Chapter 32

  ONIRIC FRIENDS

  The road had turned into a lonely strip of asphalt swallowed by trees. Houses and buildings had been left behind miles ago, and now only the forest rose on both sides—dense, watchful. Gabriel observed carefully, his eyes scanning every shadow, every branch, trying to anticipate an attack that could come from anywhere: the undergrowth, the sky, even the ground beneath his feet. At that point he no longer knew what form the enemy might take… he only knew it would come.

  —Are we far? —he asked without taking his eyes off the window.

  —Um… —Max checked the map on his phone—. Ten minutes.

  The car came to an abrupt stop in front of a dirt path that disappeared into the forest. It was narrow, uneven—impossible for the vehicle. Max turned off the engine, grabbed his phone, and got out. Gabriel followed, his nerves on edge.

  The forest.

  The last time he had been in one like this, his world had shattered forever. He had tried not to think about it, but the nightmares kept returning: the night, the blood, the moment he had to kill the Beco. Even though it had been in self-defense, the guilt ate at him. He felt he had betrayed what it meant to be an angel.

  —Did you hear that? —Gabriel whispered, accidentally bumping into Max’s back.

  —Hear what? —Max replied without stopping, focused on following the trail.

  Between the trees, something moved.

  Footsteps.

  —I’m telling you, I heard something —Gabriel insisted, trying to gather courage as anxiety tightened his chest.

  —Watch out! —Max suddenly shouted.

  He shoved Max hard, and both of them fell to the ground just as a massive fireball whistled overhead and slammed into a tree. The explosion shook the forest; wood ignited, and leaves were hurled like burning shrapnel.

  Max sprang to his feet at once, put his phone away, and channeled his magic. Another fireball emerged from the undergrowth. He watched it coldly, extended his arms, and with a grunt of effort diverted the attack mid-flight. The impact tore up roots and flung dirt into the air.

  The forest roared.

  The crunch of leaves revealed constant movement—something was leaping between the trees, fast, invisible.

  Then Gabriel saw it.

  In the sky, reality tore apart.

  A crimson circle opened like a living wound in the air. Its edges burned with an unnatural light, and arcane symbols slowly rotated, traced with impossible precision. They whispered ancient words, foreign to any human language. Each ring of the circle promised power… and damnation. Oaths written in blood. Forgotten seals.

  Small fireballs began to fall from the sky.

  A burning rain.

  —Scutum! —Max shouted.

  The air crackled with energy. A semi-transparent dome formed around them, wrapping them in a lavender glow. Each impact against the shield exploded into light and pure energy. Max kept his arms extended, muscles taut, his face contorted with effort. Every blow made him stagger.

  Gabriel held him tightly, wrapping his arms around him, anchoring him to the ground.

  —Don’t fall… not now —he murmured, feeling something inside him begin to burn.

  The attack suddenly stopped.

  Silence fell with an unsettling weight.

  From among the trees, a figure emerged.

  It was a person with an androgynous, alternative aesthetic. They had short, messy hair of a pale, almost ethereal pink, with strands falling over their face. Their intense green eyes reflected a deep, distant melancholy, as if they carried centuries of exhaustion.

  They wore clothing in shades of white, pink, and black: an oversized shirt with sheer fabric and delicate floral details, tight black pants, and multiple accessories. A choker with a metal ring circled their neck, and earrings swayed with each step. Floral tattoos extended across their neck and chest, marking their skin with a beauty that was dark, fragile, and dangerous all at once.

  They stopped in front of them, observing them as if they already knew exactly who they were.

  And in that moment, Gabriel understood that this had not been an ambush.

  It had been a warning.

  —Why don’t you just die? —spat the pink-haired figure. Their voice made it clear it was a boy—. Seriously, cute demons, die now… because if she shows up, it’s going to be much worse.

  —We’re not demons! —Gabriel shouted, his pulse still racing.

  —Sure… and I’m an angel —he replied mockingly, raising his index finger. The air around him began to vibrate, charged with magic—. Only a demon would have that kind of power —he added, fixing his gaze on Max.

  —I’m a sorcerer! —Max replied firmly.

  The boy watched him in silence for an eternal second. Then he lowered his hand… and burst into uncontrolled laughter.

  —Share whatever you’re taking, buddy —he said between laughs, unable to stop himself.

  —He’s not lying —Gabriel cut in, nervous but determined—. We’re looking for his parents.

