After finishing with the Sangren's Spiral, everything went well for Huntik's team and his friends, but a new enemy brings misfortune to all the members. Dante, after collapsing, is plunged into sadness, until time gives him a second chance that neither he nor the team will lose
Chapter 1
He was holding Lok's hand, he was hanging from a hole, everything was collapsing around us, I had to get him out of there, I wasn't going to leave him, but his hand was stained with blood and it slipped. He looked at me, knowing that most likely he would fall, but he wasn't going to leave him, he couldn't, I tried to pull him, but… he fell. I woke up agitated, panting, sweating and trembling, I looked out the window, the first lights were beginning to become visible, but everyone was sleeping, everyone was resting except me.
I got out of bed and took a quick shower, once ready I went down to the kitchen to have breakfast, but I was not hungry, without being able to eat or sleep, I went for a walk. Every morning towards the same route, I walked along a path to the town and saw how the town came to life, I saw how everyone lives their life, everyone except Lok, except me.
After the end of the Blood Spiral everything went well, the Organization bothered from time to time, but they were no rivals for the Huntik Foundation, I had joined the council and Lok had become the team leader, in addition, he helped me with my detective work and I got some money. Sophie had a good relationship with her family, Lucas, Delliz, Lane and Viviane had gone to live with her in Venice, Zhalia was more open and she and Lok had come very close, they even made plans and Zhalia helped Lok in everything that he could with the Foundation. Sophie and Lok were starting to date, we all knew it, but they had not yet made it public, my relationship with Zhalia was going great, although it was a little difficult since I spent most of the time in New York. Den was well advanced, Lok was teaching him in my place and helping him in everything, Den adored him, and Zhalia took care of scolding him from time to time, Cherit was really comfortable with the whole team and enjoyed Viviane's attention. Scarlet had teamed up with Harrison and another boy who showed up soon after and Montehue was trying to start a relationship with her. Everything was going well. Why did it have to change? Why did everything fall apart? Why did Lok ... have to go?
All because of that stupid sect, nobody knows where it came from, we only knew that it caused problems. All because of me, I went to Venice to spend time with everyone and accept a research job, I had agreed to meet with the client, but due to an unforeseen event of the Foundation I asked Lok to come for me and then we would investigate together, he would train with the boys and he would spend time with Zhalia and play chess with Cherit, but everything changed, Lok never came back from the meeting. We did not hesitate for a second to start looking for him, the entire Foundation helped, we found him a week later in a secret base of that sect in Egypt. I went ahead of the rest of the team, while the others covered my back I looked for Lok and I found him, I found him emaciated, it had only been a week and Lok was in a sorry state, he was bone-deep and dehydrated, pale, cold Wounded, his clothes were torn and he had a tattoo on his shoulder, he seemed fragile and small, but alive. When I found him hug him, Lok cried, he wanted to get out of there, and I held him, hugged him, wrapped him in my arms so he was safe. I helped him up and walk, he was barely standing up and everything got worse when the place started to collapse and then it happened, the ground shook, the hole, Lok ... I shook my head, I had revived it once this morning, I couldn't relive it.
I sucked in air, and let my lungs freeze for a few seconds before releasing it. The climate of Germany at this time of year is cold and humid, there is fog and it rains constantly. After Lok fell, Montehue had to drag me out of there, I wanted to go after him, but I couldn't. Everything was going well, and now everything was wrong. Sophie broke up and took refuge in her family, Den and Cherit went to Ireland with Scarlet and Harrison, Zhalia tried to stay on her feet, but she left my house, it was very painful, and I destroyed myself, I retired to my house in Germany and cut all communication with everyone, leave the Huntik Foundation, leave my job, leave my house ... I could not continue, not after this.
That day changed our lives, Sophie lost her boyfriend, Den lost his older brother, Zhalia lost one of her best friends, Cherit lost her best friend and I lost my brother, my little brother, the little brother I had hugged. On numerous occasions, I had seen him laugh and cry and get up 100 times, my brother, whom I promised to protect and care for, and was not able.
