But before he can complete his plan.
A semblance of pure gray aura appeared that cast a shadow throughout the basement, and time froze for a moment.The old man appeared just a second before the kidnapping happened!
He wasn't moving fast... It was as if the world itself bowed to its will.He stood between Noah and the man with the golden mask, his eyes glowing with a mysterious light, as if they could see beyond reality itself.
His gray aura wasn't just energy... It was a living entity, pulsating with its own presence."Really? Is this the level of "living shadow"? Just kids playing with the aura?"Then, without warning, the old man's gray aura exploded.The aura of the man with the golden mask suddenly diminished, as if his strength had been depleted by force.Ehab and his friend, despite the chaos, immediately stopped fighting, as if their bodies felt the danger of the being in front of them.
Even the earth itself is no longer the same.. it twisted and rippled, as if the place had become spectral!The body of the man in the golden mask trembled for a moment before raising his head and speaking in a real voice for the first time...
"You...""Me? Just an old man... But he's too strong to put your hand on the boy in front of me."
He raised his hand slowly, then... He pointed his finger at the man with the golden masked.And in an instant....The mask cracked... Then split in half.
Half fell to the ground, while the other remained covering part of the man's face.The moment the broken half revealed his face... Everyone froze.
Even the red eye in the book stopped moving for a few seconds.
The old man's eyes widened and he whispered in rare shock:
"You... From the Ka tribes?!"But it wasn't just a surprise... It was a real disgust!The exposed half of his face... Completely distorted!
Burnt flesh, strange scars, as if something had devoured that part of his face alive.
But the other half... It was a work of art!
Perfect features, and a glowing eyes the color of honey, as if two people in one body.The old man closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke in a voice full of contempt:
"Ka... The remnants of a civilization that was not supposed to survive!"The man with the golden masked man did not respond.
His face remained expressionless, but his fist was tightly clenched, and his fingers were trembling.The air around him became heavy... Not out of anger, but of the decision he just made.Suddenly, a brown halo exploded around him again!
"Retreat ."Before anyone can respond, move incredibly fast!
He wasn't trying to fight... He was running away!In a flash, he jumped back, while a massive wave of energy destroyed the ground between him and the old man.
The next moment, he freed his companion from chains and pulled him away.But they didn't leave the place empty...
The masked man grabbed a body lying on the ground... it was Khaled!
"Please... Noooo..."And in an instant, they completely disappeared!
They were dragged into a vortex of darkness, leaving Ehab behind, while the air was still shivering from the violent energy.
The silence was heavier than ever.Dust still fills the air.
It was charged with energy, but it was slowly cooling.
The red eye in the book stopped moving, as if waiting for Noah's reaction.Noah stood in his place in confusion.He looked at where Khaled had been moments ago... Now empty.
He looked at the old man... Which did not show any expression.
He looked at Ehab... Who can barely stand from the influence of energy.
But Noah couldn't stay silent any longer."Khaled!"
He shouted his name, even though he knew it didn't make sense.
He took a step forward, but his feet involuntarily retreated.
He didn't know what to do... For the first time since this madness began, he felt really helpless."Forget about it."
The old man spoke softly, but his words struck Noah like a thunderbolt.Noah turned to him, his eyes burning with anger."What did you say?!"
"I said forget it. You can't catch them now."
The old man's aura was still active, but it was not hostile.
His words were calm, as if telling an uncontestable truth.
But this was not enough for Noah!
"They took him because of me! He was here by my side! If I weren't that foolish..."
"If you're going to sink into guilt, you're weaker than I thought and even if you could catch up with them, what would you do?"
These words felt like a knife on Noah's chest. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth but could not answer.
But then... Something strange began to happen.
The Red Book... it began to tremble a little.
its eye moved again... This time directly towards Noah!
Suddenly, Noah felt something strange inside him.
Heat rising in his chest.
A strong pulse, like a drum that reverberates in his skull.
Something strange... It's as if something inside is trying to wake up.
The old man looked silently, then said softly,
"It seems that the book's curse is starting to affect you."
Something wasn't right.
The heat in his chest did not subside. I have become stronger.
