I find myself in a park. I didn’t think we would still be free after everything that happened. No sanction. No warning. I haven’t seen Fortuna or Aris since I woke up, but that’s fine. I needed to be alone. That’s why I’m sitting on this bench. I need to think about who I am. Heyo. My Mots is Libre. I’m an amnesiac. Only one memory comes back clearly. My childhood. My mother. A yellow chrysalis hanging from a branch. Apart from that, my memories begin the day I awakened my Mots. I exhale slowly. It doesn’t get me very far. What do I really want? Is wanting to become free enough? It feels vague. Either way, I’m going to become a demon hunter. But what do I want? I don’t know. Thinking about your own life is exhausting.

  “Do you sit here often?”

  I flinch. Since when has he been sitting next to me? I didn’t hear him arrive. There’s something strange about him. He seems perfectly blended into the surroundings, as if he had always been there.

  “No. It’s my first time.”

  He turns his head toward me. His eyes fix on mine. In each pupil, two thin fractures. I have the impression he’s looking beyond me.

  “Sometimes you have to fix your problems first.”

  I look away.

  “Thanks. But who are you?”

  No one. I rub my eyes. The bench is empty. Who was that. I replay his words. deal with my problems. Maybe he’s right. Recover my memory. Or better. Fill my head with new memories. Learn this world I still don’t understand. For now, that’s all I can do. I head toward the library. Over the past few days, I’ve spent a lot of time there. Learning is strange. On one hand, there’s a simple satisfaction when I discover a new word or concept I’ve never encountered. On the other, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. This world is vast. I turn pages without pressure. Reading gives me the feeling of moving forward, even if I don’t know toward what. Unfortunately, we received a message from Evra. Tomorrow morning, meeting at the Colosseum. I was just starting to appreciate the silence of books.

  Here we are again. The four of us gathered at the center of the Colosseum. Back to the beginning. Evra stands above us.

  “Congratulations. You’ve made yourselves very noticeable these past few days.”

  Her gaze pierces through me. A chill runs down my spine.

  “It’s time to show me your progress.”

  I clench my teeth. We’re going to resume that insane training.

  She continues.

  “We’re going to Morgus.”

  Morgus. I’ve never set foot there. Very little information circulates about it. People speak of it in low voices. I lift my head despite myself. Part of me is tense. Another part is curious. I want to see this part of L?UVRE. The journey is silent. We follow Evra’s steps without asking questions. No one speaks. Fortuna seems different since the casino. More closed off. Maybe she’s still absorbing the return here. She had plans, and they collapsed. I think about a book I read recently. It said that to comfort a child, you should stroke their head. The idea crosses my mind. I look at Fortuna. The longer I stare, the more I understand that would be a mistake.

  “Why have you been staring at me?”

  Her voice cuts through the silence. I lower my head.

  “For no reason.”

  We keep walking. The elevator of the Reliure rises higher than usual. The doors finally open and we step out.

  We are in Morgus. The ground grows more uneven with every step. Each stride catches under our soles. Cracked asphalt gives way to bare earth, gouged and damaged. The air grows heavier, thick with dust and coal. Something takes shape in the distance. It’s neither a city nor a village. Shacks. Makeshift shelters built from sheet metal, dead wood, and worn plastic. Roofs full of holes. Walls held together by ropes. Plants crawl along the surfaces as if trying to keep the structures from collapsing.

  We stop at the entrance. Evra smiles faintly.

  “Welcome to Morgus, more commonly known as the Dead Zone.”

  Her tone is light. Then her eyes change.

  “There are no laws here. Those who live here are the forgotten, bandits, or simply those who failed to keep up.”

  I clench my fists without realizing it. Dust creeps into my throat. The deeper we go, the tighter something coils inside me. Up close, the slum is worse. The shelters are twisted, unstable. Narrow passages snake between them. I brush against a wall made of pallets, rusted wire, and torn tarps. Plants invade every crack. The smell is survival and exhaustion. Eyes settle on us. Children watch from behind sheets of metal. Adults pretend to ignore us, but their movements are rigid. Farther ahead, the path is blocked. A dense crowd, packed tightly around a central point. We can’t see anything from here. Evra moves forward without waiting. The crowd parts out of fear. She opens a path. We follow. At the front row, the scene reveals itself. A figure tied to a wooden pillar. Thin body, arms stretched out. A dirty hood covers her face. The air is thick with sweat and tension.