  The laughter stopped abruptly.

  —Parents? —the boy repeated, studying them with a sharp gaze, weighing every gesture.

  Before he could say anything else, a female voice emerged from the depths of the forest.

  —Why are you taking so long, Kiran?

  A chill ran down Max’s spine. That voice… he knew it.

  —I think they’re high —Kiran replied, jerking his thumb toward them—. One of them says he’s a warlock.

  The branches parted, and a woman stepped out from the undergrowth.

  Max’s heart stopped.

  It was her.

  Just as he had seen her in his dream: androgynous, athletic, with dark hair streaked by intense red strands. But it wasn’t only her appearance that shook him… it was her presence. That voice was not new; it had echoed somewhere deep within his memory.

  —We don’t want any trouble —Max said, slowly lowering his hands in a gesture of surrender—. We just want to find my parents.

  At the sound of his voice, the woman startled. She raised a hand, signaling Kiran to wait. He obeyed, though without lowering his guard.

  She stepped closer, studying Max as if she were looking at a ghost.

  —Is it you? —she asked seriously, her gaze filled with disbelief.

  —Diya? —Max whispered, unable to take his eyes off her.

  —Max?

  The hardness in her expression shattered at once, transforming into a radiant joy. In an instant, they embraced, overcome with an emotion impossible to hide, as if the entire world had paused to allow them that moment.

  —I thought you were just a product of my mind —Max said, clinging to her.

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  —I thought the same —Diya laughed, her voice trembling—. Kiran, you don’t have to kill them. Come on.

  Kiran snorted, clearly disappointed, but obeyed.

  Diya led them through the trees to a cabin hidden by vegetation, protected by nearly invisible sigils carved into the wood. They went inside. Gabriel and Max sat around a rustic table while Diya prepared coffee for them, the warm aroma contrasting with the tension still hanging in the air.

  Kiran settled near a window, watching the outside with constant vigilance, like a guardian on the verge of unleashing a storm.

  The fight was over.

  But Gabriel knew, with an unsettling certainty, that this had only been the prelude to something far greater.

  —How do you know each other? —Gabriel broke the silence cautiously.

  Max took a deep breath before speaking.

  —It’s hard to believe… When I was a child, every night I dreamed of a girl crying in a strange place. It was always the same dream. Until one day… she saw me. That girl was Diya. —He paused—. I always thought she was just a creation of my mind.

  —I thought you were a defense mechanism —Diya added with a half-smile—. Something my mind created so I wouldn’t completely lose it.

  —So… everything you told me was real? —Max asked, a gentle sadness in his voice.

  Diya nodded.

  —I was kidnapped as a baby by a tribe of Raksuras. Slaver demons. They raised me… —she hesitated—. Well, not exactly. They taught me to speak and write only so they could use me as a servant.

  She handed each of them a cup of coffee.

  —Those idiots thought I was human. When I was fifteen, my magic manifested for the first time. One of them tried to hit me, and a circle filled with strange symbols formed… —she slowly closed her fingers—. His fist disintegrated. After that, they locked me up. Isolated. I never knew why they didn’t kill me.

  The pain was visible in her eyes.

  —Months later, a curious demon started sneaking into my cell to talk —she said, glancing at Kiran with a soft laugh—. One night, while everyone was asleep, he helped me escape and return to the mortal realm. He could have left me behind… but he didn’t. Since then, we’ve always been together.

  —What can I say? Lesbians are my weakness —Kiran commented with a crooked smile, taking a sip of his drink.

  —I’m not a lesbian —Diya replied, laughing.

  Gabriel stepped closer and hugged her carefully. Diya was surprised. No one had ever hugged her like that before, without fear or expectation. She felt an unexpected warmth.

  —I’m so sorry —Gabriel said—. Sorry if I’m crossing any boundaries… I’m still learning.

  —No… it’s okay —she replied softly.

  —I was fifteen when I stopped dreaming about you —Max added, full of unanswered questions.

  —Okay, enough about me —Diya said, shifting the focus—. What happened to you?

  She gestured toward Max’s hands.

  —Magic —he replied—. It’s new. My parents were kidnapped by a witch. While we were trying to find them, I discovered she had been blocking my magic since I was a child. Now… I move things without touching them.

  The cup lifted smoothly into the air in front of them.

  —So you really are a sorcerer—Kiran said—. Weird. I thought they were only women.

  —I’m the only one —Max replied bitterly—. Basically, I show up when things get really bad.

