    ¡°Good...Good morning, Mme Zeymond."

    ¡°That''s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is possible. Your son is in class right now.¡±

    ¡°You''re lying.¡±

    ¡°No, madame.¡±

    ¡°I don''t believe you. Say something only you would know.¡±

    ¡°Is my date of birth enough for you?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°June 18, 2103.¡±

    ¡°Holy cow, you''re old. But okay, Marc doesn''t remember birthdays so that''s fine. Have a nice day.¡±

    Marc''s mother ended the call while the sound of the phone still echoed in the classroom. Professor Gilbert remained transfixed, his empty soul seemingly joining the heavens.

    ¡°Sir, can I have my phone.¡±

    ¡°Yes...Yes, no problem.¡±

    The rest of the class was in the same state. Some were wondering.

    ¡°He...he ran all the way here.¡±

    ¡°He interrupted Professor Gilbert.¡±

    ¡°He''s phoning his mother in class.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t know Marc was like that.¡±

    Everyone looked at him in amazement. Marc felt the pressure of the stares on him. Drops of sweat began to fall from his forehead. Silently, he returned to his seat while no one moved an inch.

    ¡°You may continue, sir. Please, sir. I have a feeling I''m being watched.¡±

    That day, Mister Gilbert didn''t say another word all day.

    At recess, the group of friends gathered in the playground, as had been their custom since that day. The first thing they did was yell at Marc.

    ¡°Why did you get here so late? You weren''t answering my calls.¡±

    ¡°I was asleep. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°You know it annoys me when you answer with that blas¨¦ face. You amaze me that people think you''re depressed.¡±

    ¡°At the same time, they''re not really wrong.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Just kidding. It was a joke.¡±

    Elie grabbed Marc by the collar and shook him in all directions.

    ¡°You should stop making jokes like that, Marc. I''m really worried about you, you know?¡±

    ¡°You say that, but you''re about to kill me.¡±

    Marc wasn''t really in pain. His brain was moving around a lot in his skull, but he didn''t really feel dizzy. He looked at Elie angrily and remembered how much she didn''t want to lose him.

    ¡°And you, are you all right? You hardly showed any comforting signs the last time we saw each other. Despite that, you came to school.¡±

    Elie was surprised by the question.

    ¡°I''m fine. It was just some not-so-reassuring memories.¡±

    ¡°But what could have scared you so much about that vision?¡±

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    Nathana?l stared at Marc, and he knew why. There was no point in reminding her of what she saw.

    ¡°Don''t think too much and rest.¡±

    ¡°You fool. If I came to school it was to see you for the day. That''s all.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Marc really couldn''t read the mood. Jin and Nathana?l had noticed.

    ¡°Is this your research group?¡±

    Chris chimed in. He''d spent the week looking for clues, staying with Marc and learning to fight, but nothing about the other world was moving forward. Nothing was changing as far as the investigation was concerned. He was truly disappointed. He''d seen the strength and power of this group, but he''d also seen the gap in strength between the two. He''d been looking forward to finding that other world and defeating Marc, but for some time he''d been noticing that the group was slacking off. There was nothing left.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±

    ¡°What do you want, Chris?¡±

    ¡°What about the other world? And this descent. Maybe this famous hourglass means we''re all going to die and you''re standing there laughing at Marc''s inability to read the mood.¡±

    ¡°What inability?¡±

    ¡°You''ve got to be kidding me. I followed you to get stronger and to find out the truth. To see if you weren''t just a bunch of crazies chasing a nonexistent vision. But after all that, I can tell you that in my eyes, you''re just a bunch of sickos. Apart from your strength, which is suspect, I can''t think of anything else.¡±

    The group fell silent for a long moment. Chris thought that maybe he really was right. That they were just brainless gorillas until Marc stepped forward.

    ¡°Say, Chris?¡±

    Air pressure increased. Some students began to find it hard to breathe. Chris realized it too. Something wasn''t right. Something out of the ordinary. Suddenly, his eyes opened. Before him loomed a dark black aura. A darkness like no other. Marc was advancing dangerously towards him with the aura behind his back. Nathana?l sensed the danger.

    ¡°Marc.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    His steps seemed heavy and Chris began to sweat. Marc caught Chris by the collar as he fell and looked into his eyes. Chris noticed that same darkness at the level of those eyes.

    ¡°We don''t give a sh.t what your eyes see."

    Marc released him before calming down. Chris had turned pale. Jin took a deep breath. Elie was still watching the birds. Nathana?l thought Chris had just escaped a dangerous situation.

    ¡°Let''s get back to class. It''ll be ringing soon.¡±

    They all returned to class, leaving a stunned Chris behind.

    Marc sat down in his usual place for chemistry class. He didn''t really feel like participating that day. His favorite teacher continued to teach in the way Marc liked best. Elie saw Marc''s lack of attention.

    ¡°Are you troubled by this return to everyday life?¡±

    Marc snapped back to reality. He saw Elie staring at him. She didn''t look as troubled as he did, even though she''d probably been through worse.

    ¡°Hadn''t you? I mean...after everything we''ve been through...I thought it was normal to wonder if we could be here.¡±

    Elie refocused on the course and thought about Marc''s question.

    ¡°It''s true. After all...we might all be dead by the end of the allotted time.¡±

    Elie continued to stare at the blackboard, which was full of chemical formulas. She didn''t answer at first, but after a good five minutes, words began to come out.

    ¡°Shouldn''t we make the most of it, then?¡±

    Marc was surprised by Elie''s answer. He began to stare at her again. Her relaxed, peaceful air with the sunbeam lightly tapping her eyes made her look more beautiful than usual. Marc didn''t know what to say.

    ¡°Do you think so? Shouldn''t we be looking for a way to stop this?¡±

    There was another long silence before Elie answered.

    ¡°And what else can we do but wait and hope we can save as many people as possible that day?¡±

    Marc had already thought about this, and had come to the same conclusion. A helplessness so great it couldn''t be described.

    ¡°But that day...¡±

    Marc looked again at Elie. This time they both looked into each other''s eyes.

    ¡°''You''ll protect me and I''ll protect you, won''t you?¡±

    Marc opened his eyes. He was troubled by Elie''s words. A strange feeling struck his heart. He didn''t understand what was happening to him. Nevertheless, he quickly regained his impassive air and smiled. An honest smile that Elie rarely saw.

    ¡°At least we''ll try.¡±

    They both refocused on the class. The chemistry teacher had noticed and was delighted.

 A truly daily routine 2

    Later in the day, the bell rings to signal the end of classes. An almost usual Monday for Marc and the others. He calmly exited his classroom and started towards Elie''s class. But Gibbs, one of his ¡°friends¡± came to meet him. They hadn''t spoken in a long time, and Marc didn''t particularly want to talk to him.

    ¡°How are you, Marc? It''s been a long time since we''ve talked like this. Did you see the last chapter of The Fall of the Sky?¡±

    Marc was surprised to see him again. He didn''t really consider Gibbs a friend anymore. Their relationship had dried up because he no longer spoke to each other. But every time he ran into him again, he''d make small talk.

    ¡°I haven''t had time to see the last of them. I''ve been a little busy lately.¡±

    Gibbs tossed his friend a narcissistic smile.

    ¡°Yes, you have. Managing a girl must be tough isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°We''re not a couple.¡±

    ¡°But yes, but yes. These days, you''re putting yourselves squarely next to each other in class whenever you can.¡±

    ¡°We''re not a couple.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, have you ever done it or not?¡±

    ¡°We''re not a couple.¡±

    ¡°But yes. But yes. Anyway. Check out the last few chapters of The Fall of the Sky. The new antagonist, he rocks.¡±

    Marc remembered this character. The same as the man in black.

    ¡°Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I hear he''s gonna kill everybody. He looks too strong.¡±

    A perfect copy of the man he hated without being able to kill him. Without being able to do anything to him.

    ¡°I''ll go watch.¡±

    ¡°You better. Hi.¡±

    Once again, he watched his ¡°friend¡± leave with his buddies. Forgetting him for the day, he didn''t even walk with him to the bus stop. They were friends, though, but their relationship was more that of mere acquaintance.

    ¡°Hi.¡±

    He watched him go and couldn''t even hold it in.

    ¡°Hey Marc, what are you doing? We''re waiting for you.¡±

    Elie waved to him from down the hall. Nathana?l and Jin were there too. Even Chris accompanied them, embarrassed, behind the group.

    ¡°Waiting for the deluge?¡±

    He contemplated his group and his dark eyes lit up. He had friends. Real friends.

    ¡°Marc?¡±

    He smiled in retrospect.

    ¡°Coming. Coming.¡±

    He walked proudly toward his group, which at that moment he could consider family. Maybe not Chris.

    As Marc boarded his bus, he noticed even more auras emanating from several objects. Faint auras, coming out of certain things. He couldn''t understand why objects gave off auras and humans very little.

    ¡°It''s weird, isn''t it? Why do objects give off auras too?¡±

    Elie in turn looked outside. She noticed the same thing, but for her, the aura of the objects was even weaker.

    ¡°Maybe the bigger the object, the bigger its aura?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    The ride didn''t last long. Jin sat behind Marc and Elie and said nothing during the journey. When they arrived home, they got off the bus and each went home, except for Jin who went to Marc''s house.

    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Bye.¡±

    As soon as Marc returned to his room, he continued his search. He remembered Chris''s words.

    ¡°Maybe this famous hourglass means we''re all going to die and you''re standing there laughing at Marc''s inability to read the mood.¡±

    Marc still didn''t understand why the others said he had trouble reading the mood. He understood why Chris was upset. He himself was stressing about the day, but there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was continue his research and wait for it to fall from the sky.

    ¡°He wasn''t wrong, but there''s nothing we can do about it.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Marc decided to stop his fruitless search. This world had been well hidden from the real world all this time. It also meant that something had changed there to such an extent that the real world was affected. However, it could also mean that they had managed to hide all traces of their presence in this world. Even Lavoisi had strangely disappeared.

    ¡°Did he die naturally or was he killed by those guys?¡±

    So many unanswered questions. Marc lay back on his bed and switched on his phone.