The pulses in his skull were racing, as if another heart was beating inside him.
His hand holding the red book began to tremble slightly... But he couldn't leave him!
Then he heard that voice... Not from the outside, but from the inside.
"Finally..."
It wasn't just a voice, but a creeping whisper that crept into his mind.
It was deep, coming from an endless vacuum, as if someone was sleeping... And now he's awake!
Noah put his hands on his head and felt as if his mind was disconnected from reality for a moment.
He looked at the old man, but the old man didn't move.
"Who are you?!" Noah didn't realize that he had spoken the question out loud.
But the strange voice inside him did not answer. Instead, he laughed... A slow, creepy laugh seemed to shake his bones from within.
Then the cover of the book trembled, and the eye turned into dark red.
Blink once... Then twice... As if staring directly at Noah's soul!
Finally, the old man spoke in a calm, but firm voice:
"Don't let that control you."
But Noah wasn't sure if he could!
Something was creeping into his thoughts.
Mysterious words... Memories that were not his.
Flashes of photos, strange places, creatures he's never seen before...
Then, for a brief moment, he saw a face.
"We are watching you, Noah..."
Suddenly, he fell backwards as if his mind had been given an electric shock!
He fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
He was sweating from his forehead, but it wasn't just exhaustion... It was something else.
Something unnatural.
The old man watched him quietly, then said coldly,
"You're in deeper trouble than you realize, boy."
But Noah can barely speak... Because he knew the old man was right!
His body no longer feels like his own.
What started as a faint pulse in his chest spread rapidly.
The air around him has become heavier, as if the world is pressing on it from all sides.
His vision became unstable, as if the walls were moving or breathing!
And then, without warning... Strange golden marks began to appear on his body.
The old man narrowed his eyes, and his expression was not fear... It's pure amazement!
"This... It can't be a coincidence!"
Noah looked at his arm in shock.
Subtle golden stripes began to form on his skin, glowing faintly as if they had been etched in him from the beginning of time.
They weren't just lines. They were symbols, Ancient Pharaonic inscriptions written on temple walls, some of which he read in his mother's tomes.!
With each pulse, it glowed more, as if it were reacting to something invisible...
Then something else happened.
The Red Book trembled... Like a living thing!
The cover seemed to breathe, and the eye on it turned fiery red!
"Finally... The pot that's strong enough."
The voice inside him is no longer just a whisper; it was now a stream of thoughts coming from everywhere.
"You're different... Your body is not like the rest of humanity."
Noah froze... What?!
No, this cannot be true.
He was just an ordinary person... Isn't it?
The old man approached, and his accent was no longer ordinary.
"Boy... You can't deny it anymore. Your body is not normal."
Noah felt chills running through his body.
What does it mean?
Why did these changes happen now?
But there was no time for questions... Because the energy inside him was getting stronger!
Everything around him is starting to lose its meaning.
His body no longer feels fully owned.
His vision became blurry, but the golden light radiating from his skin was clear.
The lines were not just decorations... Rather, they were symbols, ancient inscriptions engraved in his very being!
But the scariest thing... Is that everything inside him told him that they were always there.
The old man wasn't just surprised... He was absolutely sure.
"So... That's what you've been hiding without even knowing it?"
Noah understood nothing.
He tried to speak, to ask, but the words stuck in his throat.
All he could do was stare at his trembling hands, and at the golden lines that began to fade a little when his breathing became irregular.
But that wasn't the only thing that changed.
The Red Book began to shake violently, and the eye burned on it with anger!
"You will never lock me up, old priest! "The eye began to glow even more, and the lid opened on its own, releasing a dark shadow... A faceless entity...
The same being that Noah has seen twice so far!
It had no face, no fixed form, as if its existence itself were just an idea trying to form.
The air became heavy, and the dark energy around it began to devour the light!
But the old man did not move.
Very quietly he raised his hand... A thick gray light appeared around him!
"Go back to where you are."
As soon as they spoke, chains of symbols appeared around the book, glowing with a faint silver light!
The entity started screaming, its voice is inhumane, like the creak of metal being crushed!
Chains surrounded him and then began to drag him back into the book, despite his violent resistance!