  —A disposable weapon —Kiran said seriously.

  —Hey! A little tact —Diya scolded him.

  —He’s right… —Max admitted.

  Diya then looked at Gabriel.

  —And you are…?

  —Gabriel. I’m the—

  —My boyfriend —Max interrupted without hesitation.

  Diya smiled sincerely.

  —Nice to meet you.

  Suddenly, Kiran slid down from the edge of the window, tensing.

  —Diya… we’ve got movement.

  —Did they follow you? —she asked, locking the door.

  —No… I don’t think so —Gabriel replied, alert.

  —Then Daddy sent another little puppy —Kiran said mockingly.

  —I hate him —Diya whispered, pressing a finger to her lips to demand silence.

  Outside, the forest had begun to move again.

  Kiran and Diya watched through the window until something emerged from among the trees.

  The creature did not walk.

  It spilled itself into the darkness.

  Its form was unstable, as if made of liquid light and torn shadows, a body that seemed to have forgotten how to be solid. From within it burst an intense, pulsing blue glow, like an exposed heart beating with a will alien to the world. Each beat warped the air around it.

  Its limbs stretched and twisted unnaturally, leaving trails of energy that clawed at reality itself. Every movement was an error, a living crack in the fabric of the world. When it recoiled, its shape collapsed inward until it shrank into a luminous core: a swirling mass of light and darkness where something—an eye, a consciousness—watched in silence.

  It was not a monster of flesh.

  It was an entity born of primordial forces, a predator that did not hunt from hunger, but from cosmic necessity. Wherever its presence manifested, reality became unstable, as if the world itself knew that thing should not exist… and yet, it did.

  —Sons of bitches… it’s a Tenlu —Kiran spat, his face tight—. They know I’m here.

  —I told you turning so many creatures into ash would draw attention —Diya replied, dragging a piece of furniture to barricade the door.

  —Beautiful… that won’t stop it —Kiran stepped away from the window, his expression grim—. We have to escape.

  —I have an idea —Max cut in.

  He pressed both hands against the back wall of the cabin and closed his eyes.

  —Dissolvit.

  The whisper ran through the wood like a living breath. The wall began to ripple, to breathe, as if it had turned into quicksand. The grain dissolved, the structure collapsed in silence, and within seconds the wood turned to dust, leaving an opening in the perfect shape of a door.

  —Okay —Kiran said, already moving—. Time to go. Today’s not the day this pretty demon dies.

  The Tenlu advanced.

  And the forest behind them began to scream.

  The four of them pushed through the undergrowth when the forest suddenly lit up with a bluish explosion. The glow erupted from where the cabin had been, and a second later a shockwave tore through the trees, ripping leaves and branches free.

  Then came the footsteps.

  Slow. Heavy.

  Each impact against the ground made the earth vibrate like a war drum.

  That thing was coming straight for them.

  —Shit… —Kiran performed an impossible, unnatural flip, and in the blink of an eye he was perched in the treetop—. Diya, it’s too close. We’re not fast enough.

  —I know —she replied, turning with dangerous calm—. We’ll have to fight.

  Max and Gabriel exchanged a brief look and nodded at the same time. There was no doubt, no turning back.

  —Guys —Kiran said with a crooked, almost amused smile—, I hope you don’t die. But if you do… it was nice meeting you.

  The footsteps drew nearer, stronger with every step, as if the entire forest were being crushed beneath an impossible weight. Kiran stayed hidden among the branches, while Diya, Max, and Gabriel spread out between the trees, looking for angles, preparing spells, holding back their fear.

  —Hey… puppy —Kiran shouted from above.

  The Tenlu turned.

  The blue light emanating from its body intensified. Kiran didn’t feel the direct heat, but something in his instincts screamed that if that thing touched him, it would be worse than burning alive.

  The Tenlu slammed into the tree.

  Once.

  Again.

  The wood creaked, splintered, groaned. Then the creature stopped. It lifted its luminous core, analyzing, calculating. And began to climb.

  —Perfect… —Kiran muttered through clenched teeth.

  He raised his right arm, extending his index finger. The air around him heated instantly. A massive fireball formed, fueled by rage and pure will.

  —Come on! —he roared, hurling it with all his strength.

  The explosion engulfed the treetop. Smoke, fragments of light, silence.

  Kiran held his breath.

  Then the Tenlu emerged from the smoke.

  It leapt.

