Chapter 7
Morning arrived quietly, as if the town had decided to pretend nothing had happened during the night. Sunlight slipped through Leo's window with a deceptive softness, filling his room with warm tones that clashed with the lingering sensation that hadn't left him since the night before.
It hadn't disappeared.
It wasn't as intense as before, but it was still there… spread out, like a presence that had settled into every corner of the town.
Leo hadn't slept well. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the reflection in the window again—that silhouette that had appeared for only an instant. It had no clear shape, no face… but it had been there.
And the worst part wasn't that.
The worst part was that he had felt it looking at him.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his grandmother's notebook in his hands. He opened it to a random page, but his eyes didn't follow the words. This time, he wasn't searching for written answers.
He was trying to understand what he had felt.
"It's not like before…" he murmured to himself.
Before, everything had an origin. A place. A point he could focus on. But not now. It was as if the air itself had changed.
He closed the notebook firmly.
"Then I need to learn to feel it better."
A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Are you awake, or still talking to yourself?" Nando's voice came from outside.
Leo let out a short sigh.
"Come in."
Nando entered without waiting for permission, as usual, with that relaxed attitude that seemed untouched by anything. But as Leo looked at him more closely, he noticed something different. It wasn't fear… but there was discomfort.
"You look worse than yesterday," Nando said, crossing his arms. "Did something actually happen, or are you just overreacting like always?"
Leo looked at him calmly.
"It's still there."
Nando didn't answer right away.
"That thing from last night?"
Leo nodded.
"It didn't leave. It just… calmed down."
Nando looked away for a moment, processing the idea.
"Well, I don't feel anything."
"I know," Leo replied. "Not everyone can."
"Oh, great. Thanks for making me feel useless."
Leo ignored the comment and stood up.
"I'm going out."
Nando raised an eyebrow.
"Where?"
Leo hesitated for a second.
"I don't know… but something isn't right, and staying here won't help."
Nando watched him for a few more seconds, deciding whether it was worth arguing.
"I'm coming with you."
"You don't have to."
"I know," he replied with a slight grin. "But if something weird happens again, someone has to be there to tell the story."
Leo didn't argue.
They both left the house and walked through the town's streets. At first glance, everything looked normal. People opening shops, kids walking to school, the distant sound of a radio playing somewhere. The usual routine.
But Leo could feel it.
That faint pressure in the air.
That something that didn't belong.
He walked without a clear destination, guided more by instinct than logic. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but there were places where the sensation grew clearer… heavier.
That's when he noticed it.
A small abandoned stand on a quiet corner. There was nothing particularly striking about it… except for one object resting on the table.
A small clay skull.
Nando frowned.
"And now what?"
Leo didn't respond. He approached slowly, feeling the pressure increase as he got closer.
It wasn't strong.
But it was… specific.
"This…" he murmured, extending his hand without touching it yet. "…this isn't normal."
"It's a skull," Nando said. "They literally sell those everywhere."
"Not this one."
Leo finally picked it up.
And the moment his fingers made contact, something changed.
It wasn't a surge of energy or a violent reaction. It was something more subtle… more unsettling.
As if the object had been waiting.
A sensation traveled up his arm, slowly reaching his chest. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't pleasant either. It was… invasive.
Leo clenched his jaw, focusing.
"You feel it, don't you?"
The voice caught him off guard.
It didn't come from Nando.
Both of them turned at the same time.
A woman stood a few meters away, watching them with a calmness that didn't quite match the situation. Her posture was relaxed, but her gaze… was too precise.
Too attentive.
"It's not common for someone to react like that the first time," she continued, stepping a little closer.
Leo didn't let go of the skull.
"Who are you?"
The woman gave a slight smile.
"Someone who was hoping to confirm something."
Nando stepped forward.
"Okay, hold on—confirm what?"
She ignored the question.
Her eyes were fixed on Leo.
"You don't just feel it… you can interact with it."
Leo didn't respond, but he didn't look away either.
"What is this?"
The woman tilted her head slightly.
"A cursed object."
The silence that followed wasn't surprise… it was recognition.
Because deep down, Leo already knew.
"So it is real…" he murmured.
"More than you think," she replied. "And what you felt last night… wasn't something small."
Nando looked at Leo.
"Again with that?"
The woman looked at him for the first time.
"You can't feel it, can you?"
"No," Nando answered honestly. "But that doesn't mean it's not happening."
She nodded slightly, as if that confirmed something.
"Good. At least you won't get in the way."
Nando made a face.
"Thanks… I think."
The woman turned back to Leo.
"What you have isn't just sensitivity. It's active perception. You can detect cursed energy… and react to it."
Leo looked down at the skull.
"Cursed energy?"
"Accumulated negative emotions. Fear, hatred, pain… all of that leaves a trace. And when it concentrates enough… it takes form."
Leo remembered the murmur.
The shadows.
The feeling of being watched.
"And this is… that?"
"A small part of it," she replied. "Objects can store that energy. Some are harmless… others are not."
Leo tightened his grip on the skull.
"And what about last night?"
For the first time, the woman's expression shifted slightly.
Not fear.
But seriousness.
"That wasn't an object."
The air seemed to grow heavier for a moment.
"Then what was it?"
She stepped closer.
"Something that hasn't fully awakened yet."
Silence thickened.
Nando swallowed.
"And that's… bad?"
She looked at him directly.
"If he can already feel it… yes."
Leo took a deep breath.
"Then I need to understand this."
She studied him for a few seconds.
"Understanding isn't enough."
Leo lifted his gaze.
"Then teach me."
The woman smiled faintly, this time with a different edge.
Not kindness… but interest.
"First, you'll have to prove you won't die trying."
Leo didn't hesitate.
"Do it."
The woman extended her hand.
"Teodora."
Leo looked at her for a second before replying.
"Leo."
Nando raised his hand from behind.
"And I'm the one who's probably going to survive this."
Teodora ignored the comment.
Her attention was entirely on Leo.
"Alright… Leo."
Her eyes shifted to the skull still in his hand.
"Let's start with something simple."
The atmosphere shifted again.
Not violently.
But enough for Leo to notice.
The energy inside the object… began to move.
"Don't let go," Teodora said.
Leo tightened his grip.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing," she replied. "That's you."
The skull vibrated slightly.
The sensation in his arm returned, stronger this time.
Clearer.
More real.
Leo gritted his teeth.
And for the first time…
he didn't step back.