BADUM TSSSSSSS


The morning began with a remedial math class taught by Mrs. Meyer. Ulrich and Odd, alongside Nicolas and Sissi, found themselves in the room, their faces tense as they struggled with complex equations. The atmosphere was studious, with everyone trying to focus—except perhaps Odd, who, true to form, always found a way to amuse himself.

Ulrich furrowed his brow, attempting to solve an algebra problem, while glancing at his neighbor. Odd, instead of focusing on his notebook, was doodling caricatures of Jim in the margins of his exercise.

"Odd, seriously," Ulrich whispered, trying to suppress a smile, "if Meyer catches you, you're going to get in real trouble."

Odd shrugged nonchalantly, a grin still playing at the corner of his lips. "Relax, Ulrich. I've got a talent for slipping past teachers' radars. If she asks me a question, I'll just crack one of my jokes. Guaranteed success."

Ulrich shook his head, amused despite himself. Behind them, Sissi was watching the scene with a distracted gaze, her eyes frequently drawn to Ulrich. She was trying to catch his attention, but to no avail. Eventually, she leaned over toward him.

"Ulrich, if you want, we can work on the exercise together. I'm pretty good at math, you know," she offered, a charming smile on her lips.

Ulrich, always polite, responded with a light smile. "Thanks, Sissi, but I think I can manage. I just need to concentrate a little more."

Sissi frowned slightly, before diving back into her notes, while Nicolas, sitting beside her, grimaced at the mathematical puzzle that continued to stump him. The tension in the room had eased slightly, but a kind of fatigue hung over the students, each of them eagerly awaiting the end of the session.

When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the class, Odd stretched noisily, exaggerating every movement. "Ah, the sweet sound of freedom!" he declared, jumping up from his seat.

Ulrich packed his things away methodically. "You'd better study, Odd. Did you see the look on Mrs. Meyer's face when she saw your doodles?"

"Don't worry about me, Ulrich. I have a special method," Odd replied with his usual mischievous grin. "I rely on my natural charm to get by."

As they were leaving, Sissi tried once more. "Ulrich, you know, if you want, we could study together this afternoon. It'd be more fun than working alone."

Before Ulrich could respond, Odd jumped in cheerfully. "Sorry, Sissi! Ulrich's already booked. We've got another top-secret mission... surviving our next gym class with Jim."

Sissi sighed, visibly frustrated, but she didn't push further. She signaled to Nicolas to follow, and the two of them walked away. Ulrich glanced at Odd in silence.

"You're incorrigible," he said, a barely concealed smile tugging at his lips.

"And that's why you like me!" Odd replied with a laugh.


The gym was bathed in the bright morning light, the air still carrying a slight trace of the night's moisture. Jim Morales, the gruff gym teacher, was already on the field, his whistle hanging around his neck, ready to put his students through their paces. Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi approached him with determined steps. Aelita, enjoying a break from their usual routines, sat in the stands on the side of the field to cheer them on.

"Alright, slackers, let's go! No rest today. I want effort, seriousness, and determination! If you think I'm going to let you take it easy, you're wrong!" Jim barked, his usual stern tone cutting through the crisp air.

Ulrich and Odd exchanged amused glances. "This should be fun," Ulrich muttered with a smile.

"I bet he'll have us running laps until our legs give out," Odd replied with a slight yawn.

Yumi remained silent, her gaze fixed on the field, ready to begin. Unlike usual, she seemed almost eager. Her entire body was tense, like an arrow ready to be released.

"Alright, warm-up time! Start with some laps around the field. Keep going until I tell you to stop, or when the first one of you crosses the finish line! And no lagging, or I'll blow the whistle!" Jim ordered, his sharp eyes scanning the group.

Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi lined up with the other students, ready to run. As soon as the whistle blew, they took off, each finding their rhythm. Ulrich and Odd, used to this kind of race, took the lead, exchanging a few jokes as they ran.

"Come on, Ulrich, now's your chance! I bet you two laps before you beg me to slow down," Odd joked, maintaining his pace.

Yumi, however, remained focused and silent, her strides steady, her gaze fixed straight ahead. Soon, she picked up speed slightly, and to everyone's surprise, she started catching up effortlessly. Within seconds, she overtook them without even glancing their way.

Ulrich, noticing Yumi passing them, frowned. "What? Did she just pass us?"

