A group of students set out early in the morning towards the mountains. The air was chilly, and mist curled between the trees, creating a surreal landscape. The bus was silent, interrupted only by the hum of the engine and the rustle of leaves outside the windows. Tommy, Makoto, Anna, and Maja sat in their seats, lost in their thoughts. At the front of the bus, Jian and Barbara exchanged quiet remarks, observing the students. No one uttered a word.

The bus came to a jarring stop in a small clearing surrounded by trees. Barbara stood up and turned to the students.

“We're getting off. This is where you'll spend the week. Prepare yourselves.”

As they stepped outside, the cold air wrapped around them like an icy mist. The surroundings were completely different from the place they remembered from their previous trip. The spacetime rift was secured by tall fences, around which armed guards patrolled. Despite the security, the tension in the air was almost tangible.

Jian led the group toward the clearing, stopping in front of a dense forest whose dark trees seemed to reach the sky.

“This is where you'll spend the week,” he said calmly. “Your goal is to summon your spiritual weapons. Each of you must do this on your own.”

Anna raised her hand, trying to ask a question, but Jian ignored her gesture.

“You will enter the forest one by one. Only when I call you. Before you enter, each of you will face yourselves. This is not a place for the weak. If you are not ready, you may turn back now.”

No one spoke. Maja tightened her grip on her backpack strap, trying to appear confident. Makoto looked calm as always, though determination sparkled in his eyes. Anna swallowed hard, trying to control her fear. Only Tommy clearly didn’t take the situation seriously—he shrugged as if to show he didn’t care.

“Excellent,” Jian said, looking at the group with a slight smile. “Makoto, you’re up first.”

Makoto stepped confidently towards the forest, while the rest stayed in the clearing, watching as he disappeared into the thicket. Tommy yawned, then sat on a stump, pulling out his phone.

“Good luck, genius,” he muttered under his breath, watching Makoto.

The forest seemed silent, almost unnaturally still, as if it were waiting for something to happen. Jian walked beside him, his face betraying no emotion.

After a few minutes of silence, Makoto couldn't hold back.

“It’s because of you I’m here,” he said, casting a quick glance at his mentor. His voice was full of anger, though he tried to suppress it. “You said that if I joined this class, you’d teach me how to unlock the remaining chakras.”

Jian raised an eyebrow, looking at the boy with curiosity but remained silent.

Makoto clenched his fists, his anger growing.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about,” he continued, his voice rising. “You know I was expelled from the Sixth Chakra Monastery because I awakened. You know I’ve been stuck ever since! You promised to help me, Jian!”

At that moment, he realized Jian had vanished.

“Jian?!” he called, looking around. The forest seemed to close in above him, as if the trees were growing taller, blocking the light. “You were supposed to teach me how to do it! After I got expelled, all I had left were your lies!”

The echo of his own voice bounced between the trees, filling the space with an unnatural resonance. Makoto heard a rustle of leaves above him and quickly looked up. Something enormous was approaching with terrifying speed.

A giant mutant, resembling a cross between a dragon and a bird, charged from the air. Its body was covered in thick, scaly skin, and its claws glistened in the dim light as if made of pure metal.

“Damn,” Makoto muttered, drawing his katana.

image [https://i.postimg.cc/MZB4ZThK/462588666-1421587548817432-6805053882229351018-n.jpg]

The mutant attacked, lunging at him with a roar. Makoto blocked the strike, but the impact almost tore the weapon from his hands. The beast’s thick skin seemed impenetrable. Every cut he tried to make bounced off the scales as if he were striking stone.

The mutant lunged again, this time with greater force. Makoto tried to block the blow, but this time the katana couldn’t withstand it. The blade snapped with a loud crack, and Makoto stepped back, nearly falling onto his back.

“Great, just great,” he muttered, breathing heavily.

Frustration built up inside him. He knew Jian was watching, even though he couldn’t see him anywhere. He also knew Jian would probably step in if the situation became truly dangerous. But that only fueled his anger.

“I don’t need your help!” he shouted upwards, looking at the tree canopies as if willing Jian to hear him.

The mutant prepared for another attack. Makoto took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He focused on the image in his head. He imagined his katana—perfect, untouched, pulsating with the pink energy of his soul. The vision was so intense he could almost feel its weight in his hands.

When he opened his eyes, a new weapon had indeed appeared in his hands. It was beautiful, emanating light, with pink energy pulsing along the blade.

The mutant lunged at him with a roar, but Makoto stood firm. His move was quick and precise. With one stroke, he cut through the air, and the mutant's head fell off, landing with a thud on the ground. The beast convulsed before finally going still.

Makoto stood motionless for a moment, looking at his weapon. He exhaled heavily, a mix of triumph and relief shining in his eyes.

“Well done,” came a familiar voice. Jian appeared from behind the trees as if nothing had happened. “I’ll keep my promise soon.”

Makoto looked at him, his eyes filled with more than just anger. There was determination.

