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 me, I felt renewed and my body felt light. It was indescribably gratifying to see how my fantasies came 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 became to breathe and I felt as if something was weighing on my shoulders.

For the first time, I realized that true terror doesn't even come 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 me.

I wondered if it was an illusion to feel that it was making eye contact with me.

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 me at that moment.

As strange as it seemed, 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 me, 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 me no matter how much I touched him.

But it didn't take me 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.

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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 became so cold that breathing hurt, and the darkness seemed to press against my closed eyelids, tempting me 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 me courage.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the presence began to retreat. The air gradually became 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 me and comforted me:

—It's okay, it's okay... Everything is fine... That monster is gone now. You'll be fine... We'll be fine...

His words seemed to have some 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 memories, 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 come 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 seemed to glow with their own light, creating a space that defied the logic of the previous gloomy chambers. In the center, an elaborate mechanism immediately 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 geometric precision of the construction suggested a purpose beyond the merely 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 mechanism 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 some kind of control mechanism.

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 mechanism 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 time, however, the creature wasn't content with lurking.

In a movement that seemed to defy the laws of physics, the entity appeared behind me. Its black hands, if they could be called that, extended toward me with a clear intention: to force me to look directly into its eyes.