The sun was slowly rising, bathing Kadic Academy's campus in golden light that, for many, seemed to signal an ordinary day. Yet, for Yumi, each passing day felt more and more like a silent battle. Since her partial fusion with XANA, fatigue had become her constant companion, a heavy shadow weighing on her shoulders. Every movement seemed heavier, every thought darker, as if a part of her was gradually being pulled away by something she could no longer control.

She headed toward the cafeteria, where her friends were already seated. The ambient buzz of morning conversations, the clattering of cutlery on plates, and the bursts of laughter from students seemed distant, almost unreal. Yumi no longer felt the same connection to this world that she had once cherished.

Ulrich, Odd, Aelita, and Jeremy were already seated with their trays in front of them. When Yumi sat down with them, the background noise of the cafeteria seemed to fade for a moment. They exchanged silent glances, each trying to grasp the strange atmosphere that seemed to intensify day by day. Odd, true to form, was the first to break the silence.

"I bet today's quiche Lorraine will be as dry as the desert in Lyoko again," he said, eyeing his tray suspiciously. "Seriously, why do they keep serving it? It looks more like a frisbee than food."

Ulrich smirked, glancing at Yumi. She was absentmindedly picking at her meal, her motions slow and mechanical. He could tell something was wrong, but he knew pushing her to talk wouldn't help. He needed a different approach.

"Maybe they're trying to strengthen our jaws for combat sports," he replied, playing along with Odd's joke while keeping a close eye on Yumi.

"How about a little contest?" Odd suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "First one to finish the quiche without drinking any water gets my dessert. Who's in?"

Aelita, always gentle, smiled and shook her head softly, though she wasn't really in the mood for games. "I'll pass, but good luck, Odd. I can barely finish a normal portion."

Yumi barely looked up from her plate, still lost in a mental fog. Nothing around her seemed to matter. The food had no taste, the conversations felt shallow, and even her friends, once her lifeline, now seemed distant.

Odd finally noticed Yumi's prolonged silence and, true to his character, tried again to bring her into the conversation. "You know, Yumi, if you keep staring at your quiche like that, it's not going to disappear on its own. Maybe a little Odd magic could fix that?"

Yumi finally lifted her eyes to him, but it wasn't the bright, lively look they all knew. Her gaze was dull, almost absent, but she forced a polite smile. "I don't think even your magic could help this time."

That calm, almost detached tone didn't go unnoticed. Ulrich frowned slightly, watching Yumi more closely. This wasn't just about fatigue anymore. The silent battle she was fighting was eating away at her from the inside, and it was becoming more and more obvious.

Their brief silence was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of Sissi, as always flanked by Nicolas and Hervé. Her usual smirk lit up her face as she approached their table. "Well, look who we have here. The same inseparable group. Let me guess, still plotting against William or chatting about the weather?"

Odd, without even looking up from his plate, immediately shot back. "We were actually wondering if you'd join the next quiche-lorraine throwing contest. I bet you'd break all the records. I mean, with how much of a quiche you are, Sissi!"

Sissi ignored Odd's comment, her eyes landing on Yumi, who looked more off than usual. "And you, Yumi, you don't look so good. Then again, can anyone really tell with you?"

Yumi slowly raised her head and locked eyes with Sissi. But instead of reacting with the usual sarcasm or aggression she would've shown before, she responded with an unexpected coldness, a calm that was almost chilling. "Sissi, if you're here to play games, you'd better find another stage. This table isn't yours."

There was something in her tone that made Sissi falter for a moment. It wasn't a direct threat, but there was an unnerving presence, like a silent warning. Sissi straightened up, hesitant, before regaining her sarcastic smile. "You're right, I'll leave you to your… quiche. Enjoy yourselves."

She turned on her heel, pulling Nicolas and Hervé along, though even her usual sidekicks seemed a bit shaken by Yumi's response.

Odd turned to her, looking impressed. "Well, that's what I call keeping calm under pressure. You almost scared her off without even raising your voice."

Yumi barely managed a faint smile in return, but she didn't say anything. Ulrich, however, wasn't fooled. He knew that Yumi's apparent control was hiding something much deeper and far more dangerous.


The French class was immersed in a studious calm, each student's attention focused on Mrs. Lacombe, who stood at the front of the classroom, a copy of Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal in hand. On the board, the following lines were written in chalk:

"I am like the king of a rainy country,
Rich but powerless, young yet very old,
Who, scornful of his tutors' crowns,
Tires of his hounds and of other beasts."

("Je suis comme le roi d'un pays pluvieux,
Riche, mais impuissant, jeune et pourtant très vieux,
Qui, de ses précepteurs méprisant les couronnes,
S'ennuie avec ses chiens comme avec d'autres bêtes.")

