Liana talked about the fight that happened, but she didn't go into details. When the police arrived, they found nothing but debris—no people, no clues.
Ryan woke up to a slight movement beside him. He turned and saw that Jamal had regained consciousness as well, while Liana sat by his bed, feeding him with a calm smile. As soon as she noticed Ryan's eyes opening, she rushed to him and hugged him tightly.
"Finally… you're awake!"
Jamal gave a relieved smile, but Ryan's expression stayed serious. He gently moved Liana aside and said in a steady tone:
"I need to talk to both of you."
Liana and Jamal exchanged a quick look.
"Alright… we're listening."
Ryan took a deep breath, as if trying to gather his words.
"I want you two to leave… and continue your lives away from all of this. You've faced enough danger already. I don't want what happened to repeat. And I don't want the path I'm following to hurt either of you. As for me… I'll find another way to stop them."
Their heads lowered, as if his words hurt more than they protected.
But the moment was interrupted by the sound of wheels rolling. They turned to see the ghost girl slowly approaching on a wheelchair, an IV hanging above her. Her eyes were pale yet determined.
She spoke in a weak but firm voice:
"That sacrifice is pointless. I wasn't even part of your group… and they still found me. They can reach us no matter how far we run. Staying together is safer than facing this alone."
She moved closer to Ryan.
"And none of this is your fault… so don't blame yourself. If someone must be blamed… it's me."
Liana quickly said:
"No, it's our fault… because we were too weak."
Jamal added:
"Yeah… we couldn't protect anyone."
A short silence followed—lifting a weight off Ryan's chest little by little.
Then he said, more softly:
"Alright… as you wish. I won't force anyone to leave."
Liana broke the silence:
"Ryan… how did you beat that werewolf? And why didn't you tell us you're skilled in Aikido?"
Ryan blushed slightly.
"I guess I owe you an explanation."
They sat down, listening carefully.
"My ability evolved. I don't only see Selene anymore. There's someone else… Chris. He was the former stone bearer, and a former soldier. He was the one controlling my body back then. And he will also be your trainer from now on."
All of them shouted:
"WHAT?!"
Jamal shrugged:
"At this point… nothing surprises me anymore."
---
A few days later…
They all left the hospital. A luxurious car was waiting for them outside, shining under the rain. Jamal stared in disbelief.
"When did you buy this?"
Ryan replied simply:
"I didn't. Liana bought it. Now get in."
Jamal tried to enter, but his large body didn't fit. Ryan sighed.
"I knew this would happen."
He pressed a button and the entire roof lifted up, giving Jamal more space.
The car started moving. Jamal hesitated:
"Isn't it dangerous to go back home now?"
Ryan answered confidently:
"I forgot to tell you… the first day I entered the house, Selene told me about a new power from the stone. I can hide the energy of the stones linked to me. If you stay close to me, no one will detect your stones. So relax."
He added:
"And later, I'll show you why they didn't attack us while we were in the hospital either."
Then he looked at Liana:
"And besides… we have someone who warns us if danger approaches, right?"
She laughed confidently:
"Of course, leave it to me."
---
At the house entrance…
When they arrived, Ryan stopped the ghost girl with his hand. She thought he was rejecting her and lowered her head, whispering to herself:
"Makes sense… ever since they met me, I only caused trouble."
But when she looked up, she saw Ryan smiling gently.
"How can we accept you into our team… if we don't even know your name?"
Her face turned red.
"My name… is Nova."
Ryan smiled warmly.
"Welcome, Nova. Pick any room you like… and take this money to buy whatever you need."
Her eyes widened.
"How can I accept this?"
"Think of it as a welcome gift."
Liana suddenly appeared, grabbed Nova's hand, and pulled her away.
"Come on! Shopping time!"
The two girls disappeared immediately.
---
The Golden Room
Jamal looked at Ryan:
"And what about us?"
"You order lunch… and I'll go to my room for a bit."
Ryan entered his room, held the stone, and in an instant he was transported to the glowing golden chamber, where Chris and Selene were waiting.
Ryan went straight to Chris:
"I want you to start training the team immediately. And we need to know how long you can stay in my body."
Chris smirked coldly:
"I can stay for three hours a day… and that's enough to train them."
Ryan nodded, then turned to Selene:
"Now I want to know… how exactly did you die?"
Selene looked surprised.
"Why ask that now?"
"Because I know you were killed near the hospital… while trying to steal the Stone of Strength."
Selene smiled weakly.
"Didn't expect you to figure that out."
"Start from the beginning."
Selene sighed and began:
"I was just a waiter… until I found the stone at your father's grave, Chris. Since that day, I've appeared in this room every night, and Chris trained me without mercy for a whole year—until one day… I defeated him."
Chris yelled:
"You didn't have to say that!"
Selene continued:
"Then I discovered a room with four stones: strength, agility, pain-rays, and healing."
Ryan leaned forward.
"The healing stone… the one that can cure my mother?"
"Yes. I took strength and agility. Before I could take healing… guards arrived. While escaping, I faced a man who could grow metal blades from his body. He injured me badly. I pushed him away and ran… but I was bleeding heavily."
Selene lowered his gaze.
"I buried the agility stone somewhere safe. I tried to hide the strength stone… but a dog stole it and ran off. I chased it all the way to the hospital… then collapsed and died."
Silence filled the room.
Ryan finally said firmly:
"Then we know our next step. Liana and I will retrieve the agility stone first… then go to that place."
Chris objected:
"Just the two of you?"
"We won't enter. We'll only gather information."
Ryan continued:
"When we return… we start training."
Chris laughed.
"Alright… I'll be waiting."
Ryan smiled, then returned to his body in the real world.