    ¡°I should check out those new chapters. After all, the antagonist looked a little too much like the man in black.¡±

    The chapters hadn''t shown anything special, though. Marc noticed that the author had concentrated on the dark, secretive side of the Man in Black. Nothing had been revealed about him, and his little appearances left the characters puzzled.

    ¡°No wonder.¡±

    Marc was very attached to his character. He accompanied the hero''s group as a discreet but effective guy. Sometimes he''d leave the group to mind his own business, such as killing a very powerful monster away from the kingdom. One of his character''s most impressive techniques in this novel was...

    ¡°Black Night.¡±

    As his name suggested, the figure covered a large area in darkness. Everyone around him could see nothing, except him. Over a long period of time, the character could often do whatever he wished with his opponents. But sometimes this technique proved ineffective, as when he faced the story''s main character, who could feel his energy through the dark. It was for this reason that he had joined the group. He''d lost. But even so, he perfected his attack to make the darkness interact with its surroundings. It was no longer the character attacking alone, but his attack acting with him. He had constantly increased his knowledge and techniques, which had made him much stronger than the hero.

    Marc loved him very much. If he could have unleashed ¡°Black Night¡± in real life to get out of certain situations, he would have done so directly. Suddenly, as he read the last lines, he noticed something strange. They spoke of the man in black heading for a place where it was snowing hard. A place where the snow didn''t dry up after it had been stepped on. A place where the mountains rose very high, and at the highest of the peaks was...

    ¡°A cathedral.¡±

    It clicked for Marc immediately. There was no doubt. The author knew something. He wrote a comment to it as his hands grew increasingly clammy.

    ¡°What do you know about this man? How long have you known about him? Do you know there''s another world? Do you know people who go there too...¡±

    Marc could no longer write. His fingers were trembling, but he retrieved his phone and sent the comment despite his tremors. The author didn''t reply right away. He didn''t reply until very late in the night. Whereas he usually replied within ten minutes of receiving a comment, this time he waited 5 hours. 5 hours during which Marc''s heart wouldn''t stop beating. He paced back and forth a hundred times, trying to look away during those long hours, but nothing could stop him from stressing out. Finally, he received the author''s comment.

    ¡°I assure you I don''t know what you''re talking about. I write the things that come into my head. That''s how we write our stories. If this is similar to one of the stories you know, I beg your pardon.¡±

    No. No. No. That wasn''t what Marc wanted to hear. He wanted answers and he had, once again, received nothing. Nothing had progressed.

    ¡°I...It''s all for this. I''m going to get some sleep. ¡±

    Marc lay down on his bed before realizing he''d been sweating all this time.

    ¡°Ha...I''d better take a shower.¡±

    He was demoralized. Dark circles were beginning to appear on his face. Like a zombie, he went to his bathroom to shower before returning to bed.

    ¡°Why...why...why, why, why, why, why, why? Why me? Why did I have to be shown these visions when there was nothing I could do anyway?¡±

    At first, he just wanted to know. Then, he wanted revenge. But now he could only stand by helplessly in the face of what was about to happen. But if he became strong, if an army were to descend on earth, he couldn''t defeat it. He didn''t have superpowers, they did. Even if he went back there, the risk of dying would still be high.

    Marc lay there thinking about everything and nothing at once. His thoughts rambled and often collided. He tried to make connections with everything he''d seen in the other world before he left on chemistry. At last, he found the answer to one of his math calculations. Sleep set in, and he later saw himself, alone, in the middle of the darkness of ¡°Black Night¡±. His character''s attack in ¡°The fall of the sky¡± could not have seemed more real.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    As expected, Marc couldn''t see a thing. The attack was even more terrifying when he was in it.

    ¡°I can''t believe it. I can get so lost in my own thoughts l....¡±

    Marc fell silent. So did his face. In place of the surprise left by ¡°Black Night¡± was now the terror left by the man in black. There he was. His six wings on his back. Facing Marc. They stared at each other. Even though Marc strongly doubted the man in black was looking at him. By the way, Marc wasn''t thinking anymore. His soul had abandoned him. Even his face would show no expression other than fear. His eyes and dark circles widened. His mouth opened slightly. His eyebrows rose too. This was Marc''s true expression. A mixture of fear, astonishment and terror. Then, suddenly, with all his expressions branded on his face, hatred was added. His eyebrows furrowed slightly and the corner of his mouth turned up. Marc was afraid, yes, but his desire to kill him remained in his heart like an incurable disease. Incurable, until he was dead.

    Marc''s expression hardened. He didn''t want to be afraid anymore. He wanted to kill him. This desire fed a hatred in him that could not be restrained. But the whole process came to an end when the man in black began to smile. A smile that brought back bad memories for Marc, who began to back away. His breathing became labored as he remembered the horrible laugh the man in black had let out in the cathedral. However, the man in black disappeared just after smiling and Marc was left alone in ¡°Black Night¡±.

    ¡°Damn it. If this keeps up. I won''t even be able to take a swing at him.¡±

    ¡°Here?¡±

    Marc heard a voice. But no one was supposed to be here. Even so, in the darkness around him, he saw the character from ¡°The fall of the sky¡± story advancing toward him.

    ¡°Ah. It''s true I''m in a dream.¡±

    ¡°Who are you? I didn''t expect to see anyone in my field other than the people I''ve locked up in it.¡±

    Marc looked at his character. He was dressed in classic clothes. A white T-shirt and wide black pants. The sneakers he wore looked modern even though they clearly came from a world where technology wasn''t as developed as in the real world. His short black hair went in all directions, but it suited him. His red eyes lit up Marc, who saw that he too had dark circles. If he wasn''t clutching Goliak''s killer sword, Marc might have thought he was safe. Even so, he was ready to joke and began to smile.

    ¡°I am you.¡±

    Just as quickly, his character''s sword found its way into his heart. Marc began coughing up blood.

    ¡°All right, then. I can see it in our eyes. We''re the same. But if you''re me, you should know there''s only one.¡±

    Marc tried to draw his sword. Abandoning all hope and knowing it was all a charade, he smiled before speaking to his character.

    ¡°I also know you didn''t have to do this, Zeymond.¡±

    Zeymond looked into Marc''s eyes before watching him die without changing his expressions. His cold eyes stared at his body on the ground.

    ¡°I know. But I realize now that we weren''t quite the same, you and I.¡±

    Zeymond turned and moved in one direction until his back was no longer visible.

 Lavoisiâ€™s books

    Marc awoke with a start. He was still sweating.

    ¡°Lately, I''ve been having nothing but strange dreams. I could even call them nightmares. It''s getting serious. ¡±

    ¡°Are you all right, master? We''re late.¡±

    ¡°Hi Jin. Coming.¡±

    Marc stood up. The sun shone lightly through the window. He drew his curtains before looking out. Then he opened the window to feel the wind blowing on his face. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then exhaled all the air he''d stored.

    ¡°It''s off to a new day.¡±

    Marc wanted to forget everything. All the things that were preventing him from having a normal day. He preferred not to think about them in the morning so he could live normally. Was that really possible?

    ¡°Master. The bus is coming.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Probably.

    Marc found himself running again to be on time. This time, he arrived on time and his teacher congratulated him. He was a little embarrassed. For this class, he wasn''t with Elie or Nathana?l, which made him sit next to Gibbs.

    ¡°You''re right on time again. How hard is it to stay with Elie?¡±

    ¡°Stop it. I already told you we''re not a couple.¡±

    ¡°You know I find that hard to believe. You know Chris is looking for you. He even told his buddies to give you the spot. Besides, he seems very upset that you didn''t sit next to him.¡±

    Marc turned to watch Chris, who was indeed glowering at him.

    ¡°Does this guy like me or not?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. But I think he hates you.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I saw the last chapter of the novel. It''s good.¡±

    ¡°See? The man in black is so stylish. There''s a lot of people wondering who knows.¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡±

    Marc realized something. He''d never seen the face of the man in black, and he didn''t care. All he wanted was for him to stop bothering them. Discovering his identity had never twisted his mind.

    ¡°Probably someone hateful.¡±

    ¡°Roh, stop it. He just happens to be a nice guy.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it.¡±

    Marc knew this guy couldn''t be a good guy. And he didn''t want to be, because he was going to kill him anyway. The class ended quickly and Marc went to his next room.

    ¡°See ya, big guy.¡±

    ¡°See ya.¡±

    The day passed quickly. Elie spent her day looking out the window when Marc or Nathana?l weren''t there. She often tried to talk to Jin about Marc''s behavior at home or his eating habits, but he remained impassive and only responded with very short answers.

    ¡°The master eats well. You don''t need to worry.¡±

    Elie sighed often. Nathana?l and Marc often laughed in class, which earned them several warnings. However, when it was Elie and Marc talking together, the teacher only punished Marc, who couldn''t believe he was the only one to get it.

    ¡°I''m sure you''re the one distracting Elie.¡±

    Elie burst out laughing every time a teacher said that.

    Jin often received declarations of love. Despite the fact that he wasn''t very courteous to everyone.

    ¡°I don''t have time to devote to love. Unless the master asks me to.¡±

    All eyes glared at Marc as if he were the cause of these answers.

    ¡°You should concentrate on my master. He''s better than I am.¡±

    Even if this remained a nice option for some of the girls, they couldn''t compete with Elie, who in turn glared at them when they approached him.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Let''s try Nathana?l or Chris.¡±

    Chris would always say no curtly, and Nathana?l would try every excuse in the book before declining weeks later.

    ¡°I''m not who you think I am. I¡¯m not right for you. I''m not ready for this. My mother will say no. I have to concentrate on my studies. Oh, look, a green and blue bird...¡±

    He often ended up running away that way. When it was time to go home, they got together to discuss their findings, and Marc recounted his strange dream.

    ¡°You''re having these dreams. Are you sure you''re okay?¡±

    ¡°I''m fine.

    ¡°Don''t worry, Master. If this character represents you, then it''s normal that you lost.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Chris isn''t here.¡±

    ¡°He probably hasn''t found anything interesting. He doesn''t take us too seriously.¡±

    ¡°I know. There''s nothing we can do about it. I''ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow.

    ¡°All the best. Nathana?l.¡±

    ¡°Bye.¡±

    Marc, Elie and Jin left to catch their bus. On the way home, Marc sat down on his bed and flashed a smile of relief.