Mrs. Lacombe gently closed her book after reading the verses aloud. Her gaze swept over the students, searching for their reactions. "In this passage, Baudelaire speaks of a deep inner suffering. He feels rich but powerless. He's young, but he feels old. It's a constant struggle, an inner conflict." She turned slightly toward Yumi, who sat at the back of the class, as usual, her eyes more clouded than they typically were.

"Yumi, what do you think of these verses?" Mrs. Lacombe asked, her voice calm but attentive.

Yumi, who seemed far away, slowly lifted her head. These lines strangely echoed her own feelings. She moistened her lips before answering, "Baudelaire is expressing a kind of duality... the contrast between the outer self and the inner self. To the world, you may appear strong or... in control. But inside, you can feel completely powerless."

Mrs. Lacombe nodded gently, encouraging Yumi to continue. "And where do you think that powerlessness comes from?"

Yumi thought for a moment, then lowered her gaze slightly. "It comes from something deeper. A part of ourselves that we can't really control. A sort of... inner darkness."

A murmur spread through the class. Some students exchanged intrigued glances, but Yumi seemed to be speaking more to herself, forgetting her audience.

Mrs. Lacombe, sensing the weight of Yumi's words, pressed a little further. "You talk about this inner darkness as if it's inevitable. Do you think we can break free from it or at least learn to fight it? Baudelaire himself said, 'Evil happens without effort, naturally, by fatality; good is always the product of an art.'"

The teacher's words struck Yumi with a painful truth. Yes, doing evil seemed easier, more natural, especially since she had felt XANA's influence within her. It was as if resisting this force required an insurmountable effort each day, an effort that left her utterly exhausted.

"I think that..." She paused, searching for the right words. "...sometimes you stop fighting. You tell yourself that it's pointless to keep trying." Her voice faltered slightly, and she lowered her head, feeling everyone's eyes on her.

Mrs. Lacombe, sensing the emotion in Yumi's voice, gently approached her desk. "Baudelaire often spoke of the temptation to give up, to surrender to that inner force. But he also wrote, 'You gave me your mud, and I turned it into gold.' Perhaps he meant that even the darkest burden can be transformed into something brighter if we find a way to express it, to understand it."

Yumi remained silent. Turning mud into gold? Could she really hope to turn the situation around? Transform the darkness within her into something light seemed impossible. She felt trapped, like the fallen king in Baudelaire's verses—rich with her past life, but powerless against the force consuming her now.

Seeing that Yumi was lost in her thoughts, Mrs. Lacombe decided not to push her further. She turned back to the rest of the class. "Art, in all its forms, is a way to transcend our inner struggles. Whether through poetry, painting, music… we all have the power to create, to transform our experiences, even the darkest ones, into something greater."

The class seemed to absorb these words, but Yumi remained in her bubble. The poet's words resonated within her with a truth too hard to ignore. The darkness consuming her, the darkness she could no longer hide from her friends, was always there, ever-present, and she no longer knew how to fight it. Good is always the product of an art, Baudelaire had said. But what if she no longer had the strength to create anything good?

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the class, Yumi slowly packed her things. She was one of the last to leave the room, still deep in thought, while her classmates drifted away, chatting among themselves.

William lingered near the door for a moment, watching her silently. He didn't say anything, but their eyes met for a second. It was as if he already knew what she was going through, as if he understood without her needing to speak.

She averted her gaze and left the room, leaving behind this discussion of duality that, in many ways, had become more than just fiction.


Recess was in full swing in Kadic's courtyard. The sound of students laughing, footsteps crunching on the gravel, and animated conversations created a chaotic yet familiar atmosphere. However, for Yumi and her friends, this apparent normalcy couldn't mask the looming threat that hung over them.

Yumi stood off to the side, near the wall, arms crossed, her gaze lost in the crowd. She felt like an outsider, not just among her classmates but also with her own friends. Her thoughts spun in endless, dark, and confused circles, as she felt the constant presence of XANA growing stronger by the day.

Odd, always one to lighten the mood, noticed the tension and tried to break it with his usual carefree approach. With a smirk, he walked over to Yumi.

"Hey, Yumi," he started in his usual playful tone, "if you keep staring at the courtyard like that, people will start thinking you're planning a coup. What's on your mind? Turning Kadic into a secret anti-XANA base?"

Yumi slowly turned her head toward him, her gaze cold and indifferent. "Maybe that's not such a bad idea," she replied, her voice low and detached.

Odd, caught off guard by her icy response, furrowed his brow. Normally, Yumi would have at least shot him a wry smile or a teasing comeback, but this was different. Something was wrong, and he could feel it.

"Okay... got it," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "No jokes today, I guess."