It's been six months since it happened and the world kept spinning while I paralyzed. Den and Cherit had returned to Venice and were living with Zhalia in an apartment, and they went to see Sophie and her family, Sophie was better, she had smiled a little, but they do not accept missions and they hardly leave home. I could not continue in Venice, I could not live in my house, Lok's room tormented me, I was not able to enter and I did not allow anyone to do it, it hurt too much, it hurt so much that in the end I left there. Now, from time to time, I write to Zhalia, but I never speak, I never speak to anyone. Mezt gave me all of Lok's titans and the Will's Blade, I kept them in a box that I hid in my studio, all but Kiperin, he almost always carried him with me, it was a way to have Lok close. Initially I agreed to let their two legendary Titans link to another seeker, but I was not going to allow them to tie in with each other, but their Titans refused, rejected all Seekers, including the Casterwills, their glow dimmed and after A meticulous study, the scientists of the Foundation said that in the amulets there was no activity, in none of the Lok, it seemed that it was gone, they went out suffering from the loss of their seeker.
All because of me, if I had not accepted that job, I would be alive, if I had not sent Lok in my place, I would be alive, if I had protected him as promised, I would be alive, if I had not slipped, I would be alive.
Every day I do the same thing, I wake up at the first light of day after remembering the last moments of Lok's life, I take a shower, get dressed and go for a walk in the village park, then I return home and watch Kiperin while I remember things from my conversations with Lok. I was his confidant and Lok told me everything and I admit that I also told him many things. Then I go for a walk in the town park again, why? Because I like to punish myself by seeing everyone being happy except me. At night I train until my whole body hurts and I fall exhausted in bed, until the next day which will be exactly the same as the previous one.
I couldn't help but wonder, is this what you felt when I died? Am i cursed Throughout my life I have lost the people who loved me, my father, my mother, my friends, I almost lost Mest, and ... now Lok, I was afraid of losing others, I did not want to lose Zhalia, I loved her And I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, but I didn't want to lose her. Life was not fair, I died and then I came back, I had a second chance, nobody else had it.
I don't know how long it has been, but I get it out of my head, it's not a nice place for six months. I come to the park where some parents have taken their children to play, a group of children run next to me and go to the ice cream stand, they are small children, the oldest will be five years old at the most, they laugh and are happy. The world never stopped, everything remains the same, except me.
I kept walking, trying to forget my entire existence when something pushed me, it was slightly, but I admit that I was scared, I heard a groan from behind me and I turned around, a small child, quite small, was a baby, he had collided with me , had fallen to the ground and was crying. I bent down and tried to get his attention, I looked around, but no adult came close, the little one had scratched one of the knees and was bleeding a little, I took out a cloth handkerchief and cleaned the wound.
-You see, that's it, don't cry.
The baby looked at me, I was paralyzed, I felt that it was difficult for me to breathe, I had not realized until now, but it was so little that I would have noticed, he was blond, very blond, his face was stained with tears and there were more tears, threatening with going out, in his eyes, in his blue eyes. He looked like Lok, I stood still, looking at those eyes that were so similar to those of my protégé. Although I paralyzed, the boy got up and ran away, as fast as his little legs allowed him, I stayed there, trying to understand what this meant, why did the world hate me? Why had the world put that child before me?
I decide it is time to go home, I did not want to see that child again, it was also time to sit in front of the kiperin amulet while I try to eat something and think about how things should have been done, the things that happened and how It would be now, he tried to be well, I really do, but I can't, not without my brother.
