The beginning of freedom

Chia and Sue exchanged a glance, feeling a mixture of curiosity and caution toward this peculiar girl. Sue was the first to speak, trying to obtain more information.

—Esmeralda, how long have you been here? How did you arrive at this place?

The girl simply shrugged her shoulders, her mischievous smile never fading.

—Oh, I've been here a long time. Or maybe not. Time is weird here, you know?

Chia tried a different approach.

—Have you seen other prisoners? Do you know anything about this dungeon?

Esmeralda spun on her heels, as if she were dancing.

—I see many things. But I don't like talking about boring things.

Sue sighed, frustrated by the girl's evasive answers. It was like trying to catch smoke with her hands.

—Esmeralda, we need your help. We're looking for...

But before she could finish, Esmeralda interrupted her, her smile widening even more. Her eyes sparkled with a knowledge that a girl her age shouldn't possess.

—Are you looking for the object that channels the Law?

The silence that followed was absolute. Chia and Sue froze, their eyes wide with surprise. How could this girl know exactly what they were searching for?

—How...?

Chia began, but her voice faded.

Esmeralda gave another little hop, clearly enjoying their surprise.

—I know many things. This is my home, after all. I know all its secrets.

Sue took a step forward, her expression a mix of hope and urgency.

—Do you know where it is? Can you tell us?

The girl tilted her head, her expression becoming thoughtful. For a moment, she seemed much older than her appearance suggested.

—I could tell you.

she said slowly.

—But... where would the fun be in that?

Her smile became even more mischievous, and a playful gleam appeared in her eyes.

—If you want to know where the object is, you have to play with me first.

Chia frowned.

—Play? At what?

Esmeralda clapped enthusiastically, as if they had agreed to participate in the best game in the world.

—Hide and seek! It's my favorite game. I'll hide, and you have to find me. If you do... I'll tell you exactly where what you're looking for is.

Sue looked at Chia with uncertainty. It was strange, even absurd, but what other option did they have?

—Do we just have to play with you?

Sue asked.

—We don't have to win?

Esmeralda shook her head, her dark hair swaying with the movement.

—No, no. You just have to play. The condition is that you participate. Do you accept?

Chia and Sue looked at each other again. It was too good an opportunity to pass up.

—All right.

Chia said finally.

—We'll play with you.

—Perfect!

Esmeralda exclaimed, spinning around completely with joy.

—Close your eyes and count to one hundred. And no cheating, okay?

And so began the strangest game Chia and Sue had ever experienced. In the middle of a monster-infested dungeon, in an abandoned and collapsed section, playing hide and seek with a mysterious girl.

They began to count, and when they opened their eyes, Esmeralda had disappeared.

The game turned out to be... surprisingly normal. Esmeralda hid among the rubble, behind fallen columns, in dark hollows between the stones. And she was incredibly good at it. Her small size and knowledge of the area gave her a considerable advantage.

Chia and Sue searched carefully, calling out to her occasionally. Sometimes they heard a distant giggle, other times a mocking whisper that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

—I'm not here!

Esmeralda sang from somewhere invisible.

—Keep looking!

They spent what seemed like hours playing. They would find Esmeralda, she would celebrate being discovered, and then she would hide again. Over and over. The girl seemed to have inexhaustible energy, and her enthusiasm was genuine and contagious.

Despite the surreal situation, Chia and Sue found themselves almost enjoying the game. It was a strange respite from the constant tension and danger of the dungeon.

Finally, after multiple rounds, Esmeralda emerged from her last hiding place with a radiant smile.

—That was so much fun!

she exclaimed, clapping.

—It's been a long time since I played with anyone. Thank you for playing with me.

Sue smiled despite her exhaustion.

—You're very good at hiding.

—I know.

Esmeralda said with childish pride.

—And now, as I promised...

Her expression became serious for the first time since they'd met her. She pointed toward a hallway that led away from the collapsed area.

—The object you're looking for is in the heart of the dungeon. If you follow that hallway and take the third fork to the left, you'll reach a large chamber. The object is there, in the center, on a black stone pedestal.

She paused, her voice taking on a warning tone.

—But be careful. That place is guarded. Not by common monsters, but by something... different. Something that El Silbón left specifically to protect the object.

Chia nodded, carefully memorizing the instructions.

—Thank you, Esmeralda. You've helped us so much.

Sue approached the girl with a warm smile.

—Yes, thank you so much. Really.

Esmeralda looked at them with those big, bright eyes, her mischievous smile returning.

—You're welcome. It was fun. Maybe we can play again someday.

Chia and Sue turned to head toward the hallway Esmeralda had pointed out, ready to continue their mission. Sue looked back one last time.

—Goodbye, Esmeralda. And thanks again for...