Ulrich, who had been watching the scene from a distance, sensed that the situation was deteriorating. He walked over, placing a reassuring hand on Odd's shoulder. "Let it go, Odd," he said calmly, his worried gaze fixed on Yumi. "This isn't the time for jokes."

Aelita, standing a bit further away, exchanged a glance with Jeremy, who was glued to his laptop, monitoring any sign of XANA's activity. "Is she okay?" Aelita asked, though she already knew the answer wasn't simple.

"I don't know," Jeremy muttered without looking up from his screen. "I'm checking the readings, but nothing concrete so far. Still, I have this feeling... something's not right. I just hope it's not what I think..."

Ulrich, less patient by nature, stepped closer to Yumi. "Yumi, if something's wrong, you need to tell us. We're all here for you, you know that."

Yumi didn't respond immediately. She kept staring into the distance, as if fixated on something invisible. "I don't need your help," she finally said, her voice hard. "Whatever's happening, it's my problem. Not yours."

"Of course, it's our problem," Ulrich insisted, his tone growing more firm. "We're a team. This thing with XANA, you don't have to deal with it alone. We'll figure it out, I promise..."

"I'm doing what I can," Yumi snapped, her voice sharper now. "Just leave me alone."

Before the conversation could escalate further, a low rumble echoed through the air, followed by a slight tremor. The outdoor lights flickered briefly, and an eerie silence fell over the courtyard. Then, without warning, several of XANA's translucent specters emerged out of nowhere, their ghostly forms floating ominously as they moved with slow, menacing precision. Their glowing red eyes scanned the courtyard, searching for targets among the panicking students.

"Specters! XANA's launched an attack!" Jeremy shouted, leaping to his feet as his computer flashed with an alert about an activated tower on Lyoko. "Why now?!"

Panic spread like wildfire. The students, unable to understand what was happening, scattered in all directions, some stumbling and others screaming for help.

Ulrich grabbed a broom left nearby and took a defensive stance. "We need to hold them off!" he yelled, eyeing one of the specters creeping dangerously close.

Odd, ever quick to improvise, grabbed an old plastic chair and hurled it awkwardly at a specter that got too close. "Seriously, can't we get better weapons than this? I should've picked something cooler!" he joked, despite the severity of the situation.

But while the specters attacked her friends and the other students, Yumi stood frozen—they seemed to be carefully avoiding her. They circled around her but didn't strike. It was as if they... recognized her. And in that instant, a chilling realization dawned on her.

The specters recognize me, just as I recognize them, she thought, a dark voice echoing in her mind. I'm not their enemy... I'm... one of them.

Her stillness amidst the chaos didn't go unnoticed by her friends. Ulrich, fending off a specter, shot her a glance, his breath heavy. "Yumi, what are you doing?! We need you!"

But Yumi didn't respond. She only stared at the specters with a strange fascination, as if she were no longer truly present with them. Irritated, Ulrich threw his broom to the ground and ran toward her, grabbing her shoulders forcefully.

"What's wrong with you?! We don't have time for this!" he shouted, shaking her. "Are you with us or not?!"

Yumi finally looked at him, but her face remained expressionless, as if she were fighting an internal battle far beyond any of them. Before she could answer, a specter surged forward, forcing Ulrich to yank her back.

"We need to go, now!" Jeremy called out, already on the move. "There are too many of them; we can't hold out here!"

Without wasting any more time, Ulrich grabbed Yumi's arm and pulled her with him. "Come on, Yumi, move!"

Odd, after throwing another chair at a specter, caught up to them. "These things just don't give up!" he yelled, casting a last glance over his shoulder.

Aelita, her eyes filled with determination, followed closely, barely dodging a specter that reached out toward her. "We need to get to the factory before they block the way!"

The group sprinted toward the factory, leaving the chaotic courtyard behind. But the specters continued to float after them, relentless in their pursuit. And in each of their minds, one question loomed larger: what was really happening with Yumi? And how much longer could they rely on her?


The group, out of breath, dashed out of Kadic's grounds, weaving between the buildings to escape the specters. XANA's menacing shadows floated silently behind them, always in pursuit. Every noise, every gust of wind seemed to transform into a potential threat.

"This way!" shouted Jeremy, pointing to a hidden path leading into the nearby forest. The students veered off course, hoping to lose their pursuers. Their footsteps crunched against the damp forest floor, the sound of breaking branches syncing with their heavy breaths.

Ulrich kept a firm grip on Yumi's hand, unwilling to let go. She ran beside him, but he could feel a distance between them, a detachment in the way she allowed herself to be pulled along. Her face, usually so determined, now seemed lost in a torment he couldn't even begin to fathom.

"Yumi, what's going on with you?" he asked between breaths, casting a worried glance in her direction.

