The next day, he took the bus with Elie as he did every school day.
"You wield the sword well. "
Elie was standing next to him, waiting patiently for the bus, his hands behind her back occasionally bumping into a pebble.
"Didn't I tell you? I've been watching a lot of anime."
Marc held the strap of her bag in his left hand, while his other hand was tucked safely in his pocket.
"Really?"
Elie thought about watching even more fighting series. She'd watched quite a few the day before, but it was nowhere near Marc's level.
The journey was no longer than usual. The world hadn't changed much in Marc's eyes.
It was as if he were in a world he knew. Different from their world, but in a different one all the same.
"Marc, are you seeing other stuff too?"
"Yeah."
It was their world.
Marc already knew that...
Arriving at the school, Marc noticed that it gave off a stronger aura than anything he'd seen on the way.
But strangely, he felt as if he had already lost face in front of it.
Nathanaël arrived to greet them. Marc and Elie couldn't get used to someone so bright.
"Marc, isn't that Jin?"
Marc turned and saw that Jin had been behind him the whole time.
"Well done to you. You're the second man to have noticed me. The first is obvious my master."
Marc looked at Jin.
"You noticed me from the start, didn't you master?"
"When did you sign up here?"
"The day you beat Thierry at the dojo."
Decidedly, Marc really didn't understand Jin.
The day passed quickly, like all the days of the week. Manon hadn't approached the group. She hadn't even wanted to talk to Nathanaël. As far as they were concerned, the whole thing was just a ridiculous dream. But that Friday, Chris didn't come to school and Marc sensed this was not normal.
It was a very strange new sensation, too. It was as if something had been nagging at him ever since Chris had been gone, preventing him from concentrating.
"Are you sure about this?"
Nathanaël didn't sense it, though. But strangely enough, she knew it, too.
"Yes. It's like a sixth sense."
"Why don't I have that?
Elie didn't seem to sense it either. But strangely enough, she knew it, too. She didn't even know why she was asking the question.
"I don't know. Why don't you go ask the known guy?"
Nathanaël spoke up:
"That's enough. I don't think it's normal either."
And so did Jin:
"Master, teach me to have this sixth sense."
"I've already told you that you have to go into the other world first."
"Then I still haven't reached it."
Jin began to think about what he needed to catch up with his master.
Nathanaël then asked :
"Do you think we should check out his place."
"Maybe? But he's not going to be happy to see us. If it's going to end up like last time..."
"We've got no choice. Maybe this will teach us something else about this world?"
On that note, the group of four prepared to go to Chris's house.
"But, does anyone know where he lives?"
The whole group stopped at Nathanaël's question. They all had this annoying habit of going to a place whose location they didn't know. But then Marc turned to Jin.
"Jin?"
The whole group looked at Jin.
"I do. I mistook him for an enemy of my master. So I found his address, his full name, his date of birth, the key to his house..."
Marc simply interrupted him.
"Don't do that in the future."
Chris's house wasn't that far from the school. They could walk there without any problem.
The house was a nice mansion. Not as beautiful as Nathanaël, but it held its own next to it.
"Don't worry master, yours is more beautiful."
"You've already told me."
Marc's house wasn't all that beautiful.
There was no car parked out front, but there was definitely a garage. However, as they approached it, no cars seemed to be there.
The house seemed empty.
"Marc, you see what I see."
"I think I do."
Marc immediately recognized the aura of the known guy. It blended with others to form a strange mixture, escaping like smoke rising from a fire.
"Elie, you recognize it."
"Yes, it's that man's aura, but in very small quantities."
But there it was, nonetheless, in the midst of all the others, and the whole thing formed a rather uniform blend.
It was the first time Marc had seen the different shades of a single aura. It was as if, in the end, it were nothing more than a mixture of many others. And in the middle was an aura he recognized and could perceive very clearly.
"Ringing?"
Marc headed for the doorbell, but Nathanaël interrupted him, saying he'd better go ahead. He rang a few times before he heard someone come downstairs.
Chris opened the door.
"Nath? What are you doing here?"
Chris looked sick. His face was turning slightly blue, and his nose was red.
"I came to see if you were okay."
"Are you serious? Nice all the way. I'm fine don't worry."
Marc was hidden behind the wall. He knew Chris was going to be a lot less cooperative if he showed himself.
But like Nathanaël, he could tell something was wrong. Something more than just an illness.
"You don't look well."
Auras could be seen blending on Chris, forming a particular aura. Marc felt the "known guy" aura gradually diminish. Instead came an aura that seemed to be gaining in strength, little by little, taking the place of all the others.
Marc thought:
"He's not in there.I know he's not here. So why am I here?"
For his part, Nathanaël was about to leave.
"Very well, then. I'll leave you to it then."
"Hey, Nath?"
"Hm?"
"Is it just me, or are you glowing?"
