cHApTEr 7. AnTiTHE(fT)is (1 of 3)

The Soul Collective should have reached them in no time. There was nothing Mioray or Farah could do. Still, they tried to crawl deeper into the corridor, knowing they couldn’t outpace the monster and that a dead end awaited them. All the doors were closed, and the only window at the end of the corridor was boarded up. There was no way out.

The monster stopped before its claws could reach them. Something unexpected had happened, something neither the creature nor Mioray and Farah could have anticipated. The Soul Collective tried to move its legs and body mass, but it hardly budged. The walls stopped crumbling, with only specks of dust falling from the ceiling as the monster rumbled. It was stuck, as if glued to the walls and floor, held in place by an unseen force.

That was exactly what had happened. After catching his breath, Mioray noticed the Soul Collective was covered in a vicious transparent substance of orange color, binding it to the walls. He recognized it immediately. Just earlier, he had been trapped by the same substance during his training.

“Hey, guys, did you miss me?”

Through the collapsed floor, Mioray and Farah could see into the living room below. There, a boy stood waving at them with an unwrapped lollipop in hand. He was giggling.

Umm… Didn’t he see what was happening here?

Frankly, Mioray was beyond thankful for Matt’s appearance and ability. Without any effort, he managed to trap the monster, something Mioray and Farah had been unable to do, almost ending up as its lunch. However, it would be foolish to think this was over. They still had to force the Soul Collective into the portal, and there was no chance it would just sit still and let them. For now, it was trapped, but it was only a matter of time before it broke free from Matt’s superglue and resumed its hunt.

“Don’t just stand there!” Farah yelled at Matt. “It’s not like the ones we encountered in the past! It’s stronger and more aggressive!”

As if to confirm her warning, the Soul Collective shrieked again, making their heads feel as heavy as a ton of cobblestones. They clutched their ears – Matt dropped his lollipop – but the deafening sound continued piercing their brains like a sharp, thin needle. What an annoying sound! After all the time Mioray had been dead, he had almost forgotten how excruciating pain could be, only to be reminded today. The monster’s shriek wasn’t just noise; it was affecting their souls directly, plunging them into agony.

“They never did that before!” Matt shouted indignantly, trying to outvoice the Soul Collective.

“That’s what I’m telling you! Get out of here!”

The monster jerked its body with all its strength, tearing up wood from the flooring and concrete from the walls, still partially stuck to it with Matt’s slime. It crashed down to the first floor, destroying the bathroom beneath it. Not that it mattered anymore. At this point, the first floor was just one big ruined area, where the Soul Collective and Matt now faced each other.

There was nowhere for the boy to hide. With concrete slabs decorating its body like a grotesque necklace, the Soul Collective lunged at Matt, claws spread wide, intending to tear him to pieces.

“Matt, watch out!” Mioray yelled. He finally managed to get back on his feet, but it wasn’t like he could save the boy. His body was still sluggish, difficult to control after the monster’s shrieking, and he wasn’t ready to detach his right arm yet. He could only watch helplessly as the Soul Collective prepared to devour Matt.

At that moment, part of the ceiling collapsed, revealing the night sky, with the half-moon and red Mars pinned to it. A tall woman fell from above, her black braids trailing behind her. She landed directly on the Soul Collective’s white sheets, pinning it to the floor. It never reached Matt.

Mioray stood near the hole on the second floor, amazed. The woman leapt off the monster, landing gracefully beside the boy. Mioray recognized her gray tracksuit. It was Mia. He had suspected she was physically fit, but he never would have imagined her moving with such skill. She jumped from the roof of a two-story building and stopped a literal monster like she was some kind of special ops agent!

What he saw was straight out of a dream. Or nightmares, depending on the perspective. The Soul Collective quickly regained its footing after being stomped on by Mia and derailed from its attack. It shrieked once more, but this time it was weaker; frustration replaced the pain in Mioray’s mind. Perhaps the monster had used too much energy already? But no, it jumped again, just as vigorously, this time targeting Mia.

A scream echoed through the air, reminiscent of wind howling through an empty landscape. At first, Mioray didn’t understand where it came from. It couldn’t have been the Soul Collective. This scream was different, a war cry, clear and purposeful.

While mid-air, the monster suddenly twisted sideways and crashed to the ground in another direction, away from Mia and Matt.

The sound had come from Mia. When she opened her mouth and screamed, a distorted gust of wind separated from her and struck the Soul Collective. It was sound waves. Mia’s voice could produce visible sound waves.

Such was the ability of Voice Corpse.

