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"Sir, Audrey Bourgeois wants to talk to you."
"Tell her I'm busy ..."
"But…"
“Nathalie, I don't want to be disturbed for any reason. Not today."
The secretary nodded, " I'll tell Miss Bourgeois that she has to call you back tomorrow."
"Good."
That said, he opened the door and went inside, leaving Nathalie to put his life in order. The room was so dark it almost gave a feeling of claustrophobia.
Gabriel didn't show the slightest hint of agitation, moving confidently and reached a table on which maps and various documents were scattered.
He put his hands on the table and looked at the documents, "Come on ... there must be a trace I can use..."
Suddenly, a flash of green light filled the room, blinding the man for a few seconds. When Gabriel regained his sight, he turned pale.
In front of Gabriel, there was a greenish bubble in which you could see the face of a man with marked features, eyes black, and an unkempt beard. Kronos.
The Titan looked at him smugly, "So? Did you find them? "
“The search is turning out to be more difficult than expected,” Gabriel said through gritted teeth.
“What's taking you so long? I have given you all the means necessary for your mission. "
“The world has changed in the last millennia. It's much bigger and ... "
"I don't want your apologies - Kronos interrupted him - I want results. I already have control over the sea and the Underworld. All I need is Olympus, and I will have won. But I need you to find them and bring them to me."
"I'm trying, but ..."
"Stop. I'll give you a year to complete your mission, otherwise ... "
The titan's face disappeared, and in its place appeared a blond and ethereal woman, transparent like a ghost. Gabriel gasped at the sight and muttered, "Emilie ..."
Kronos' face appeared again in the bubble, "If you fail, she will remain in the Underworld for eternity. Remember our pact. "
"I can't forget it."
“Find them, and you will be rewarded. I have given you powers that mortals have craved for centuries. Don't let me down. "
After that, he disappeared, leaving Gabriel alone. In a fit of rage, Gabriel threw everything to the ground.
"Damn it!"
A year was not enough! Hwas looking for people that had been hiding for centuries! And even with powers, he was just a mortal. He couldn't do it. He ran a hand through her hair, “I need a plan. I can't keep looking for them like this blindly. I have to draw them out. But how ... "
Then he had an idea. Gabriel needed a bait, and it happened that he had one on hand.
He hurried out and headed like a madman to Nathalie. He stood in front of her, and the secretary widened her eyes, amazed to see him so soon.
"Sir..."
"Did Adrien try to escape again?"
“Don't worry, sir. We managed to intercept him before he left the house. "
"Does he still want to go there?"
"Yes, why did you ask?"
Gabriel adjusted his jacket, "I think it's time for him to start school."
"What? Why now? "
“Trust me, Nathalie. Adrien needs to go to school. If I want to achieve my goal, I can no longer hesitate. Adrien will be my bait. "
If anyone else had heard those words, they would have objected. Who in their right mind would use their son for their plans? Especially when he knew the risks he could expose the boy, too? But Nathalie didn't flinch.
She said, "Then I'll call the school and complete the enrollment paperwork. It will take a few hours. From tomorrow, Adrien will officially start school. "
"Good."
Finally, Gabriel took a sigh of relief. The game had just begun. And he won't hesitate.
Marinette was late for her second day of school. She hurried down the stairs and passed the bakery counter.
Seeing her, Sabine handed her a package, "Be careful."
"Don't worry, mon!" and just as she said it, Marinette tripped, nearly falling face down.
Sabine came up to her, "Oh, my dear. How are you?"
"I'm fine. But I have to go, I'm in late. "
" Again? What time did you go to sleep? "
" Ehn ... late ... "
" Marinette ... "
" I had to work on a project, mom. Besides, I wasn't sleepy. "
A lie. Marinette was so tired, she had almost fallen asleep on her desk, but she had forced herself to keep drawing.
She didn't have a project in mind, but working on something helped keep her mind busy. Staying awake, she wouldn't have nightmares. And when she finally closed her eyes, she was too tired to dream. A great plan, too bad she didn't think about school.
"Honey, I'm glad you're working on your projects, but you have to think about yourself too. You're still young, and if you don't get enough sleep your health suffers."
I sleep little just to preserve my sanity, Marinette thought.
But what could she say to her mother about it? Marinette sure couldn't tell her that she didn't want to sleep because she was having nightmares. She was fourteen, she was no longer a child.
"I know, mom. This is the last time this happens."
"Mhm ..." Sabine wasn't convinced, but she couldn't hold Marinette any longer. So she kissed her on her forehead and said, "Now go. I don't want you to be late. If you run, you should make it."