    ¡°It''s not that bad this daily.¡±

    Marc lay on his bed for a long time. He closed his eyes and thought about his day. Then, after about twenty minutes, he looked at the books he''d taken from the library, still on his bed. Lavoisi''s name was written very small on them. It was almost illegible. Marc grabbed one of these books and began reading the one he''d started in the library.

    ¡°I landed in a flower garden. Identical to the one in my garden. I panicked in shock and didn''t dare imagine what I was feeling. I, coming from my garden, had just lost the morning dew, to a world without a roof or anything to keep me company. There were no trees, no greenery, no houses, no life or death around the blue flowers. All was black and miserable. Not a single ray of sunlight to illuminate any wonder. My eyes took fright, stricken with terror. I found myself alone, with only the hour as my friend.¡±

    Marc paused for a moment.

    ¡°I wasn''t expecting this. The book seemed to be a happy book. Now it looks like he''s going to suffer for a long time. Was he sad, Lavoisi?¡±

    ¡°Suddenly, in an immense light, appeared an angel made of dust. He looked at me from his radiance even though I couldn''t see her. But when she put her hand on me, I saw her eyes full of fear. Opening her mouth so late, saying to me with a sad look, ¡°Wake up, O child of the day, you must warn the one for whom we should bring our greatest succor.¡±

    ¡°Then he''s not really the hero. Or rather, it''s not really the person for whom the story should be written. Maybe I''m wrong. Maybe he''s a hero savior? An angel made of dust? Like the lady of the ruins? Is that why he wrote it? Is it the same person?¡±

    Marc read for a very long time. The warmth of the book began to soak into him. He read about twenty chapters that day. It was one of his qualities. He read fast. Lavoisi was talking about this hero paving the way for another hero who only vaguely appeared in the story. Knowing that the character in this story was not the hero was very strange for Marc. He often wanted to identify himself as the main character, but that wasn''t possible here. And he couldn''t identify with this character. It was as if it wasn''t him. Yet he wasn''t all indifference. They even had something in common. But something prevented him from recognizing himself in him.

    ¡°Maybe I don''t match him? But I really can''t recognize myself in him. Like some strange feeling that doesn''t want me to see myself in him. Too bad, I liked him.¡±

    The character named Zire had been through a lot. It made you wonder if he wasn''t a little too dedicated to his task. What''s more, he was doing it for a man he didn''t know at all. The angel often came to help him with certain tasks. He wasn''t always alone. He was sometimes accompanied by people he lost along the way because of the immortality he had received as a reward for accepting the quest. He had, however, received a promise.

    ¡°Your immortality will be taken away as soon as the hero finishes his story.¡±

    The sad thing was that Zire didn''t see the hero at the end of the novel. So we didn''t know what became of him.

    ¡°I''m still waiting for him. He who has done me so much harm. I''d love to meet him and tell him to start his quest. Perhaps on a rainy day, or after a feast day, I could finally, for such is my destiny, fight in harmony with him?¡±

    These were the last sentences of the novel. The sentences Zire had dropped before falling asleep for more than a century or more than a millennium, bored by his immortality. The name he''d been given at the end of the novel was...

    ¡°...the witness of history. Cool.¡±

    Marc probably wanted a name like that without having the life of the person concerned. He closed the book 3 days later. Although he was a fast reader, the book was long and it was impossible to read it all at once. Despite this, Marc had devoured it all as if it were his precious treasure. He even reread certain passages several times.

    ¡°I''m going to miss reading it without knowing the ending. I hope I can read the rest.¡±

    Marc began rummaging through the books he''d brought back from the library. He searched all these books for the one that followed the last one he had read, but without success. None of the books he''d brought back revealed what happened next. Zire was condemned to wait for the hero who never seemed to arrive. Suddenly, Marc had a fright.

    ¡°What if the hero never came? What if it''s all a charade? Is he going to stay immortal for the rest of his life? Poor thing.¡±

    Marc searched his belongings once more, then did some research to find out if Lavoisi had a sequel, but despite its small popularity, nothing appeared to be a sequel to the novel. Marc was confused. But out of the corner of his eye, he managed to see the last book he hadn''t taken. The book he''d taken from the library, which showed him his near future. The one whose pages were gradually being written.

    ¡°The Prince of Death, right? It''s true that I didn''t dwell on this book. But it could help us solve all this if the pages would just write themselves.¡±

    Marc picked up the book, hoping to find something, but to his surprise, the sentences didn''t appear until he opened the book. The letters appeared slowly and Marc waited until all the sentences were written before reading them. There were three of them. Small but substantial. Big enough to disturb Marc.

    ¡°His time was running out. He was looking for the rest of the story, but this was not the end. There was no end to this story, only a day and a nothing.¡±

    ¡°A day...and a nothing. What does that mean? Is it because he''s immortal? And who''s writing this book? How come he knows what I''m doing? And then...¡±

    Marc stopped talking for the simple reason that he knew he wasn''t going to get an answer. Ever since he''d started this adventure, he''d been asking himself questions that couldn''t be answered. Nothing made sense anymore, and he knew it.

    ¡°Maybe I should tell them that I...¡±

    Marc cut himself off again. An extra sentence had appeared.

    ¡°He looked for the scholar''s book.¡±

    ¡°The scholar''s book?¡±

 At the peak of human condition

    Marc didn''t even know what it was. He found the definition and started looking. He found a book called, word for word, ¡°The Scholar''s Book¡±. It was owned by a wealthy millionaire. A fan of books who had bought it at a high price, even though reviewers wouldn''t pay more than 20 Zvennirs for it. He''d bought it on the grounds that it was probably more important than it seemed, but he couldn''t work out why. The description of the book said that it only told an implausible version of the end of the world with knowledge that, however, seemed plausible. People classified it as science fiction, but many were afraid of it. Over time, however, the book fell into oblivion and disappeared from the minds of many.

    ¡°This will help me.¡±

    Yet there was an obvious problem.

    ¡°The problem is that it''s impossible for me to get the book. I''ll have to haggle with the millionaire and there''s no way he''ll agree when he bought the book so dearly.¡±

    Marc thought about how to get hold of the book. He didn''t have many contacts or much money. But there was a way to get the book. He''d been in the presence of the Turcan Emperor, and in this world, that was more than enough. At least, it made him more impactful on the world. He now had a solid asset. The problem was to contact him. A millionaire certainly wasn''t easy to reach, and he''d have to be convincing.

    ¡°If this guy had a vague impression of this book, surely there''s a way to move him like Nathana?l moved the Emperor. Maybe he knows something?¡±

    Marc attempted a message. A simple message containing several brief pieces of information about the other world and auras.

    ¡°It won''t work.¡±

    Marc thought for a long time and finally came up with a solution that was radical, to say the least. He''d found the millionaire''s address so the only thing he could do with it was go there. However, asking his parents to go there or going during school hours was not a reasonable solution. The only one that could potentially work was...

    ¡°Jin. You''re coming with me.¡±

    ¡°Where to, master?¡±

    ¡°Just follow me.¡±

    ...to run there.

    Marc and Jin set off on a journey of over 3000 kilometers. Something he could never have done before discovering the aura. Their speed made objects and people next to them completely slow. They were going much faster than airplanes. As he ran,Marc felt a wall rise before him, which he pierced through all at once. He''d broken the sound barrier and was going even faster. Jin followed his master with a broad smile. This was something he''d never experienced before. It was the very definition of speed.

    In less than an hour, they reached their destination.

    ¡°Well, well, well. I''m surprised, master. You brought me here for a race.¡±

    ¡°No. I just didn''t want to do things all by myself.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    At the same time, outside the millionaire''s residence. A man in a black suit came out with a gun.

    ¡°Hey who are you?¡±

    ¡°Let''s get rid of them and then go in.¡±

    Marc knew what he was doing. It wasn''t necessarily the right way. He was a little sad about it. But he had to find this book for a good cause. He was probably going to need it more than that rich guy. He looked at Jin to see if he would restrain himself before attacking.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Obviously, Jin didn''t mind. The first guard out fired a bullet at Marc, who easily dodged it. He realized as the bullet passed in front of his eyes, he hadn''t just become stronger...

    ¡°How?¡±

    ...it had far surpassed human conditions.

    ¡°I''ll take care of it, master.¡±

    And so did Jin. They neutralized the guards one by one as if they were simple kids. Bullets or blows, nothing could stop them. They outclassed everyone.

    ¡°Sorry, boys. But you and me, we don''t live in the same world.¡±

    Marc picked up the last gun on the floor and thought.

    ¡°Maybe I should try this against them?¡±

    Then he imagined the man in black grabbing his gun and destroying it as it went up in smoke.

    ¡°Hell nah.¡±

    The last man standing in front of them dropped his weapon in turn and took off running. Jin caught up with him, grabbed him by the collar and was about to knock him out when he received a tremendous blow in the face. Marc was surprised too. A young woman in a suit had just emerged from the millionaire''s house.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°You''re the ones making a mess in front of Sanchez''s house.¡±

    ¡°We don''t mean him any harm.¡±

    She had black hair that she had tied back. Her costume suited her perfectly. She was particularly pretty with her almost black brown eyes and those thin lips. She lit a cigarette and began smoking in front of the two young people as if she hadn''t seen what had happened.

    ¡°You can go now. It would offend me to beat up such a stylish woman.¡±

    ¡°That''s too bad, young man. I have no intention of leaving. You, on the other hand, are going to have to pay for all this mess.¡±

    The lady seemed very serene, but what surprised the two boys more was that she had a faint aura stronger than the others.

    ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°You can go right ahead. Show her the difference in levels but don''t break everything. We need the book.¡±

    ¡°So it was you who contacted Sanchez about the book, hoping to pick it up. Your message was odd, he almost wanted to contact you in return.¡±

    ¡°That would have saved us a lot of trouble.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it would have. But now I''m afraid it''s you who''s lost the most.¡±

    The woman lunged at Marc, but Jin stepped in.

    ¡°It''s me, your opponent.¡±

    ¡°I don''t doubt it, young man.¡±

    She launched a circular kick at Jin, who dodged easily. She followed up with a series of kicks that Jin dodged with ease.

    ¡°You look bored, young man. That''s impressive. No one''s held out this long against me in a long time.¡±

    She grabbed Jin''s arm and pulled out a knife with the other.