Odd looked on with an amused smile. "What did she have for breakfast? Triple-A batteries?"

But Yumi didn't slow down, and before they realized it, she was far ahead of them, speeding along with impressive agility. Her legs seemed to barely touch the ground, as if gravity had no hold on her. She crossed the finish line before anyone else, her hair trailing behind her.

"Incredible, Ishiyama! A real running machine!" Jim exclaimed, clearly impressed. "The rest of you, take notes!"

Ulrich and Odd, arriving well after her, were out of breath, their breathing heavy. Odd shook his head, a grin of disbelief on his lips. "Did I just dream that, or did she totally smoke us?"

"You're not dreaming, Odd," Ulrich panted. "She left us in the dust like it was nothing."

Odd grinned. "Well, looks like we'll have to switch into turbo mode next time."

But Yumi didn't react. She carefully avoided their gazes, as if she hadn't heard them—or worse, as if she was deliberately ignoring them. She simply nodded in acknowledgment as Jim complimented her, without saying a word.

"Alright, no resting, let's keep it going!" Jim resumed, still impressed by Yumi's performance. "Now I want to see some skill on the obstacle course! We're talking agility, endurance, and speed. Yumi set the bar high—let's see if you can follow her lead."

The obstacle course was set up on the field: hurdles to jump over, tires to leap through, bars to climb, and finally a sprint to the finish line. Jim, with a smirk on his face, blew his whistle to get the group moving.

"Ulrich, Odd, Yumi, let's see what you've got," Jim called out.

The three of them got into position. This time, Ulrich and Odd were determined not to get left behind like before. At the sound of the whistle, they all took off at once. Odd bounced through the tires, Ulrich vaulted over the hurdles with agility, but Yumi quickly took the lead once more.

She cleared the hurdles with perfect precision, tackled the obstacles effortlessly, her movements fluid and controlled. As the boys struggled to keep pace, she had already reached the rope and climbed it in no time, conquering each challenge without slowing down.

"She's going to beat us again, isn't she?" Ulrich grumbled, speeding up to try to catch her.

Odd, already falling behind, quipped, "Does she have turbo-legs or what?"

But Yumi didn't waver. She reached the finish line well before the boys, her face still impassive. Jim, witnessing the scene, was genuinely impressed by her performance. "That's what I want to see! Well done, Yumi! The rest of you, take notes!"

Ulrich and Odd, arriving out of breath once again, looked at Yumi with visible frustration. "This is crazy…" Ulrich muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"It's a little humiliating getting beaten by a girl…" Odd added, out of breath but still with a mischievous grin. "I'm telling you again, Ulrich, you REALLY should date her!"

"Enough, Odd," Ulrich replied, throwing a glance at Yumi, who continued to ignore their banter.

She didn't respond to either of them, not even sparing a glance. She seemed distant, almost cold, absorbed in her own thoughts. Jim, still impressed, continued to praise her performance, but Yumi didn't seem to be listening either.

The class ended, and Jim blew his whistle one last time to announce the end of training. "Good job, slackers. But remember, there's always room for improvement! Now, hit the showers."

Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi headed toward the exit of the field. Odd ran a hand through his hair with a grimace. "Well... we know what we have to do. Train even harder if we ever want to beat her."

"Yeah, for sure," Ulrich replied with a slight smile. But deep down, he remained impressed by Yumi's performance and her incredible agility. Whatever the case, he had accepted his defeat.

Yumi, for her part, left the field without saying a word. She had proven herself faster and stronger than all of them, but she didn't seem interested in discussing it. Her thoughts were elsewhere, still as mysterious, leaving her friends behind.


A few hours after the gym class, Jeremy had settled into the library, determined to continue his research. He had piled several books on computer science and rare electronic phenomena in front of him, hoping to find clues to explain the disturbances on Lyoko. His fingers flipped through the pages with agility as he mentally noted key information.

Lost in his concentration, he didn't immediately notice the shadow looming over his desk. It wasn't until a soft but curious voice spoke up that he finally looked up.

"Still working on top-secret missions?" said Tania, a classmate in her fifth year who had been sitting nearby for most of the day.

"You could say that," Jeremy replied with a polite smile, although he felt a bit embarrassed. "There's always something new to explore."