"Don't worry!" Marinette exclaimed as she ran out. She had to stop in front of a traffic light, cars whizzing past her at full speed. The girl stamped her foot nervously on the ground. It was no good. When will the light turn green for her?!
A short distance away, Marinette caught a glimpse of a car that caught her attention. It was a white limo, with completely blacked-out windows, the kind some kind of celebrity might have. One of the rear windows, however, was down and she could see the figure of a young blond-haired boy.
She would have paid more attention to it if she hadn't noticed at the same time something that made her completely pale.
Stop in the middle of the street there was a little girl dressed in white. She looked like she was seven years old to see it, but what worried Marinette most was the fact that the little girl was positioned right in the middle of the intersection, with cars coming at full speed.
Marinette looked around for a policeman or the parent of the child who may have been looking for her after losing sight of the girl but saw no one.
She returned her gaze to the road and noticed that the child was still, had not moved an inch, and the cars were getting closer and closer, without slow down, as if they didn't see her. Eventually, Marinette acted instinctively and threw herself into the street to take her away.
"Get out of there!"
But as Marinette said it, a car hit the little girl.
Marinette put her hands in front of the mouth, horrified.
"No ..."
She had picked up the phone to call the ambulance, and maybe even the police to report a car incident, but to her dismay, she realized that there was no blood on the ground, and there was no trace of the child.
Marinette didn't know what to think anymore. Was she so tired that she was hallucinating? At that moment, a car was about to come at her, but before it hit her, she felt a pull by the arm. Before she knew it she was across the street.
Blinking a little she realized to have in front of an elderly man, bent over the years and with oriental features.
Marinette stammered a hasty apology as the stranger looked at her curiously.
"What were you doing in the middle of the street?" the man asked.
She would have expected a rebuke for her carelessness, but the stranger's tone was courteous and unjudged in her voice.
Marinette looked away embarrassed as she began to tug at the hem of her shirt in nervousness, "I, well ... I thought there was someone in the middle of the road, and I wanted to help ..."
"Who ? "
" A little girl. "
" Oh ... "
" Did you see her? "
" Unfortunately no, I'm sorry. "
Marinette shrugged in despair. She had imagined everything. She was depressing to think.
"I won't thank you enough for helping me. Here," and she gave him a couple of the macarons her mother had made.
The man accepted the gift with a smile, "You are a kind person."
"It's not a big deal, you saved my life and ..."
The phone rang, and he saw Alya's name on the screen.
"Damn! Excuse me, I have to go!"
And she ran off, frantically answering and assuring her friend that she was on her way.
The man had watched everything with interest as an owl landed on his shoulder. He gave it one of the macarons and the owl started pecking at him with satisfaction.
"Well, Wayzz, I asked for a sign of Fate, and here it is. I have to take a closer look at her. If she is who I think she is, she may be in danger. "
Other people would not mind about it. Others would pretend they didn't see Chloé put rubber on someone's chair and then go back to her place.
Adrien was probably the only one who knew about the joke. If he were another person, he would ignore the problem.
But Adrien couldn't do it, and armed with holy patience, he decided to take off the chewing gum himself. It wasn't easy, and he had no idea how, but he wouldn't be discouraged. After several attempts, Adrien managed to get the chewing gum off the chair.
"Yes!" he cheered, ignoring the confused looks of the other boys and also of Chloé's disappointment.
"What are you doing?"
Adrien raised his head, two girls were staring at him. One of them had dark hair and blue eyes, and although she was petite, she had an air that intimidated him. But looking at her, his heart skipped a beat. It wasn't because of fear, but something else. It was a new sensation for him, a chest-high warmth that he had never experienced.
Adrien swallowed, "Mhm ... it's not what it looks like."
The girl frowned, "Oh no? Looks like someone wants to play a stupid joke on me."
"Well, you wouldn't be wrong, but not It was me. Chloé ... "
" Did Chloé tell you to do it? " the other girl asked.
"What? No! I ..."
"You're the new guy, aren't you? Chloé's friend."
Was it his imagination, or she'd said Chloé's friend like it was the worst insult she could think of?
"That would explain a lot of things," the blue-eyed girl said, and Adrien wanted to tell her that whatever she was thinking was wrong.
He blushed, "I know what you think, but you're wrong. I ... "
" What's going on? " the teacher asked. There couldn't have been a worse time for her to arrive.
"Nothing, Madame Bustier. He's about to go sit in his place."
