The night still blanketed the Argentine jungle as Matt, Tiffany, and Rose approached the area where the reappearance of the Luz Mala had been detected. Paranormal creatures were growing stronger, and this particular phenomenon was accelerating the emergence of the Lobizón.
Rose was consulting her scanner as they moved, her face illuminated by the soft blue glow of the device.
"I've tracked the energy source. The Luz Mala isn't just an isolated phenomenon. It seems connected to an energy core deep underground," she explained. "If we destroy it, we should be able to stop both the light and the Lobizón's regeneration."
Tiffany, walking beside her, nodded, her eyes fixed on the path ahead.
"Whatever is feeding these creatures is altering their cycle. They've never been this persistent or difficult to defeat."
Matt, always trying to keep things light, grinned.
"So, all we have to do is blow up the core. Easy, right?"
Tiffany shot him a sharp look.
"Sure, Matt, as easy as not dying in the process."
Matt raised his hands, giving in as they continued deeper into the thicket. Despite his jokes, he knew the situation was more dangerous than ever. The Luz Mala had already played with their minds once, and they couldn't afford to fall into its traps again.
The Luz Mala's Trap
When they arrived at the clearing where the Luz Mala had last appeared, the atmosphere was eerily still. The full moon illuminated the area, but everything was quiet, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
Rose stopped, staring at her scanner.
"It's close... but it's not moving. It's like it's waiting for us."
Tiffany readied her energy spear.
"We can't let it control the situation. We need to strike fast before it messes with our minds again."
Before they could react, the Luz Mala reappeared in the middle of the clearing, glowing more intensely than ever. Its brilliance was blinding, enveloping the area in a white light that made it hard to see clearly. At the same time, a roar echoed from the trees—the Lobizón was back.
Matt drew his energy pistol, aiming at the light.
"We've got to keep them separated! We can't take on both at the same time."
Rose nodded, adjusting her scanner.
"I'll handle the core! You two keep the light busy."
Battle with the Lobizón and Luz Mala
The Lobizón burst from the trees, its imposing and beastly form charging toward them at a terrifying speed. Tiffany was the first to intercept it, launching herself at the creature with her energy spear. With a fierce cry, she slashed at the Lobizón's flank, but as always, its wounds began to heal instantly.
"We can't destroy it while the Luz Mala is still active!" Tiffany shouted, dodging a swipe from the Lobizón's claws.
Meanwhile, Matt was firing bursts of energy at the Luz Mala, but his shots seemed to pass right through it, doing no harm.
"This isn't working!" he yelled, frowning. "Rose, we need more time!"
Rose, focused on her scanner, had already located the position of the underground core. With precise movements, she began planting a specialized explosive charge designed by the agency to neutralize paranormal sources.
"Just give me one more minute!" she called back, remaining calm.
Tiffany and Matt were locked in a fierce struggle with the Lobizón, which only seemed to grow stronger as time passed. Every wound they inflicted healed almost immediately, and its fury intensified with each passing second.
Matt grimaced as he narrowly avoided another attack from the Lobizón.
"If this keeps up, we're not going to last much longer."
Tiffany, sweating from the effort, glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"Then stop joking and do something useful."
Before Matt could respond, the Luz Mala shifted. Suddenly, it began to glow even brighter, and a blinding burst of light enveloped them all. Matt's mind was flooded with confusing images, a wave of despair washing over him, and the creature's voice echoed in his head, making him doubt himself.
"Why do you keep fighting? You can't win... You're not strong enough."
For a moment, Matt felt the weight of it all. Everything he had done seemed futile. The Lobizón was still attacking, the Luz Mala was toying with their minds, and Rose was struggling to disable the core. But then, something changed. Tiffany's voice cut through the noise in his mind.
"Matt, don't listen! Don't let it control you!"
He blinked, shaking off the confusion. With renewed determination, he looked at Tiffany, who was blocking the Lobizón's attacks while staring at him with a mixture of concern and anger.
Matt nodded, shaking his head clear.
"You're right. I'm not falling for this again."
The Final Strike
Rose finally finished setting the charges and quickly stepped back.
"The explosion should disable the core and weaken the Luz Mala! Everyone, get back!"
The team retreated just as the device detonated. A dull boom resonated beneath the ground, and the earth trembled for a brief moment. The Luz Mala began to flicker, its glow slowly fading as if it were losing all its energy. The Lobizón, about to launch another attack, froze in its tracks, collapsing as its wounds stopped regenerating.
Matt didn't waste any time. With one final, well-aimed shot, he finished off the Lobizón for good. This time, the creature wouldn't be getting back up.
The Luz Mala, now just a flicker in the air, vanished completely, leaving the clearing shrouded in darkness.
Tiffany, panting, collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
"Finally..." she muttered, gazing up at the sky.
Matt approached, giving her a grin.
"Guess it wasn't as easy as I thought."
Tiffany glanced at him sideways, but there was no real irritation in her gaze this time—just exhaustion and a faint trace of relief.
"Shut up, Matt."
Rose joined them, checking her device one last time.
"The core has been destroyed. The anomaly is contained. This should stop the Lobizón's regeneration and completely deactivate the Luz Mala."
Return to Normalcy
With the danger neutralized, the team returned to the nearest small town, where the atmosphere already felt lighter. The paranormal creatures that had terrorized the region were under control—for now, at least. The agency would handle a full cleanup and cover up any signs of what had happened.
On the way back, Tiffany gazed out the window of the vehicle, staring at the landscape passing by.
"Do you think this will ever stop?" she asked softly, not expecting a direct answer.
Matt, sitting next to her, gave her a calm smile.
"I don't know, but what I do know is that we'll always be here to face it."
Rose, from the front seat, nodded without looking back.
"There's always something else in the paranormal world. Our job isn't to stop it, but to keep the balance."
The journey continued in silence, but there was no longer tension between them. They had survived another mission, and while they knew there would be more in the future, for now, the danger had passed.