The spearhead remains motionless.
It points directly at the demon.
No one moves.
The wind passes through the forest, making the leaves dance between the three of them.
The young woman keeps her eyes fixed on the demon.
—Get away from him.
The human blinks.
—What?
—Last warning.
The demon slowly raises both hands.
—I don't know who you are, but I'm not looking for a fight.
—I don't need to hear you.
The reply comes without the slightest change in her expression.
—Demons lie.
Demons kill.
And demons always find a way to deceive humans.
The demon clenches his teeth.
—I don't even know where I am.
—That's not my concern.
Silence takes hold of the place again.
The human looks at the demon.
Then looks back at the young woman.
Without knowing why, he steps forward.
He ends up right between them.
The young woman frowns slightly.
—Move aside.
The human hesitates.
He doesn't understand why he's doing this.
But he feels that letting her attack would be a mistake.
—I can't.
The young woman lowers the spearhead a few inches.
For the first time, she looks him directly in the eyes.
—Is he manipulating you?
—What?
—Demons can alter human minds.
The human turns his head toward the demon.
The demon looks just as confused.
They both answer at exactly the same time.
—No.
The three of them remain motionless.
The young woman says nothing.
The scene made no sense.
A human protecting a demon.
A demon with no intention of attacking.
And both of them speaking as if they were each other's reflection.
She grips the spear tightly.
No matter how strange it was.
The protocol was clear.
She steps forward.
At that exact moment, the enormous black sphere surrounding the area vibrates slightly.
All three look up.
A wave slowly travels across the entire surface of the loop.
Then another.
And another.
The human watches the dark wall.
—What is that...?
No one answers.
Without thinking too much, he slowly raises a hand.
He brings it closer to the barrier.
He touches it.
His hand disappears through to the other side.
As if the sphere didn't exist.
The human recoils and immediately pulls his arm back.
The young woman's eyes widen slightly.
That was impossible.
She quickly approaches the same spot.
She extends her hand.
It strikes a completely solid surface.
She tries again.
Nothing.
The wall is still there.
The demon watches the scene.
He looks at the human.
Then looks back at the barrier.
With some suspicion, he reaches out his hand as well.
His arm passes through the darkness without meeting any resistance.
The two of them remain motionless.
The young woman takes a step back.
For the first time since she appeared, the confidence vanishes from her face.
She didn't understand what she was seeing.
That had never happened before.
The human looks at the demon.
The demon meets his gaze.
They don't need to speak.
They don't need to nod.
They are both thinking exactly the same thing.
Run.
At the same time, they pass through the black barrier as if it had never existed.
The young woman reacts an instant later.
She runs after them.
She tries to cross it.
Her body slams into the invisible wall.
She takes a step back without looking away from the forest.
The two of them have already disappeared among the trees.
The wind begins to blow again.
The young woman remains motionless.
The spear still in her hand.
And a single question echoing in her mind.
—What... were those two?