And from the look she gave him, Adrien knew that it was better to say no more.
Heads up enough, Adrien went to sit down. He wiped his hand with a handkerchief as Nino said to him, "Well, you sure made a certain first impression."
"I didn't mean to piss her off. I wanted to help her."
"Marinette and Chloé have a story, dude. understandably,she has some prejudices, especially knowing that you two are friends."
Ah, so her name was Marinette. It was a name that suited her.
"How do I get forgiven?"
"It's not your fault."
"But she got mad."
Nino shrugged, "Be yourself. Marinette hates bullies. As soon as she sees you're a harmless cupcake, she'll want to be your friend. "
" Do you think so? " and if there was too much hope in his voice, Adrien gave it no weight.
He was still a boy who wanted to get out of his isolation and have a chance to have friends. Her eagerness to please was understandable.
"I'm sure. Marinette isn't unreasonable. But there's a problem."
"A problem?"
"Chloé - Nino explained- I think she'll make it impossible for you to talk with Marinette. Those two are like cat and dog. "
" Are their relationships that bad? "
" You have no idea, dude. "
Adrien wanted to bump his forehead on the counter. Somehow, he suspected that that will make it difficult for him to apologize.
During the recess, the students were in the courtyard to stretch their legs or get some air. Marinette is sitting on a bench with Alya.
When Adrien approached she just stared at him with a look full of indifferent contempt, "What do you want?"
Adrien swallowed. He was certainly not the best in interpersonal relationships, and Marinette, if he had to be honest, scared him a little at the moment, with her expression so hostile.
He cleared his throat, "Marinette, for what happened before, I ... "
" Adrikins!
" And here she is, punctual as death, Chloé jumping on him from behind in a bone-breaking hug.
" What are you doing with them? Come with me! "
And he was dragged away again, like a rag doll. Adrien tried again during his science class, but again Chloé took him and had him join her and Sabrina's group. He suspected it wasn't just to have him with her but to copy the notes from him.
The day was almost over and he still hadn't been able to apologize. He was depressing. Maybe it was his fault. Maybe he should have been less assertive with Chloé?
Or he had to let go of his attempt at an apology, if Marinette got so angry maybe it was just because she was too touchy… Adrien shook the head. No, that thought was wrong. She had simply misunderstood what she had seen, and added to this the dislike, deserved to what Adrien had been able to see, that she had towards Chloé.
He had to apologize, it was the right thing to do, besides so he could also show her that he was different from Chloé.
Towards the end of the morning, they were returning from science class when he noticed, a few steps ahead of him, Marinette alone.
As far as he could see, they were the bottom of the class, and Chloé also seemed busy giving Sabrina orders. This was his chance.
He was about to call Marinette when he felt someone take him by the arm. He immediately stopped and turned around, ready to see Chloé's face.
Instead, he found himself facing a dark-skinned girl who was staring at him adoringly.
Adrien swallowed uncomfortably. He wasn't a fan of physical contact, especially from strangers, and that girl as well as not seeming to have the slightest intention of ditching him was also invading his personal space.
"Um ... who are you?" he asked her.
The girl pouted, "That's not cute. I always follow you."
"Oh, God. She's a fan."
Adrien didn't think there would be any problems at school with fans. Nathalie was said to be concerned with the privacy issue. She hadn't considered everything
"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are."
"Don't you know? - the girl's eyes widened comically - How is that possible? It's not been that long. We are friends."
"I'm pretty sure that we aren't. ”
“ Now you offend me. ”
“ Really, who are you? “
The girl came closer to him,“ I remember you. Why can't you do it? I'm not that different. But you… ”
“ I don't understand what you're talking about. ”
“ You'll understand. Come with me. ”
She tried to drag him away, but she was blocked by Marinette. God, he was so happy to see her.
The girl frowned, “Step aside. He's with me. ”
“ I don't think he wants to follow you, ”Marinette commented.
“ You don't know. We're friends. ”
“ I don't even know your name, ”Adrien said uncomfortably.
The girl's grip was even stronger if possible than Chloé's.
“I'm Ephyra. "
" Er ... I'm sorry, but this name doesn't tell me anything. "
" But ... "
" I think it's appropriate that you go to your class - Marinette intervened, the voice of someone who did not allow replies - Or do you want me to call the professors and say you're harassing a person? ”
“ I'm not harassing him. “
“ Don't you see how uncomfortable he is? "
"I ..."
"What's going on?" Alya arrived, and Ephyra's expression changed, looking scared.
"She's harassing him," Marinette briefly explained to her friend, who wrinkled her nose.