  Straight at him.

  Before he could react, Diya had already moved. It was pure instinct. She planted herself firmly, brought her hands together and, without separating her palms, twisted each one in opposite directions. The air tore apart.

  A set of interlocking circles, covered in ancient runes, materialized in front of Kiran. They emitted a blinding white light, charged with an old, ferocious power.

  The Tenlu crashed into the seal.

  The impact was brutal.

  The creature was hurled into a tree, which split apart with a sharp crack. A distorted, inhuman scream echoed through the entire forest.

  The Tenlu slowly straightened.

  And then it looked at her.

  Diya.

  Its true target.

  She did not step back. She did not scream. She did not tremble.

  In her eyes there was no fear.

  Only hatred.

  And a rage so pure it seemed capable of setting the world on fire.

  —Let’s play… you want me —Diya taunted, taking a defensive stance, as if she were about to face the creature bare-handed.

  The Tenlu answered the challenge immediately.

  It charged toward her.

  Diya charged too.

  When only a few centimeters separated them, the creature threw a brutal strike. Diya slid beneath the attack with perfect precision and, in the same motion, one of those spinning circles materialized in her right hand, humming like a living electric saw.

  The cut was clean.

  The circle tore through the Tenlu’s abdomen, ripping apart the light and shadow that made up its form. The creature let out a distorted shriek.

  Diya did not stop.

  She rose and began hurling spikes formed from that same cutting energy—brilliant projectiles that embedded themselves in the Tenlu’s unstable body, tearing fragments from its essence.

  Max did not fall behind.

  With a wide gesture, he made rotting logs and massive rocks levitate, hurling them one after another at the creature. The impacts shook the ground, kicking up dust and splinters. Amid the chaos, Max and Diya locked eyes.

  They did not speak.

  They did not need to.

  There was a silent connection between them, something that went beyond words.

  Max placed both hands on the earth. Runes began to emerge across his body, coursing over his skin like living veins of lavender light. His eyes shone like lit lanterns.

  —Realitatem format, solidum instabile reddit —he recited.

  The air turned electric. The forest trembled.

  A quake shook the ground, and the earth beneath the Tenlu began to split open, dragging it downward, trapping it in a prison of rock and energy that immobilized it completely.

  Max lifted his gaze to Diya and nodded, signaling upward with a slight tilt of his head.

  Diya was propelled by the air.

  As she ascended, her body became covered in lavender runes that burned with blinding intensity. Her eyes shone like stars. Between her hands, a spear began to form.

  It was an elegant, ceremonial weapon, forged with a mystical and divine aesthetic. The shaft, long and slender, had a dark, polished tone, capped at both ends with golden and amber metallic details, as if they contained solidified fire.

  The tip, sharp and symmetrical, was composed of stylized metal blades that wrapped around an incandescent core, like a living flame trapped in metal. Ornamental shapes—resembling wings or burning petals—unfurled around it, and small sparks raced along its edges like restrained lightning.

  Ethereal ribbons of golden light floated near the grip, giving it an unreal, legendary appearance—a weapon created not only to kill, but to purify.

  —?Impuritatem pelle! —Diya shouted.

  The spear crackled with energy. Lavender lightning gathered at its tip until it became unbearable to look at.

  Diya fell.

  With unimaginable force, the spear pierced the Tenlu’s head.

  Although the creature possessed no true physical body, the impact destroyed something essential. Like an infection being purged, the electricity spread through its entire form. The Tenlu began to disintegrate from within, its light collapsing, its shadow unraveling, until it was reduced to ashes that the wind scattered among the trees.

  The spear vanished.

  The runes faded.

  Max and Diya returned to normal, gasping, covered in dust and silence.

  At last, the forest began to breathe again.

  —What the hell just happened? Since when can you do that? —Kiran exclaimed, hugging Diya with almost childlike enthusiasm.

  —I didn’t know… —she replied, staring at her hands in amazement—. My magic changed color. It feels different… stronger.

  Gabriel stepped forward, interrupting them.

  —We need to leave. There’s a safe place; you can come with us.

  Diya looked up, serious.

  —I’m not going anywhere without Kiran.

  —There won’t be any problems with demons where we’re going —Max assured her.

  —Tolerant witches… —Kiran let out a laugh that echoed through the trees—. I’ve seen everything now.

  The four of them made their way back to Max’s car and, together, started the journey home—carrying questions, uneasy silences… and two new allies.