    ¡°But you know...¡±

    She tried to slash both his eyes with a short stroke, but Jin recoiled effortlessly.

    ¡°...I hate giving it my all.¡±

    Jin didn''t change his gaze. The young woman laughed at this, then disappeared to reappear behind him.

    ¡°You don''t change your look.

    You''re not afraid.

    You''re facing a professional.A warrior.¡±

    Jin didn''t change her gaze.The young woman was indignant. Jin''s contempt for her irritated her. Her movements quickened but still didn''t leave a drop of sweat on Jin.This fight made no sense to him.This woman was weak. He didn''t mess with the weak.

    ¡°My master was kind.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°He told me to show you the difference in level when I could have finished you off with one blow.¡±

    Suddenly, with her words, the woman felt the fear that Jin embodied and her body reacted to the instant.Jin realized this and stepped back.Her eyes suddenly opened at the same time as Marc''s. It wasn''t her body that was frightened.It wasn''t his body that had reacted.They could see it with their eyes.It was her aura. It had taken control of his body for a split second. All the energy had built up in her arm and blade and she''d sliced through the air at lightning speed without realizing it. A huge line had appeared beside Jin, who had barely dodged it. It had sliced through any trees unfortunate enough to be in the path of the cut.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Jin looked at the crack in the ground perplexed. From their point of view, it was as if her rosy aura had taken control. The lady''s eyes had turned pinkish-black and a sadistic smile had appeared with the blow. Her hair had floated for a long time under the effect. Then it was gone in a second. Marc and Jin didn''t understand.

    ¡°You...what have you done?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. This hasn''t happened to me in a long time. Every time I feel fear like this or I''m about to die in a fight, something like this happens.¡±

    ¡°You use the aura?¡±

    ¡°The aura?¡±

    The young lady closed her eyes. From the deepest she could remember, she''d never found an answer to her unconscious body movements when she fought. She had often hurt people. She''d even committed the irreparable act of killing someone. People had come to call her ¡°The IGA Monster¡±. The nickname suited her, and she accepted it. The rain began to fall as if in response to her sadness. She raised her head in the air to receive the rain''s tears as if they were her own.

    ¡°What are your names, young men?¡±

    ¡°Marc¡±

    ¡°Jin¡±

    She lowered her head and lit a cigarette. She thought back to that day when someone had reached out to her.

    ¡°Do you have a place to go?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then come with me.¡±

    Her eyes wandered in the rain as if she were reliving that day.

    ¡°I''m the IGA monster. Sorry if I kill you.¡±

    She walked over to Jin and pulled out a katana and a gun.Marc and Jin looked at each other, then both let out a small laugh.

    The young lady was surprised.

    ¡°Why...are you laughing?¡±

    Marc and Jin stopped laughing, then Marc looked into the young lady''s eyes. His eyes lit up in the rain and he replied with a smile.

    ¡°You''re too weak to kill us.¡±

    A shot rang out and the bullet flew at Marc.

    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡±

    But the young woman was surprised again when she saw her bullet in Marc''s hand and he dropped it to the ground.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The woman lunged at Jin at full speed. Something had changed in her. She was no longer holding back, or rather, her aura wasn''t holding back. Her smile and pink eyes were visible again. Her whole body was tarnished with an aura that seemed to have taken control. The young woman felt good, finally able to fight without fear of killing with these two other monsters.

    ¡°This is great.¡±

    She sliced through the air just above Jin, who had lowered himself, and Marc, who had stepped back. In a fraction of a second she fired three bullets at Marc, who caught them easily and kicked Jin, who also caught her.

    ¡°I''ve got you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    The young woman spun around and tried to hit Jin in the face with her foot, but to no avail. She continued to slice the air, while Jin dodged as easily as ever.Her blows didn''t reach him at all, but she continued to smile. Her gun arrived at Jin''s belly, who didn''t seem to dodge it.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    The shot rang out after Jin moved.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    The young woman, though surprised, attempted an instant return kick that Jin also dodged.

    ¡°Taekwondo?¡±

    ¡°I''ve been taught everything.¡±

    ¡°Who am I talking to. You or that pink freak.¡±

    ¡°I''m the IGA monster.¡±

    Marc was silently watching the fight when suddenly his senses wised up and he looked in the direction of the problem. A man was watching them from a window in the mansion. Marc saw it and stared at it with a little aura. The person took fright and disappeared from the window.

    ¡°I don''t like curious people.¡±

    Jin was still dodging the young woman''s blows with ease when he heard Marc complain.

    ¡°Jin. Let''s go in.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    A blow from the katana nearly cut Jin''s head off.

    ¡°Where do you think you''re going?¡±

    The young woman didn''t lose her smile, but suddenly she sensed something was wrong. Jin grabbed her sword and her aura vanished as if she''d been frightened. The monster had fled the young woman''s body.

    ¡°That''s enough.¡±

    Jin raised his hand high to the sky. The rain stopped and the sun came out. It illuminated the ravaged combat zone and the sword marks left everywhere.Jin prepared to strike at the IGA monster while she could only watch.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Marc recognized the person in the window watching them.

    ¡°You''re...¡±

    ¡°Rodrigo Sanchez. I may have what you''re looking for, but please don''t hurt her.¡±

    Marc told Jin to stop and he let go of the young woman''s hand as she collapsed. He advanced towards the panicked millionaire and stopped in front of him. He looked him in the eye for a long time before saying...

    ¡°By the way, can we talk?¡±

 Christina Leya

    A few minutes later, the four of them found themselves in the living room in a rather awkward atmosphere. Marc and Jin sipped their complimentary drinks quietly while the young lady and Sanchez waited for them to finish with sweat on their brows.

    ¡°I see you''re enjoying the drink?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It''s pretty good. But, tell me...¡±

    Marc quietly placed his cup on the table and looked intensely at the millionaire.

    ¡°Why did you poison the drink?¡±

    The millionaire felt fear rush to his head. The two men who had just defeated his entire team and even the GIA monster were standing before him unscathed after drinking poison.

    ¡°I...I...¡±

    ¡°It''s not right, you know? To poison your guests.¡±

    Sanchez collapsed to the floor as Marc moved forward. He looked desperately in the direction of his bodyguard, who didn''t move a muscle. Even she didn''t dare oppose them.

    ¡°Heads up, Rodrigo Sanchez.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The millionaire slowly looked up at Marc, who seemed to take pleasure in scaring people.

    ¡°Sit back down and let''s talk?¡±

    Sanchez slowly sat back in his chair and Marc did the same. For him, this was his last day on earth.

    ¡°We''re not going to eat you, you know? We''re just here for the book.¡±

    ¡°I know. It was you who sent me a message. Marc Zeymond, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°That''s right. I''d love to tell you all about what we''ve been through right here, but given your distrust of us, I''ll refrain. Nevertheless, I''ll share this image with you.¡±

    Jin took out his phone and showed the image of Marc and his group with the Emperor.

    ¡°That''s...that''s...so that was you.¡±

    ¡°That''s right. So, if you called the police, you''re in trouble. You, like them.¡±

    Sanchez immediately regretted his gesture. Indeed, as soon as he''d seen that his bodyguard couldn''t fight off these two, he''d called the IG.

    ¡°Forgive my imprudence. I called the IG.¡±

    ¡°Well, that''s fortunate. Tell us about them.¡±

    ¡°I can do that, sir. After all, I''m from there.¡±

    The IGA monster. That was the name she''d given them. Marc looked at the young woman preparing to speak.

    ¡°The IGA is a secret organization that recruits young prodigies to turn them into assassins or bodyguards. Their methods are very strict and they don''t hesitate to kill them.¡±

    ¡°You''re from there, aren''t you? So tell me about your past.¡±

    ¡°Very well. ¡±

    The young woman sighed heavily before beginning. As if bad memories were resurfacing in her head.

    ¡°To begin with, my name is Christina Leya. From as far back as I can remember, I''ve never had parents. I was raised in an orphanage in Kier. That''s where I grew up. We weren''t very well off and there weren''t many of us, but we were happy. Until that day...By the way, we weren''t in a real orphanage at all, but in one of La IGA''s centers.¡±

 IGA

    <div>

    ¡°Christina...Christina...Wake the hell up.¡±

    A small, cold hand lightly patted Christina''s cheek as she didn''t want to wake up.

    ¡°What''s the matter, Malvin?¡±

    ¡°You always sleep too long. It''s lunchtime I''ll remind you.¡±

    ¡°Coming.¡±

    The little brown-skinned boy grew impatient and began hitting the girl with his pillow.

    ¡°I''m coming, I said.¡±

    ¡°That''s what you say every time, but we miss lunch afterwards and...¡±

    Malvin stopped his movement short when he saw the little girl with tears in her eyes. Had he been white, his red face would have been seen a mile away. He quickly turned around, convinced that she could see it.

    ¡°I''ll be waiting for you outside your room.¡±

    Christina stopped crying as if she''d never done it before. She was very good at role-playing. She dressed hurriedly and ran out of her room ahead of Malvin, who was waiting by the door. Surprised, he too began to run after the girl he''d enjoyed for six short years. Together, they obviously arrived late at the canteen.

    ¡°Malvin, Christina, you''re late again.¡±

    Mother Mathilde was there. She was the one who looked after the children in this little orphanage. From what they knew, she had always been kind and considerate to them.

    ¡°It''s Malvin''s fault.¡±

    ¡°What? But you''re the one who...¡±

    Mathilde laid a hand on each of the children.

    ¡°It''s not good to lie, Christina.¡±

    His smile released all the evil in the girl''s small body.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Right. I left your trays over there. Please eat because this will be the last time I do this.¡±

    The two children looked to the end of the table. There were indeed two trays waiting for them. They jumped for joy and went to eat, scrambling to get there. Although Malvin was clearly taking it easy.

    ¡°What do you think we''re going to do today?¡±

    ¡°Probably some games, like yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Again, but I''m sick of beating you Malvin, you''re so lame.¡±

    ¡°What, that''s not true. I''m just letting you win.¡±

    They laughed and chatted for a long time before five more kids came into the room with a ball.

