Back in the church, the first thing the Emperor did, as an Emperor capable of handling any situation correctly and making wise decisions, was to point his sword at Marc.
"Who are you? And how come she knows you? If I don't like your story, I'll kill you."
Marc was sick of these forced interrogations where he stressed with all the water in his body.
"For the umpteenth time, I don't know this person and I don't know why she knows me."
"You seem to be known in this other world but yet you don't have a clue."
"I haven't the slightest idea."
The Emperor turned his cold gaze back to Marc. But this time, Marc's gaze was cold as well.
"I don't think this is the time to argue."
"The Emperor wouldn't argue with a boy like that."
"I know. I know he wouldn't. But do you even know where we are?"
The Emperor looked around. The room he had entered did not leave them unmoved. The walls were even more engraved than all the others in the church. Marc could read the word Aregis over fifty times. Although it seemed incomprehensible to them, they soon realized that there was nothing normal about this room. There were no drawings. Just engravings that wound around this room.
"I don't get it. What was the purpose of this room?"
"I don't know any more than you do. It's the first time I've been there, but its aura is special. The engravings are numerous. Too many. And I wonder why there's nothing else in this circular room. If we knew what it meant, we'd certainly know the mystery behind it."
As much as Marc wanted to decipher, it didn't make sense to him.
"Why do we understand what beings from the other world say, but can't read what's written in their language?"
"There may be more than one?"
"But would everyone we came across speak our language?"
"We've only come across one, Marc. Two with Goagi."
"With me, we saw the famous guy and the person he was chatting to."
"And I also saw the lady."
The Emperor was unfamiliar with all his encounters. He couldn't see what he was talking about at all, but he could situate them a little from their stories. Suddenly, they all heard knocks coming from the door.
"Exorian. Take pictures. The rest of you, get ready to fight. We've got to get out of this church.
"But sir, you know very well that pictures reveal nothing once taken."
"Let's try anyway."
He put his hand on his scabbard and prepared to draw.
"His doors won't crack, but we've got to get out of here. We're too tired to engage in any combat so focus on protecting Marc and Elie and your survival. Clear?"
"Clear."
"See you outside."
As he said this, he opened the door and drew his sword at full speed. The sword sliced the white being standing behind in half, and he charged forward.
"It's been a beautiful day.
There were perhaps over a thousand beings waiting outside the door. All with their starry eyes and fine white clothes. The Emperor charged through and sliced through whatever was in his way.
"Close the gap, Exorian."
This was his last order before a very tight escape. Jin moved to Marc's front and Nathanaël to the rear.
"I'm going forward."
Jin led the way behind the Emperor. He struck as hard as he could into a white being to send it waltzing over the others, but they were so crowded that the blow was cushioned.
"Damn."
"Try this."
Exorian threw a knife at him. Jin realized he had no choice. He slashed at as many of the beings as he could, moving forward with difficulty. The blows came from left to right and were impossible to counter. Jin, however, didn't back down and kept moving forward. It was Marc's turn to enter the white mass. He pushed everything in his path, even though nothing would budge. He gritted his teeth and asserted himself as best he could. The white creatures didn't give in and pushed Marc back. Some even tried to grab Elie. Marc tried desperately not to let go. He clenched his teeth so hard that blood spurted from his lips. Fortunately, Nathanaël cut off the hands of those who grabbed him.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
Exorian used his wires to slice through those who remained, but even so, their numbers remained immense. Suddenly, Marc had an idea. Like Nathanaël, he intended to use his aura as he had done against Jin. He couldn't see it, but he tried to imagine it. He closed his eyes to concentrate on his atmosphere. His aura appeared so weak that he wondered what Goagi's aura was really like. He couldn't make it grow, but now was not the time to weaken. In a rush of adrenaline, he screamed so loudly that the walls shook. His black aura filled the room.
Jin turned to look at the spectacle. His smile faded as he saw that his master had clearly lost control.
"Master?"
The otherworldly beings were crushed under the pressure of the aura. One by one, they exploded and flattened on top of each other. Marc's eyes went completely black, but despite his loss of control, his body continued to walk. The Emperor, who continued to cut ahead, watched Marc's body carrying Elie, surrounded by a black aura as powerful as the statue's, move forward as if it were a machine.
"You're really not normal, Marc. I couldn't even kill you."
Marc continued forward, unstoppable. He went down the stairs as if no one was there, then, out of the church, he set Elie down on the floor and stopped. Exorian closed the door and everyone gathered around Marc to stop him, but they knew none of them could. Marc straightened his head. His dark eyes met those of Nathanaël. Then the aura stopped and Marc collapsed to the ground.
The Turcan Emperor sat down on a chair in his palace. The day he'd spent with the kids had exhausted him. He had taken them back to Marc's parents and left as if nothing had happened. Exorian entered the room in his turn.
"Exorian, do you think I've made a mistake?"
"Yes, Majesty."
"Do you think it will cost me dearly?"
"Yes, Majesty. And not necessarily for you."
The Emperor looked down at the floor, on which there was a huge carpet with the symbol of the Empire on it. A silver balance with each pan connected to black chains attached to the floor. A grey-green sword rested on the right-hand platter and a butterfly whose symbols marked the spirit flying over the left-hand platter. Although there was a difference in weight, the scale was perfectly balanced. No, in fact, it tilted slightly in favor of the butterfly if you looked very carefully. At the tip of the scale was a dazzling green light that made it impossible to see the objects behind it. But there were. A hand reaching for the scale, ready to catch it, and an emerald-green eye that seemed to be watching with a superior gaze.
This was the symbol of the Empire, the explanation for which was never revealed. Researchers had tried to understand it, but the Emperor never deigned to give answers. Legend had it that only the Emperor had access to the meaning of this symbol, as it was passed down from ruler to ruler. The Turcan Emperor stared ardently at him.
"I think...whatever my decision...things would have started to go wrong. So I might as well let this innocent boy do his best to stop them. Even if it means making things worse."
"Be honest, Majesty. I've known you long enough to know what you're thinking. You liked his story, didn't you?"
Exorian looked at his Emperor still with folded hands staring at the symbol. Turcan looked up, then smiled.
"You know me too well, Exorian."
Exorian was surprised by the Emperor's smile. He smiled very little, and had done so since birth. He had always been a man who never let anything show. But this smile was proof that he was human and, above all, worried.
"I think I'm getting old."
"Majesty."
Exorian smiled back.
"You're not even twenty-five."