"I... I'm sorry," Yumi murmured, her gaze fixed ahead. She couldn't bear to meet Ulrich's eyes. "But I... I can't... explain. Not now."

"What does that mean?! You're abandoning us, is that it?" Ulrich asked, trying to hide the panic creeping into his voice.

"No," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. "I don't want to. But something... something inside me... I'm not in control anymore."

Ulrich squeezed her hand tighter, as if afraid she might slip away. "We're here for you, Yumi. No matter what's happening, we'll help you. But you have to stay with us. Don't let XANA take you, do you hear me?"

Yumi remained silent. She wanted to believe in his words, but XANA's presence within her was growing stronger by the second. She felt that dark force seeping into her with every breath, urging her to pull away from those she cared about.

Odd, panting but still trying to play his usual role as the jokester, attempted to cut through the tension. "It's not the first time we've been chased by specters, but it never gets any more fun, does it?"

No one responded. Aelita kept a close eye on Jeremy, who was glued to his laptop, searching for the quickest route to the factory. "Jeremy, are we almost there?" she asked, her voice tight with tension.

"Yes, we're close to the bridge," he replied, barely glancing up from his screen. He knew every second counted, that the specters could catch up at any moment. Their only hope lay in deactivating the tower on Lyoko.

The group's pace quickened as they neared the suspension bridge that led to the factory. The old metal structure groaned under their weight as they crossed in single file. Ulrich never let go of Yumi's hand, even though he could feel her hesitating with every step. With each stride, he held on tightly, praying she wouldn't let go.

"Yumi, look at me," he urged suddenly, his heart pounding not just from the urgency of their escape, but from fear for her. He came to a sudden stop, glancing at her as the others continued running. "Look at me!"

Yumi finally turned her head towards him, her eyes clouded with painful uncertainty. "I don't know what to think anymore, Ulrich… or who I am," she murmured.

Ulrich, breathless, shook his head. "You're Yumi. You're our friend. You're strong, and you can fight this. You've always been stronger than you think."

"I'm not sure…" She looked away. "Maybe… maybe I'll let you down, sooner or later. And when that happens…"

Ulrich felt crushed by her words, but he didn't have time to dwell on them. "We don't abandon anyone. Not you. Not now," he said, almost as a promise. "And... I promised you, didn't I? I'll always be here to help you, to protect you. No matter what happens."

They finally reached the factory entrance. Jeremy, already the first to arrive, pushed the rusty metal door open with desperate effort, and they all rushed inside.

Ulrich, the last to enter, kept casting anxious glances at Yumi. "This won't hold them for long," he muttered under his breath. "Let's head down."

The group hurried towards the elevator that would take them to the factory's lab. The tense silence of the descent contrasted with the storm of emotions swirling within each of them. Ulrich, still holding Yumi's hand, gave her one last look full of doubt and hope. She hadn't let go of his hand, but he could sense how fragile their bond was, teetering on the edge of something uncontrollable.

"Yumi," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "No matter what XANA tries to make you believe, you're not alone. We're with you. Never forget that."

Yumi remained silent. She knew Ulrich wanted to believe his own words, but deep inside, she could feel XANA's presence growing stronger, more insidious, and she wondered how much longer she could hold out before losing herself completely.

Jeremy finally broke the silence as they approached the lab's doors: "Get ready. As soon as we're in the lab, I'm launching the virtualization."

The group nodded in silence. They knew that on Lyoko, the real battle had yet to begin—and Yumi's loyalty was about to be tested in ways more brutal than they could imagine.


The group rushed into the lab, knowing they were racing against time. Every step, every breath was marked by tension and urgency. Jeremy, always focused in front of his screen, furrowed his brow as he checked the Supercomputer's readings.

"The activated tower is in the Desert Sector. Hurry, XANA's ramping up its activity," he warned, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

"We're on it, Jeremy," Ulrich responded, determined, as he, Yumi, Odd, and Aelita each stepped into the scanners.

An ominous shadow slipped quietly into one of the scanners.

"Virtualization."

The four Lyoko warriors landed in the Desert. The endless dunes stretched before them under a menacing red sky, a stark contrast to the dry heat radiating from the virtual ground.

Odd, ever the jokester in tense moments, couldn't help but make a remark. "I almost missed this desert… almost."

But Yumi, who had just arrived as well, froze almost instantly. A series of dark sparks crackled across her body, like an electric shock. She stood up straight, her expression vacant, her gaze lost in the desert horizon.

"Yumi? You okay?" Ulrich asked, noticing that the strange transformation of her clothing—now darker and pulsing with strange patterns—was still present.

But Yumi didn't respond. She remained silent, motionless, as though her mind was floating elsewhere, unable to react to her surroundings.