Tania, intrigued, sat across from him. "You really thrive here. It's impressive to see you work with so much passion."

Jeremy blushed slightly, not used to receiving compliments, especially from his peers. "Thanks... but you know, I'm just determined to solve certain mysteries."

Tania nodded with a sincere smile before letting him get back to his work.

Meanwhile, Odd, wandering through the halls of the school, was up to his usual antics. Spotting a group of girls near the lockers, he flashed them his signature grin before launching into one of his usual charming routines.

"Hey, ladies! Ready to tackle the day? With Odd Della Robbia around, you're bound to be in a good mood!"

The girls, accustomed to his antics, giggled, but Milly, the most mischievous of the group, raised an amused eyebrow. "Odd, one day you're going to get turned down hard if you keep flirting with everyone."

Odd shrugged, his grin widening. "I like living on the edge."

"Ah, incorrigible!" one of the girls retorted, laughing.

Odd replied with a wink, pleased with himself, and continued on his way. He knew his behavior was part of his charm. His classmates always anticipated his next joke, and he loved playing the role of the class clown.

The afternoon promised something different. A school trip organized by Mr. Fumet was planned to the city's modern art museum. Though some students were less than excited about the outing, they were prepared to explore contemporary and abstract works.

The museum's lobby was impressive, with its large metallic structures and complex sculptures. Mr. Fumet, as passionate as ever, led the group with enthusiasm. "This metal sculpture here symbolizes the inner conflicts of modern man. See how the twisted forms intertwine—it's a representation of our emotional struggles."

Aelita, fascinated by the piece, stopped to admire it for a moment. "It's incredible how the artist conveys such intensity. You can almost feel the tension in every curve."

Ulrich, standing beside her, nodded. "Yeah, it reminds me of… unseen struggles that are very real." He was obviously thinking of their battles against XANA and what they were going through with Yumi.

Odd, lagging behind them, raised an eyebrow as he observed another, more bizarre sculpture. "I'm just wondering why the artist decided to twist so much metal. It's like a giant tried to tie knots with wire."

Milly, listening to their conversation, shook her head in amusement. "Odd, you really don't get it, do you? It's all about interpretation."

"I prefer things that make me laugh. Comedy—that's my domain!" Odd joked, always ready with a witty remark.

But as the group continued their exploration of the museum's various halls, Yumi remained in the background. She wasn't in the mood to admire art today. She preferred to keep to herself, observing her classmates from a distance, as though trying to stay removed from everything.

Ulrich noticed her several times and frowned slightly, but he didn't press the issue. She seemed to need space, and he wasn't going to force her to talk if she didn't want to.

Suddenly, Jeremy, who had remained discreet throughout the visit, heard beeping and vibrations coming from his backpack. Glancing quickly at his laptop, his face turned pale. A red alert was flashing. A tower had just been activated on Lyoko. But what was more concerning was the nature of the activation. The halo around the tower wasn't its usual color. Something was very wrong.

Frowning, Jeremy slipped away from the group and hurried over to Ulrich, whispering urgently in his ear, "We've got a problem. The superscan detected a tower activation, and it looks... strange. We need to sneak out quietly."

Ulrich exchanged a glance with Aelita and Odd, who had already picked up on the tension. The three of them knew what this meant. Another battle awaited them.

Without delay, Ulrich looked over at Yumi, who, despite her distance, seemed to understand immediately. She straightened up and quietly walked over to join them.

"Let's move quietly. We don't want to draw attention," Ulrich murmured, taking the lead. They searched for an exit to leave the museum without alerting Mr. Fumet or their classmates.

Odd, always quick to find a solution, spotted a side door leading to a small inner courtyard. "This way, ninjas," he said with a grin.

One by one, they slipped out of the museum, hearts pounding. Once outside, the stillness of the courtyard only heightened the urgency of the situation. Without another word, they began to run toward the factory, determined to understand what was happening on Lyoko and stop XANA or whatever it was before it was too late.


The group, now out of sight of the museum, sprinted through the quiet streets. The cool mid-afternoon air brushed against their faces, but the urgency in their hearts burned like an invisible fire, pushing them to move faster. Jeremy, still focused on his laptop, suddenly slowed down as he analyzed new signals.

"There's a tower activated," he announced in a quick voice. "But something's wrong..."