Back at home I sit at the dining room table and breathe for a few minutes, I have already rejected the idea of eating something, full of bitterness I take the Kiperin amulet out of my pocket and put it on the table, looked at him wishing I could speak to him I know it was silly, but Lok, and we all, had the idea that it was Ethan, or his spirit, always protecting Lok, always with him, and every time I see him I feel like Ethan fails him by not protecting her son, and that he died with him since his amulet was extinguished. The first few months I was apologizing, I was apologizing to Lok, to Ethan, to Kiperin, but no one ever answered, I've already stopped doing it, but I'm so sorry. Everyone tells me that I couldn't help it, that it's not my fault and that I did my best, but I'm just sorry. I close my eyes and try to visualize Lok happy, as he was, always smiling, laughing, enjoying life. Then a light catches my eye, I open my eyes and see Kiperin shining like he hadn't since Lok died, and then it goes out. What was that? Finished dying? Wait, one minute, two, five, eight, twelve, fifteen ... and it shines again, it was not a dream, Kiperin shone, but what does it mean?
I waited another hour, but it didn't shine again, I didn't understand anything, I felt a little lost, why shine? Was he overcoming mourning? Was I reacting to something? Or was he just playing with me. I threw myself on the sofa trying not to think, trying not to see in my mind the face of that little boy, my phone rang and I picked it up mechanically, I didn't think, I didn't look at who it was, I just took it like I had done millions of times.
-Yes…?
-Dante ...
-Mezt?
-I'm surprised you took it.
-Me too, my head was elsewhere.
-That's good, tell me where did you have your head?
-I'm going crazy.
-You want to talk?
-He thought I saw Lok.
-Dante ..., that's ...
-I know, I know, it wasn't Lok, just a child that looked like him.
-Son, I'm lost.
-Today in the park a little boy bumped into me, when I bent down to help him I noticed that he looked like Lok. The nose, the hair, the eyes ... everything was alike.
-Dante, you will probably associate it.
-I already know it! But the more I think about it, the more he created that he was, the more similar I see.
-Dante, honey, this is getting out of hand, you need help. I have to finish some things from the Foundation, but in a week I will be there and I will take you to receive help.
-Mest, no ...
-I won't take no for an answer Dante.
With that the call ended, Mezt has been the first person I have spoken to in six months and it has not gone well, what am I supposed to do? If he had any way to get out of doubt, to show me that Mezt is right and that this is all just my mind playing with me. I took out the Kiperin amulet waiting for some reaction, in the process the handkerchief fell out of my pocket, I picked it up and looked at it, Kiperin blinked again when I brought the scarf a little closer to him, I did not understand, but the gears in my head were still Working, until I understood, unfold the handkerchief and leave the bloodstain visible and bring him closer to Kiperin, he lit up like never before, recognized his seeker, Kiperin was trying to warn me that Lok was close.
Lok was close, he no longer had any doubts, that boy was Lok, how is he alive? I don't know, how did he become a little boy? Not only do I know, how do I prove that he is Lok? I know. But I knew I had to find it, I knew I had to find evidence for Mezts to believe me, and I knew I had two weeks to get it.
I don't know how it happened, but without realizing it I fell asleep on the sofa while I thought about how to confirm my suspicions. I dreamed of Lok, but it was a nice dream, one where I got it back and everything was fine again. In my dream, Lok gave me the handkerchief with which I wiped the child's blood and said "Find me". I woke up a little late and hungry, after a good pecking I locked myself in my study with kiperin and tried to find out a way to get out of doubts, I remembered the dream, Lok giving the handkerchief, I opened it and I saw the blood, and I understood it, what Lok told me in my dream, there was little blood, but it was enough for a DNA analysis. Without wasting time, and throwing some books on the floor in the process, I looked for my laptop and connected to the Foundation database, I had to go into the medical files and find the sample that Lok provided for his file. Once I got everything I needed to erase my trail so no one would know what had come in, if anyone found out I would tell Mezt and he would probably end up in a mental hospital.