At those words, Marc sensed it was going to get out of hand again.
"I get that a lot now."
"Say, it wouldn't be related to this case."
Nathanaël opened his eyes wide.
"Don't tell me you came here for that?"
Marc began to sweat.
The aura Chris exuded was growing.
"Marc's here too, I guess."
Marc began to move.
But before things got out of hand, Nathanaël stepped in.
"He came to see if you were okay. That's all."
But Chris pushed him away without hesitation, with a force that even surprised Nathanaël.
"And I don't want to see him, that's all. So if he's here, let me put one over on him."
"No."
Chris rushed out and saw Marc standing by the wall on guard.
"Hi"
Chris charged at him at full speed without thinking.
"Come on, bring it on, Chris."
Chris tried to stick his point on Marc's face, but Marc dodged easily. He then dodged three of his punches to the face.
"Stop moving."
Chris tried again, but Marc caught his fist. Marc twisted his arm to put it behind his back like the policemen. Seeing that Chris still hadn't given in, he released him before giving him a nice kick in the stomach. Chris collapsed to the floor.
Marc hadn't found this amusing at all.
The group leaned over Chris and stared at him for a few minutes. Elie spoke first.
"I guess he deserved it."
They all nodded before Nathanaël put him back in his bed.
After Nathanaël returned, the group went their separate ways.
In the end, they couldn't find anything particularly strange about Chris—except for his aura.
But Marc's intuition still wouldn't let him let it go. He had a strong feeling that he was missing something in this case.
That feeling made him want to throw up. It screamed at him to figure out what he'd missed. But no matter how hard Marc looked, there was nothing suspicious about the house—neither about the house itself nor about Chris.
Yet Marc had never felt so frustrated...
Marc, Elie and Jin took the bus as usual.
When they arrived at the bus stop, they saw children playing in the street where they lived. Marc walked home greeting the children, and Elie said goodbye to the boys. Suddenly, a tree that had previously been damaged at the trunk began to fall. Jin had seen the beginning of the fall and tried to move towards the children to deflect it. But Marc was quicker. He grabbed the tree as if it were a feather and threw it back up, all in front of the children.
The frightened children looked at Marc. Eventually, the tree fell back to the other side.
"Are you all right? Don't play here next time."
None of the children replied. So Marc stood up as if nothing had happened, realizing that it was a bit too much, and then left without saying another word to them.
Jin couldn't believe it. His master was certainly strong, but he had never imagined he was that good.
When they got back to Marc's place, he and Jin traded a few blows until night fell.
He couldn't understand how his master could be so strong.
He then tried to match his speed, but to no avail; then he tried to lift the tree outside—the one that had fallen on the children—and although he succeeded, it wasn't nearly as easy as it had been for his master.
Jin was a genius; he had seen and observed everything there was to know about combat in the world. But his master was completely beyond his expectations. Everything he did left Jin more and more in awe, as he found himself trying time and again to catch up to him.
He couldn't understand how such strength was possible, so he stayed there to try to figure it out and didn't return until late, still without answers to his questions.
Meanwhile, Marc had been watching Jin fight. He could clearly see that Jin's movements were much better than his own. He watched the genius move from left to right with ease and knew that the only reason he was stronger than him was because he'd been in that strange world.
Marc lay down in his bed and stared at the ceiling. There was no decoration on this ceiling. At night, it looked like a dark sky, nothing more.
Marc heard Jin come up to his room.
"Good night, master."
"Good night, Jin. "
Jin returned to his room without a sound.
Marc stared at the ceiling in silence for a long time before falling asleep. Just as sleep came for him, Marc noticed a faint flow in the air, as if it had aura too.
A strong aura...
An aura... that feels strangely familiar...
The next day, he took the bus with Elie as he did every school day.
"Marc?.... "
Elie was standing next to him, waiting patiently for the bus, his hands behind her back occasionally bumping into a pebble.
"I noticed..."
Marc held the strap of her bag in his left hand, while his other hand was tucked safely in his pocket.
Marc had sensed it for a long time. Something wasn't right. He didn't know why, but he knew exactly what Elie was going to say, and Elie knew exactly what Marc was going to say back.
"Jin?"
"Yes."
Jin was there.
Marc knew it. But something inside him, made him think he wasn't supposed to know.
"Tell me, have you enrolled in our school since I beat Thierry at the dojo?"
Jin looked at his master in astonishment.
"Well, I'll be damned. You are indeed my maitre."
Marc knew it.
The three of them returned to the bus. Marc looked at the landscape. Auras blended together. It was an strange world he was used to seeing. A world he'd seen a hundred times without actually seeing it.
"Elie?"
"Yes."
Elie was also looking at this world, which seemed familiar even though she was seeing it for the first time.
Her gaze didn't understand.
"We know this world."
"Yes."