Odd turned his head while running, slightly out of breath. "Wrong how?"

"The halo around the tower... it's purple. That's not normal at all. It's unlike anything XANA has done before."

Ulrich frowned, his legs propelling him toward the factory. "If it's not XANA, then who is behind this?"

Jeremy shook his head, perplexed. "I don't know yet. But whatever it is, it's not a good sign."

Aelita nodded, her expression serious. "Something feels off... this tower could be more dangerous if we don't know what we're dealing with."

Odd shrugged as they ran, trying to keep things light. "We always face dangerous stuff, don't we? Maybe it's just a new type of tower. But purple? Seriously, who picks that as a battle color?"

Aelita smiled faintly, though worry still lined her face. The group finally reached the entrance of the factory and rushed to the freight elevator. A tense silence filled the small, metallic space as they descended, the weight of the situation hanging over them.

As the elevator descended, Ulrich broke the silence in a tense voice. "Before we go any further… Yumi, are you sure you're up for this?"

All eyes turned toward Yumi, who had been quiet since they left the museum. She stood in the corner of the elevator, avoiding her friends' eyes. She knew the question was coming. She could feel their hesitation, their fear, and maybe even their doubt.

"We all know what happened last time," Ulrich added, his voice softer. "We were... scared."

Odd, ever blunt, nodded. "Yeah, Yumi, you were… well, you freaked us out. XANA almost had you."

Aelita, always gentle, stepped closer to her. "We don't want you to go through that again alone. But if XANA gets to you again, it could be even worse this time."

Yumi remained silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on the floor of the elevator, as if trying to hold something back. Ulrich's words echoed in her mind. She knew her friends had every right to be worried, but something deeper, something even she didn't fully understand, was driving her to continue.

She finally lifted her eyes to meet Ulrich's, her gaze intense but without fear. "I can't promise it won't happen again," she said calmly. "But I can promise that this time, I'll fight. Until the very end."

Ulrich opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated. Yumi's gaze... it was different, filled with a fierce resolve he had never seen in her before. Something within her had resurfaced, and he didn't know whether it should reassure him or worry him even more.

Jeremy, crouched over his laptop, glanced up quickly at his screen. "Don't worry, Ulrich. I'll monitor the data closely. This time, if I detect anything abnormal with Yumi, I'll devirtualize her immediately."

"It'll be fine, Jeremy," Yumi said with a small smile. "I'm ready."

The elevator came to a halt, and Jeremy hurried off alone to the lab. The tension remained thick in the air. They all knew what was at stake.

In the lab, Jeremy sat down in front of his screens, typing quickly to initiate the virtualization process. Meanwhile, a floor below, the scanners opened, ready to receive Odd, Ulrich, Aelita, and Yumi.

Ulrich hesitated for a moment, looking at Yumi's scanner. His thoughts swirled as the reality of the mission weighed heavily on him. Just before Yumi stepped into her own scanner, he gently placed a hand on her arm.

"Hold on this time, Yumi..." he whispered, his gaze full of care and hope.

Yumi looked at him but, this time, didn't look away. For a brief second, something tender flickered in her eyes—something that contrasted with her usual determination. Then, without another word, she turned and stepped into her scanner.

Ulrich watched as the scanner closed around her, his heart pounding harder than he would have liked. He stepped into his own scanner, jaw clenched. "We can't lose her," he muttered to himself, as if trying to will it into reality, before the scanner door closed.

"Virtualization in progress," Jeremy's voice came through, steadier than he felt.

The scanners shut with a soft thud, and in pairs, the four Lyoko Warriors disappeared in a flash of light. Alone in the lab, Jeremy kept his eyes on every data point, his attention split between their mission and Yumi's energy levels. He couldn't stop glancing at her readings, determined not to let her fall into XANA's grasp again.


Once virtualized, Ulrich, Odd, Aelita, and Yumi landed in the Forest Sector of Lyoko. Towering trees stretched above them, but an unusual atmosphere lingered. A strange purple mist snaked between the gnarled roots and glowing leaves. The silence was thick, only broken by the distant rustling of the digital wind.

"Alright, we're here. Jeremy, any updates?" Ulrich asked, trying to hide his unease.

Jeremy's voice crackled in their earpieces. "The tower is a few kilometers from your position, deep in the Forest. But be careful… I'm detecting movement. I can't tell if it's XANA. It's still unclear what this is, so stay on guard."