“You’d better,” he replied coldly before following Jian back to the clearing, where Barbara waited to tend to him.

The rest of the group sat in the clearing, nervously glancing at the tree line. Several hours had passed since Makoto entered the forest, and no news had come. Anna, sitting on the ground with her knees pulled to her chest, nervously picked at her sweatshirt.

“What about Makoto?” she asked when Jian finally appeared in the clearing. Her voice trembled, and her eyes were full of worry.

“He’ll be fine,” Jian replied calmly, as if the whole situation was perfectly normal. “Now it’s Tommy’s turn.”

Tommy looked at Jian with mild displeasure but stood up from the ground.

“Sure, my turn for nightmare experiences,” he muttered under his breath, brushing off his pants.

Without much protest, he followed Jian, staring at his back. The forest seemed to swallow them both, the darkness thickening with each step.

After a few minutes of walking, Tommy noticed something was wrong. Jian, who had been walking just ahead of him, suddenly vanished.

“Jian?” he called out, looking around. Silence. Only the leaves rustled gently in the wind.

“Great, he ditched me,” he muttered, sitting under a large tree. He pulled a gaming console from his pocket and turned it on.

Time passed, and Tommy immersed himself in the game, trying to forget about the strange situation. After a few hours, he felt a growing hunger. He frowned and started shouting:

“Jian! This isn’t funny! Come out before I starve to death here!”

The silence answered him. The forest seemed… different. Tommy looked around. The trees looked different, the path he had come on had vanished, and the air grew heavy and oppressive.

He stood and started walking, trying to find his way back, but every step only confused him more.

“What if I never get out of here?” he thought, feeling panic rising. “What if I never eat my favorite chips again?”

Worried, he didn’t notice the ground suddenly ending under his feet. He screamed as he fell off a cliff, landing in a narrow canyon. His console dropped beside him, shattering into pieces.

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“No…” he whispered, looking at the broken device.

Struggling to his feet, he felt his body ache. He looked up at the canyon walls, which seemed impossible to climb.

“This is the end…” he thought, sitting down in defeat.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. Tommy looked up to see a giant mutant resembling a worm emerging from a large mound nearby. Its armor gleamed in the light, and its movements were quick and aggressive. Before Tommy could react, the beast grabbed him with its jaws and dragged him underground.

Tommy found himself in a dark, damp chamber carved into the earth. The walls were covered in slime, and the floor was littered with the bones of dead animals—and humans. This was the mutant's pantry.

The beast tossed Tommy into a corner as if it considered him dead. The boy lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling.

“I don’t have the strength anymore…” he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. “I just want this to end.”

But at that moment, one thought pierced through the darkness.

“If only I could play one more time…”

The desire was so strong that he felt a strange warmth in his hands. He looked down and saw a spiritual console forming in them, glowing with a cherry light.

Tommy stared at it in disbelief.

“This is impossible…” he whispered, but his fingers instinctively reached for the buttons.

A game appeared on the screen – a simple hero fighting monsters. The more levels he gained in the game, the stronger he felt. Each destroyed enemy in the virtual world seemed to add to his energy.

Finally, the mutant returned, opening its maw to devour him. But this time, Tommy was ready. With extraordinary speed, he jumped over the beast, avoiding its attack.

“This time, you're the final boss,” he said with a mischievous smile.

Using the new strength his weapon gave him, Tommy attacked the mutant. After a short, fierce battle, he managed to slice the beast in half, and its body fell lifeless to the ground.

As he emerged from the underground labyrinth, he saw Jian and Barbara waiting at the entrance.

“Good job,” said Jian approvingly, nodding his head. “Barbara will take you to Makoto and tend to your wounds.”

Tommy looked at them, still dazed by what had happened, but a spark of new determination gleamed in his eyes.

The evening was already deep when Jian returned to the clearing. His expression remained inscrutable as he looked at Maya.

“Your turn,” he said, pointing to the forest.

Maya, though her heart quickened, stood up without a word. She watched Anna, who stayed in the clearing.

“You'll manage,” she heard Anna's quiet whisper, but she didn’t reply. She followed Jian, with apparent confidence in every step.

The darkness of the forest seemed to consume everything. Jian led her through the first few minutes in absolute silence, and Maya tried to ignore the thousands of thoughts swirling in her head. "Can I handle it?", "Am I strong enough?" With each moment, she felt increasing tension.

After a while, Jian disappeared, as if he had dissolved into the air.

“Jian?” she called, looking around. Only the echo answered her.

The forest seemed endless. Ahead, she noticed a vague shape – the entrance to a cave. With no better idea, she headed that way.

As she approached the cave, she heard a rustle in the bushes. She froze, turning towards the source of the sound.

Anna emerged from the undergrowth, her face pale but full of determination.

image [https://i.postimg.cc/BQcVDzSr/472466292-1664279074464945-3570257789720240681-n.jpg]

“Anna? What are you doing here?!” Maya burst out, more surprised than angry.