But her voice cut off abruptly.

Esmeralda had disappeared.

She hadn't hidden, she hadn't run. She simply... wasn't there anymore. The space where she had been standing seconds before was completely empty.

—Esmeralda?

Sue called out, her voice heavy with confusion.

There was no response. Only the heavy silence of the abandoned dungeon.

Chia and Sue looked at each other, a feeling of unease growing in their stomachs.

—Maybe she's playing again.

Sue suggested, though her tone didn't sound very convinced.

—Esmeralda? Are you hiding?

They searched throughout the collapsed area, checking every hiding spot where the girl had been before. They called her name repeatedly. But there was no trace of her.

It was as if she had never been there.

Gradually, reality began to settle over them. This wasn't a game. Esmeralda wasn't hiding.

She had disappeared. Completely.

—This doesn't make sense.

Chia murmured, her voice tense.

—She was here a moment ago. We saw her, we talked to her, we played with her. It was real.

Sue nodded slowly, her expression mixing confusion and something close to fear.

—Yes. There was a girl named Esmeralda. She helped us with the location of the object we're looking for. That happened. We didn't imagine it.

They remained silent for a moment, trying to process what had just occurred. Esmeralda's sudden absence left a strange void in the air, a feeling that something fundamental about their encounter didn't make sense.

—But who was she really?

Sue asked in a low voice.

—And why did she disappear like that?

Chia had no answer. She looked toward the hallway Esmeralda had pointed out, the path to the object they needed to find.

—I don't know.

she finally admitted.

—But she gave us information. Specific information about where the object is. And I don't think she lied to us.

She paused, her expression hardening with determination.

—Whoever she is, or whatever she was, Esmeralda helped us. Now we have to use that information.

Sue nodded, though the unease still didn't leave her eyes.

—You're right. Let's go.

With one last look at the collapsed area where they had played with the mysterious girl, Chia and Sue headed toward the hallway. The mystery of Esmeralda would have to wait. Now they had a mission to complete.

As they walked away, neither of them dared to mention the shared feeling they both had: that maybe, just maybe, Esmeralda had never been a living girl at all.

……..

Following Esmeralda's directions, Chia and Sue traveled down the indicated hallway, carefully counting each fork until taking the third to the left. The air became denser with each step, charged with an unnatural energy that made their skin crawl.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance to what should be the large chamber. But instead of an open door, they found a seemingly solid stone wall.

—It has to be here.

Chia said, touching the surface cautiously.

—Esmeralda was very specific with the directions.

Sue examined the wall carefully, running her hands over the cold stone. After a few moments, her fingers found an almost imperceptible irregularity.

—Here. There's something strange in this section.

Behind it was a small gap, barely large enough for a person to peek through.

What they saw through that gap left them frozen.

The chamber on the other side was vast and dark, barely illuminated by a sickly glow emanating from the center. And the walls... the walls were moving.

No, it wasn't the stone that was moving. It was creatures.

Dozens of them crawled across the vertical surfaces like grotesque spiders. Their forms were a nightmare made real: bodies made of tangible shadows intertwined with whitish bones that glowed with a pale, sickly light. They had no eyes in the traditional sense, only empty sockets that seemed to absorb light. Their movements were fluid and unnatural, gliding across the walls and ceiling with eerie grace.

—What are those things?

Sue whispered, her voice barely audible.

—The guardians Esmeralda mentioned.

Chia responded, her gaze fixed on the creatures.

—Something that El Silbón left specifically.

In the center of the chamber, exactly as Esmeralda had described, there was a black stone pedestal. And resting on it was the object they sought: a dark sphere that pulsed with an intermittent red light, like an evil heart beating in the darkness.

As they watched in silence, they both began to remember what they had discovered about their powers.

Since Arcadio had mentioned to them the importance of finding the origin of their powers, Sue and Chia had been searching for answers. And recently, they had made significant progress.

Sue felt a familiar but different warmth growing in her chest. It wasn't exactly the fire she knew, but it was related to it. It was something older, more primordial. A sensation of warmth and light that existed before fire itself was born. She had named this discovery The First Flame.

At the same time, Chia was experiencing something similar. A coldness that wasn't the ice she controlled, but that resonated with it. It wasn't the darkness she wielded, but it was intimately connected.

She had called it simply Night.

They both knew that perhaps these weren't their true origins. But they were connected to them, close enough to serve as a bridge. And that was enough to use their powers again, albeit for a short time and in a weakened form.

They looked at each other, seeing the recognition reflected in each other's eyes.

—Do you think we can do it with this understanding of our origins?

Sue asked.

Chia nodded slowly.

—I think so.

—It's not strong.

Sue admitted, concentrating on that new sensation.