"It's gross. Don't you have anything better to do? Go to class. ”
The amazing thing is that the other obeyed her, and without saying a word she let go of Adrien and left.
Alya was also surprised,“ Wow, that was easy. ”
Adrien said, “Marinette… um… thank you. I know you don't like me… ”
“ I couldn't stand and watch. You were so uncomfortable… Does this happen often? ”
“ God no, my bodyguard won't let anyone get near. But I can't bring Gorilla to school. ”
“ Do you have a bodyguard named Gorilla? ”
“ It's a nickname I gave him when I was little. I don't know his real name and he doesn't talk much. But he doesn't seem to mind being called that. “
“ How do you know? ”
“ Well, he smiles when I call him that. So… ”
That wasn't the conversation he wanted to have with Marinette. Adrian continued, “I… I wanted to apologize first… you probably hate me but…”
“Hey, breathe - Alya told him - Looks like you're having a panic attack.”
“Maybe? I'm not very good with people. ”
“ So you make stupid jokes to compensate? ”
“ I didn't put the gum. I was trying to take it off. “
“ Really? ”
“ Yeah… I know you won't believe me because I'm friends with Chloé, but… ”
“ I believe you. ”
Marinette's phrase surprised both Alya and Adrien. She proceeded, “If you were like Chloé, you would have no problem treating that girl badly. Instead, you tried to be nice to her, even if she didn't deserve it. I don't know if it's professional bias, but… ”
“ Professional bias? People can't get close to me. I don't even know how to interact with someone without looking stupid. ”
“ And I expected you to be a spoiled brat, “Alya sighed.
“ Um… sorry? ”
“ Why are you sorry? You're too cute. ”
“ Is that a bad thing? ”
Marinette shook her head, “ No, that's not a bad thing. You are better than we thought. ”
“ So… ”
“ Apologies accepted. And thank you for what you did. "
" And sorry for drawing the wrong conclusions, "Alya added.
" Given the circumstances, it was normal. "
" I was mean to you. "
" Well to make up for it, you could offer him macarons, "Alya suggested.
Adrien's eyes lit up at the mention of the sweets," Did you bring macarons to school? "
" There are a few left. YDo you want some? ”
“ Please, yes. ”
He didn't mean to sound so desperate, but could he be wrong? His diet was so strict! Fortunay, Marinette did not consider it pathetic and smiled. God, why did Adrien feel his heart racing? Was he feeling bad?
“Oh, so you saw them too.”
Hearing that voice, Ephyra stiffened. Oh no, not her. Not now that she had found Kore.
She turned, and she came face to face with a little girl dressed in white. She had always liked looking harmless. It was easier to deceive others.
“Melinoe…”
“You have nothing to fear from me, oceanide. I'm not here for you. ”
“ You're here for Kore, ” the girl said.
“ Not just for Kore. ”
“ So it's true. You betrayed the gods. ”
“ I don't work for the Titans. The Underworld belongs to me. “
“ Kore is the queen. ”
“ She was the queen - Melinoe corrected her - The Underworld hasn't had rulers for centuries. I will fix the problem. ” “
To do that, you should help them get back to their place. ”
“ They made a choice. The throne is mine. ”
“ But as long as they live, you will never be queen. ”
She knew that Melinoe was too powerful. But Ephyra wasn't going to. She had sworn to protect Kore, whatever the cost. She had failed once before, she won't let that happen again.
“I won't let you hurt Kore,” she said firmly.
Melinoe tilted her head, “Are you sure? Shouldn't you be thinking of your god? ”
“ I made a promise. ”
“ How noble you are… ”
Puffs of mist appeared behind the goddess. Melinoe narrowed her eyes, "You still have time to leave."
"No."
"Too bad ..." Ephyra was hit by the mist. All she could do was close her eyes.
Fate operated in mysterious ways. Ivan ran down the hall, trying to escape from embarrassment.
Kim had gone too far. Now how is he going to look Myléne in the face again? He no longer had a chance with her.
As he thought about this, he saw a girl lying on the ground, white hair and wide eyes, and a little girl above her surrounded by ghostly faces.
"Shit," he said aloud and attracted the attention of the child.
She looked at him with interest, and Ivan felt a cold shiver down his spine, "Oh, you'll be perfect."
Ivan will be perfect for what? He felt an electrical discharge go through him, excruciating pain that took his breath away. He fell to his knees, holding his throat.
She approached, “You'll be a perfect eidolon. I will need you for my plans."
The lesson was just over when Principal Damocles entered the classroom.
