My story took hours as we sat in the shade of a massive rock, the only object for miles offering any relief. There were also some strange lizards here, none taller than 40 centimeters. After beating me, he miraculously healed me. Literally with prayers and a colorless light from his hands, he erased all the wounds he'd inflicted. Strange, but I didn't resist.
I didn't dare ask about those bizarre powers, not wanting more beatings, but I made a mental note. Figure out what that power is and where it comes from.
He'd pay for all this humiliation.
After we ate a charred lizard he'd cooked with fire from his hands, the exorcist, who hadn't introduced himself, ordered me to tell him everything. It was surprising to see such a use of powers, but I buried my curiosity deep inside. Not the time or place.
Starting from the moment I met that creature that took control of me. And this time, no lies. Ending with my arrival in the city. Everything, openly and without holding back. So I began, and I finished.
"…light, and I'm here. Then you started beating me."
"Got it." Closing his eyes, he seemed to slip into meditation. Whispering something under his breath, he rocked back and forth, hands clasped at his chest as if praying.
Half an hour later, which I spent drinking the lizard's blood and eating its meat, looking around and finding nothing interesting for miles, he snapped out of it.
I was standing at the edge of the shade, while he was by the wall of our makeshift shelter. The rock was positioned perfectly to cast a large shadow.
"Sit in front of me." He pointed to a spot, and I obediently sat where he indicated. I hate being ordered around, but the power was on his side. I'd only recently realized he wasn't human. He didn't eat or drink. Even the heat didn't seem to bother him much. If only I could figure out what he was and what his weaknesses were.
"Listen," he said curtly in his flat voice, and began. "You've been caught in the web of an ancient force that feeds on beings like you—those with something unique, beyond human comprehension. That creature, as you call it, didn't just possess you. It used your powers as a key to open a door to this world. This is an illusion…" He gestured around. "…a key for it to escape our world. And now we're both here—you, stripped of your gift, and me, forced to follow you to finish what I started. Everything that creature told you was true. But only partially. That's all you need to know."
The exorcist fell silent, his gaze drifting into the distance, through the scorching sand and the air shimmering with heat. The two suns hung in the sky like unblinking eyes watching us. The desert's silence was almost tangible, broken only by the occasional rustle of sand stirred by the small lizards scurrying at the rock's base.
"You said you know a spell to jump between worlds," he continued, finally turning his head toward me. His voice was low, raspy, as if the sand had settled in his throat. "If that's true, we have a chance. But I don't fully believe you. You're too weak, too… lost. How are you going to use a spell if you can't even stand without your legs shaking?"
I clenched my teeth. Every word cut like a red-hot knife. He was right—I felt pathetic. The body that once sliced through the air at supersonic speeds now felt fragile, like a dry leaf. But somewhere inside, a spark still smoldered. The one that let me fly, shoot lasers from my eyes, stop time with a wish. It might be weakened, but it wasn't gone. The core was still with me. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it…
"I don't know how it works," I admitted honestly, looking into his eyes. "But I feel… something. Like a part of me still remembers. If I can focus, if you give me a chance, I'll try. I just need time."
The exorcist smirked, but this time there was no contempt in his laugh. He slowly stood, brushing the sand off his white cloak, which seemed untouched by the dirt. His figure loomed over me like an unshakable rock, massive and immovable.
"Time?" he repeated, crossing his arms. "There's no time here, kid. This world is a trap. The sand, the suns, the lizards—it's an illusion created by that creature to keep us captive. The longer we stay, the stronger it gets. And the less chance you have of remembering anything useful. It's draining our strength to open a portal."
I frowned, trying to process his words. An illusion? Then why does the sand crunch underfoot, why does the heat burn my skin, why does the blood in my mouth taste so salty? A portal? To where and why? So many questions. But arguing with him was pointless. He knew more. He'd seen more. And, damn it, he was my only hope.
"So what do I do?" I asked, standing up. My knees trembled, but I forced myself to stand tall. "If this is a trap, how do we get out? You didn't heal me for nothing. You want something from me."
He nodded, as if acknowledging the obvious.
"I want you to remember," he said, stepping closer. His eyes, dark and deep like bottomless wells, locked onto mine. "Not the spell. Not the words. The power that was in you. It's still there, hidden deep inside. The creature took it, but it didn't destroy it. If you can bring it back, we can break this cage. And I can finish my mission. Kill that creature for good."
"And if I can't?" The words slipped out, my voice trembling, betraying the fear I tried to hide.
The exorcist didn't answer right away. He turned away, staring at the horizon where the sand merged with the sky in a golden-red haze. Then, quietly, almost in a whisper, he said:
"Then we both perish here. And your friend… Caitlin, right? She'll be left alone, wondering where you went."
The mention of Caitlin hit like another punch to the chest. Mom…
I clenched my fists, feeling my nails dig into my palms. She was my anchor in that other life. The only person who accepted me as I was, with all my weirdness and anomalies. Even Mom didn't know everything. The thought of her waiting for me, not knowing I was lying in the sands of some alien world, ignited something new in me. Not power, not yet. But resolve.
"Fine," I said, stepping forward. "I'll try. But I need… I don't know, something to help me focus. It's too empty here. Too quiet."
The exorcist nodded, as if expecting this. He knelt and placed his hand on the sand. His fingers glowed with the same colorless light that had healed me before. The sand beneath his palm trembled, then began to rise, forming a small circle with symbols carved into it. They were unfamiliar to me—angular, sharp, as if chiseled from stone.
"This is a circle of memories," he explained, standing up. "Sit in the center. Close your eyes. And think about what made you… you. Not the flights, not the speed. What's inside."
I looked at the circle skeptically. It seemed like more religious nonsense, but I had no choice. Slowly, careful not to collapse, I sat in the center and crossed my legs. I closed my eyes. Inhaled the scorching air, feeling sand settle on my lips.
At first, nothing happened. Just silence and heat. But then… I remembered. Not flying over the planet, not the sound of wind in my ears. That evening when Caitlin and I sat on her roof. She was eating pizza, and I was trying to explain what it was like to be me. Her laugh, her questions, her gaze full of genuine curiosity. It wasn't about power. It was about connection. About what kept me grounded, even when I could fly into space.
And suddenly, I felt it. A faint warmth in my chest. Not bright, not powerful, but real. It pulsed, like a weak signal calling me to return. My power.
"I've got something," I whispered, keeping my eyes closed.
The exorcist stepped closer, his voice sharper:
"Hold onto it. Pull it. Don't let go."
I focused harder, imagining the warmth growing, filling me. It was so familiar—like the breath of wind before takeoff, the tension before the world freezes. And suddenly, the sand beneath me trembled. I opened my eyes—the circle was glowing, the symbols pulsing, and the air around began to spark.
"It's working," I exhaled, feeling strength return. Not all of it, but enough to stand without shaking.
The exorcist looked at me, and for the first time, something like respect flickered in his eyes.
"Good," he said. "Now use your spell. And pray it works, because the creature already knows we're trying to escape."
I nodded, feeling my pulse pound in my temples. The spell. The signs. I didn't know what they meant, but I felt them somewhere inside. I raised my hands, closed my eyes, and spoke the first words that came to mind, words that burst out on their own:
"Take me home."
The air exploded with light. Sand swirled into a vortex, and the two suns above us seemed to flicker. I didn't know if it would work. But I knew one thing—I wasn't going to die in this desert. Not then, in the past. Not today. Not like this.
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