She didn’t wait for the Soul Collective to get back up. Mia grabbed Matt in her arms and jumped. She screamed downward, and the force of the sound waves propelled her higher, launching her through the hole in the roof she had descended from just moments ago.

They had escaped danger. The Soul Collective didn’t like that. Green ribbons of smoke escaped its hollow eyes and mouth in ghostly white sheets as it thrashed in frustration. With all four limbs, it pounded the floor, turning everything beneath it into dust and making the house – or what was left of it – tremble. Mioray took a step back to keep his balance and avoid falling from the second floor.

It didn’t matter. The floor couldn’t hold any longer and finally gave in to the tremors. It crumbled, sending both Mioray and Farah tumbling down.

It was a miracle Mioray didn’t hit his head. He was still conscious after the fall. Whether he had broken any bones, he couldn’t tell. There was no pain to indicate it. Blood stained his clothes, evidence of wounds, but he could move, and that was what mattered. A dense fog of dust rose, obscuring his vision so much that he could barely see past his own nose.

“Farah, are you still holding on?” Mioray shouted.

“Barely,” he heard her weak voice from behind.

Mioray shoved rubble aside and crawled to Farah’s side. She didn’t look good, with a hole in her gut, but at least she wasn’t getting worse. They had gotten off easy.

Or so it seemed.

The fog in front of them darkened, twisting into the shape of the Soul Collective before revealing the monster itself. It was approaching with a singular purpose, and they were in no condition to stop it. From above, Mia’s sound waves rained down, staggering the beast, but it stubbornly pushed forward, dragging its legs and arms toward them. Perhaps it decided enduring the attacks was worth the prize waiting for it.

Then, out of nowhere, another figure approached at incredible speed. Before Mioray could see who it was, the newcomer grabbed him and Farah by the hands and pulled them along. The surroundings blurred, and the fog was forcefully split in two as the mysterious figure dragged them away. Within moments, they were on the other end of the house. The speedster released them, and they tumbled onto the debris. Mioray quickly sat up to see who had saved them.

“My, my, youngsters these days…” As Mioray had suspected, the mysterious figure was Terry. The racer had scooter wheels attached to his feet, axles embedded directly into his flesh through holes in his shoes. No doubt, thanks to them, he had reached Mioray and Farah so fast, dispersing the fog in his wake. “Leave you lovebirds alone for one moment, and you make enough noise to keep the whole street awake. Whatever happened to discretion?”

“Oh, shut up,” Farah muttered as she leaned on Mioray, trying to stand. “It caught us off guard. This Soul Collective is nothing like we’ve seen before, and I’m not even accounting for the fact that Mioray has no experience dealing with normal ones.”

Mioray couldn’t tell if that was an insult or not, but now wasn’t the time to argue. Instead, he asked, “Are you sure you should be standing?”

“What else am I supposed to do?” Farah raised a brow. “Having a hole in your stomach sucks, but it should close up and heal in a few days. We need to focus on the Soul Collective.”

An angry shriek erupted from the lingering dust fog. It was still disorienting, but not as overwhelming as before. Mia’s voice had definitely done a number on the monster, forcing it to take time before launching another attack.

“But it’s too big for the portal,” Mioray pointed out. “How can we squeeze it inside?”

“Hey, guys, over here!” Matt waved from the roof, trying to get their attention.

Mioray, Farah, and Terry looked up. When they saw Mia, the woman started signing. Mioray had no idea what she was saying and waited for Farah to translate.

“If the Soul Collective is too big for the portal, maybe we can make the portal bigger,” Farah murmured. “I mean, it makes sense, but how do we do it?”

Suddenly, Mia looked toward the monster and gasped silently. She started signing again, her hand movements becoming more frantic.

“What’s happening?” Terry asked.

“Don’t distract me!” Farah snapped at him. “If you bothered to learn sign language, you wouldn’t need to rely on me.”

“Sorry, babe, I didn’t have time for that,” Terry said with a wink.

“Yeah, yeah, we know. Digging around old cars is more important to you than anything else.”

“Stop it, both of you!” Matt interrupted. “Mia is saying the Soul Collective is ready to attack!”

“What?!” Farah looked shocked. “I thought she said it was still recovering from her attacks!”

It quickly became clear who had interpreted Mia’s signs correctly. The black mass with sharp claws emerged from the fog, dispersing it entirely as it charged toward them. Its veiny tongue flailed wildly around its barbed-wire teeth. Each heavy step threatened to bring the already fragile house crumbling down.

