July 1, 2011, 12:35 PMPhilip was sitting with Bill at a secluded table away from the other students. They had already finished their coffees. There was a somewhat uncomfortable silence between them. Philip was lost in his thoughts as he ran his finger along the edge of the coffee cup when he remembered something.
"By the way, there was a girl watching me from a classroom when I was heading here."
"Maybe she's one of your fans."
"Please, spare me your delusions."
Philip bit his lower lip. Although he hadn't paid much attention to it at first, the image of that girl echoed in his mind. There was something about her that kept him from diverting his attention. A terrible premonition.
July 1, 2011, 10:43 PMPhilip was hiding behind a massive pile of debris that was once part of the main headquarters of the D.C.E.O. He was observing the culprit behind the explosion, a girl with Asian features dressed in a long red qipao. She stood on top of a mound of debris about three meters high. She looked at her right hand, where there was an object that resembled an oval-shaped purple gem.
"So, this is the final form of an Eyre stone..."
The girl laughed in a twisted manner. Philip felt a chill run through his body. He shook himself slightly to clear his mind.It's her! He shouted internally.Several doubts started filling his mind.
"Was she watching me today because she knows my identity? But if that's the case, how did she find out? Could it be that what she's holding is the object found in the crater? I need to talk to her."
Just as Philip was about to take a step to reveal himself to the girl, he heard a noise that made him retreat. It came from the other side of the place where he was, just a few meters in front of the girl. He cautiously peeked again, and what he saw left him perplexed.
"Good evening, miss," said a tall woman with blood-colored long hair, approaching the girl in the red qipao. She was wearing a white robe that covered her entire body, including her arms and legs, and a Venetian mask that only revealed her lips, painted the same color as her hair. By her side, surrounding her, were four men in black robes who bowed their heads. "I am The Redhead, the leader of Eternal Darkness, an organization dedicated to researching dark energy."
The woman spoke in a very relaxed manner. The aura she exuded was akin to witnessing something paranormal, and since her feet were not visible, she seemed to be floating."More than an organization, you seem like a cult," said the girl in the red qipao, emanating hostility with her gaze."You can think of us that way if you want. We do no harm to anyone."
The girl sighed, the electricity around her subsided, her hair stopped being spiked, and after resting a hand on her hip, she said, "Fine, what do you want?"
"To establish better dialogue, could you tell me your name?"
"I have no name, but you can call me Willo if you want."
The girl in the red qipao revealed a nickname that surprised Philip. He had already heard it a few days ago while searching for clues about what happened on June 21. A leader of the city's underworld mentioned that name with terror when he asked him, after beating him, about someone who might know about that incident. The man mentioned that person, saying they had killed over twenty of his most experienced fighters.
"So, Willo, you have come to know about these stones. The amount of dark energy they possess piqued our curiosity some time ago, but we do not have the strength to fight for them. Therefore, upon seeing your abilities, we decided to offer you the information and resources you need to obtain them all."
"In exchange for...?"
"That you don't use them to amass power, but rather, that you only make one wish with them.""What?!" Philip's eyes widened upon hearing that. The Redhead continued.
"It seems that the incident on June 21 was carried out with the stone you are holding. Amazing, isn't it? If a single stone holds such power, the three together are capable of fulfilling any wish."Philip didn't realize it, but his body trembled slightly, and his breathing became erratic."That has to be a lie," he whispered.
Willo sighed with exasperation. "I already knew about the wish, but why do YOU want ME to make one?"
"What the Eyre stones offer us is unprecedented. Making a wish, no matter how small it may be, would change the foundations of the universe for the first time," The Redhead raised her right hand towards the sky. The part of her robe covering it fell due to gravity, revealing her delicate arm. Her skin was porcelain-white, and her fingers were long and slender. "We want to witness that and see the changes that fulfilling a dream entails. You, like any other human being, must have something you want to make a reality with all your soul. Money, power, love, ideology, anything."
The woman lowered her hand, and the robe once again completely covered her arm. She tilted her head gently and continued addressing Willo. "Would you help us change the universe?"
"Mmmmm. No, thanks."
"Eh?" The Redhead tilted her head even further, perplexed. "Why...?"
Willo raised her right hand, holding the oval-shaped stone. It emitted a brilliant light as it disintegrated into particles that were absorbed by her hand. Veins all over her arm, neck, and even her heart lit up with a purple glow. Soon, she had assimilated the stone completely. Philip, who observed the movement carefully, realized that she now possessed all the power of the stone.
Willo pointed with her left hand, holding a sphere as dark as the night itself, and, looking disdainfully at The Redhead, said, "I don't want anyone getting involved with me."The attack ended, and the bodies of those who received it fell to the ground. Black smoke emanated from them. Willo sighed and looked to the other side."It's your turn. You, the one hiding, can come out now."
Philip leaned his back against the rubble where he had been hiding and slid down to sit on the ground. He sighed and, with a voice devoid of strength, asked, "How did you know I was here?"
"The electromagnetic field surrounding me is being affected by something over there, probably element 347. It's really annoying."
"It's good to know I have a slight advantage."
"Do you want to fight, really?" Willo raised an eyebrow, although Philip couldn't see that expression.
"What should I do?" More than a response to the girl, Philip's last words were a question to himself.
After thinking for a second, he stood up and walked until he was facing Willo.
"Oh, so you're the fool going around the city beating up criminals and mobsters. What will you do, attack head-on?"
"Yes," Philip responded, somewhat dazed.
"I'm letting myself be carried away by the emotions of the moment. I need to talk to her," he thought, but his body moved forward. There was something in his subconscious acting as a driving force for what he was about to do.
He bent his knees, jumped towards Willo, and charged his right arm to strike her with his glove, a direct and simple attack. A twisted smile appeared on her face as she conjured another black sphere, this time in her right hand. Her hair bristled again, covering almost her entire torso and head. Philip directed the punch, and just as he was about to connect, something pulled his wrist. His jacket sleeve and part of his skin were instantly destroyed by a dark energy attack that struck him. The smell of burnt flesh filled his nose.It wasn't an attack from Willo.
Before he fell, Philip saw one of the men surrounding The Redhead pointing towards them. He had survived the lightning, although he was severely burned. Philip's vision gradually darkened as he collapsed to the ground.A firm voice echoed within that intense darkness, saying, "Philip Mrown! What is your wish?!"
Element 347:Produced and distributed exclusively by Mrown Corp, it is a metal with unique properties and highly sought after for its ability to repel dark energy flows. It can also destroy objects and abilities related to the latter.Another of its most recognized properties is its hardness; almost nothing can break it. Energy passes through it as if it were not there, and an object of the same element can shatter another with less mass.Its form is liquid, but it can be easily hardened by subjecting it to high pressure. Many use this to create different products from this metal, such as safes, bunkers, anti-theft doors, and even armored uniforms.The fact that it is produced by only one company has raised its price to one hundred thousand dollars per gram, and it is typically purchased by governments, security agencies, etc.
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