    ¡°Christina, Malvin, you''re finally awake.¡±

    ¡°I think we should say that to Christina.¡±

    ¡°It was Malvin.¡±

    ¡°It''s not right to lie, Christina.¡±

    ¡°You can talk the mother-loving one.¡±

    ¡°What? It''s not true.¡±

    ¡°It''s not right to lie, Arthur.¡±

    The little boy missing two teeth blushed. His short black hair waved in all directions as he shook his head.

    ¡°I...I...don''t know what you''re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Is that true, Arthur?¡±

    ¡°Stay out of this, Anna. Love is a grown-up thing.¡±

    ¡°What''s love?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know. Ask Malvin.¡±

    ¡°What, me?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. You know. Since you like Christina.¡±

    ¡°I...I...Lori probably knows it.¡±

    ¡°That''s right. Lori, he''s the oldest of us.¡±

    ¡°They say the most aged, Rachel."

    Lori was the oldest of the children. He was about to turn twelve and still hadn''t been adopted. He wasn''t looking for parents, patiently waiting until he turned eighteen to leave and help the orphanage. He often told stories when Mathilde wasn''t around.

    ¡°Lori''s not here, so explain Arthur. You''re the second oldest.¡±

    ¡°I''m not old. And for me love...it''s...it''s...having your heart go boom every time you see the person you love.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh!¡±

    All the children replied in hearty tones, their eyes twinkling.

    ¡°Don''t look at me like that. Say something Malvin.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Well...for me...it''s...something you can''t describe in words. When you love, you love. And we don''t really know why. What we know for sure is that we love. That''s all.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Malvin finished his sentence with a big smile on his lips, thinking of Christina. She had watched him declare his love in an indirect way and was a little surprised on the spot. All the children looked at Malvin with admiration.

    ¡°Don''t look at me like that.¡±

    Three other children arrived later to see why the others had gathered. They chatted a bit and watched Arthur tease Malvin. They were all happy together. They wouldn''t want to replace that for the world. But that day....

    ...everything would change.

    Lori entered the room exhausted. Blood was dripping from his forehead and running slightly into his right eye. He held his left shoulder and limped as he came. He collapsed at the bottom of the door after uttering a sentence that made all the children who had watched him, traumatized, tremble.

    ¡°Run away. This place wasn''t a home.¡±

    All the children ran to him, and Arthur was the first to arrive. He held Lori in his arms and tried to pull him up. Blood was coming out of his mouth.

    ¡°Lori. Lori. What''s the matter? Answer.¡±

    Malvin and Christina, who were still at the table, watched in shock, and Christina was the first to notice. Mother Mathilde was just outside the door, hidden in the shadows.

    ¡°Mother...¡±

    She didn''t dare call out to her. The reason was simple. She looked even more evil than a demon. All the children took a step back as they watched her calmly re-enter the room. Despite the situation, she was smiling. But her smile had lost all its goodness.

    ¡°What''s going on, kids?¡±

    They were all speechless.

    ¡°You''d better get ready. Today, you''re going to become IGA assassins.¡±

    She paused for a moment and her smile disappeared.

    ¡°At least, those who survive.¡±

    Suddenly, the house began to shake. A burning smell invaded the room. The children began to scream and Christina looked at her beloved mother, still in shock.

    ¡°Christina? Don''t you want to survive?¡±

    Christina''s eyes now reflected not just her mother but a demon. Her smile was back on her face. An abominable smile. Suddenly she felt a warm hand grab her. Malvin cradled her behind him and shouted for her to flee.

    ¡°Run away. I''ll take care of her.¡±

    Christina didn''t understand. She couldn''t hear. Arthur got to his feet too, carrying Lori, and began to run.

    ¡°Listen. We''re not home anymore. The only concern we have now is running away.¡±

    The children started to get up after Arthur''s speech and ran away with him. But little Anna was stuck, traumatized. Mathilde advanced silently toward her.

    ¡°Malvin. ¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Malvin jumped toward Anna to grab her. Anna looked at her mother, hoping it was all a joke.

    ¡°Mom?¡±

    But in a flash, her head flew toward Malvin, who hadn''t managed to catch her before. No one had seen Mathilde''s gesture, but everyone had seen Anna''s head fly like a soccer ball. In fact, her head rolled right next to the ball. Rachel screamed at the sight. So did the other children. Malvin stood in shock. Christina didn''t move. Only Arthur gritted his teeth and pushed everyone to the other side.

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    Malvin raised his head from his knees in front of Anna''s lifeless body. He saw Mother Mathilde advancing towards him and noticed a white line coming towards her body. In no time at all, under the effect of the fear of dying, he dodged the blow and stood up in front of his mother.

    ¡°Interesting, Malvin. I hope with all my heart you survive.¡±

    Malvin gritted his teeth in turn and began to run. This woman was no longer his mother, she never had been. He grabbed Christina, who had been left behind and had been watching the scene all along.

    ¡°Let''s move.¡±

    They began to run through the house they knew so well. Or maybe, not so well. Come to think of it, they''d never had access to every room in the house. The house itself was a mystery. But Malvin hardly stopped. He had to get her out of here. He took every turn. Left, then right, then found himself in front of a door, which he passed through without even opening. They were outside at last. The snow welcomed them with open arms. But suddenly, a white line came towards Malvin''s gorge. Again, under the influence of death, he dodged the sickle.

    ¡°Interesting, kid. All that carrying a person.¡±

    Barely outside, a person was waiting for them. Malvin was shocked by the sight. Seven children lay motionless on the ground. He could tell just by looking, four of them were dead. Only Arthur, Lori and Rachel were struggling not to die. Christina saw them too. Malvin suddenly let go of her.

    ¡°This orphanage is more interesting than I expected. You five show promise.¡±

    A man in a black suit with a katana and a gun was waiting for them. He had the beginnings of a beard and a cigarette in his mouth. He wore a bob on his head that hid his eyes.

    "Don''t worry,. Show what you''re really worth and I''ll judge for myself whether I kill you or not.¡±

    Malvin was flabbergasted. He stood up and stood on guard as if he were an expert.

    ¡°I must protect her.¡±

    ¡°I see. Beautiful ideals often lead to beautiful ends.¡±

    Malvin charged at the man in the suit with all his rage. But unfortunately, even though it was obvious, he was no match for him.

    ¡°I''ve got to protect her. I''ve got to protect her. I must...protect...her.¡±

    No matter how hard he shouted, nothing could reach the man in front of him. Christina feared for Malvin''s life.

    ¡°You know waving your fist around like that doesn''t help.¡±

    The man began to adjust his sword and correct Malvin''s movements.

    ¡°Raise your chest. Don''t swing your fists. Put your hips into it. Stay focused. You don''t have the strength to let your feelings out in a fight, so concentrate.¡±

    Malvin hated this behavior but listened to his instructions to the letter. Each of his moves improved with time. Mother Mathilde calmly left the house. She had blood on her dress.

    ¡°Ichimaru. I think I''ve already told you that we don''t play with recruits.¡±

    ¡°Ah. There you go, the educator.¡±

    ¡°I''m not kidding.¡±

    ¡°I know. I know.¡±

    Malvin sensed the danger.

    ¡°Sorry, kid, but I''m done playing. Don''t worry, you''re caught.¡±

    In one swift stroke, Malvin was pierced through the shoulder. Christina screamed.

    ¡°Malvin.¡±

    In a second movement, he was stunned with a kick. The man got up quietly and looked at Christina, who had tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Sorry, kid. Was that your boyfriend? Huh?¡±

    However, amid the snow and blood, a sudden wave of wind pushed the man in the suit backwards.

    ¡°What the?¡±

    Mathilde was equally surprised. The source of the wind was none other than Christina, who let out a terrifying scream of fright. The snow around her was thrown up and her scream made Ichimaru''s ears bleed.

    ¡°Say, educator. You didn''t tell me you''d raised a monster.¡±

    ¡°The reason is that I didn''t even know. She was normal before.¡±

    Christina stopped screaming and collapsed to her knees on the floor.

    ¡°It looks like it''s over, I''m going to see if she''s still alive. She could be u....¡±

    In the blink of an eye, both reacted to the threat Christina posed. But it was already too late. The little girl had plunged a knife into the man''s leg.

    ¡°She...isn''t conscious?¡±

    Indeed, it wasn''t even little Christina before them anymore. It was a sad little monster crying with a bloody knife in her hand. She was no longer conscious.

    ¡°It''s all nonsense.¡±

    ¡°I''m starting to worry about you, do you realize that?¡±

    ¡°Don''t talk nonsense. I''ll take care of it.¡±

    No sooner had he finished his sentence than he had to parry a magnificent stab right in front of his face. He pushed the child back with force ten meters away, but she came charging back just as fast. Like a flying insect, she charged and was repulsed every time.

    ¡°It''s amazing that a girl her age has so much energy to spare.¡±

    ¡°Don''t lose your concentration. You could die today.¡±

    ¡°Me? Die?¡±

    The atmosphere changed again. Ichimaru changed his fighting style. He grabbed his katana and disappeared into thin air. The moment he reappeared was the moment the little monster realized he was dead.

    ¡°Don''t forget what they call me.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Right, then. The strongest of assassins.¡±

    In a flash, Christina''s monster disappeared. The real monster was none other than this man. The strongest assassin in the world. Kuronoe Ichimaru.

    ¡°I''ve got a kid who really likes to fight. He would have liked to meet you.¡±

    He was now stepping over the body of the little monster and his friends.

    ¡°Very well, then. I''ll take you five.¡±

    <div>

    <div>

 Monsterâ€™s tears

    Marc heard a noise from outside. Jin slowly stood up. Sanchez was sweating profusely. Christina knew who they were. It was none other than the members of IGA. Her brothers and sisters from the orphanage she''d left behind. Someone rang the doorbell.

    ¡°I''m coming in, Mr. Sanchez.

    A young man in a black suit calmly entered the room. He had a lock of hair in front of his eyes and a scar on his face, but despite everything, he was rather handsome. He stared at Marc and Jin as they advanced towards the millionaire, while the two remained seated quietly. Then he met Christina''s gaze.

    ¡°Hi, Chris.¡±

    ¡°Arthur.¡±

    Christina held his suit tightly and crumpled it up. Sanchez seemed to have regained his composure.