Jin didn't understand what they were talking about.
Arriving at the school, they noticed the aura they knew so well from their school.
Marc gave a slight, nervous smile.
"How ironic."
Nathanaël arrived to greet them. His face showed total incomprehension. He knew exactly what he was going to say and what was going to happen.
But Marc spoke first.
"Don't bother, Nath. We know."
Nathanaël felt relieved. His eyes came back to life. He wasn't the only one in this situation.
The day passed quickly. They already knew all the answers and all the questions.
Neither Manon nor Chris deigned to show their faces. and they knew where Chris was.
"I guess we have to go see him."
"Yes. But we already know how this is going to end, don't we?"
The three stared at the ground, blank of expression but Jin didn't understand what was happening.
The feeling of having already done this day and not just once was bothering them immensely.
Suddenly, breaking the silence, Nathanaël suggested:
"Let's try to get home."
Marc replied:
"Let's try."
They each headed home. Elie, Marc and Jin got back on the bus.
Again...
Jin didn't understand.
When they arrived, children were playing in the street where they lived...
Elie and Marc knew what was coming. The tree began to fall towards the children. Marc rushed ahead of Jin--again--to go and help them.
"I told you not to play here, didn't I?"
The children looked at him strangely, as if they didn't understand what he was saying.
"No, sir."
Marc knew he'd never told them that. Still, it wasn't the first time.
Jin couldn't believe it. His master was certainly strong, but he had never imagined he was that good.
When they got back to Marc's place, he and Jin traded a few blows until night fell.
But in these exchanges, Marc completely overwhelmed Jin. He had never been so far superior to anyone in his entire life.
Marc anticipated all of his moves, not even giving him the slightest chance to feint. Jin was as easy to read as an open book as a barrage of blows rained down on him.
Jin had never felt so inferior...
He couldn't understand how his master could be so strong.
He then tried to match his speed, but to no avail; then he tried to lift the tree outside—the one that had fallen on the children—and although he succeeded, it wasn't nearly as easy as it had been for his master.
Jin was a genius; he had seen and observed everything there was to know about combat in the world. But his master was completely beyond his expectations. Everything he did left Jin more and more in awe, as he found himself trying time and again to catch up to him.
He couldn't understand how such strength was possible, so he stayed there to try to figure it out and didn't return until late, still without answers to his questions.
Marc lay down in his bed,staring at the ceiling. There was no decoration on this ceiling. At night, it looked like a dark sky, nothing more.
Marc heard Jin come up to his room.
"Good night, master."
"Good night, Jin."
Jin returned to his room without a sound.
Marc lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling.
And just as sleep came over him, he noticed an aura in the air.
A powerful aura. An aura that feels familiar.
An aura that Marc felt he had seen before. Unique and singular. Belonging to someone he knew well.
Marc tried to get up.
"You...all along...it's been you..."
But he closed his eyes to start a new day.
The next day, he took the bus with Elie as he did every school day.
"Marc. "
Elie was waiting for the bus next to Marc. Her gaze was vacant, fixed on her shoes, which she was sick of looking at.
"Elie."
Marc had left his bag on the ground while waiting for his bus, too exhausted to pick it up. Yet he was sure he hadn't done anything the night before that would have left him in this state.
He felt strangely depressed.
Marc couldn't take it anymore. Again. Again that same feeling that haunted him.
"Jin?"
"Yes."
Jin was there. Marc knew it.
"Tell me, have you enrolled in our school since I beat Thierry at the dojo?"
Jin looked at his master in astonishment.
"Gosh. You are indeed my master."
Marc knew it.
The three of them returned to the bus. Marc looked at the landscape. Auras blended together. It was an alien world he was used to seeing. A world he'd seen a thousand times without actually seeing it.
"Elie?"
"Yes."
Elie was also looking at this world that seemed familiar even though she was seeing it for the first time. Her gaze didn't understand.
The first time?
"We know this world."
"Yes."
Jin didn't understand what they were talking about.
Arriving at the school, they noticed the aura they knew so well from their school.
Marc gave a nervous smile. A big, crazy smile.
"That's ridiculous!"
Nathanaël arrived to greet them. His face showed total incomprehension. He knew exactly what he was going to say and what was going to happen.
But Marc spoke first.
"Don't bother, Nath. We know."
Nathanaël felt relieved. His eyes came back to life. He wasn't the only one in this situation.
The day passed quickly. They already knew all the answers and all the questions. Neither Manon nor Chris deigned to show their faces and they knew where Chris was.
"I guess we have to go see him."
"Yes. But we already know how this is going to end, don't we? Again."
The three stared at the ground, blank of expression. Searching for answers in their unconscious. A detail he had forgotten. Something that would pull them out of this nightmare
Jin didn't understand what was happening. The feeling of having already done this day and not just once was bothering them immensely.
