"Argh, we shouldn't have let him get away!" said Juan.
"Don't forget he shut down our powers with a single gust of wind," I told him.
"I don't think we could've even touched him," said Komi.
"As for me, I didn't feel anything—except that strange sense of déjà vu, like I've seen him before," said Katia.
So Marvens was right—our memories were erased. But I believe we kept our traumas, emotions, and feelings from one reincarnation to the next, I thought to myself.
After that, Komi had to erase the last 45 minutes from the memory of everyone in the school. She did it by releasing a kind of energy I'd never seen before around the building. If I trust what she said, I should be able to use it too.
Then we had to return to class, and Katia went back into the box. We were marked absent because, to them, we hadn't been in class when the bell rang.
It was 2:10 p.m. when the final bell of the day rang. Komi and I ran toward Juan's classroom.
"Come on, Juan, we've gotta hurry! The arcade will be packed if we don't leave in five minutes!" she said.
Arcade? Was this some kind of surprise for me? I wondered.
Juan's eyes flickered on and off for a few seconds, like he was nervous.
"You okay, Juan?" I asked.
"Not really... Ever since we met the final boss in the dungeon, I've been feeling so weak," he said.
Dungeon? What dungeon is he talking about? I wondered.
Komi noticed the confusion on my face and said,
"I'll explain once we're outside."
A few minutes later, we left the school and she began to explain:
"Alright, what I'm about to tell you, you better burn it into your memory. I won't repeat myself," she said, looking exhausted.
"Okay, I'm listening," I said.
"Here's the short version: we Demi-Spirits use normal-sounding words to talk about anything supernatural. For example, 'arcade' means we have to go back, and 'packed' means we need to report to the Master. In this case, Juan linked the dungeon to the school, and the boss..."
"Was Glucux!" I interrupted.
"Hey! Don't cut me off when I'm talking!" she snapped, frowning.
"Alright, we need to report to the Master, so let's run!"
"Great, let's race! The building's just ten minutes away on foot. I'll ask Katia to join us!"
"Fine by me," said Komi.
"Me too," added Juan.
I took the box in my hands and called out to Katia to come race with us. She popped out with a big smile and said,
"On your marks! Get set? Go!"
We all sprinted as fast as we could. Naturally, I came in first—since I don't get tired unless a Spirit feels tired. Katia came second—she floats, so she doesn't really get tired either. But this time, Juan beat Komi.
I think it's because Komi's more enduring in the long run, but Juan can sprint faster short-term.
Once Komi arrived, we went to report to the Master.
"What?! Glucux showed up at your school?!" he shouted, shocked.
"Yeah, luckily, no students were involved," Juan said, bowing his head.
"Tell me you erased everyone's memory at the school?" the Master asked, turning to Komi.
"Of course—I handled it," Komi replied, locking eyes with him.
"Were you all together when you encountered Glucux?" he asked.
"No, Marvens was with Katia. Juan and I were alone, and we were all heading in different directions."
"Oh, dear..." the Master muttered.
"What's wrong, Master?" I asked.
"Marvens, I need you to release Katia."
I did as I was told. Katia emerged and looked the Master in the eyes.
"Tell me, Katia—did you notice anything unusual about Marvens?" he asked.
I didn't understand. I had no memory of anything unusual happening.
"Yes, there was like an 'S' that appeared over his right eye," she said.
"What are you talking about? I don't remember having an 'S'."
"Silence, Marvens! This isn't the time for you to explain—I need to hear Katia's version!" he snapped.
I had never seen him this stressed and angry before.
"Katia, did you notice anything strange about his powers?"
"Yes. I think Marvens was using two powers at the same time," she said, placing a hand under her chin.
"Is that true? If so, tell me what power you used."
"It's true. I turned my right arm into fire and my left arm into antimatter," I said, bowing my head, ready to be scolded.
"Oh no... So the rumors are true..." he whispered.
"What rumors?"
"Tell me—do you communicate with another version of yourself?" he asked.
I couldn't lie. He would've found out eventually anyway.
"Yes. More precisely, a version of me from a thousand years ago."
"I want you to tell me everything he said to you!"
"Alright," I said.
But just as I opened my mouth to speak, I felt my heart tighten and beat violently. I think that's what happens when I try to speak about the Spirit inside me without its permission.
For some reason, it felt like he didn't trust the Master.
"Come on—speak!" the Master said, impatient.
Luckily, the door opened and Kayne appeared.
"Hey, I need to take our heroes somewhere," he said.
"Fine—but bring them back later," the Master replied.
Komi and Juan looked stunned and confused.
"Thanks, Glucux," said Kayne.
We all turned toward our Master... who had become Glucux.
He smirked and returned to his original form.
We immediately activated our powers and got into fighting stance.
Kayne looked at us and said:
"Relax—he won't attack you. He's been cursed for millennia: he can only harm Demi-Spirits once the full moon has fallen. If he breaks the rule, he loses his powers."
I was a bit thrown off. Not just because I didn't know that—but also because I couldn't understand why Glucux was standing in front of us, pretending to be the Master.
"Then why not kill him now?" Juan asked.
"Because if you attack him before the full moon rises, he'll mark you for life—and curse you."
"You're well-informed, I see," said Glucux.
"Of course. With a Spirit like you, you better do your homework, right?" Kayne replied, glaring at him.
The two stared each other down.
"Well, I guess it's time for me to go. Don't worry—your so-called Master is tied up somewhere in the forest. Good luck finding him," he said, mocking us before leaving the room.
Two appearances in the same day? Does that mean he's planning to attack us soon? I wondered.