    ¡°Oh, so you''re the famous Arthur from the story.¡±

    Arthur didn''t take his eyes off his former comrade.

    ¡°She was just telling us your story.¡±

    Still with his cold gaze towards her, he continued talking as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Our story, Chris? You mean your happy princess story. Malvin would be pleased. Look where you''re at. With another man. Besides, he looks underage.¡±

    ¡°Arthur, you...¡±

    ¡°Say. Why do you call him Chris?¡±

    Arthur finally turned his gaze to the man speaking to him.

    ¡°Didn''t she tell you? That''s what we called her in the IGA. She was stronger than the men and beat everyone so people started calling her Chris. It sounded more monster-y and then it was shorter than Christina.¡±

    ¡°I can confirm that.¡±

    ¡°But tell me, you look pretty calm for someone who''s just beaten the IGA monster and is now facing King Arthur.¡±

    ¡°Is that your name over there?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can tell you that you''re no king at all.¡±

    ¡°I''ll knock you out now or I''ll wait a second.¡±

    ¡°You''ll be dead before then.¡±

    In a flash Arthur drew his weapon, but quicker Jin grabbed him by the face and led him outside.

    ¡°I don''t want to be disturbed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    Jin threw Arthur out. He cumulated sideways before straightening up as if nothing had happened. The ground was wet and Arthur pulled out an umbrella.

    ¡°You stained my suit.¡±

    ¡°That was on purpose.¡±

    ¡°We were hired to kill you because you were endangering Mister Sanchez''s life, but I changed my mind."

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°You look like someone I hate.¡±

    Jin had to brace himself because the attack he was about to receive wasn''t low-level. At least, that''s what Arthur thought. He took out a rifle from his umbrella, more than a meter long, and started firing at Jin, who dodged all the bullets.

    ¡°You amaze me. Just like that bastard last time. What''s your name?¡±

    ¡°Jin Ichimaru.¡±

    At these words, Arthur''s expression changed. First surprise, then anger, then he began to laugh.

    ¡°AH. I see. All the more reason to send you dirty to hell.¡±

    Jin realized it once more. He was giving off an aura too. Weaker than the monster''s, and blue in color. He also noticed the presence of others nearby.

    ¡°Bring yourselves back at once. The master doesn''t want to be disturbed.¡±

    Marc sat back in his chair and drank more tea. Sanchez couldn''t believe it.

    ¡°Carry on.¡±

    ¡°But your friend is up against the whole GIA. You should...¡±

    ¡°Carry on.¡±

    Marc knew Jin had no chance of losing.

    Christina awoke suddenly in a white room with blue tiles. Her body was covered in bandages. She could hardly move. A uniform lay on her bed.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    She looked with panic at the door and saw Ichimaru posed against the door ledges.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I''m going to ask you a question and your fate will rest on your answer. You die or you join us...¡±

    ¡°I''ll join you.¡±

    A silence settled over the room. Ichimaru hadn''t expected her to answer so quickly.

    ¡°Well, well, well. Welcome. Take this uniform and get ready to go to room 2H.¡±

    Barely finished with her sentence, Christina was already ready.

    ¡°But that''s nonsense. You don''t even know who we are or what we do, and you haven''t even thought it through.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I don''t want to die.¡±

    It was an obvious reason. Ichimaru understood it completely.

    ¡°Your boyfriend didn''t react the same way. He yelled at me and then asked if you were alive.¡±

    ¡°I know. Malvin''s like that.¡±

    Ichimaru looked at the little girl with his fake smile.

    ¡°You don''t have to smile like that. Everyone here has forgotten how to smile.¡±

    ¡°Except you, right?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°I''ve seen you smile a few times and you''ve spared me. You still have a good heart, don''t you?¡±

    Ichimaru looked at Christina with a cold stare before letting go with a big smile.

    ¡°No.¡±

    It was the first time Christina had seen someone with better acting skills than her. She followed Ichimaru to room 2H, where her family was waiting. There were only five of them left. Arthur, Lori, Rachel, Malvin and her. She cried at the entrance to the room as they came to cry with her. Malvin hugged her tightly and Lori embraced them all.

    ¡°We''re together at least.¡±

    Ichimaru looked at them. It had been a long time since he''d received a selection that had survived. He was watching them all squeeze together when Mathilde entered the room.

    ¡°Let go. This isn''t a family reunion.¡±

    Ichimaru got to his feet as if nothing had happened with panic and began to hiss.

    ¡°You weren''t getting emotional, were you?¡±

    ¡°No. I was going to tell them to line up.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    She entered the room and brought a cold one in. All the children gave her the evil eye. The one who was once their mother. She placed a briefcase on the table and began to speak.

    ¡°Well. I''ll teach the class. You''re future assassins we''re going to train. We chose you because you looked promising, so don''t disappoint us. I don''t feel like talking to you about all the blah, blah, blah, so since this gentleman will be taking charge of you, he''ll do it right away. Isn''t that right, Mister Ichimaru?¡±

    ¡°Without fail.¡±

    ¡°Good. I''ll be off. I''ll say goodbye when you deserve it.¡±

    She quickly exited the room and slammed the door behind her.

    ¡°Whew. She''s scary isn''t she? She got here after me and yet she doesn''t like me at all.¡±

    Ichimaru had said this to calm the mood, but no one had reacted. The hatred they had for him was too great to disappear under the slightest joke.

    ¡°Ah. You''re still mad at me, aren''t you? Sorry, it''s my job and I don''t like it. I took care of your orphanage just so she wouldn''t kill you all. Originally, only Malvin and Christina should have survived. She''s notoriously heartless, so I took care of it. Please forgive me.¡±

    None of the children forgave him. But deep down, Christina knew she''d been right. He had a good heart.

    ¡°Well. Perhaps a joke will cheer you up? What goes nioc-nioc? A duck that talks backwards.¡±

    Nobody laughed for a long minute, but Rachel''s smile wouldn''t go away and her face made Arthur smile in turn which caused Lori to laugh intensely which made everyone else follow suit. Ichimaru smiled too.

    ¡°Well, there you go. ¡±

    ¡°Your joke sucks, sir.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you laugh?¡±

    It took them a while to calm down.

    ¡°Good. I''ll tell you what''s going to happen now. I''m going to train you to become the best you can be, so that this woman never scares you again. You might even kill her one of these days. But for now, you''re too weak, so you''ll have to pull up your socks and conquer the world of the strongest. And since I''m the strongest, everything will be all right. Are you with me?¡±

    He''d said so enthusiastically that the students found it hard to follow. But since he had no choice, they all raised their fists high in the sky as he had done.

    ¡°All right. Let''s go kick some gigo.¡±

    They trained with Ichimaru for years. The results they achieved were exceptional, and the whole agency couldn''t believe it. They quickly became the most promising assassins, rising through the ranks under their master''s tutelage. Unfortunately, the day came for their first assassination. Arthur and Lori had succeeded with some difficulty. Malvin had forced his hand. Rachel had done it, strangely enough, without a care in the world, but Christina just couldn''t do it. She always left her victims at death''s door without ever killing them. She didn''t like blood or killing, and the whole agency could see that. One thing was certain for Malvin: they were going to kill her if she didn''t do her job properly. Christina often spoke with Ichimaru and that day, she had cried a lot for an assassin in the arms of the man she considered her new father.

    ¡°I just can''t do it. Malvin won''t talk to me. I feel like they''re going to kill me if I don''t manage to kill someone. I''m going to die and I won''t see the others again. Who will be the executioner of my sentence? You or Mathilde?¡±

    Ichimaru remained calm and tried to console her. His face was very serious.

    ¡°I know what you mean. There''s only one way to resolve this. Let''s have a fight.¡±

    ¡°What? Mister Ichimaru.¡±

    ¡°It''s the only way to reveal all that''s in your heart. Come, I''ll wait for you.¡±

    ¡°But sir...¡±

    Before she could continue, she received a tremendous blow in the stomach.

    ¡°If you don''t come, I''ll come.¡±

    Ichimaru was dead serious. Christina stepped back briskly and drew her gun and katana. She''d adopted her master''s same fighting method, just like Malvin.

    ¡°I won''t hold back then.¡±

    ¡°You think that scares me. You''re too weak to do me any harm. That''s why Malvin left. He''s become a real man.¡±

    Tears rose to the level of Christina''s eyes.

    ¡°You''re going to start crying again. What difference is it going to make? Whether you cry or not, they''re dead. It''s not your tears that will bring them back.¡±

    The first blows were exchanged violently. Ichimaru remained at a slightly higher level than Christina, who began to see cracks in her fight. The blows multiplied and bullets began to pierce the wall. A small crowd had gathered in front of the glass viewing window and Malvin was in it. Ichimaru was very serious.

    ¡°Why are you like this, sir? I thought you had a good heart.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. This is a world of assassins and you think I have a good heart? You can''t survive here if you have a good bottom.¡±

    Christina wouldn''t understand. She felt like she was fighting the master she''d always known, who as usual was playing a role. But this time, it was a role she''d never seen before. Gashes began to appear on Christina''s body as Ichimaru continued to press his pace. He was clearly on another level.

    ¡°Christina, you don''t understand.¡±

    Christina was falling into despair. The atmosphere changed again.

    ¡°I''m going to kill you.¡±

    At these words, Christina''s body trembled.

    ¡°Like I killed your family.¡±

    Ichimaru charged, piercing Christina from all sides and shooting her in the leg. The combination of gun and katana was perfect, leaving nothing to be desired. Christina collapsed to the floor bleeding.

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°You were too weak Christina. Too weak at heart, and you were from the start. I said I was going to train assassins not weaklings, Chris.¡±

    Ichimaru stood over what looked like Christina''s corpse for a long time. His cold gaze searched desperately for a breath of hope. After thirty seconds, he turned and headed for the door. Everyone was talking about the fight. He met Malvin''s gaze. He was going to kill him. Suddenly, everyone let out a small cry of surprise. The people at the agency knew why this little girl was called ¡°The Monster¡±. Christina rose from the dead.

    ¡°No, this isn''t her. But it''ll do.¡±

    Malvin had understood Ichimaru''s plan. Ichimaru turned around with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Bring it on, IGA freak.¡±

    Christina picked up her gun and katana from the ground. She loaded the bullets and turned back to her master. She wasn''t smiling. The monster hadn''t smiled in a long time.