"I don't know what's happening, but we've got trouble incoming!" Odd pointed toward a group of XANA's monsters materializing in front of them: several Bloks, accompanied by Hornets and a Krab.

"Form a line!" ordered Ulrich, drawing his saber, his leader instincts kicking in. "Odd, cover the air; I'll take care of the Bloks on the ground. Aelita, you need to reach the tower!"

Odd immediately sprang into action, his laser arrows firing from his wrist, striking the Hornets. "I've got them! These pesky Hornets love to play tag, so I'll humor them!"

The Hornets dove in formation, their laser shots splitting the air. Odd jumped from platform to platform, dodging skillfully as his arrows shot back in retaliation.

"And bullseye! One down!" he exclaimed as a pixelated explosion marked the end of one of the Hornets.

Meanwhile, Ulrich faced the Bloks, dodging their paralyzing beams with agility. His saber sliced through the air, striking with deadly precision. Though formidable, the Bloks were slow, and Ulrich used that to his advantage. He leaped toward one, narrowly avoiding a beam, and drove his saber into its central eye, disintegrating it.

Aelita, on her way to the tower, was having her own troubles with a Krab blocking her path. "I need to reach the tower!" she called out, narrowly avoiding the Krab's heavy shots, her force fields appearing just in time to deflect the projectiles.

"I'll clear a path for you!" Ulrich shouted, cutting down another Blok. But more enemies kept arriving, and the number of monsters was increasing.

Suddenly, a Krab shot hit Ulrich square in the chest, sending him flying several meters back, landing close to Yumi. He struggled to his feet, clutching his saber tightly as the Krab advanced, ready to finish him off.

"Ulrich!" Aelita cried out, trying to form a force field to protect him, but a Blok's laser forced her to dodge at the last second.

Odd, still busy with the Hornets, glanced towards his friends. "Einstein, this would be a great time to send us our vehicles! We're getting swarmed here!"

"I'm on it, I'm on it! I'm sending them… wait!" Back in the control room, Jeremy typed frantically on his keyboard, monitoring the situation on his screens. But another alert caught his attention. "Oh no… I'm detecting XANA's activity directly on Yumi! There's… a resonance! This is really bad!"

"What?!" Ulrich shouted, barely dodging another laser. "But she's not even moving!"

"She's in some kind of trance. I don't know how to explain it. Her synchronization rate with XANA is increasing by the minute!" Jeremy's voice was tense. "If this keeps going, XANA will take full control of her!"

Ulrich's heart pounded even harder. He could only hope that his voice would somehow reach her. "Yumi, wake up! We need you!"

But Yumi remained frozen, her gaze vacant, her lips barely moving as a faint whisper escaped them.

"I... am no longer... one of you..."

It was weak, almost imperceptible, but chilling enough to make Ulrich's blood run cold.

Suddenly, a metallic rumble echoed through the air. A Tarantula had appeared, advancing toward Yumi. Unlike its usual behavior, it didn't attack. It approached her slowly, as if obeying a higher force.

Ulrich, struggling to his feet, saw the scene unfold before his eyes. He ran toward Yumi, determined to snap her out of this state, but just as he reached her, the Tarantula reacted. It struck him with one of its legs, sending him crashing to the ground.

The creature then bowed before Yumi, lowering its head, and gently rested it on her shoulder. Yumi slowly turned her head towards Ulrich, her gaze distant, as if lost in a dream, while she softly stroked the Tarantula, like a pet.

"No..." Ulrich muttered, trying to rise. "Jeremy, you've got to do something! She's not with us anymore!"

"I know, Ulrich," Jeremy's hands trembled as he continued typing. "But if I devirtualize her now... I'm afraid XANA's already affected her too deeply for her to come back the same..."

On Lyoko, Odd continued battling the remaining Hornets, but fatigue was setting in. "We're going to need a miracle if Yumi doesn't snap out of it soon!" he shouted, desperation creeping into his voice.

But Yumi still didn't move. Her eyes remained vacant, as if hypnotized, and black sparks continued to surge across her body.


In the midst of the chaos, Aelita redoubled her efforts and finally managed to reach the tower. Just as she was about to enter, she was struck by a Blok's laser, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Jeremy, I can't get to the tower, they're blocking me!" she shouted, breathless.

Ulrich, still bruised from the Tarantula's strike, searched for Yumi with desperate eyes. "Yumi, you need to wake up, now!" he yelled, his voice breaking from exhaustion and fear.

But in her trance-like state, Yumi wasn't responding. The connection with XANA grew stronger. She slowly lifted her hand, guided by an invisible force, ready to surrender herself completely.

Then, an alarm echoed from Jeremy's monitors.

"No… No, no, no…" His face paled. "XANA's spectres… they've infiltrated the factory! They're heading for the Supercomputer!"