But before it was completely shut down, he whispered coldly:
"Don't think that's enough. It just started."
Then the book closed, and the dark light disappeared completely.
The old man exhaled slowly, then looked at Noah with a deep look and said very calmly:
"You are not ordinary, boy... and you no longer have the luxury of living a normal life again."
Noah was not ready to hear this. He wasn't ready for any of this... But now he can't escape.
He had to know who he was... Whatever the cost!
—
Noah stood there, gasping heavily, his eyes widened with emotion, as if his mind was trying to process what had just happened.
Glow golden lines crept through his skin, drawing strange patterns he had never seen before.
His body was trembling, not from fear, but from a new sensation spreading within him, as if something hidden had woken up.
The old man stood quietly in front of him, his gaze weighing the scene carefully.
He slowly raised his hand, a dim grey light radiating from his fingertips, like a fog dancing at dawn.
His gaze was a mixture of curiosity and respect, but he hid it behind a calm tone, as if trying to calm a frightened child.
"Calm down, boy... Don't let this control you."
Noah trembled and looked at the old man. His voice was different from the others, not as intimidating or domineering as masked men, nor as desperate as Khaled's cries. It was firm and confident, as if what was happening now was just a small part of a larger plan he knew well.
"What is happening to me, what is this curse, and what is this strange thing?!" Noah shouted as he looked into his arms, where the golden lines glowed even more, as if responding to his turmoil.
The old man sighed and approached a step, but did not try to touch him. He simply pointed to the glowing signs: "This is not a curse, nor a mistake. It's something you've had all along. The energy inside you was not born today, it was only revealed."
Noah felt his heart beating violently, as if every word he spoke opened a closed door in his mind. "Why me?! Why did this book choose me?! I didn't ask for this!"
The old man looked at the red book, which was still beating with a strange glow, his narrow eyes watching Noah as if studying his every move. Then he whispered slowly: "I know you didn't ask for this, but unfortunately he chose you because you... I'm not like them."
Noah's breath stopped for a moment. He turned sharply, his eyes looking for an explanation. "What do you mean?!"
The old man replied softly, but his eyes were shining with something like a warning: "You are different, your body is not like the bodies of others... Otherwise, this energy would not have endured without being torn."
Noah's eyes widened in amazement, but he couldn't answer. Deep down, he knew there was always something wrong with him, something he never understood.
But now... Now he knows that this thing is not just a feeling, but a reality.
--------------------------------
In a semi-dark room inside the antique library, the old man stood steps away from Noah, silently watching him. He could see the aura, the flow of energies around his body, the hidden lines that reveal a person's true potential. But what he saw about Noah was unfamiliar... Noah's aura was not ordinary, but more like a changing field, pulsating with independent life.
Noah was feeling something strange. His body was sending out incomprehensible energy vibrations, a sensation like something watching him from the inside, something breathing with him, interacting with his thoughts and sensations. "What does that feel? Looking at his palms, he wondered to see faint ripples of energy emanating momentarily before disappearing.
The old man narrowed his eyes, as if seeing what Noah could not yet comprehend. "This... It can't just be an ordinary mutation," he muttered to himself. Many halo users have seen, but Noah... It was something different.
While Noah was immersed in his thoughts, the old man approached him, his voice was calm but carrying a weight of deep knowledge:
"Have you ever felt that your body... Not entirely yours?"
A simple question, but it hit Noah to the core. Yes, he felt it. He always had the feeling that there was something deeper inside him, something that didn't belong in this world. Like... A separate place, a world within his world.
The old man smiled faintly, then raised his hand and pointed toward Noah's chest. "Your body is a container in which energies accumulate in an involuntary way, so you must first know the types of energies that exist and the reason for your body's mysterious nature."
Noah looked at his chest and then at the old man in astonishment, "What are you talking about? Are you telling me that I can use these strange energies like you and masked people?"
"Yes, boy, you have the full power not only to use one halo but multiple halos but know that with power comes responsibility." The old man smiled another mysterious smile and continued his speech, pointing to the golden marks on Noah's body, "The Rakim and the Book of Shadows have chosen you at the same time."