The next step was to compare the samples, luckily, due to Mezt's disease, I had contacts on the black market, so I went to one of them, and asked him for information to contact someone from Germany, near me, not to ask questions and to do the job well, he told me that he would investigate and that he would call me now. While I was waiting for the call, I went out and went to the park, sneakily looking for the boy, I hoped to find him, I used Kiperin as a detector, since he brightened the closer he was. I finally found him, he was playing in the park sand, there was no adult nearby, but I didn't know if that was good or bad, I sat on a nearby bench and took out his mobile, I did nothing, but I watched him, I just played to build towers and then destroy them, after a while another boy came and they played together. I studied the boy a little, I didn't know how old he was, but he was small, he was still a baby, or at least he pretended to be. Once Lok told me that he had always been small, always shorter than he should have been for his age, but that over 13 he grew a lot. He had dirty clothes and it was too big for him, his face and hands were also dirty, I could pretend he was just a boy who had gotten dirty playing, but I sensed that no, he must be on the street.
My cell phone rang, my contact number showed on the screen and I picked it up, I had good news, I had found someone in Germany, in a neighboring city, who would do me a favor, for a price, of course. Do not hesitate for a second, I had to leave doubts, because if I was Lok I could get out of this spiral of self-destruction that I had become. I went home and took the samples, went to the garage and went to get an answer. On the way I had to stop at an international bank to withdraw a large amount of money from an account that I had in Australia with the false identity of Alan Smith. I had forgotten about that account until now, I had it to pay for the black market things, and when Mezt recovered I forgot about it, I said I had to delete the account, but I never did and I forgot it, now I'm glad not having closed it. I took out such a large amount of money that it would make Sophie die of envy, I resumed my journey and arrived at my destination without any incident, it was a veterinary clinic, the chief veterinarian received me without incident, I accept the work and the money, he said he would leave the results at a gym locker around eight in the afternoon, he gave me the key and an ID and I left.
Before I realized what I was doing, I was in a children's store in a shopping center looking at children's clothes. He had no idea what to buy, the clothes were marked by height or age and he knew neither of the two things about the boy. At the end I bought him a whole pajamas, three T-shirts, two pants, underwear, several pairs of socks, a jacket and some sneakers, all marked with a label that said 2 years old, I wanted not to be wrong. In the end, on the recommendation of one of the shop assistants I also bought a special shampoo, it must have been so lost that it should be noted that I had no idea about anything, I also bought diapers and baby powder, also on the girl's recommendation, for if he needed them, he would rather have them and not need them, than not have them and regret it. I went home and left the shopping at the door, and sat down while looking at the clock to wait for eight o'clock, I had decided that it was Lok or not, I would not leave that child living on the street, I would pick him up and take him somewhere safe.
Time did not pass, I was convinced of that, I have even come to believe that the clock is going backwards, I was desperate, I needed to confirm NOW. In the end I decided that waiting at my house was completely useless, I got in the car and looked for the gym where I was supposed to get the results when I found it park nearby and started hanging around near the area until I got hungry and went to a cafeteria to eat something. When I finished it was already eight o'clock, so I went to the gym show my identification and they let me in, I went straight to the locker room and looked for the locker that belonged to me, my hands trembled, I hesitantly put the key in and took out the envelope that was inside , but I did not open it, closed the locker and put the key and the identification as the subject indicated, I returned to the car and returned home, I did not open the envelope, I was afraid, afraid that it was him, afraid that it was not , afraid of everything. Once at home I left the envelope on the study table and sat in front, I wanted to open it, but I was afraid, Kiperin shone in my pocket and took it out, it seemed like a sign, I opened the envelope, took out the two photocopies of the two DNA and the final report.
I wanted to cry, and in fact, I cried, the anger, the pain, the sadness, everything intoxicated me, I abruptly got up throwing the chair and ran to look for the child, I promised myself that what will happen would help him, I felt the tears running For my face, life was not fair, the world was cruel, and fate had plans that not even he knew, but they had all come together to destroy me and make me suffer. I came to the park and looked for the child everywhere, I found him, he was hidden under one of the park swings, I approached him, the little boy was scared when he saw me, he was in the bones and dehydrated, pale, cold, injured, he had the dirty clothes, seemed fragile and very small. The world hated me, I wanted to suffer, I wanted to destroy myself, I kept crying, because the world was not fair, and after all I had suffered, now it did this to me.
-Hello Lok ...