The man was visibly nervous, and after a cough, he walked over to Madame Bustier and whispered something in her ear.
The teacher widened her eyes and shortly thereafter, with all the delicacy she could use, she said, "Guys, the principal just informed me that a girl has been found seriously injured. The school called the police, but since they don't know what happened, we want you all to stay here. "
" What? Why? " Chloé said, reacting first.
"Do you suspect any of us?"
"Of course not. But we don't know if the attacker or the attackers are still in school. We have to preserve our students."
"It's an excuse! - the blonde exclaims irritated - If you wanted to preserve us, you would have made us go home, safe. Instead, you keep us here for questioning by the police because you suspect a student."
The principal blanched, a sign that Chloé wasn't right. The girl continued, "I can't stand such insinuations as soon as my father hears about it ..."
But Marinette didn't hear the rest of the sentence: someone behind her was crying.
It was Mylené. The girl had her face covered with both hands, Rose and Juleka were beside her, trying to comfort her.
"No, don't do that. I'm sure he's fine."
"I wouldn't be surprised if, after Kim's joke, he wanted to go home. "
This didn't console Mylené at all, who moaned louder if possible.
Marinette asked," What happened? "
Mylené cheered up with the nose, "Ivan ... Ivan isn't here. He was angry with Kim ... and he's not ... he's not back in class. If something happened to him ..."
"Don't think about it - Rose broke in - I'm sure he went to let off some steam somewhere. "
" But what if ... what if he met the one who hurt that girl? What if he too ... "
Mylené began to cry harder. The girl was upset, and looking at her desperation, Marinette felt the urgent need to do something. Marinette took her hands in hers, "I'll go find Ivan."
"How? The principal and Madame Bustier won't let you out."
"Chloé is distracting them. I'll take the opportunity to sneak out. . "
" Oh, Marinette. It could be dangerous. And what about you that person found you? "
" In that case, I'd run very far - a smile - I'll find Ivan sooner. I promise. "
And maybe she shouldn't have promised it, but just looking at Mylené's hopeful gaze, she thought it was worth it.
Unknowingly, Chloé had helped her. Her threats to get the mayor to intervene had distracted Madame Bustier and the principal long enough for Marinette to sneak out.
She had started to search in the science room, then went to the courtyard, to the canteen, but no trace of Ivan. There was only one place she hadn't checked: the gym.
She went there with her heart pounding, hoping to find it there. If Ivan hadn't even been to the gym ... well, there were only two alternatives, and her mind immediately thought of the worst.
When she arrived, she found the gym door closed. Marinette tried to force the door, but stopped due to a voice behind her, "In movies, they don't usually do that."
Marinette stiffened and turned, heart pounding and mind thinking about what excuse could he come up with to avoid getting in trouble.
However, as soon as she saw who she was dealing with, she felt her shoulders relax: behind her Adrien was standing, watching her with a shy smile.
"You gave me a shock - murmured the brunette with one hand chest - What are you doing here? "
" Sorry, it wasn't my intention to scare you. Anyway I saw you go out and I thought I should come after you. After all, in the movies who's walking around on account he just always gets in trouble somehow, if not worse."
The girl couldn't help but roll her eyes with a half-exasperated an amused snort, "It just so happens this isn't a movie, Sherlock."
At that point Adrien put a hand behind his head with an embarrassed expression, "Well, there, I know, but ... I don't have much other experience of how things work than through movies, so ... "
“ You don't go out much, do you? ”
“ Just for work. And even then, it's only for a short time. ”
“ It sucks enough. If I have to stay in the bakery all the time… I don't want to think about it. Don't get me wrong, I love mom and dad's shop, but it can get stuffy sometimes. "
" At least you can get out ... "
Despite looking sad, Adrien quickly recovered," Ok, this is off-topic. Who are you looking for? ”
“ Ivan. Rose told me that he and Kim had a fight over something and Ivan didn't want to go back to class. ”
“ It seems unlikely that Ivan is here. Unless they locked him in ... "
" Very unlikely. "
" But if he's crying, he might not have noticed. "
Marinette arched an eyebrow," In that case, not should we hear him scream? ”
“ What if he hasn't noticed yet? It depends on how angry he got. "
" You're right about that ... but with this bolt, I can do very little ... "
To prove her point Marinette walked over and gave a hard yank, sure this it would just make a little noise. Instead, to her surprise, her bolt gave way, remaining in her hands.
"Woah - the blond exclaimed - How did you do it? You're very strong ..."