    ¡°Come, Christina Leya.¡±

 Senseless return

    <div>

    When she awoke, Christina was kneeling over someone. She had a katana in her hand, stabbed into the heart of the person in question. Afraid to look at what was really happening, she didn''t look at his costume.

    ¡°Look at me, Christina.¡±

    She recognized her master''s voice directly.

    ¡°I didn''t bring you here to cry over your first murder. That''s not very professional. ¡±

    Christina looked down and saw her master smiling as usual.

    ¡°Listen. I admit the plan was clearly fucked up. But at least you won''t be afraid to kill after this. I wish I could have shown you to my son, he would have loved to fight you. Besides, if you ever see him, tell him I was a cab driver.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°No. No. No. No. No. No. No. You can''t die like this. You''re the world''s strongest assassin.¡±

    ¡°That''s true. I let myself get a little carried away. But hey, as long as you and Malvin are happy. I''m cool with that.¡±

    ¡°No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.¡±

    ¡°Don''t cry. I would have done the same for my son and my wife. Besides, I live a long time for a guy with a sword in his heart.¡±

    ¡°No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.¡±

    ¡°Oh...this isn''t right...you''re crying...I''ll tell you a joke...What goes nioc-nioc? ....¡±

    Christina didn''t want to hear it, and she didn''t hear it. The end of the joke was never heard by anyone. Arthur, Lori and Rachel returned from their mission to see their master lying on the ground under Christina''s sword. They ran to the show in tears.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing, Christina?¡±

    Arthur had shouted so loudly that the whole agency had heard him. Christina was extricated from her tearful master''s corpse by Lori. She looked around for some strength in someone''s eyes, but no one responded with compassion. Even Malvin was gone. She ran back to her room while the others tried to revive him. She heard the assassins rejoicing at Ichimaru''s death.

    ¡°He''s dead at last, the old fart. He kept us from doing what we wanted.¡±

    ¡°He was really too strong. Serves him right. That''ll teach him to stand up to the IGA.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Christina realized something. Ichimaru was the one who maintained a kind of gentleness in the organization. He stopped the orphanage massacres and only killed those he considered bad. In short, without him, the IGA was just a bunch of heartless assassins. She locked herself in her room for several days.

    In a remote house, not so far from IGA headquarters. Jin stepped outside to look at the snow.

    ¡°Mom, when''s Dad coming home?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, son. I don''t know.¡±

    Jin raised his head and let each flake fall on him.

    ¡°When I see him, I''ll tell him he''s an idiot.¡±

    Christina lost her taste for life and Ichimaru''s plan worked wonders. She had officially become the strongest assassin. Malvin noticed it too. She''d changed after that fight. He had to go ahead with the plan. One summer day, he grabbed her by the hand. Christina was surprised and looked up. Malvin noticed her dark circles and her impassive face. Still, he had to move on.

    ¡°We''re leaving.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Christina didn''t understand. Malvin had been distant with her for a long time and he wanted out.

    ¡°Next mission, we disappear and get the hell out.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°Don''t argue...¡±

    On their next mission, Malvin and Christina were declared missing to the new president of the IGA, who was none other than Mathilde Royal.

    ¡°Malvin made a fool of us. Find them and kill them.¡±

    ¡°But Madame...¡±

    The messenger''s head floated in the air at the second.

    ¡°Did we hire you to discuss your president''s orders.¡±

    The bounty, for both of them, was twenty billion Zvennirs. Ten each. On the other side, Malvin was fleeing with Christina. They had arrived at a house Malvin had taken just for the occasion. A house in the Empire of Zvenne. Normally, this would have been enough to keep anyone from fighting in it. But that couldn''t stop the IGA, who were intent on killing them.

    ¡°And here we are. What do you think?¡±

    Malvin looked at the house with pride. His eyes sparkled slightly. Christina looked at the man who had loved her as a child, then ignored her for years before returning to take her away from the place that made her suffer as if he loved her again. She stepped toward him.

    ¡°Christina?¡±

    The slap went away on its own.

    ¡°You could have told me. You could have told me it was all fake. I thought you didn''t love me anymore. Worse, I thought you hated me for my weakness. That''s why I went to the master and that''s why...¡±

    She couldn''t help crying. Malvin put a hand to her head.

    ¡°Christina. If I''d told you, they''d have spotted it right away and killed us. These people are professionals. You''re the one who taught me how to act. I didn''t know it was all going to end like this with the master.¡±

    At these words, she threw herself into his arms and Malvin squeezed her, as hard as he could, without hurting her.

    ¡°Come on. We''re going to be late for lunch.¡±

    Christina smiled and they walked hand in hand into their new life. Unfortunately, it only took a while for the GIA assassins to find them. They sent a hundred assassins a month later.

    ¡°I think we have a visitor, Christina.¡±

    ¡°You''re calling me by my first name again.¡±

    ¡°And what do you want me to call you, then?¡±

    ¡°Why not, darling.¡±

    ¡°Come on. Go for darling.¡±

    Thirty minutes later, not a single assassin was left alive. One thing was certain, they had no trouble killing anymore.

    ¡°Shall we go, darling?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°We''re going to destroy the IGA.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Wait, Christina.¡±

    Christina was already off to kill those who''d educated her, fed her and also those who''d made her life so pitiful.

    ¡°I''ll be right there. Mathilde Royal.¡±

    <div>

    <div>

 Destruction

    <div>

    ¡°Madam.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°We''re under attack.¡±

    Malvin and Christina had gone back into the headquarters to get all her stories over with. The assassins were falling under Christina''s katana and gun. Their greatest fear resurfaced. Kuronoe Ichimaru.

    ¡°His reincarnation.¡±

    ¡°His pupil.¡±

    ¡°His daughter?¡±

    No, by any name she could be called. She carefully guarded the one her master had given her.

    ¡°You pussies haven''t understood a thing. This is neither Ichimaru, nor his daughter, nor his reincarnation.¡±

    Arthur returned to the room where Christina was. Malvin was in charge of the east aisle.

    ¡°It''s the IGA monster. Right, Chris?¡±

    Christina had just planted a bullet in the head of an assassin who collapsed to the floor without it.

    ¡°The international group of assassins will disappear.¡±

    ¡°You''d have to kill us first, because we...¡±

    Christina threw her katana at Arthur, who contracted it with his own, then fired five bullets before reloading his gun.

    ¡°...we''ll do it without hesitation.¡±

    Rachel descended from the sky with a hole in the ceiling and came crashing down on her former sister with all her might.

    ¡°Hi, Chris.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Rachel.¡±

    The gun forced Rachel out of the way, making her jump onto the wall before pushing back on her legs to put a huge impulse into it that left a hole in it. With this immense power, she struck Christina with force, who had no choice but to cushion it.

    ¡°You''re dead, old girl. You''re going to pay for what you did to Mister Ichimaru.¡±

    Christina saw Rachel''s childlike face again for a moment.

    ¡°I won''t kill you.¡±

    Her braking stopped against the opposite wall. She threw Rachel to the ceiling and countered Arthur''s sword thrust.

    ¡°You''re too weak for that.¡±

    ¡°Say that again.¡±

    The two exchanged an epic sword fight. Arthur had the style of a knight despite his katana, but Christina had the same style as her master, which confused Arthur.

    ¡°You''re not him.¡±

    After shouting, Arthur felt a gun in his mouth, but Christina didn''t shoot. Rachel pierced the ceiling again to pull the two apart. She had grabbed a huge club in the process and was swinging it back and forth. Her impassive gaze met Christina''s, who dodged all her blows. She managed to cut the club''s handle and aim her gun at her sister''s leg. But she jumped at the right moment and grabbed the handle of her club. With the club shortened on one side and the handle on the other, she launched a consistent assault on her sister, with Arthur returning to the charge.

    But Christina was better. She deflected every blow that came her way, throwing her opponents off balance. Still with the same impassive gaze, she sliced into Arthur, whom Rachel had grabbed to act as a human shield.

    ¡°You''re strong, b.tch.¡±

    ¡°You too, hoe."

    Arthur was thrown unconscious to the other end of the room. Christina hadn''t killed him, but left him at death''s door.

    ¡°He''ll survive.¡±

    ¡°To kill without killing. Is that your motto?¡±

    ¡°I''d do the same with you.¡±

    Rachel threw a wardrobe at her sister, who couldn''t understand where this frail little girl''s strength came from. She cut the wardrobe in half before realizing it had disappeared from her field of vision. But at the last moment, she put her katana behind her back to avoid a mortal blow.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Classic.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Still, she was flung into the opposite wall, and before she could even recover, Rachel hit the wall with a force that made it collapse.

    ¡°This is nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Are you running away?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    It was Christina''s turn to launch the next attack. She lunged forward to slice her sister, but she dodged. The blows went so fast that Rachel had no time to counterattack.

    ¡°Couldn''t you stop a little?¡±

    ¡°Do you know where my gun is?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Rachel looked carefully at Christina''s belongings, but Christina didn''t have her gun.

    ¡°Where is it?¡±

    ¡°Look around your waist.¡±

    Christina''s gun was hanging from her belt, pointed at Rachel.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    She pulled out a second gun she''d been concealing on her person and pulled a bullet from the trigger of the other. The detonation was heard and Rachel received a terrific bullet.

    ¡°And that''s me you''re calling bullshit.¡±

    ¡°It was a trick he used to play on me.¡±

    The last thing Rachel saw was Christina charging toward her and surely knocking her out.

    ¡°Sleep well, sis.¡±

    Christina made her way smoothly through the corridors. Malvin had taken care of all the other assassins. She found him standing over Lori''s body. He smiled when he saw Christina.

    ¡°He was tougher than I expected.¡±

    Christina smiled back. They''d done it. They''d exterminated the GIA. With one exception.

    ¡°You''re a real pain in the ass.¡±

    Christina lost her smile and shot a dark look at the person entering.

    ¡°You don''t have to look at me like that. I''m just doing my job.¡±

    Round 2 could begin. Mathilde Royal had entered the arena. The two charged at the woman they considered the world''s greatest threat.

