CHAPTER 43
Zack raised his hands in anger.
"We've been… we've been tracking the devil for months! And yet we still don't have a single clue," he said, his eyes fixed on Mike.
Mike nodded, a shadow of exhaustion crossing his face.
"I know, Zack, I know. I've been thinking about it too. We still have a link… but it's very weak. I can neither feel it clearly nor fully see it. I need to think, we need to think together."
A heavy silence settled between them. Even the wind's howl seemed to whisper at that moment: time was running out.
Meanwhile, at the Door of Cloak Bar
The first drops of rain began falling to the ground. A man, walking with heavy steps, stopped at the threshold of the bar. It was as if he was waiting for an invitation from inside.
A firm hand struck his shoulder from behind.
"Hey! Don't block the entrance. Either come in or get lost. Otherwise, I'll drag you out by force!" said the security guard.
The man smiled faintly.
"Don't worry… I've already taken what I came for," he said quietly, then walked off toward the side streets with heavy steps.
The air was foggy. The rain was picking up. A voice echoed from behind.
"Hey you! You've been looking for me!"
When the man turned his head, someone ran at him quickly. The man in the street, with a strange glint in his eyes, said,
"Welcome…" and suddenly lunged, grabbing his throat.
"Ha… ahh!" the man gasped, his throat being squeezed.
The grip tightened further. His eyes widened.
"You… you… d-devil!" he stammered, struggling to breathe.
The figure holding him smiled, showing teeth.
"Yes, it's me, your master," he said in a deep voice.
When the man collapsed to the ground, the Devil snapped his neck swiftly from side to side.
Krang! Krang! The sound echoed through the narrow street.
"Ahh…" said the Devil, taking a deep breath. "Do you know how long I've been hungry for power? This won't even be enough for me. I need more. But for now… I have enough power to enter that bar. I will also take the souls of the demons in the VIP room. I will remind them who their master really is."
He grinned and merged into the shadows.
Meanwhile, at School
Emily was sitting at her desk, flipping through the pages of a thick book. When her fingers reached the edge of a page, her eyes caught a sentence.
"Who is it that repels the devil, imprisons it in another body… your link is stronger than you think. What matters is how you use it and how you perceive it. Your third eye comes into play here."
Emily's eyes widened. "It's incredible that such a book exists…" she whispered. But her real astonishment was that this book was in an ordinary school library. Something told as a children's story was actually based on truth, she realized.
She quickly photographed the page and sent it to Zack and Mike.
Zack read the message immediately. Frowning, he thought aloud,
"Third eye… maybe transformation," he muttered to himself. "The first eye is the devil… the second eye is the bearer… the third eye is the transformations it performs. Or at least that's what I think."
Mike was less certain. "Maybe we should ask the history teacher, saying we're researching a legend," he said.
Together, they went to the history teacher. After a long silence, the teacher nodded slightly.
"There is a legend very similar to this. It dates back to the dawn of humanity. If the link with the devil is to be re-established… the mask must be worn again."
These words hung in the air. Zack suddenly straightened.
"So the third eye… the mask!" he said. "Everything is connected!"
Mike's breath suddenly became shallow. His hands went to his chest. He rushed outside, trying to breathe… but he couldn't. His vision darkened and he fainted.
What Mike Saw
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a narrow, dark street. The smell of rain filled his nose. A few steps away, he saw Malcolm. Malcolm was strangling someone, cutting off the man's breath.
Mike listened intently. But just as he was about to hear their conversation, a hand touched his shoulder.
"Mike! Wake up!" said Zack's voice.
His eyes snapped open. He was lying on the ground, gasping for air.
"Wh… what happened to me?" he said, struggling.
Zack looked at him with a serious expression. In Mike's mind, one thought kept repeating: the mask. Should he wear it again? The pain he had endured to get rid of it… he didn't want to lose himself. But this link, this vision… nothing would happen without the mask.
Amid the conflicting voices in his head, one thing was clear:
Nothing would ever be the same again.