"Probably the bolt was all rusty. You know how it is, the economic situation of the public schools is terrible - she tried to disguise herself embarrassed girl while placing the chain on the ground -Come on, let's go inside. "
Marinette had always seen the gym full of the chattering of students or the sound of shoes on the floor or the bouncing ball, but at that moment, empty, she had something eerie. The high ceiling amplified the few noises that could be heard and the lighting coming from the windows was barely enough to illuminate the room, and some corners were still in shadow. The abandoned baskets and empty stands added to the sense of abandonment.
"This is a horror movie scene - Adrien commented - If it were night, it would be worse."
"We are not in a horror movie. "
" Er ... could you tell them too? " the blond said, pointing in front of him.
Marinette saw what he was referring to: in the stands there were a dozen evanescent figures, without legs and blue eyes, staring at them in expectation.
"Those weren't there before, "Adrien said.
" Maybe it's a joke from Chloé. "
" I know Chloé is not an easy person ... "
" This is the understatement of the century, "Marinette commented.
" But even she couldn't do that. She's not that… um… good. ”
“ You were going to say she's not that smart. ”
“ No, and you can't prove it. ”
“ Maybe Sabrina… ”
Before she could go on, a balloon that came out of nowhere hit Marinette in the back, so hard that it dropped her. Adrien did not have time to help her with another ball that hit him in the stomach sending him upside down.
"Are you okay?" Marinette asked with a groan of pain, to which the model only responded with a sound that closely resembled someone about to vomit.
Marinette stood up, ready to tell her four to whoever she found so amusing to throw a ball at someone without warning, balls, by the way, that looked a lot like cannonballs.
However she froze when she saw that the joker was ...
"Ivan?" The classmate stood still next to the basket of balls, one of them already in his hand. "Ivan, what are you ..."
The girl was interrupted by the other who, with a scream of rage, threw a new balloon. It was only luck that she managed to dodge him.
"What are you doing?" Adrien managed to ask as he stood up, his face a white complexion that did not bode well.
"I don't know, he doesn't look like himself."
"Maybe he's possessed."
“Adrien, don't be silly.”
“I don't know if you noticed, but there are ghosts there staring at us.”
“Those aren't real. They are projections and… ”
She did not have time to finish the sentence, that the figures sitting in the stands rose, causing the temperature of the room to drop, and began to fly towards them.
Adrien's first reaction was to grab Marinette by the arm and drag her away.
“What are you doing? Ivan… ”
“ Are you a medium? Only in that case I would let you approach him, because Ivan needs an exorcism! "
" Those are not ghosts - Marinette insisted - Ghosts do not exist. "
As if to prove her wrong, the ghosts stood in front of him, closing the door and surrounding them. Marinette touched one of the ghosts and immediately withdrew her hand, shivering with cold.
"Ok ... maybe they are ghosts."
Adrien opened her mouth, probably to exclaim the classic "I told you so", but whatever it was was interrupted by a guttural scream. Ivan, demonstrating a strength not typical of a normal human being, had ripped a wooden bar from the wall and was now loading them, like an ox. At that point, the blonde pushed Marionette out of the path of the attack, getting hit in full, however, and going to the ground for the second time, her face a mask of pain. Marinette got up and started to go help her partner when she was surrounded by her ghosts.
“This is getting ridiculous. You can't block me, I can walk through you… ”
But as she tried to get past the ghosts, her body shuddered. She took a few steps back and noticed that her hands had turned blue.
“What the…”
Adrien saw her in trouble and tried to go to her, but Ivan intercepted him. Despite her attempts, she could only dodge: Ivan was too much stronger than him.
Marinette could not assist without doing something, but before trying again to overcome the ghosts, something squeezed her neck in a cold grip.
"This time, it's much easier," said a female voice.
Marinette couldn't breathe. The world around her was spinning fast, like a crazy top.
Her legs were about to give way, and her attempts to wriggle were worthless, she couldn't escape.
"Maybe I should have listened to Mylené ... "
But as she thought that, she breathed again, and the ghosts walked away screaming.
" Well, salt always works, "a man said, walking in front of her with his cane and a pack of salt in one hand.
"You ... I know you ... - Marinette gasped - This morning ... you saved me ..."
"It seems to be becoming a habit."
"What are you doing here?"
“See you later for the questions. Your friend needs you. ”
The man was right. Adrien had fallen to the ground and Ivan was about to hit him. Marinette acted on instinct, took the old man's stick, and used it to hit Ivan in the head. Her staff broke, but now Ivan was angry with her. He turned and lunged at her. She was quick enough to dodge the blow but she couldn't do it for much longer.