    ¡°You know...I''ve let you have your fun for too long. But the funny thing is, even if you were the most promising...¡±

    Mathilde changed their trajectory and threw them off balance, as Christina had done earlier.

    ¡°...I should have killed you.¡±

    Christina received a pleasant punch in the face while Malvin received a heel kick in the abs.

    ¡°You''re weak.¡±

    Christina returned to the charge. Her sword reflecting her face in which Mathilde could recognize Ichimaru for a microsecond.

    ¡°You''re not him.¡±

    Mathilde deflected the sword with her fingertips.

    ¡°If he''d wanted to kill me, he would have.¡±

    Christina knew Royal was strong.

    ¡°But you''re not capable.¡±

    She lifted her heel to reveal a dagger hidden in its place. Malvin had been hit by that heel.

    ¡°You''re going to die here, monster.¡±

    At the last moment, Malvin struck the IGA president in the side. She crashed into the wall as Malvin caught his breath. The hole in his abs left an ugly mark.

    ¡°Malvin.¡±

    ¡°It''s okay. Let''s finish her off, quick.¡±

    Christina was worried about him but had no time to think, in less than a second, Mathilde reappeared between the two.

    ¡°You''re too slow.¡±

    The two sped away but Mathilde grabbed Christina''s foot to slam her against the floor with power.

    ¡°No strength.¡±

    Malvin made her let go of his companion and began a gruesome hand-to-hand combat. Normally, he was the best in the business, but Mathilde had never fought against him.

    ¡°No experience.¡±

    In three blows, she sent the orphan tumbling.

    ¡°I didn''t raise you that weak, though.¡±

    Christina retried with her sword but Mathilde saw it coming. She redeemed her sword and dodged the gun bullets before she could fire. She even completely disarmed her opponent, sending him waltzing into the wall.

    ¡°We''ll take turns. That''s it.¡±

    The two threw themselves at her again.

    ¡°I''m not Ichimaru.¡±

    The two were sent back to where they''d been.

    ¡°I''m not nice. Say, Christina, where''s your gun?¡±

    Christina knew this trick very well. She quickly unholstered the gun that was on her waist, but Mathilde pulled the trigger during the action. Christina closed her eyes thinking it was the end, but to her surprise, nothing came out. The magazine was empty.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is. You''re really stupid too.¡±

    Mathilde was standing right in front of her with a gun. She looked at the one she''d considered her child for years.

    ¡°Your father would have been disappointed.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Detonation sounded and the bullet went off. Unfortunately, it was Malvin who took it.

    ¡°Malvin?!¡±

    ¡°It''s okay. We don''t have time.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡±

    Malvin jumped to his feet and charged at Mathilde.

    ¡°You were the most promising, Malvin.¡±

    Christina drew her sword in turn and the two of them went at it. She sliced through the assassin''s gun.

    ¡°But unfortunately, she killed you.¡±

    Mathilde deflected Christina''s sword again, but this time with more than just her fingertips. She took the katana in hand and aimed it at Malvin''s heart. Neither of them reacted in time. Malvin was pierced and Christina in shock.

    ¡°My poor girl...¡±

    Malvin collapsed to the floor.

    ¡°You killed your master and your boyfriend. How sad. I''ll wait for your farewell in this corner here.¡±

    Christina was still holding the katana when Malvin tried to speak.

    ¡°Forgive me, for being a coward. I let you shoulder the loneliness and you had to do horrible things. I really have been the worst boyfriend ever.¡±

    ¡°No, don''t say that. Not you either."

    ¡°Since then, that day in the orphanage when we were still children when you picked me up when I''d fallen, I''ve never stopped loving you. It''s been a long time, I know, but it wasn''t enough for me. I promised myself I''d protect you, and now you can do it on your own.¡±

    ¡°No, don''t say that, you too.¡±

    Christina cried again, as she had many times in her life. But all those times were justified.

    ¡°I didn''t tell you often because I was shy, but you''ve probably known for a long time...¡±

    ¡°Don''t say that.¡±

    ¡°I love you, Christina.¡±

    Those were Malvin''s last words. The ones he''d kept to himself, trying to say them in different kinds of ways. Flowers, a walk together, a mission together, food given, let her win, making her laugh, helping her, being there all the time when she needed it............This had been his way of telling her ¡°I love you.¡±

    Christina cried. She was always the one crying over her loved ones. Mathilde Royal lit a cigarette and walked over to her.

    ¡°Good. You''re done crying, poor girl.¡±

    Christina placed her boyfriend''s corpse away from the fighting room, then closed the door. She kept the flower Malvin had given her at the orphanage.

    ¡°Here, this is for you.¡±

    ¡°It''s super clich¨¦.¡±

    ¡°It is? Well...¡±

    ¡°I''ll take it anyway.¡±

    She had run off with Malvin''s flower. At that moment, Malvin had left without her flower. Suddenly, the aura in the room changed and Mathilde genuinely smiled for the first time in twenty years.

    ¡°There she is. My daughter.¡±

    Christina was gone again. Or she was without being. Either way, her body could only think of one thing...

    ¡°I''m finally going to face you.¡±

    ...kill Mathilde Royal. Her mother.

    <div>

    <div>

 Mathilde Royal

    The fight that followed was no longer a human fight. Mathilde and Christina were in another world. A world of combat and blood. Mathilde dug her heel into Christina''s foot and Christina dug her katana into Mathilde''s shoulder. Both were enraged.

    ¡®It hurts. How long has it been since someone hurt me?¡¯

    Mathilde stepped back, throwing daggers at her daughter, who dodged them without a care in the world. The IGA monster picked up his pace and ran into his mother like a bull. They both went through the wall. As they fell, Christina tried to stab Mathilde, who was underneath her, but she caught her sword in mid-air and delivered a magnificent kick to her opponent, who flew to the other end of the house. Even so, she crashed to the ground as Christina got to her feet.

    The sun shone on the two women through the windows of the home. Round 3 could begin. The IGA monster had entered the arena. She lunged at her mother, who did the same. Mathilde drew a dagger from her belt and countered the monster''s sword - their strength was equal.

    "That day, I saw you fight."

    She pushed Christina aside, who came charging back as soon as she touched the ground.

    "You shouldn''t have won."

    The clash of the two blades echoed in the home. Neither wanted to let go of the other, but Mathilde managed to place a heel strike into Christina''s thigh, and she didn''t back down, landing a beautiful right hand.

    ¡°He was stronger than you.¡±

    Mathilde kneed her daughter, but she headbutted her in return. They both stepped back.

    ¡°You look just like him.¡±

    Christina leaped forward to slice her mother. Unfortunately, the IGA monster missed its target and sliced through the air.

    ¡°But you''re not him. You''ve got the same style, but you''re not as strong. I could almost see his shadow behind you.¡±

    The blows of the blades could be heard again.

    ¡°I was a fan of his strength.¡±

    Mathilde stooped low to hook her opponent, but Christina didn''t lose her balance and threw her unloaded gun right into her target''s blade.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°The gun crossed with the katana. It was so beautiful to see. When Kuronoe Ichimaru walked into a room, you knew in advance it was over.¡±

    Mathilde didn''t let go of her blade and lunged at Christina, who wasn''t yet on the ground. She tried to slice her, but Christina dodged in the air. With her foot barely on the ground, she had to avoid a point-blank shot. But Christina also had a gun, which Mathilde had to avoid. Mathilde moved away from her adversary but noticed that she was following him.

    ¡°Damn. It wasn''t loaded, was it?¡±

    Just as Christina thought she''d sliced her, Mathilde, in a superhuman reflex, countered the monster''s sword.

    ¡°I won''t die by your hand.¡±

    Christina received a tremendous circular kick in the face and was thrown against a wall. One thing was certain: even if she had become the monster again, Christina was slightly weaker than her opponent. There was a bigger monster than the IGA monster.

    ¡°That was an excellent fight.¡±

    Mathilde walked slowly over to Christina on the ground, lighting a cigarette.

    ¡°I recognize you as my daughter.¡±

    Suddenly, Mathilde fell backwards. A shot had rang out, but it wasn''t Christina. As she fell to the ground, she saw the man who had shot her.

    ¡°You...I see. It took at least you to kill me.¡±

    Christina had nowhere to go. When she awoke, she had seen the lifeless body of Mathilde Royal. She searched for Malvin''s body and buried it. After a short mourning period, she wandered aimlessly, waiting for death. She didn''t want to fight life. She moved away from headquarters and slept on a street. Months later, on a rainy day, a man dressed in a long jacket and carrying an umbrella stood in front of her.

    ¡°You''re the IGA monster, aren''t you?¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°I''ve dealt with them several times before.¡±

    Christina didn''t answer.

    ¡°I''d like you to be my bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°And what''s in it for me?¡±

    ¡°A reason to live.¡±

    Rodrigo Sanchez extended his hand toward Christina. After everything she''d been through, everyone she''d lost, she looked at the outstretched hand and shook it. In any case, she had nothing left to lose.

    Marc went out to see how Jin was doing after listening to the story. The assassins were all on the ground and Jin was unhurt. Arthur the only one standing fighting the urge to collapse.

    ¡°It was you, wasn''t it?¡±

    ¡°It''s true I don''t often tell you my life story. But...master...are you crying?¡±

    ¡°No. It''s just a tear. Go home if you''re done.¡±

    Marc wasn''t crying. It was a falling tear.

    ¡°You''ve got to be kidding me. I''m still standing. I don''t know what''s wrong with him, but I can break you.¡±

    Arthur pointed at Marc. Jin was about to hit him when Marc told him to stop. He walked slowly towards Arthur, who didn''t seem to be panicking even though he''d just taken a beating from Jin.

    ¡°Arthur, isn''t it?¡±

    ¡°What do you care if she gave you my name?¡±

    ¡°You weren''t nice to her.¡±

    Marc grabbed Arthur''s face effortlessly and crumpled it up. He couldn''t even move. After about thirty seconds with Arthur''s face in his hands, Marc crushed him to the floor.

    ¡°You''re not even fit to be his brother. Let''s go, Jin. The book''s waiting.¡±

    Jin and Marc entered after beating up all the agents who had come to kill them.

    ¡°Good. I enjoyed your story, but it made me sad. You''ve seen your killers, Mr. Sanchez, so hurry up and tell me about the book.¡±