With the bookstore closed, we take the chance to tidy up and chat. Our conversations occasionally drift toward demonic matters, but we balance them with lighter, casual topics. I also share my experiments with fire, but everyone agrees it's risky to rely on it too much. It could fail us in a critical moment. We also try to piece together even the vaguest clues from our memories, but our efforts come up empty. We agree to gather at Bardo by evening, hoping to get some guidance.
"Is everyone ready?" Arthur asks, fluffing a pillow on the table.
I can't help but smile. His determination to avoid a sore head is almost endearing as he goes out of his way to take extra precautions.
"Let's go," Elle says, closing her eyes first.
I follow her lead, shutting my eyes. I'm standing in a stark, white meeting room when I open them again. The others are already there, their faces reflecting a blend of anticipation and unease.
"What a feast," Balthazar greets us with a sweeping gesture toward the empty chairs. "Take a seat, my dears."
We settle into our seats, glancing at one another, each waiting for someone else to break the silence.
"I don't know what you're doing here," Eleonora begins, her voice is steady, but her eyes reveal her concern. "But we need help. That demon is still at large. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but it's likely he's reached the fourth category."
Balthazar leans back, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I understand your concern, and it's justified. He's a significant threat, and while the higher-ups are doing their best to track him, it's proving... challenging. The Bardo's domain can't detect him."
"What does that mean?" Arthur asks, his brows furrowed.
"It means Kaja's inability to have visions isn't just bad luck," Balthazar explains, his tone heavy. "Visions happen when a demon enters the Bardo's energy network. This one has managed to avoid it entirely. I don't know how, but I fear he might be able to sense it."
"Well, fucking great," Arthur mutters, earning a sharp glance from our guardian.
"Can't he be found another way?" Kaja asks.
"You don't understand the real problem. If he can sense the Bardo's energy, he can sense you, too. In that case, he's tracking you. Not the other way around."
Balthazar's words land like thunder on a clear day, leaving an unsettling silence afterward, heavy with the weight of realization. If this is true, then Leo already knows exactly where we are. He's not merely avoiding us—he's likely planning something. The thought sends a chill down my spine, and one glance at the others reveals the same dread etched into their faces.
"So, he's already reached the fourth category," Elle says grimly, giving voice to our shared fear.
"That's very likely," the old man admits reluctantly.
"We've never faced this before," Arthur growls, his frustration barely contained. "How the hell are we supposed to stop him?"
"The process remains the same. He must be summoned, like any other demon. However, this will be far more complicated." Balthazar says, his eyes distant with thought. "Psychokinesis isn't the only ability he might gain. He'll also be able to change bodies. You must ensure he neither escapes nor dies before the summoning is complete."
He delivers the explanation with a maddening calm, as though he were reciting a simple equation. The nonchalance grates on my nerves.
"Bullshit," Arthur sighs, shaking his head. "Isn't there any other way? Can't we call for reinforcements?"
"I can arrange for someone from another team to join you," Balthazar says, his tone calm but firm, "but it won't change the core problem. There's no alternative."
"Fine," Arthur sighs. "But how do we stop him from escaping during the summoning? You can't just grab a soul. It's absurd."
"There is one way." Balthazar hesitates for a moment. "Nathaniel's fire. As I have read, not only does it expel a demon's essence, but it can also trap it. If you create a circle of fire, demons won't be able to change forms. He must remain inside that circle for the summoning to succeed."
"There is one way." Balthazar hesitates for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "Nathaniel's fire. As I've read, not only does it expel a demon's essence, but it can also trap it. Within a circle of blue fire, the demon won't be able to change form. He must remain inside that circle for the summoning to succeed."
A knot tightens in my stomach. Everyone looks at me uneasily, knowing I've been struggling to master the flame. And now, it's clear—it's our only hope. My frustration boils over.
"Fantastic," I mutter through gritted teeth. "So I'm just supposed to wake up one day, magically understand how to actually kill demons with it, and on top of that, create a perfect circle and hold it long enough?"
"Nathaniel," Balthazar says calmly, his gaze steady, "your ability is unique. The fact that you've been granted a gift I've only read about in legends means you can master it."
His words hit home, though painfully. The entity inside me isn't like anything I've encountered. Maybe I've been approaching it all wrong. Everything I thought I knew about it might be completely off.
"Is there a way to communicate with it?" I ask suddenly, my voice quieter than before. "The... thing inside me?"
Balthazar strokes his beard again. "The entity within you isn't a soul like ours. It's pure Bardo energy, choosing its gift independently. It doesn't have consciousness. It senses you and helps when needed, but you can't speak to it."
I take a moment to process this. If it can't tell me what to do, then I'll have to figure it out myself. Time is running out, and I need a solution. I need to go back to the very beginning.
"Excuse me, but... could someone explain what's going on?"
Cody??