In the real world, the spectres glided silently through the factory's dark corridors, their goal clear: the Supercomputer.

"If we don't deactivate the tower right now, they'll destroy the Supercomputer!" Jeremy shouted.

Odd, narrowly avoiding a Hornet's shot, rushed toward Ulrich. "What do we do? We're getting overrun here! Yumi's out of commission, and Aelita can't reach the tower!"

Ulrich, his gaze locked on Yumi, whispered in despair, "I don't know, Odd… I don't know…"

Then, without a word, as if responding to an irresistible force, Yumi devirtualized. In an instant, her body dissolved into a burst of dark light, vanishing from Lyoko without warning.

Ulrich froze, his eyes wide in shock. "What?! She… she disappeared?!"

"Jeremy!" Aelita shouted, still racing toward the tower. "Yumi's returned to the real world!"

"What?!" Jeremy's hands flew across his keyboard. "She re-materialized… on her own? That's impossible!"

A cold silence settled as Ulrich realized Yumi might have crossed a line from which there was no return. He clenched his fists. "We need to finish this mission... and fast."

Odd, after dispatching the last Blok, glanced at Ulrich, then back at the empty spot where Yumi had stood moments earlier. "I know she's changed, but this… this is really bad, right?"

"Very bad," Ulrich muttered, his eyes still fixed on the horizon where Yumi had vanished. "We can't waste any more time. Let's go."

Aelita finally reached the tower and began the process of deactivation. But the real battle had just begun—not on Lyoko, but in the real world, where Yumi was already drifting out of their reach.


In the factory, Jeremy hurried down to the scanner room, panting. He had seen the alerts on his monitors and realized that a spectre had interfered with Yumi's virtual transfer. His heart pounded in his chest, dreading what he might find behind the doors.

The metallic hiss of the scanner opening echoed through the room. Yumi emerged slowly, her movements deliberate. Her eyes were vacant, her pupils clouded by a dark hue. Jeremy watched her cautiously, knowing something was very, very wrong.

"Yumi…" Jeremy took a hesitant step forward. "It's me, Jeremy. You're back, okay? We're safe now…"

She didn't answer. Her gaze drifted beyond Jeremy, as if she were trapped in a different reality, inaccessible to anyone. Dark sparks crackled across her arms, climbing up to her shoulders and fingers. The flickering light betrayed the unwanted influence of something—or someone—within her.

"Yumi?" he called again, his voice trembling with fear.

"I… have to… help them," she murmured, her voice distorted by XANA's hold.

"No, Yumi! This isn't you! Come back to us!" Jeremy stepped forward quickly, his eyes burning with desperation. "You're not XANA, Yumi. You're our friend! You're Yumi Ishiyama!"

She turned her head slightly toward him, but her gaze remained vacant, cold. "I… I'm tired," she murmured, her words lost in a dazed trance. "I don't want… to fight anymore."

Jeremy's heart clenched. This wasn't Yumi speaking. She couldn't have given up. This wasn't her. "Yumi, it's XANA trying to manipulate you! Please… you have to fight!" he pleaded, his desperation mounting.

As he spoke, the dark spectre that had possessed her began to materialize behind her, its shapeless form twisting and undulating in the dim light. It was as if it were trying to consume her completely, pulling her further into its control. The shadowy figure grew larger, more menacing with every passing second.

Jeremy instinctively stepped back as the spectre fully emerged. Battling spectres on Lyoko was one thing, but facing them in the real world… that was another. "Yumi, it's trying to take you! You need to push it away, you're stronger than this!"

"I…" Yumi's voice was barely a whisper, as though she were struggling to hold on to something, perhaps reality itself. But that faint voice faded almost immediately. The dark sparks intensified, enveloping her body in a destructive energy. The spectre's form grew bolder, tightening its grip on her.

"I… can't take it anymore…" Her voice shook, and Jeremy saw her fingers clench as the energy within her spiraled out of control.

He couldn't just stand by and watch her slip away. The symbol of XANA was now visible in her eyes, glowing with a sinister light. "No, Yumi! You're not under his control! You're strong!" he shouted, his own heart racing.

Yumi fought internally, her hands trembling as the black energy coursed through her. Her mind was clouded, her thoughts swirling in a storm of confusion, and the shadow seemed to overwhelm everything inside her. But deep down… a spark of anger, of strength… refused to surrender. She couldn't be overtaken so easily.

"No…" her weak voice suddenly grew firmer, almost like a growl. "I… am not… yours!" she cried out, a blast of dark energy erupting from her body, striking the spectre surrounding her. The shadow twisted, writhing in a nightmarish dance, before exploding into a shower of dark particles, obliterated by the force radiating from her.

