Chapter 5
The sun was beginning to set when Leo stepped into the backyard, his grandmother's notebook in his hands. He had spent most of the afternoon trying to understand the symbols and notes, but one thing was clear: he couldn't keep being afraid every time he saw something.
"Alright… minor spirits… mischievous… respond to simple stories…" he muttered to himself.
"Are you studying to talk to ghosts or what?" a voice said behind him.
Leo sighed without turning around.
"Nando… don't start."
His brother walked closer with a mocking grin, crossing his arms.
"Seriously, you sound weird. 'Stories,' 'energy,' 'spirits'? What's next? Are you going to summon a demon with math homework?"
Leo rolled his eyes.
"This isn't a joke."
"Of course not," Nando replied. "Because according to you, there are invisible things following you, talking, moving stuff… sounds totally normal."
Leo was about to respond when he felt it.
A slight chill.
The air shifted, just a little.
The leaves on the rosebush moved… without wind.
Leo froze.
"What?" Nando asked, noticing his expression.
"It's here…" Leo whispered.
"'It's here'? Who? Your imagination?"
A small stone lifted from the ground… and dropped.
Then another.
Nando stopped smiling.
"Okay… that… was not normal."
From the rosebush emerged a small figure, barely visible, with an irregular shape. It wasn't large or terrifying, but it was unsettling. Its movements were quick, playful… but chaotic.
"Minor spirit…" Leo murmured, recalling the notebook.
The being began circling them, lifting dust and rustling leaves. It wasn't attacking… but it wasn't calm either.
"So now what, expert?" Nando said, taking a step back.
Leo took a deep breath.
"I'm going to try."
"Oh, great," Nando replied. "If we die, at least it'll be interesting."
Leo ignored the comment and closed his eyes for a second.
He remembered what he had done before.
He remembered the story.
And he began:
"Once upon a time… there was a small spirit… that just wanted to play…"
The being paused for a moment.
Leo continued, more confidently:
"But its tricks scared everyone… until it learned to be part of the world… without causing harm…"
The figure vibrated slightly.
The air no longer felt as heavy.
Nando's eyes widened.
"No… no way…"
The spirit began to move more slowly. It no longer threw leaves or dust. It simply floated in front of Leo, as if listening.
Leo felt something new.
Not fear.
Control.
"And then…" he continued, "it understood it didn't need to scare others… to exist…"
The spirit glowed softly… and then faded away.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Nando looked at Leo.
Then at the rosebush.
Then back at Leo.
"…okay," he finally said. "I take back everything I said."
Leo let out a breath, exhausted.
"You saw it?"
"Of course I saw it!" Nando replied. "Well… not all of it… but the rocks, the leaves… that was not normal!"
He stepped closer to Leo, now with a completely different expression.
"Hey… that thing you did… can you do it again?"
Leo hesitated.
"I think so… but it's not easy."
Nando smiled.
"Then this just got interesting."
Leo looked at him, confused.
"Interesting?"
"Yeah," Nando said. "Because if you can see those things… and do that…"
He crossed his arms, with a confident grin.
"Then you're not alone in this anymore."
Leo stayed silent for a few seconds.
For the first time since everything began… he didn't feel completely afraid.
"Thanks…" he murmured.
Nando shrugged.
"Don't get emotional. I just want to see what other weird stuff you can do."
Leo let out a small laugh.
But deep down, he knew something important:
This was only the beginning.
And while minor spirits could be controlled…
something told him not all of them would be the same.