Chapter 11
A week had passed.
It wasn't enough to master anything… but it was enough to stop reacting without thinking.
Leo no longer let himself be dragged by every presence he felt. Now he could pause, separate what was his from what wasn't. Sometimes it was difficult, sometimes he failed… but he no longer lost himself completely.
Nando had changed too.
The sword no longer felt foreign in his hands. His movements were still clumsy at times, but now he could find the point almost by instinct. He no longer froze… he responded.
That night, the atmosphere tightened again.
Heavier.
Clearer.
The professor stopped abruptly. —This is it.
Leo frowned. —Yeah… it's stronger.
Nando adjusted his glasses. —And it's not still… it's moving.
Teodora stared ahead, expressionless. —Then it has taken form.
The air warped.
Not like wind… but as if something were pushing it from the inside.
And then it appeared.
The silhouette was more stable than the others. It didn't flicker. It didn't break apart.
It existed.
And it didn't look at all of them.
It looked only at Leo.
Leo felt the shift immediately.
It wasn't aggression… it was interest.
—… why is it looking at me like that? —he muttered.
The professor didn't look away. —Because your body doesn't break… and that makes you useful.
Nando turned, confused. —Useful for what?
—For possession —he replied coldly—. Most bodies collapse… yours doesn't.
The spirit moved.
And this time… it didn't attack everyone.
It went straight for Leo.
—Leo! —Nando shouted.
But it was too late.
The figure passed through him.
The impact wasn't physical.
It was internal.
A sharp blow in his chest.
The air vanished from his lungs.
Leo dropped to his knees, grabbing his head. —… no…!
The world changed.
He didn't see… he felt.
Cold.
Rage.
Memories that weren't his… but felt real.
Voices.
Too many voices.
—Get it out! —the professor ordered.
—How?! —Nando shouted, panicking.
—Don't attack Leo! Look for the point when it manifests!
Leo's body tensed.
His hands trembled.
The spirit wasn't fully inside… but it was settling.
Taking space.
—No… —Leo muttered, clenching his teeth— …I'm not letting you in…
His breathing was uneven.
But he didn't run.
He focused.
Separated.
That… and him.
They weren't the same.
He pushed.
The spirit reacted violently.
Leo's body arched sharply, as if something inside him were forcing its way through.
—Now! —Leo shouted with difficulty.
The spirit emerged partially, forced out by rejection.
Its form twisted as it came out.
There it was.
Unstable.
Exposed.
Nando stepped forward, raising the sword… but hesitated when he saw Leo like that. —I'm going to hit him!
—Do it! —Leo shouted.
Nando took a deep breath.
His pulse trembling in his hands.
And he struck.
The impact was precise.
The spirit tore as it separated from Leo's body.
Leo collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
But he didn't stay there.
He lifted his head.
More aware.
More steady.
—… again.
The spirit hadn't disappeared.
It was reforming.
More aggressive.
More unstable.
Leo stood up, unsteady… but determined.
—You're not touching me again.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
He felt the presence… but now from the outside.
He extended his hand.
Not to attack…
but to resist.
The air tightened.
The spirit froze for a second, as if something were holding it back.
—Nando!
Nando understood.
He ran.
This time he didn't hesitate.
He aimed directly at the point.
And struck.
The impact was clean.
The spirit shrank violently…
fractured…
and disappeared.
Silence fell instantly.
Nando lowered the sword, breathing heavily. —… we did it.
Leo exhaled, still shaking. —Yeah…
His body still felt heavy.
Something inside him… didn't feel the same.
But the atmosphere was no longer tense.
It was over.
Nando let out a nervous laugh. —That wasn't so bad…
Leo tried to smile. —It worked…
And in that instant…
they let their guard down.
That was the mistake.
An invisible удар exploded behind them.
Both were thrown violently to the ground.
The air was knocked out of them.
—What was that?! —Nando said, disoriented.
Leo lifted his head, confused. —No… it didn't disappear…
The presence was still there.
Denser.
Compressed.
The spirit hadn't been destroyed…
it had concentrated.
The form reappeared, smaller… but much heavier, as if all its force had been compressed into a single point.
And this time… it didn't hesitate.
It rushed straight at them.
Nando tried to stand, but his body didn't respond in time.
Leo tried to focus… but something was wrong.
The separation was no longer clear.
The previous contact had left something behind.
The spirit was too close.
And then…
Teodora moved.
She stepped in front of them effortlessly.
In her hand, the skull reacted differently… it obeyed.
—That's enough —she said, without the slightest effort.
The impact was immediate.
Stronger.
Cleaner.
The spirit stopped instantly…
and broke.
No fragments.
No trace.
It disappeared completely.
Silence returned.
But now… it was different.
Emptier.
More real.
Leo stayed on the ground, breathing slowly. —… that was actually destroying it.
Nando let his head fall back. —Yeah… that counts.
Teodora looked at them without emotion. —You let your guard down.
Leo lowered his gaze. —Yeah…
The professor stepped closer calmly. —And you survived… because someone else finished the job.
Leo clenched his hand slightly.
He could still feel something strange inside.
Like an echo… that didn't fade.
Nando looked at his sword, more serious now. —So… we're not ready.
Teodora answered without hesitation. —Not even close.
Far in the darkness of the town…
something else moved.
Deeper.
Older.
And this time…
it didn't feel small.