—I can barely hold onto it. But it's there. The First Flame.

—The Night.

Chia murmured.

They closed their eyes simultaneously, trying to strengthen that weak but undeniable connection. It wasn't much, barely a tenuous thread toward something ancient and powerful. But it was enough. They could feel their powers responding, flowing through them again.

When they opened their eyes, small flames danced in Sue's palms, and cold shadows swirled around Chia's fingers.

—Even though we can use our powers again.

Chia said, a tense smile forming on her lips.

—We're still not strong enough to face all those creatures directly.

Sue observed the monsters crawling along the walls, counting mentally. There were too many. Even with their powers partially restored, a direct fight would be suicidal.

—Then we won't fight.

she finally said.

—At least, not head-on.

Chia looked at her with interest.

—What are you thinking?

They began to elaborate a plan, their voices barely whispers as they observed the movement patterns of the guardians. The creatures seemed to move in cycles, concentrating more on certain areas of the chamber before redistributing.

The plan they devised was risky but simple in its execution:

Sue would use her light to create a massive distraction on the opposite side of the chamber, drawing the attention of most of the guardians. Her fire, though weak due to the tenuous connection with the First Flame, would be enough to seem like a threat.

Meanwhile, Chia would use her barriers to create a protected path toward the pedestal, and her ice to create a slippery surface that would hinder the movement of any guardian that tried to intercept them.

Once Chia reached the pedestal, Sue would shift her focus to provide cover, using her healing power to keep Chia on her feet if she got hurt.

And finally, Chia would use all the power of the night she could channel to destroy the object, freezing it until it became brittle and then shattering it with darkness.

—It's our best chance.

said Chia when they finished going over the details.

—Once we break through that false wall, we'll have to move fast. The guardians will notice our presence immediately.

Sue nodded, her hands glowing with a warm light as she prepared herself.

—Ready when you are.

Chia took a deep breath, feeling the coldness of the night flowing through her.

—Now.

With a coordinated strike from both of them, the false wall shattered completely, fragments of stone falling noisily into the chamber.

The effect was immediate. All the creatures stopped dead in their tracks, their empty sockets turning toward the new opening. For a moment, there was absolute silence.

Then they launched themselves at them.

But Sue was already in motion. She extended her hands and a burst of brilliant light filled the right side of the chamber, so intense that even Chia had to squint. The guardians, made partly of darkness, instinctively recoiled, their forms smoking where the light touched them.

—Now, Chia!

Chia ran forward, her hands moving in complex patterns. Barriers of dark energy materialized around her, forming a narrow corridor that protected her from lateral attacks. At the same time, the floor beneath her feet became covered in ice, spreading outward. The guardians trying to reach her slipped and fell, their fluid movements interrupted by the treacherous surface.

But there were too many. Although Sue's light bothered the guardians thanks to its properties, many monsters still managed to get close. Without the barrier power like Chia, Sue was forced to face them directly.

A guardian lunged at her, its bone claws extended. Sue barely dodged, feeling the air whistle past her face. She counterattacked with a burst of fire, but the monster barely staggered.

—Damn it!

Another guardian attacked her from the side. Sue spun, using her healing powers on herself as she received a deep scratch on her arm. The pain disappeared almost instantly as the wound closed, but she knew she couldn't maintain this pace for much longer.

She launched another burst of light, temporarily blinding several approaching guardians. She took advantage of the moment to heal herself again, feeling how her energy depleted with each use.

The monsters kept coming. Sue fought fiercely, alternating between attacks of light and fire, and constantly healing herself each time the guardians' claws managed to reach her. It was a battle of attrition, and she knew it.

From time to time, Chia divided her attention from the path to the pedestal to create barriers that protected Sue from the most dangerous attacks. A wall of dark energy appeared just in time to block a guardian leaping toward Sue's back. Another shield covered her when three monsters converged on her simultaneously.

—Thank you!

shouted Sue, taking advantage of the respite to launch a wave of fire against the stunned guardians.

Despite the distraction and constant fighting, several guardians managed to break through Chia's barriers, their bone claws scratching Chia's arms as she ran.

—Hold on!

shouted Sue between combats, and Chia felt a healing warmth coursing through her wounds, the pain diminishing as the skin closed.

Sue divided her attention on three fronts: one hand maintaining the light that distracted some guardians, the other defending herself from direct attacks with fire and constantly healing herself, and sending pulses of healing energy toward Chia whenever she saw her companion wounded.

A guardian managed to grab Sue's arm, its claws sinking deep. She screamed in pain but immediately channeled her healing power, the flesh regenerating even as it continued to be torn. With a supreme effort, she generated an explosion of light directly in the monster's face, forcing it to release her.