Odd raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Not XANA? Does that mean we've got a new contender for Monster of the Month?"

Aelita, always calm, whispered, "It could be connected to the purple tower. We don't know what it hides."

Yumi, still silent, scanned the horizon. She could feel a presence—something different, something new.

Suddenly, faint movements caught their attention. Sleek, hooded figures emerged from the mist, moving with an almost supernatural fluidity. Their glowing eyes pierced through the darkness beneath their hoods.

"What the heck are these things?" Ulrich muttered, gripping his swords tightly as he assumed a defensive stance.

The figures, silent and eerie, began to encircle the group, their movements so synchronized that it was clear they had a shared intelligence.

"They look like ninjas from a video game," Odd remarked, adjusting his laser arrow glove. "Shinobis! Yeah, that's what we'll call them."

"Shinobis?" Aelita repeated, a mix of confusion and amusement in her voice.

"Why not? It suits them, don't you think?" Odd grinned, though his smile was more nervous than usual.

The Shinobis didn't wait any longer. One of them launched a swift attack at Ulrich, who barely parried with his blades. The impact pushed him back a few steps.

"They're fast!" Ulrich exclaimed, gritting his teeth.

Two more Shinobis darted toward Aelita. She dodged the first with a graceful pivot, then summoned a force field toward the second, which narrowly avoided the blast with unsettling agility.

"They're predicting our moves," Aelita said, worry creeping into her voice.

Odd, constantly on the move, fired a barrage of laser arrows. "Stay still, will you!" he complained as the Shinobis dodged with ease.

Yumi stood still, watching the battle, her sharp eyes tracking every move the Shinobis made. She felt an odd connection to them, as though she instinctively understood their intentions. Without warning, she launched herself into the fray.

She leapt with astonishing speed, landing in the middle of the Shinobis. Her fans spun around her like vortexes of energy. She deflected an attack aimed at Ulrich, redirecting the Shinobi's blade with precise movement. In a blur of motion, she dispatched several foes, her strikes fluid and deadly.

"Yumi, that's amazing!" Aelita exclaimed, clearly impressed.

Odd, who had just taken down another Shinobi, couldn't resist joking. "Okay, it's official. Yumi's gone full-on super-ninja. You'll have to teach us a few tricks!"

Ulrich, slightly winded, moved closer to her. "Thanks for the save, Yumi."

She didn't respond, her eyes locked on the Shinobis. There was something different in her gaze, a fierce determination mixed with a coldness they hadn't seen before.

The Shinobis hesitated in her presence, as though sensing a greater threat. One of them signaled to the others, and they launched a coordinated attack.

"Watch out!" Jeremy's voice rang through their headsets. "They're preparing something!"

The Shinobis formed a circle around the group, purple lightning crackling between them. An energy sphere began to form, tightening around the Lyoko Warriors.

"We're in a bad spot," Odd muttered, eyes fixed on the growing sphere.

"We have to break their formation!" Ulrich shouted.

"I'll handle it," Yumi said, her voice eerily calm.

Before anyone could react, she sprinted toward the Shinobis, her fans spinning like vortexes of energy. She sliced through the energy sphere in a circular motion, creating an opening. The Shinobis tried to stop her, but she moved too quickly.

Taking advantage of the break, Ulrich, Odd, and Aelita followed her lead. Once free from the sphere, they split up, engaging the Shinobis one by one.

Ulrich found himself facing two of them, his sabers flashing as he parried and attacked with precision. But the Shinobis were fast, and he struggled to gain the upper hand.

Odd, always in motion, fired off laser arrows while dodging attacks. "These guys are tough!" he yelled, narrowly avoiding a strike aimed at his shoulder.

Aelita tried to make her way to the tower, but two Shinobis blocked her path. She raised a force field to defend herself, but they relentlessly battered it, trying to break through.

Yumi, meanwhile, moved through the battlefield like a dancer, her every motion calculated and fluid. The Shinobis around her seemed disoriented, unable to predict her next move.

Back in the lab, Jeremy noticed something unusual. "Yumi's readings... her energy is spiking. It's like... like she's drawing from some kind of extra power."

"What does that mean?" Ulrich asked between parries.

"I'm not sure, but be careful."