“What would you guys do without me?” Terry smirked, preparing to take on the monster.

He stooped, planting his hands on the ground like a runner at the starting line. The wheels embedded in his feet began spinning, kicking up smoke and dust from the friction. He controlled them at will, and once they had accelerated enough, he lunged forward, propelled at high speed by accumulated inertia. From the side, it almost looked like he was flying. Perhaps he was, considering the uneven terrain littered with debris. Terry rammed straight into the Soul Collective, grabbing its arms to prevent it from striking back. They locked into a struggle, each trying to overpower the other.

“Don’t just stand there admiring how amazing I am!” Terry shouted. His voice was strained. Whatever plan he had in mind was clearly backfiring. Soul Collective was overpowering him fast. “Open the portal!”

“Mioray, do it!” Farah slapped him on the back.

“But I don’t even know how!”

“What is there to know? You just do it! It’s like breathing.”

“Wow, thanks, Farah, that’s super helpful! Just a slight problem, though, I was never taught how to breathe!”

“Because you do it from the moment you’re born! Nobody teaches you how, you just do it. Same with the portal!”

Her attitude was infuriating. If she was angry at the world for whatever led to her death and her new job as a guide to the afterlife, that was fine, but it wasn’t like she was the only one who had no control over their fate. No one was to blame for her misfortune, least of all him.

Whatever. Not knowing how to open the portal was just as frustrating. Why hadn’t he asked Erinel to teach him yesterday? Or someone else during training today? He knew others could do it, which meant he was supposed to learn at some point too. The sooner, the better. It would be really convenient. Right now, for example.

He and Farah had gotten lucky that Matt, Mia, and Terry showed up in time. If they’d been alone, they’d already be dead, devoured by the Soul Collective. And if nothing changed soon, that would still be their fate. All because he didn’t know how to open the damn portal.

“Mia will do it!” Matt shouted from above. “Mioray, she needs your help getting down. Give her a hand!”

Under normal circumstances, that request wouldn’t make any sense. Fortunately, Mioray understood. From where Terry and the Soul Collective were locked in their struggle, Mia couldn’t use the monster as a landing pad again to drop down. She needed Mioray’s help, or rather, his ability.

Enough time had passed since his last attempt, or maybe arguing with Farah had motivated him, but when he launched his arm upward, it worked. His arm detached, extending on black threads until it reached Mia. She grabbed hold, wrapped it around her waist, and jumped down.

Mioray gritted his teeth as he held her weight. This was his first time doing something like this, and he couldn’t fail. It felt like everything was hanging by these black threads of his. He had to stay in control. Reel them in slowly, lower her gently, but not too fast. If he faltered, Mia would fall and break something. If luck was on their side, she’d get away with a bruise. If not, she’d be immobilized, leaving Matt as their only portal opener.

Where were Erinel and Kevin? Why hadn’t they come yet?

Meanwhile, the Soul Collective was overpowering Terry. Bit by bit, it pushed him back. To counter it, Terry increased the spinning speed of his wheels. Rubber screeched against the ground, smoke rising from the friction. His tires were on the verge of bursting.

Mia landed. Mioray released her, commanding his arm to retract. She touched her chin, then moved her hand toward Mioray in a sign of thanks. Then, without hesitation, she turned to Terry and the Soul Collective, drawing an ellipse in the air as wide as she could.

A glowing green line appeared where she sliced through reality. When she connected both ends, the space inside turned pitch-black, like the void inside the Soul Collective’s mouth. A strange, unsettling cracking sound echoed through the air.

Then, with a sharp pop, the wheel on Terry’s right foot shot off like a bullet. A torn shoe fell away, and blood splattered everywhere. His jeans twisted, his bare foot curling into a gruesome spiral.

Terry nearly lost his balance. The Soul Collective lunged, barbed wire teeth gnashing.

Mia clenched her fists. Her expression said she was ready to throw herself at the monster, even if it was futile. The portal was open, but it still wasn’t big enough to fit the Soul Collective. And even if it was, how were they supposed to force the creature inside?

“Mioray, grab the edges of the portal and stretch it wider with your ability!”

He turned to Farah, baffled. Was she joking or being serious?

“What are you talking about?”

“This is not the time to argue! Just do it!”

“Farah, are you hearing yourself? We can’t interact with the portal! And even if I could grab its edges, I only have one arm! How exactly do you expect me to stretch it?”

“For crying out loud, Mioray, I don’t care! Use your legs if you have to! Just try! You’ve got nothing to lose! Doing nothing is worse! Come on, dumbass, do it, or I’ll forever think you’re a wuss!”