"I… am not XANA…" she murmured weakly, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "I am… Yumi…"

Yumi staggered back, swaying, but she stayed on her feet. Her hands trembled one last time before falling still. The symbol of XANA still lingered in her eyes, but her gaze had regained a glimmer of humanity. Slowly, she raised her head to look at Jeremy.

Jeremy stood frozen, his breath shallow. Yumi had destroyed the spectre, but at what cost? The symbol in her eyes… it hadn't disappeared.

"Yumi, are you… okay?" Jeremy stammered, unsure if it was safe to approach her.

She blinked, seeming to reconnect with herself. "I'm back…" she whispered softly, her voice calm, almost reassuring. "Thank you, Jeremy. You brought me back."

Jeremy let out a sigh of relief, though his eyes never left hers. He nodded slowly, but deep inside, the doubt remained. The symbol of XANA was still there, and that terrified him more than anything.

After the devirtualization, the pair rode the elevator in silence. The sound of the gears turning was the only thing that echoed in the heavy tension between them. Yumi, though calm on the outside, felt strange, disconnected, while Jeremy threw glances at her, uncertain about what was really happening.

When they arrived back at the lab, Jeremy rushed to his command post, immediately checking the situation on Lyoko. "Aelita, Ulrich, and Odd are still fighting, and the tower hasn't been deactivated yet," he muttered, scanning the data. "They're struggling... and I can't do anything from here."

An alarm blared, signaling another imminent threat. Security cameras revealed that XANA's spectres had infiltrated the Supercomputer room.

"Not now," Jeremy groaned, eyes fixed on his screen. "They've started attacking the Supercomputer…"

Yumi, standing nearby, glanced at the screen before placing a hand on his shoulder. "We need to stop them before they destroy the machine. Let's go."

Jeremy nodded, although his mind was still reeling. He couldn't understand why XANA had infected Yumi in this way, rather than fully possessing her. Something else was at play, something he didn't yet grasp.

The elevator took them directly to the Supercomputer room, where the spectres were already swirling around the machine, trying to breach its defenses and disable it. Their translucent forms floated in the air, emitting eerie whispers as they moved.

"We can't let them reach the core," Jeremy said, his voice heavy with the weight of the situation. He knew what would happen if the Supercomputer fell.

Yumi stepped forward, her eyes still marked by XANA's symbol. There was a cold light in her gaze, but she seemed resolute. The spectres paused as she entered the room, their movements becoming hesitant. They feared her.

"Step back," she ordered, her voice oddly calm but laced with an imposing authority. The dark energy began to surge around her once again, casting an unsettling light across the room.

One of the spectres, acting impulsively, rushed toward her, but Yumi didn't let it get close.

"No," she whispered, lifting her hand. Dark lightning erupted from her fingertips, striking the ground with such force that the spectre was disintegrated instantly.

The other spectres hesitated, floating silently. They could feel XANA's presence within her and were uncertain about attacking.

"I am not your enemy…" Yumi murmured, her voice cold, yet strangely detached. "But you will not touch this machine."

Yumi slowly raised her hand again, fingers outstretched, and another bolt of dark lightning shot out, hitting two more spectres simultaneously, reducing them to dust. The last spectre, unnerved, tried to flee, but with a swift motion, Yumi unleashed another strike that destroyed it before it could reach the exit.

Jeremy, watching in stunned silence, felt a mix of relief and cold dread settling over him.

Yumi turned to face him, her eyes still glowing with that unnerving symbol of XANA. She walked calmly toward him as the last traces of the dark energy dissipated.

"Jeremy, it's over. They won't come back," she said firmly, as though making a promise.

But Jeremy couldn't find the words to respond. His gaze lingered on the symbol in her eyes, still glowing faintly. He nodded, though deep down, his doubts only grew stronger.

XANA was still there, lurking in the shadows, and Yumi... he wasn't sure what she had become.


On Lyoko, the situation was dire. Ulrich and Odd were fighting with every ounce of strength they had left, struggling to fend off XANA's relentless forces. Bloks, Hornets, and Krabs grew more aggressive with every passing second. The air was filled with laser fire, and the virtual desert trembled under the weight of the explosions.

"Ulrich, to your left!" Odd shouted, narrowly dodging a shot that grazed his shoulder.

Ulrich rolled to the side, slicing through a Blok with precision. The creatures seemed endless. Every time they destroyed one, another would take its place.

Meanwhile, Aelita was sprinting toward the activated tower, dodging and weaving between enemy fire. Her goal was clear: she had to deactivate the tower to stop the attack.

"Go, Aelita! Deactivate the tower!" Ulrich called out, breathless after sending a Krab flying with a swift move of his sword.