Just as one of the Shinobis was about to strike Ulrich from behind, Yumi intervened, blocking the attack with her fan.

"Thanks, Yumi…" Ulrich said, surprised.

Then, without warning, Yumi turned toward Ulrich, and in a gesture that caught him completely off guard, she wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him into a gentle yet firm embrace. Ulrich froze, stunned by the sudden closeness.

"Yumi… what… what are you..." he stammered, unsure of how to react.

She didn't say anything, her arms still around him, but he could feel a strange warmth radiating from her. She wasn't trying to explain her actions, but he instinctively understood that she was protecting him, keeping him close, no matter what. He felt the mysterious energy within her, a power that seemed determined to keep him safe at all costs.

She rested her head slightly on his shoulder, her eyes filled with a steely resolve. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

Ulrich, thrown off by her words and the intensity of her gesture, couldn't think of a response. He had never seen Yumi like this before. She released him as suddenly as she had embraced him, stepping in front of him, ready to fend off the next attack.

The Shinobis, visibly unsettled, began to retreat. One of them let out a high-pitched sound, and in a flash, they all vanished, melting into the purple mist.

"They… ran away?" Odd said, glancing around.

"Looks like it," Aelita confirmed, lowering her force field.

Jeremy's voice came through their earpieces. "I'm not detecting any more of them. It's strange. They don't match any of XANA's known patterns."

"Does that mean they aren't from XANA?" Ulrich asked.

"It's possible. I'll need to analyze this further."

Aelita pointed toward the now visible tower, its purple halo still glowing faintly. "I'm going to deactivate the tower."

"Wait, I'll come with you," Ulrich offered.

Yumi placed a hand on Ulrich's arm, stopping him in his tracks. "No. Let me go."

"But—"

"Trust me."

Ulrich hesitated, blushing slightly, then nodded softly. "Alright."

Yumi and Aelita approached the tower together. As they reached the entrance, Aelita turned to Yumi. "Thanks for your help back there, Yumi."

Yumi nodded but remained distant.

Aelita entered the tower and floated up to the interface. She placed her hand on the floating screen and typed the code. "Code Lyoko."

The purple halo dissipated, replaced by the familiar blue glow.

"Tower deactivated," Jeremy announced with relief. "But I'm still getting strange data. And... wait, I'm receiving a coded message."

"A message? From who?" Odd asked.

"I don't know yet. I'll need time to decrypt it."

Aelita exited the tower and rejoined Yumi outside. "We should head back."

Yumi nodded, casting one last glance toward Ulrich. Her hair, which had floated in the digital wind as if animated by its own will, fell softly back onto her shoulders as she turned to leave the virtual world.

Ulrich, still shaken by Yumi's embrace and the strange events that had just transpired, watched her walk away, a burning question on his lips that he didn't dare ask.


Back in the factory's lab, the atmosphere was heavy after the battle with the Shinobis. The adrenaline from the fight still lingered, but so did an unsettling feeling. Yumi, in particular, seemed distant, her gaze fixed somewhere far beyond the room. Odd, usually quick to break the tension with a joke, was unusually quiet, casting quick glances at Yumi but saying nothing.

"These… Shinobis, as Odd named them, are a much bigger threat than I initially thought." Jeremy's fingers flew over his keyboard, his face darkening as he reviewed the data on his screen. "They're learning. Every time we fight them, they adapt. This isn't just a pre-programmed strategy. They're… autonomous."

Odd, hands on his hips, raised an eyebrow. "Autonomous? Great. So now we've got monsters who not only give us a hard time but who also get smarter every fight."

Ulrich nodded, recalling how quickly the Shinobis had adapted to their moves. "I noticed. At first, we could anticipate their attacks, but by the end… it was like they could read our every move."

"It's not just about reading our moves," Jeremy added. "They adapt to our skills, our weaknesses. And that's not even the most concerning part."

Aelita, who had also sensed the almost perfect coordination of the Shinobis, crossed her arms thoughtfully. "So, what worries you the most?"

Jeremy turned back to his screen, where a coded message blinked in the corner. "They aren't from XANA. There was no signal, no usual code from XANA in any of them. They're coming from someone or something else… And that's what's really unsettling. If these Shinobis aren't XANA's, then who is controlling them? And why are they here on Lyoko?"