"Let's try to get home."
"Let's try."
"It won't make any difference, will it?"
They each went home. Elie, Marc and Jin got back on the bus. Again and again Jin didn't understand.
When they arrived, children were playing in the street where they lived. Elie and Marc knew what was coming. The tree began to fall towards the children. Marc rushed ahead of Jin, again, to go and help them.
"I suppose you're all right. No need to ask if I hadn't already told you not to play here."
"Huh? "
"Never mind."
Marc knew he'd never told them that.
Still, it wasn't the first time that he was saving their lives.
Jin couldn't believe it. His master was certainly strong, but he had never imagined he was that good.
When they got back to Marc's place, he and Jin traded a few blows until night fell.
But in these exchanges, Marc completely overwhelmed Jin. He had never been so far superior to anyone in his entire life.
Marc anticipated all of his moves, not even giving him the slightest chance to feint. Jin was as easy to read as an open book as a barrage of blows rained down on him.
Jin had never felt so inferior...
He couldn't understand how his master could be so strong.
He then tried to match his speed, but to no avail; then he tried to lift the tree outside—the one that had fallen on the children—and although he succeeded, it wasn't nearly as easy as it had been for his master.
Jin was a genius; he had seen and observed everything there was to know about combat in the world. But his master was completely beyond his expectations. Everything he did left Jin more and more in awe, as he found himself trying time and again to catch up to him.
He couldn't understand how such strength was possible, so he stayed there to try to figure it out and didn't return until late, still without answers to his questions.
Marc lay down in his bed,staring at the ceiling. There was no decoration on this ceiling. At night, it looked like a dark sky, nothing more.
Marc heard Jin come up to his room.
"Good night, master."
"Good night, Jin."
Jin returned to his room without a sound.
Marc lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Just as sleep came to him, he noticed an aura in the air.
A powerful aura....
Marc Marc stood up and shouted:
"Now that's enough! Show yourself!"
Suddenly, the aura in the air began to shift.
This aura Marc knew so well even though he was only seeing it for the first time.
A laugh echoed through the room. A laugh far less frightening than that of the man in black, but one he would never forget.
A sinister laugh, full of malice and superiority. A laugh that echoed in his soul like an alarm.
Marc frowned.
"Who are you? A guy from over there?"
The aura moving in all directions gradually took on the shape of a person. But Marc could only see his eyes, which gave off a white glow, and his smile, which showed no good.
He was strong. Very strong.
"Only now you can see me. Pretty disappointing for a guy like you."
"A guy like me?"
"I see you haven't heard. Mind you, I'd already noticed that a long time ago."
Marc didn't understand.
"What do you want?"
"Come on, you don't even know what I've done and you openly accuse me. Omrir wouldn't be happy."
Marc understood what he meant. Even though he knew this aura was dangerous and he had a huge sense of déjà vu, he couldn't accuse him of anything.
But that feeling... that feeling just wouldn't leave him.
The feeling of punching him in the face.
"Who's Omrir?"
"You don't even know who Omrir is. You're really disappointing. I could kill you at any moment, you're so weak. Mind you, I noticed that a long time ago too."
"Who the hell are you?! And what do you want? !You may look innocent, but you smell guilty. And I really feel you've done something to us."
The aura smiled.
"It's true. There's nothing innocent about me. But I don't deserve to die. Anyway, no one can kill me as long as you exist."
Marc didn't understand her words at all.
"You're going to get us out of here and then I'm going to do your face."
"Who do you think you are?"
The aura that had gathered in human form launched itself brutally at Marc. He felt himself pushed back against a wall so violently that he was sent waltzing into the wall of his bedroom.
He couldn't breathe or even move.
But it was different... compared to that man, it was different... compared to what he had seen that day... he didn't feel so threatened.
He was simply stuck there because he'd felt inferior, but he had no reason to feel that way.
He could... he, too... resist... because he'd already faced much worse.
"Oh?"
Marc struggled to his feet to resist.
"It's true, after all, you're not just anyone."
The aura calmed and Marc caught his breath before glaring at his assailant.
"And now you're going to get it."
Marc lunged at the aura, trying to land a blow.
He split the air in the direction of his opponent, but when his fist was only a millimeter away, the aura smiled and Marc found himself in the same position he'd been in before stepping forward.
A drop of sweat appeared on his forehead. Marc hadn't moved, or he'd pulled him back.
"Finally, even if it was you or even if it was him, there's nothing you can do against me."
Marc thought nothing of it and stepped forward for the second time towards his adversary. But once again, he returned to his place gently.
"That's..impossible..."
"Oh yes, it's possible. Marc, you haven't yet understood what's happening to you and who I am. You can't reach me in this state."
Marc was sweating profusely.
"Come back to me when you've understood."
The aura smiled again.
Again?
And Marc shouted again.
"Wait!"