Odd, ever the joker, added as he jumped over a Hornet's shot, "Do it before I end up looking like Swiss cheese!"

Aelita dashed into the tower. Inside, she was enveloped by floating digital symbols. The familiar codes swirled around her as she extended her hand, preparing to input the deactivation commands. Numbers flashed across the glowing interface, and her fingers moved swiftly over the controls.

Back in the real world, Jeremy was glued to his screen, his heart pounding as he monitored the unfolding events. "Come on, Aelita… don't fail us now," he muttered under his breath.

Finally, Aelita completed the process. "Tower deactivated," she announced, exhausted but relieved. The light within the tower shut off abruptly, casting the Desert Sector into an eerie, still silence. XANA's monsters froze in place, then dissolved into pixelated fragments, disappearing one by one.

On the desert floor, Odd collapsed onto his back, his virtual body completely drained. "Phew… that felt good. I thought I was going to get turned into digital soup," he joked, flashing a tired grin.

Ulrich stood up slowly, sheathing his sword with care. He wasn't as lighthearted as Odd. "Yeah… We're lucky we made it until the tower was deactivated. But something's bothering me."

Odd turned his head toward him, curiosity piqued. "Oh, I bet you're thinking about Yumi, aren't you?"

Ulrich nodded. "She hasn't been herself lately. Something's really wrong, and… I don't like seeing her like this."

Odd's smile faded, his expression growing more serious. "Yeah, you're right. Yumi's… different. And not in a good way."

Aelita, having deactivated the tower, joined them quietly. All three stood in silence, the weight of their worry for Yumi hanging over them like a dark cloud. They knew something terrible was looming.

Back at the factory, the three Lyoko Warriors were devirtualized one by one. The light of the scanners faded as Odd, Ulrich, and Aelita made their way to the main room. Jeremy awaited them, his face marked by exhaustion and stress from the day's events. But more than anything, he seemed to carry a heavy secret.

Odd was the first to break the silence. "So, what happened while we were fighting off XANA's monster army?"

Jeremy hesitated for a moment, his eyes drifting to the screen where Yumi's readings were still displayed. "Something… happened. With Yumi."

Ulrich immediately stood straighter. "What do you mean? What happened to her?" His tone was a mix of alarm and barely contained anger.

Jeremy took a deep breath before explaining the events that had unfolded in the scanner room: the spectre's infiltration during Yumi's virtual transfer, her strange behavior, the dark sparks, and her battle against XANA's influence. He also recounted how she had destroyed the spectres in the Supercomputer room.

"She… she wasn't herself. XANA's spectre had somehow infected her, like it was trying to fully possess her," he explained, his voice calm but filled with tension. "But she managed to destroy it. She... she eliminated it with some kind of dark energy. But her eyes… they still had XANA's symbol."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Odd, usually quick with a joke, frowned, clearly troubled. "Wait, you mean she's still… under XANA's control?"

Jeremy shook his head. "I don't know. Her eyes looked normal when we left the Supercomputer room. But… I feel like I'm forgetting something."

Ulrich clenched his fists, barely able to contain his growing concern. "Where is she now?"

"She left. She didn't say anything, just… walked off," Jeremy replied, visibly disturbed. "She's probably back at the dorms. I think everything that happened really shook her up."


In her dorm room, Yumi stared at her reflection in the mirror. The calm of the room was in stark contrast to the turmoil raging inside her. Her eyes, now free of the XANA symbol, betrayed no sign of his influence, but she could still feel it—like a wave that kept returning, threatening to pull her under.

She stood up slightly, running a hand through her black hair. It shimmered gently under the soft light, and the sensation made her shiver. She was still Yumi, but... something had changed. The power she had felt, that electric force coursing through her, allowing her to obliterate the spectre… it was intoxicating. Frightening, but intoxicating.

"Is this… what I'm becoming?" she whispered, her fingers tracing the cold frame of the mirror. She leaned closer to her reflection, searching her features for answers. But the mirror only reflected her own doubt.

She remembered that moment when she felt XANA's power flowing through her. It had nearly overwhelmed her, yet she had managed to control it, to use it against the spectre. A part of her wondered why she had this power. Was it because she was now too connected to XANA? Was this some kind of poisoned gift, a force that would slowly transform her into something else?

Yumi placed her hand on the cold surface of the mirror, confronting her own gaze. "I am not XANA…" she whispered softly, as if trying to convince herself. "I'm not…"

But the shadow still lingered, and Yumi knew it would become harder and harder to shake.

The night crept in slowly around her, and Yumi felt trapped between two worlds. Between who she was... and what she feared she might become.


Odd, any last words before we move on?

Odd: "Yumi, with all those new tricks up your sleeve, you should seriously consider a career in stage magic. Just imagine the tips you'd get!"