"Emilia?" Jose called out, stepping forward cautiously.
But she didn't respond. Instead, she raised her hand, and a sudden force surged toward us like a gust of wind. Jose and I were thrown back, slamming into the cold stone wall.
"Emilia, stop!" I shouted, pushing myself to my feet.
She stepped forward, her movements unnaturally fluid. Her voice, when she spoke, was layered with an otherworldly echo. "You should not have come here. Leave now, or be destroyed."
Jose reached for his weapon, but his pendant, an amulet he always wore around his neck, suddenly glowed with a golden light. The light enveloped him, preventing him from making an immediate attack.
"It's not her!" Jose exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Something's controlling her!"
The realization hit me like a lightning bolt. Whatever was manipulating Emilia wasn't just using her as a puppet, it was using her strength against us. I had to think fast.
"Jose, distract her!" I yelled, dodging another wave of energy Emilia sent our way.
"What's the plan?" he called back, narrowly avoiding a swipe of her blade as she lunged toward him.
Inside my head, I frantically pieced together what little I knew about spirits and possession. The multo were they trying to warn us about this? Could they help? I glanced at the glowing pendant around Jose's neck. It had stopped him from attacking Emilia. Could it work on her?
A memory surfaced: the whispers of the multo, their gestures and warnings. They weren't trying to harm us as if they were trying to guide us. I gritted my teeth, formulating a plan.
"Jose, keep her busy, but don't hurt her!" I shouted, my voice steady despite the chaos.
He nodded, lunging forward to engage Emilia. Her movements were precise, almost inhumanly so, as she parried his strikes and countered with frightening speed. But Jose held his ground, using his agility to stay one step ahead.
Meanwhile, I focused on the multo around us. Their forms flickered, and their whispers grew louder as I concentrated on them. "Help me," I murmured, my voice a desperate plea. "If you're warning us, show me how to save her."
One of the multo drifted closer, its translucent form shimmering like smoke in the torchlight. It raised a skeletal hand and pointed at Jose's pendant. The glowing amulet, it wasn't just protecting him; it was a tool.
"Jose! The pendant!" I called out, rushing toward him.
He turned to me briefly, dodging another attack from Emilia. "What about it?"
"Use it on her!"
Jose didn't hesitate. As Emilia lunged again, he sidestepped her and reached out, pressing the glowing pendant against her forehead.
The moment the amulet made contact, a blinding light filled the corridor, and Emilia let out a bloodcurdling scream. The force controlling her seemed to recoil, its presence retreating like a shadow fleeing the sun. She collapsed to her knees, the glow fading from her eyes as she gasped for breath.
"Emilia!" I rushed to her side, helping her up.
She looked at me, her blue eyes filled with confusion and fear. "What... happened?"
"You were possessed," Jose said, his voice steady but laced with concern.
Emilia's gaze darted between us and the multo, her expression softening. "I think they were trying to protect us. Whatever's ahead... it's worse than we thought."
The corridor ahead seemed endless, the flickering torchlight casting ominous shadows on the damp stone walls. The faint whispering of the multo still lingered in the air, a haunting melody that echoed in our minds. Emilia, shaken but determined, held onto Jose's glowing pendant, her grip firm as if drawing strength from it.
"We need to keep moving," she said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.
As we continued, the oppressive atmosphere only grew heavier. The whispers of the multo became more urgent, their incorporeal forms darting around us like restless phantoms. My forehead throbbed again, the sharp pain nearly buckling my knees.
"Are you okay?" Emilia asked, glancing at me with concern.
"I'm fine," I lied, clutching my head. "Just... something about this place. It's like it's pulling at me."
Jose walked a few steps ahead, his usual calm demeanor intact, but his silence was unnerving. He hadn't said much since handing over the pendant, and there was a stiffness to his movements that set my nerves on edge.
"Jose," I called out, "you good?"
He stopped abruptly, his back to us. For a moment, he didn't respond. Then, he turned his head slightly, just enough for us to see the faint glow of white overtaking his eyes.
"No..." Emilia whispered, clutching the pendant tighter.