Aelita, her brows furrowing, looked at Jeremy. "You think they're looking for something? Maybe they're testing us—and XANA—to see what we're capable of."

"It's possible," Jeremy admitted, his fingers still working through lines of code. "But I don't have all the data to be certain. What I do know is they're here for a reason, and they're not going to leave us alone."

Odd sighed, shaking his head. "Great, so now we're not just dealing with an evil program trying to take over the world, but also some cyber ninjas dropping in out of nowhere."

As the group absorbed the information, Yumi, still standing apart, seemed lost in her own world. She suddenly stood up, as if shaken by a thought or feeling, and walked toward the elevator without a word.

Ulrich took a step forward, reaching out. "Yumi… wait..." But she didn't stop or acknowledge him. She left the lab in silence, her footsteps echoing through the room.

Ulrich bit his lip. He wanted to stop her, to talk to her, but he knew she needed space. What worried him the most was that, day by day, it felt like she was slipping further away from them.

As the elevator doors closed behind her, Odd finally broke the silence. "She's not doing okay, is she? I mean, we all know that, but this… it feels worse."

Ulrich nodded, his arms crossed and his expression grim. "Yeah, she's becoming more… distant. The presence of XANA inside her must be eating away at her."

Aelita agreed, her voice soft but troubled. "It's like she's only half here sometimes."

Jeremy, who had been reviewing Yumi's data throughout the fight, turned to them with a serious look on his face. "Her readings are getting more unstable. I've been analyzing them, and something happened during that battle. You all saw it, didn't you? Yumi's energy spiked at a certain point."

Odd, still picturing the fight in his head, nodded. "Yeah… she started moving so fast, even those freaky Shinobis got scared. They backed off, like they knew something was off."

Ulrich lowered his eyes, replaying the moment in his mind. "She protected me... again and again. But this time, it felt different. There was… something in her eyes I'd never seen before. Like she was ready to do anything to keep me safe. It freaked me out."

Jeremy nodded, his fingers tapping nervously on the edge of his keyboard. "That energy spike, I think it's linked to the… electromagnetic flux of XANA inside her. We've known for a while that it's there, but I think it's becoming more active than ever."

Aelita frowned, trying to connect the dots. "So that's why she seems different sometimes… XANA is pushing her, influencing her actions, even if she doesn't realize it."

Odd crossed his arms, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "So, what? Every time she's in danger—or we are—that XANA energy kicks in, and she goes full super-mode?"

"Exactly," Jeremy said. "That flux is XANA. It amplifies her abilities. But there's a risk. The more it's active, the more ground XANA gains. And I'm afraid if this keeps up, we could lose Yumi... for good."

Ulrich clenched his fists, his face hardening with determination. "That's not an option. We're going to bring her back before that happens."

Jeremy sighed, his eyes back on his screen. "I'm going to try and figure out a solution. There has to be a way to help her without putting her in more danger… but it's going to take time. And until then, we need to be extra careful. If her behavior gets more erratic, we could be dealing with something bigger than XANA itself."

Odd shook his head, his expression heavy. "This is nuts. We've already got XANA, now these new enemies… and Yumi, who could go dark side at any moment."

Aelita, visibly worried, whispered, "We can't let her go through this alone. We have to find a way to save her, just like we did for me…"

Ulrich, resolute, took a deep breath. "We'll be there for her, Aelita. No matter what. Yumi won't lose us."

Jeremy looked around at the group, the weight of the situation evident on his shoulders. "You're right. But we need to stay vigilant. Between XANA, these mysterious Shinobis, and Yumi's instability... we're walking a very fine line."

The room fell into a quiet reflection, each member of the team contemplating the challenges ahead. They knew that the days to come would be difficult, and they'd need to muster every ounce of strength to protect not only Yumi but also their friendship.

Odd, ever the optimist, cracked a small smile despite the tension. "Alright, we'll save our super-ninja. And maybe we'll even figure out how to take down these Shinobis while we're at it." He winked at his friends, trying to bring a bit of lightness back to the group.

Ulrich nodded softly. "Yeah. We'll do whatever it takes to bring her back."

The conversation ended there, but they all knew that the next few days would be crucial. With external threats closing in and Yumi's internal battle raging, the Lyoko Warriors would have to dig deep to face what lay ahead.