“I was afraid to stay alone,” Anna replied, lowering her gaze. “I followed you, but I got lost… And then I saw you.”

“You ignored the instructor's orders!” Maya hissed, then sighed heavily. “But since you're here anyway, we should stick together.”

They entered the cave, which seemed like a safe shelter for the night. Maya knew how to light a fire – a skill she had learned long ago. As soon as the fire illuminated the interior, they felt a little better.

However, their peace did not last long. As the warmth of the fire spread, both girls felt something strange. A cold breath appeared on their backs. They turned slowly.

Behind them stood a giant spider mutant. Its eyes gleamed in the firelight, and its limbs moved with terrifying precision. Anna screamed, and Maya froze in place.

The spider lunged at Maya, grabbing her with its long limbs. Before Anna could react, the spider pulled Maya deeper into the cave.

Anna stood paralyzed by fear, but the thought of leaving Maya to her fate was unbearable. She gathered her courage, grabbed a burning branch from the fire, and rushed into the depths of the cave.

Inside, she found Maya, wrapped in thick webbing, hanging from the ceiling. The spider had already sunk its fangs into her.

“I won’t let you kill her!” Anna shouted, pressing the burning branch against the web.

The web began to melt, and Maya fell to the ground. Anna noticed a bite mark on her shoulder. Her instinct told her she had to do something before the spider’s venom killed her.

Suddenly, she felt warmth in her hands. When she looked down, she saw green strands of energy forming around her hands, resembling bandages.

“Please, work…” she whispered, applying the bandages to Maya’s wound.

The green energy wrapped around the bite, and the wound began to slowly heal. After a moment, Maya opened her eyes, looking at Anna in disbelief.

“You saved me?” she asked weakly.

Anna didn’t have time to answer, as the spider returned, roaring angrily.

Anna tried to attack it with her spiritual bandage, but her skills weren’t developed enough yet. The spider started to approach.

Seeing this, Maya felt immense frustration. She didn’t want to be the one who needed saving. She didn’t want to owe Anna.

From this anger, her strength was born. In her hands appeared her spiritual scissors, stable and strong this time.

“I’ll deal with you now!” she shouted, lunging at the spider.

With one precise move, she stabbed the scissors right between the monster’s eyes. The spider let out a horrific sound before crashing to the ground.

Both girls, exhausted, emerged from the cave, where Jian and Barbara were waiting for them.

“Impressive,” said Jian approvingly. “Anna, a surprise. Your healing abilities are rare and exceptional. Maya, you proved your strength.”

The girls joined the rest of the group in a small wooden cabin, where they spent the night.

Over the following days, Jian taught all four how to use their spiritual weapons. Each day, the students grew stronger and more aware of their abilities. After a week, they returned to school, ready for new challenges.

The principal’s office, two days before the special class’s return.

The principal’s office was shrouded in semi-darkness, illuminated only by the warm light of an old lamp on the desk. Philip Nowak sat in a leather chair, surrounded by rows of neatly arranged documents. On the desk lay a letter – carefully sealed with a gold signet bearing a royal crest, which Philip had not yet opened.

For a moment, he stared at it silently, as if weighing in his mind whether to open it at all. Finally, his slender fingers reached for the envelope. He ran his thumb over the embossed crest, the corners of his mouth lifting in a subtle, almost imperceptible smile.

“So, the time has come,” he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

He opened the envelope with a careful movement, as if its contents could be as dangerous as they were precious. Inside was a carefully written card, adorned with golden ornaments. The letters, drawn in meticulous calligraphy, seemed to shine in the dim light of the lamp:

“On the occasion of the upcoming Dziady (a traditional Slavic ritual honoring ancestors), the Royal Council invites the entire special class to the ceremony. The event will take place on October 31st, at 10:00 PM, at the royal castle on Wawel. Formal attire is required.”

Philip frowned as he read the invitation. He raised his eyes, staring at the space above the desk for a moment.

“Dziady…” he said softly, almost whispering. “It’s been a year since we were last there.”

His gaze hardened, and a note of seriousness, rarely seen on his face, appeared in his eyes.

“I wonder if anyone from this class will find an answer there,” he added with a hint of irony in his voice, placing the letter back on the desk.

Philip reached for a cup of cold coffee, lifting it to his lips. For a moment, he lingered in thought, letting his mind drift.

“This year’s Dziady may be different,” he thought, setting the cup back on the desk. “I wonder if any of them are ready to face the truth about themselves.”

The office filled with silence, broken only by the ticking of the old clock on the wall. Something intangible lingered in the air, like a forewarning of something soon to come.

Outside, the wind rustled the tree branches, and the moon cast a gentle light on the dark landscape. Autumn was beginning to take its place, and Philip knew that the approaching night of Dziady would bring not only answers but also questions that no one was prepared for.

The end of season 2.