"Order the spirit to leave that body," the elder suggested.
"How?"
"Use it - he threw the packet of salt - Throw it on him and orders the spirit to leave the body. “
“ Why don't you do it? ”
“ I don't have the power to do it. But you have it. "
Marinette would have liked to ask him what that certainty gave him, but now Ivan was on top of her and panicked he threw salt in his face.
" Spirit, get out of this body… I can't believe I said that. ”
Ivan let out an inhuman scream, and black stuff came out of his mouth, under the astonished gazes of Marinette and Adrien.
Then he collapsed to the ground unconscious, and Marinette feared she had killed him.
“He'll be fine - the old man reassured her - He won't even remember what happened.”
“But who are you? How did you know about ... about this? "
“I'm here at the behest of Fate. And if you want to survive, I advise you to come with me. "
"You're not taking them anywhere, Pallas!"
Hidden from sight, Melinoe was furious. Her plan had failed. Hades had survived. She had no choice but to take matters into her own hands. But before she could do anything, she heard a voice, "Goddess chtonia ... I offer you this sacrifice ..."
"Oh no, a faithful one."
That was all she thought of before that everything would be darkened.
When Melinoe regained consciousness, she found herself in a room full of lights, with a large rose window at the top with dark glass and the shape of which reminded her of that of a butterfly. On the ground, there were the remains of the sacrifice with which she had been evoked. The goddess tried to get married, but she felt a strong pang of pain that prevented her from moving.
"It's useless. You can't escape."
A man stepped out of her shadow and stood in front of her. she. Melinoe frowned, "You're a mortal. You can't hold a goddess captive."
"I'm doing it."
"How?"
"Summoning circle - he said, pointing to the symbols drawn on the ground - Cronus taught me. Although taught is not the most appropriate term. "
" You are the human servant of Cronus. "
" Yeah, I am. "
"Will you hand me over to Cronus?"
"No."
"No?"
"I want to offer you a deal."
"A deal?"
"Allow me to use your powers and dominion over the creatures that populate the night and nightmares, and I'll help you get what you want. "
The goddess snorted," I don't even think about it. I'm a goddess, I don't grant powers to mortals like you. "
Gabriel narrowed his eyes," I think you don't understand, Melinoe. Either you ally with me, or I'll send you to Kronos. I'm sure he would be very happy to see you again, especially knowing that you want to reign over the Underworld. "
Oh, the mortal was clever.
She said," If I accept, what do I get out of it? "
" The death of Hades. Without him, you can become quite of the Underworld. "
" How do you know what I want? "
" It's not hard to understand, after all, you were there before him. "
" Nobody knows - Melinoe said – Everyone thinks I'm his daughter. How do you know? ”
“ I have my methods. ”
" You want to kill Hades. But what about Persephone? "
The expression on the man's face became more tense," Persephone doesn't count. It is Hades who must die. "
" But Persephone ... "
" Kronos has no interest in eliminating Persephone. And neither do I. "
He was very protective. It was fair to wonder what kind of relationship the man had with Persephone. Melinoe wanted to kill both former rulers of the Underworld, but she too had to recognize when to change plans. Besides, the man didn't had made her swear on the Styx never to hurt Persephone. And that will be fatal.
She smiled, "I accept your deal."
Following a stranger was the first thing her parents had taught her not to do.
Too bad they never told her not to trust someone who had just saved her life and chased away a small army of ghosts. Adrien didn't seem to have any problems following the mysterious man, probably thrilled by someone who could do magic. No, she wasn't exaggerating. The man had made copies of Marinette and Adrien appear with a snap of his fingers so that no one would be suspicious of their absence. Needless to say, Marinette almost fainted. There was a limited number of nonsense she could handle in one day, and that was far too much.
Why had she agreed to follow him? Well, she just had to know of the possibility of being in mortal danger to convince her. Also, she wanted to know what was going on. She had the right, didn't she?
When they finally got to the man's house, the first thing their host said was, "Would you like some tea?"
"What?"
"You won't think it makes you come here without offering you something? I still remember the laws of hospitality, although it has been a while since I had someone come to me. "
" Laws of hospitality? "
" Now they are called in another way? Oh, it doesn't matter. Would you like some tea? ”
" Um ... thank you ... "
“ Good. Take a seat and make yourself comfortable. ”
The house was small and cozy, furnished in a traditional style. She reminded Marinette of the photos of her she had seen of her mother's childhood home in Shanghai, and her familiarity partly helped him calm down and not freak out.