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  Beside her stands a gaunt man wrapped in worn cloth. He holds a torch.

  “Look! Here is the demon of the Dead Zone! She deceived us, but today the truth comes out! I, Varac, will purify this city!”

  He rips off the hood. A girl. Purple hair, dull, stuck against brown skin coated in dust. Her eyes strike me. Silver, crossed by pale reflections, with a fracture at the center like cracked crystal. A thin horn protrudes from the right side of her skull. Her teeth are too fine. Too sharp.

  Varac raises the torch.

  “You see that horn! Proof! I am a demon hunter!”

  The crowd roars. She lifts her head.

  “It’s not true! I’m not a demon! I’ve never hurt anyone! Please… believe me!”

  Her voice is broken. Something fractures inside me. My mind becomes clear. It would be easy to kill Varac. I feel heat gather in my palm. My Mots stirs.

  A voice near my ear.

  “Wait.”

  Evra. Her gaze is fixed on the girl.

  “This is about to get interesting.”

  Varac raises the torch. His hand trembles. The heat lights up his distorted face. My breathing tightens.

  “Very well… Let the purification begin.”

  His breath is short and uneven. A sick excitement distorts his face. The girl is on the edge of collapse. Tears shine in her eyes.

  “Wait! Please! I’m not a demon! My name is Nora… I’ve always lived here… I’ve never harmed anyone…”

  Her voice echoes inside me. But her words reach no one. They hit an invisible wall. Fear. A murmur spreads through the crowd.

  “It’s a demon.”

  Then other voices.

  “IT’S A DEMON!”

  “IT’S A DEMON!”

  The cry becomes collective. Reason vanishes. Only fear and violence remain.

  “KILL THE DEMON!”

  “KILL THE DEMON!”

  Again. Again. Like a rhythm holding them upright. Varac feeds on it. Satisfaction twists his face. He lifts the torch higher. His hand trembles, not from fear, from weakness. He struggles to keep it steady. He lowers it toward the straw.

  Nora struggles. The ropes hold her fast. Her body shakes.

  “STOP! PLEASE!”

  I’m ready. My mind turns cold. If the torch touches the straw, I act.

  A voice rises.

  “Wait. The show isn’t over.”

  Three figures step forward. Confident. I recognize them. Those men… it’s them. The ones who dehumanized me. The ones who bought me without even looking at me like a human being. I still don’t know why.

  The first is tall. Long purple hair, perfectly styled. Pink suit. Pale skin. He smiles as if he’s on stage. Topi. The second is massive. Fitted black suit. Dark glasses. Mato. The third stands slightly behind. Three-piece suit. Dark hat. Cigar between his lips. Tinted glasses. A heavy weariness clings to him. I don’t know him.

  Topi steps forward.

  “No need to panic. We’ll take care of this demon for you.”

  Varac points at him with a trembling finger.

  “I captured her! She’s my prey!”

  Topi pivots without warning. His foot snaps sideways, clean and precise. The kick lands square in Varac’s chest. He lifts off the ground, crashes through bodies, and slams against a sheet of metal with a sharp clang. Topi sets his foot back down and calmly adjusts his collar.

  “No one objects, I hope. You may return to your business.”

  The crowd disperses. They understand these men are dangerous.

  Beside me, Evra watches.

  “Change of plan.”

  She gestures toward the three men.

  “You handle them. And make sure the girl awakens her Mots. If she’s useless… kill her.”

  My back stiffens.

  “I won’t intervene. You’re strong enough.”

  A pause.

  “If you want to save her, push her to her limit.”

  A wave of power explodes around her. The air vibrates. The shacks creak. When I lift my head, she’s gone. The three newcomers stare at us.

  Topi smiles.

  “Well now. The little package from last time. Two for the price of one… maybe four.”

  The man with the cigar speaks, his voice rough.

  “Mato. Topi. Take care of them.”

  The giant charges. A pale glow gathers in his hand, condenses until it takes shape. A hammer appears. Immense. Massive. Nearly my size. Aris moves in front of me without warning. Mato brings the hammer down. The ground explodes on impact. Aris has already slipped out of the line. He slides to the side and drives a precise strike into the giant’s ribs. The impact is heavy. Mato staggers, loses balance, and is thrown back into the dust.

  Topi advances slowly.

  “Mato… humiliated by children…”

  He looks at us.

  “Come. I’ll take care of you.”

  Fortuna smiles. So do I.