As a newly awakened priestess, I had thought of Prana (stellar energy) as a mysterious force, but when I manipulated it in the way one of the grimoires had taught , I felt renewed and my body felt light. It was indescribably gratifying to see how my fantasies ca true.
But the prana that now floated in the air was completely different from what I knew.
It was pure terror. The more I felt it, the harder it beca to breathe and I felt as if sothing was weighing on my shoulders.
For the first ti, I realized that true terror doesn't even co in the form of a scream.
There was no presage, as if it had been there all along.
The monster was right in front of .
I wondered if it was an illusion to feel that it was making eye contact with .
I couldn't easily deny it, it was too strange a sensation to dismiss as an illusion.
I hugged myself. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel the monster's eyes. I had the feeling that if I opened my eyes, it would be looking at at that mont.
As strange as it seed, Arceus put his hand on my head and my fear disappeared.
I'm the older sister, I shouldn't be afraid!
An older sister must protect her little brother. For , Arceus was a very precious little brother.
Arceus had been a boring child since joining the orphanage. At first, I didn't know what was wrong with him and I felt so bad that he wouldn't respond to no matter how much I touched him.
But it didn't take long to realize that Arceus wasn't a bad child. I realized that my brother was always looking at the family and listening to what I had to say.
The mute brother was simply a child less receptive than the others.
I wanted to see him respond, even if just a little, so I clung to him whenever I could, telling him all the things I had enjoyed during the day. I even took his hand and led him to the playground to give him a friend, Reinhardt.
Gradually, I could see a change in Arceus. As the days went by, my little brother began to accept the people around him and enjoy each day.
Dull footsteps were heard, the steps didn't sound as loud as before. My mind was spinning wildly.
The monster passed by us with agonizing slowness. The air beca so cold that breathing hurt, and the darkness seed to press against my closed eyelids, tempting to open them. I let out a silent sob, and Arceus, in a protective gesture, found my hands in the darkness, squeezing them gently to give courage.
Finally, after what seed like an eternity, the presence began to retreat. The air gradually beca lighter, the cold began to dissipate, and the oppressive sensation of terror started to loosen its grip on our hearts.
I gasped audibly. I exhaled a sigh of relief while tears fell from my eyes.
Arceus approached and comforted :
—It's okay, it's okay... Everything is fine... That monster is gone now. You'll be fine... We'll be fine...
His words seed to have so effect as my breathing stabilized.
Arceus then let out a sigh and looked at Reinhardt.
Reinhardt still had a facade of calmness on his face, but the fear and anxiety that remained in his eyes were evident.
I separated myself from Arceus and looked around. In front of us, like a reward for our bravery, a door had appeared where before there was only wall. The three of us remained silent, catching our breath and strength, processing what we had just experienced.
—That...
Began Reinhardt, his voice unusually shaky.
—That was the monster that alters mories, wasn't it?
Arceus nodded gravely:
—One look, a single second of eye contact, and our minds will be rewritten forever.
I wiped the last tears from my face:
—At least now we know we're on the right path. The artifact must be behind that door.
Without needing words, we advanced together toward the door. We had co too far to give up now. The freedom of all the children in the orphanage depended on what we would find behind that door.
The room that revealed itself to us was a study in contrasts: walls of immaculate white that seed to glow with their own light, creating a space that defied the logic of the previous gloomy chambers. In the center, an elaborate chanism imdiately caught my attention.
A circle of polished marble rose to chest height, serving as a base for a fascinating structure. Upon it, a series of red cubes with intricate golden details were stacked in a formation that resembled a perfect diamond. The geotric precision of the construction suggested a purpose beyond the rely decorative.
—It's beautiful.
I whispered, while feeling how my crimson eyes reflected the golden shine of the cubes. However, I couldn't help but my fingers slightly tensing, betraying the unease I felt.
Reinhardt approached the chanism cautiously.
—There's a pillar in the center.
He observed, pointing to the circular column that rose from the marble base.
—It seems to be so kind of control chanism.
Arceus nodded.
—But it's protected.
He pointed out, his eyes fixed on the translucent barrier that enveloped the entire structure.
—We can't access the chanism directly.
The air in the room changed abruptly. A cold current ran down my spine, and before we could react, the nightmare we thought we had left behind materialized its terrifying presence. This ti, however, the creature wasn't content with lurking.
In a movent that seed to defy the laws of physics, the entity appeared behind . Its black hands, if they could be called that, extended toward with a clear intention: to force to look directly into its eyes.
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