If blood could boil, this would be the closest Mioray had ever felt to it. The nerve of this girl! The only thing Farah had done today was open one portal, and that was it. Sure, she had been stabbed, which limited her actions, but that didn’t give her the right to boss him around like this!

“As if I care what you think of me!” Mioray spat.

Screw it. Let it all go to waste. He grabbed one edge of the portal, its surface shimmering with green flames, and pressed his foot against the opposite side. Maybe it was just his imagination, or maybe his soul really was on fire, because the green glow above his head suddenly flared. He was confident he had just enough energy left to use his ability one more time.

All or nothing. Mioray began stretching the portal’s ephemeral edges. It was almost impossible. He had to extend his arm and leg without actually feeling any resistance from the surface he was supposed to be pulling apart. Was it working? Was it not? He couldn’t tell. There was no visible difference. A dejected groan came from behind – Farah’s.

Frustration surged through him. He poured all his anger into his arm, leg, and the strange black threads where his flesh disconnected beneath his pants and coat. He didn’t care if he broke himself or lost control. He would give it his all, just so that if this didn’t work, Farah couldn’t claim he hadn’t tried. He wasn’t responsible for her crazy idea failing.

Only it didn’t fail.

Suddenly, his fingers felt the cold bite of the green flames, like gripping elastic ice. The portal finally gave in. As Mioray stretched his arm and leg farther, the portal expanded. When it was large enough to fit the Soul Collective, he released the edges. His detached arm and leg hit the ground, lifeless. He tried to reel them back in, but nothing happened. His body was completely drained. He collapsed, unable to hold himself up. Above his head, his soul, a green aura, flickered like the dying flame of a candle. If he tried to do anything else, he’d pass out on the spot.

“Terry, if you have a plan, now’s the time to share it!” Farah shouted. She grabbed Mioray by the collar and dragged him away from the portal, one hand still pressed against her wound. Mia rushed in to help.

Maybe Terry didn’t hear her, or maybe he was too focused on keeping the Soul Collective’s gaping mouth away from him, but he didn’t respond. His left leg bent unnaturally, on the verge of meeting the same fate as the right. Before the wheel could snap off, he collapsed.

Mia covered her mouth. Mioray and Farah gasped at the same time.

Was it over?

Terry suddenly slipped through the gap between the Soul Collective’s legs, then hopped back onto his still-functioning left leg. The monster hadn’t expected such a move and lost its balance, lurching forward. Before it could recover, Terry rammed into it from behind, accelerating his only wheel to maximum speed. Both of them surged forward, straight into the portal.

The Soul Collective disappeared inside. Terry, however, fell behind it, completely unaffected by the door to another dimension.

The portal began shrinking. Just before it vanished, Mioray caught a glimpse of something incredible. The Soul Collective was breaking apart. But not into formless pieces. It was splitting into people. The souls that had been fused into the monster were finally freed. That had to mean they had regained their identities! Mioray couldn’t be sure, but there was no reason to think otherwise. Inside the void, the souls looked confused but no longer in pain, if the Soul Collective’s shrieks were any indication of that. Their torment had ended.

The portal snapped shut. A small backpack lay where it had been.

Silence followed.

Mioray sat among the rubble, his detached arm and leg nearby, unmoving. Farah stood with Mia’s support. Terry lay on a concrete slab, propped up on one elbow. The green aura above his head was slightly larger than Mioray’s but not by much. His right leg was a mangled mess of blood and torn fabric, while the wheel on his left, though intact, had lost its tire.

“You did it! You did it!” Matt finally broke the silence, his voice bursting with excitement from the rooftop.

“No, little guy, we all did it together,” Terry said, giving him a thumbs-up.

They did it. Mioray sat in stunned disbelief. It was the middle of the night, but their battle with the Soul Collective had felt like an eternity. Holy Mirabelle, they had won! It was an incredible feeling, almost cathartic. Every struggle, every moment of doubt, had led to this victory. They had worked together to guide the Soul Collective to the afterlife and free those trapped souls. And they had all survived.

“Thanks,” Mioray murmured to Farah. Now that the worst was over, he could admit that her relentless attitude had helped him push past his doubts.

Farah grinned slyly.

“That’s the spirit.” She grabbed Mioray’s lifeless arm and leg and shoved them back where they belonged. “But don’t think I’ll forgive you that easily. Though… I’ll admit, you did okay.”

She was something else. Mioray couldn’t help but laugh. Farah joined in.

Then came the sound of police sirens.