"You haven't told us your name yet."
"Wang Fu - the man said - For the moment, this name is fine."
Adrien and Marinette looked at each other confused. What did that mean?
The elder noticed, "Well, what are you still doing there? Get comfortable."
The two adolescents sat in front of a small table and watched as Wang Fu made tea, whistling as if he hadn't just saved them from a horde of ghosts.
He was too cheerful. Marinette couldn't take it anymore, “How did you know we were in danger?”
“I didn't know. I was in the right place, at the right time. "
" After this morning, it seems like a strange coincidence. "
Wang Fu handed her a cup of tea which she reluctantly accepted," My dear girl, saving you from being hit by a car was a coincidence. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't have decided to follow you. And if I hadn't, I couldn't have been there to help you. ”
“ What? ”
“ Are you some kind of stalker? Did I just agree to have tea at a stalker's house ?! " Marinette exclaimed in alarm.
The old man rolled his eyes, "I'm not a stalker."
"You just admitted you followed me to school!"
"I had good reasons for doing that! And the attack of the ghosts proved it! "
" Well, that interests me more. No offense, Marinette - Adrien apologized in advance - I would like to understand why they were angry with us. Oh, and I also want to learn how to exorcise ghosts like you did. ”
“ Adrien… ”
“ Admit it, it was cool. ”
“ We shouldn't even be here. Just because he can do some tricks… ”
“ They weren't tricks. It was magic. True magic. ”
“ Anyone could do that. ”
“ Not me! ”
“ I'm sorry to interrupt this loving conversation –Wang Fu interjected - But you came here for answers. And I'll give it to you. "
" Will you tell us the truth? " Marinette asked doubtfully.
“Of course.”
“So can you tell us why the ghosts attacked us? And what happened to Ivan? ”
Wang Fu smoothed his beard,“ Mhm… let's start with the hard questions… maybe I better tell you everything from the beginning… how much do you know about Greek mythology? ”
Adrien replied, "Myths about ancient Greek religion, right? Mhm ... I know something."
"And do you know who the Titans were?"
"They were the divine generation before that of the Olympians."
"Exactly. I'm glad today's young people aren't totally ignorant."
Marinette frowned, "What does this have to do with us?"
"You see, those stories were true. Cronus, the Titans ... they exist."
"And now you will tell us that gods also exist."
"Some of them still live ..."
"What does it mean?"
Wang Fu set the cup of tea on the table, "Zeus made a mistake by sending his father, Cronus, in exile. Even in exile, Cronus was dangerous. It took him time, but he managed to reorganize an army, and the first to be attacked was Poseidon. There was no escape for him, and he killed him. "
"How is it possible to kill a god?"
"It is difficult for a mortal, but not for a deity. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning. Cronus declared war on all the gods, and if he did not win, it is for the stamina of the survivors. But with the Underworld conquered."
"So the afterlife exists?"
"Yeah, son. A place no god should visit. Too many of them have gone down there, condemned to remain there forever. But what they represented was too precious to let it rot in the Underworld. As long as the essence of the god survives, Cronus will not win. . "
"It's a good story - Marinette admitted - But I don't see what it has to do with us."
"Well, you must know that Hades and Athena worked out a spell to allow the gods to be reborn. That way, Cronus could not have won. As long as the greater gods live, Olympus will not fall. And for this, he has as his goal to find the of the born again. Only then can he win. And that is why you were attacked. "
Marinette was shocked, "Wait a minute. Are you saying that we ..."
"You two are the reincarnations of gods - Master Fu continued - That's just what I was saying."
"This is madness. It can't be true."
"It would actually explain a lot of things."
"Adrien, don't tell me you believe him!"
The blond looked embarrassed, "Admit that after dealing with ghosts and exorcising Ivan, this might be an acceptable explanation."
Marinette shook her head, "No, that's crazy. I can't be a goddess. I'm a normal girl. I don't ... I don't fight monsters or ghosts. I have no powers!" "They are currently asleep. You should be able to ..."
"No. I ... I can't be who you say. I can't ... it's madness and I don't want to have anything to do with all this."
Agitated, Marinette got up, took her bag, and left, leaving Adrien with Master Fu.
The elder sighed, "You better follow her. Try to make her think."
"I can't make her do something she doesn't want to."
"You don't have to force her, you just have to talk to her and help her accept her nature."
A sly look, "The only person Hades has ever listened to is you, Persephone."
And this was the beginning of something great. The beginning of the return of the gods.