Chia created another barrier just as two guardians lunged at Sue from opposite directions, giving her companion a crucial second to recover.

Chia reached the pedestal, gasping. The guardians had regained their balance and were reorganizing quickly. She didn't have much time.

She placed both hands on the pulsing sphere. It was cold to the touch, but a different coldness from her ice. It was a coldness that absorbed, that consumed.

—Come on.

she murmured, closing her eyes and reaching deep into that connection with the night she had discovered.

Ice began to form over the sphere, white crystals spreading rapidly across its surface. But the sphere resisted, its red light pulsing more forcefully, as if fighting against the ice.

The guardians were converging now, some ignoring Sue's light to head directly for the pedestal. They knew their purpose was in danger.

—Chia, they're coming!

warned Sue, launching flames toward the nearest guardians while dodging the attacks of two others that harassed her relentlessly. She healed herself again, feeling how her energy reserves diminished dangerously.

Chia gritted her teeth, forcing more power through the weak connection. She felt the night responding, that ancestral cold that existed before ice, that darkness that was the absence of everything.

The sphere cracked.

—A little more!

The guardians were meters away. Sue, covered in wounds that healed constantly, abandoned all pretense of subtlety and created a wall of fire between them and Chia, spending almost all her remaining energy. Chia raised additional barriers to reinforce the protection, dividing her concentration between the sphere and the defense of both.

Chia channeled everything she had in one final push. Darkness flowed from her hands, wrapping around the now completely frozen sphere. And then, with a sound like breaking glass, the sphere fractured.

Cracks spread across its entire surface, red light filtering through them. And then, with a final flash, the sphere disintegrated into black dust that dissolved in the air.

The effect on the guardians was instantaneous and dramatic.

They stopped dead for a moment, as if the sphere's destruction had struck them. But instead of dissolving, their forms began to convulse violently. The darkness that composed them twisted and expanded, and their movements, previously fluid and coordinated, became erratic and wild.

The guardians went berserk. Their attacks lost all strategy, launching themselves at Chia and Sue with blind, uncontrolled fury.

But something had changed in the two women as well. With the sphere destroyed, they felt as if an invisible weight had been lifted from their shoulders. The weak connection to their origins suddenly strengthened, flowing through them with a clarity they hadn't experienced since arriving at the dungeon.

Chia extended her hands and the barriers she created this time were different. More solid, darker, pulsing with the cold of the night. The guardians that crashed against them weren't just stopped, but thrown back with force.

Sue channeled the First Flame with renewed intensity. The flames that surged from her hands burned with a golden, pure heat, consuming the guardians they touched. She no longer needed to heal herself constantly; her attacks were powerful enough to keep the monsters at bay.

—Now I understand!

shouted Chia, creating a wave of ice that spread across the entire chamber floor. The guardians were frozen up to their knees, unable to move with the same frantic speed.

Sue seized the opportunity, launching columns of fire that pierced through the immobilized monsters. The light emanating from her flames was so bright that the guardians, made of corrupt darkness, writhed in agony when touched.

The battle, which had been desperate before, now felt different. Although the guardians were more savage, Chia and Sue fought with a deeper understanding of their powers. It was as if they were finally seeing the full picture of what they were capable of.

A guardian managed to break through the ice and lunged toward Chia, but she stopped it with a barrier of dark energy before it could even get close. With a gesture, the barrier contracted, crushing the monster into dust.

—It's easier than when we fought the False Whistler.

commented Sue, dodging a wild attack and responding with a burst of fire that incinerated three guardians at once.

—Back there we could barely use our powers.

responded Chia, creating multiple ice spears that pierced through the remaining guardians.

—Now... now I can feel more power.

The last guardians fell under their combined attacks. Sue created a ring of fire that trapped them, while Chia froze the very air within the circle. The monsters disintegrated in a matter of seconds.

When the last guardian fell, Chia and Sue looked at each other, both gasping but with renewed energy in their eyes.

They remained there for a few moments, catching their breath while observing the remains of the guardians scattered across the chamber. It had been an intense battle, but different. They hadn't fought with just brute force or desperation. They had fought with understanding.

—Esmeralda was right.

said Sue finally.

—The object was exactly where she said it would be.

Chia looked toward the chamber's exit, thinking about the mysterious girl who had disappeared.

—Yes. She helped us. And now...

She stood up, offering her hand to Sue.

—Now we can continue. Whoever sent her, or whatever it was, kept their promise.

Sue took her hand and got up, looking one last time at the empty pedestal.

—Let's get out of here.

Together, they left the chamber, leaving behind the dust of destroyed guardians and the ashes of the dark sphere. They had overcome another obstacle on their path through the dungeon, and although the mystery of Esmeralda remained unsolved…