Before we could react, Jose spun around, his expression void of emotion. The glowing white eyes were the only indication that something had taken hold of him.
"Leave now," he said, his voice layered with a chilling, otherworldly echo.
"Jose, fight it!" I shouted, stepping toward him.
But he didn't respond. Instead, he lunged at me with lightning speed, his movements unnaturally precise. I barely had time to dodge as his fist smashed into the wall behind me, cracking the stone.
"Emilia, get back!" I shouted, positioning myself between her and Jose.
"But..."
"Just do it!"
Jose's strength was overwhelming, and every strike felt like it carried the weight of a boulder. I ducked and weaved, avoiding his blows while trying to think of a way to restrain him without hurting him.
"Emilia!" I called out. "Use the pendant! Maybe it can stop this!"
She hesitated, then stepped forward, holding the glowing amulet out like a shield. "Jose, stop! This isn't you!"
Jose's eyes flickered briefly, the white glow dimming for a split second before returning in full force. He let out a guttural growl and swiped at Emilia, sending her tumbling to the ground. The pendant slipped from her hand, skidding across the floor and coming to rest at my feet.
I grabbed it, my mind racing. If this thing worked on Emilia, it should work on him too... right?
I rushed forward, aiming to press the pendant against Jose's forehead, but he was faster. He grabbed my wrist in an iron grip and flung me across the room. I hit the wall hard, the air knocked out of my lungs.
"Jiro!" Emilia cried, scrambling to her feet.
Jose turned his attention to her, his movements slow and deliberate, as if savoring the moment. The spirit controlling him wasn't just powerful, it was malevolent.
"Jose, listen to me!" Emilia pleaded, tears welling in her eyes. "You're stronger than this! Don't let it control you!"
For a brief moment, his body froze, and his eyes flickered again. "E...Emilia?" His voice was faint, buried beneath the layers of the spirit's influence.
But the reprieve was short-lived. The spirit surged back with renewed ferocity, and Jose let out a roar, his aura flaring with an unnatural energy that sent shockwaves through the corridor.
I forced myself to my feet, clutching the pendant tightly. Think, Jiro. Think! My forehead throbbed again, the pain sharper than ever. I could feel something no, someone whispering in my mind, guiding me.
"The multos," I muttered under my breath, realization dawning on me.
The spirits had been trying to guide us all along, warning us of dangers and showing us paths. Maybe they could help us now.
I closed my eyes, focusing on the whispers. The pain in my forehead intensified, and a vision flashed before me: Jose standing in a circle of light, his true self trapped and struggling against the dark tendrils of the possessing spirit.
"Emilia!" I shouted. "Distract him! I think I can reach him!"
She nodded, her resolve firming as she stepped forward. "Hey, Jose! If you're gonna fight, fight me!"
Her words seemed to provoke the spirit, and Jose lunged at her. She dodged and weaved, using the narrow corridor to her advantage.
I focused on the pendant, holding it tightly as I stepped toward Jose. The multo appeared again, their forms flickering in and out of existence. One of them pointed at the pendant, then at Jose, as if urging me forward.
I took a deep breath and charged. Just as Jose turned to face me, I pressed the pendant against his chest.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a blinding light erupted from the amulet, illuminating the entire corridor. Jose screamed, his voice layered with both his own and the spirit's. The light seemed to push the dark energy back, but it wasn't enough to expel it entirely.
The spirit fought harder, and Jose's movements became more erratic. "You... can't... win," it hissed through his lips.
I gritted my teeth, refusing to let go. "Jose, fight it! You're stronger than this!"
But the light began to fade, and the spirit's hold seemed to strengthen. The pendant fell from my hands, its glow extinguished.
Jose stood there, his breathing heavy, the white glow in his eyes more intense than ever. The spirit hadn't been defeated—it was still in control.
"Jiro," Emilia said, her voice trembling. "What do we do now?"
I clenched my fists, determination surging through me. "We don't give up. If the pendant didn't work, there has to be another way. We'll find it."
The trial wasn't over, and Jose was still under the spirit's control. But I wasn't about to leave him behind. Whatever it took, I would find a way to free him even if it meant facing the darkness head-on.