The two boys turned to see if the strange creatures would emerge from the field. Fortunately for them, none had.

“Could there be a magic barrier or something?”

“Nonsense.”

“You know that with what's just happened to us, anything's possible.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Nothing, Fred. We're going home. Tell everyone to stay out of this field.”

“Okay, sir.”

Marc and Nathanaël struggled to their feet. They were both exhausted from the mad rush. Beyond that, their minds had seen something that probably no one else had. Another world. A hidden world where these strange beings lived. A world where the man in black surely lived.

The journey home was silent. They didn't want to talk for fear of making Fred doubt their activities. But Marc and Nathanaël kept glancing at each other, which worried Fred.

“You know sir that I'm your butler. If there's a problem, you can tell me. That's what I'm here for.”

Marc and Nathanaël looked at each other. There was no real problem telling everyone about their adventure. But where there was a problem, it was that they probably couldn't keep everyone safe. If they had to fight the man in black, no one would be able to win. They weren't about to have any more deaths on their hands. But even so, Nathanaël spilled the beans.

“This field is cursed. We're following a curse we received not long ago. In the future I'd like you to be able to take us to different places to help us with our investigation.”

“No problem, sir. Shall I report this to your parents ?”

“No. That would only worry them.”

They arrived at Nathanaël's house. When they arrived, someone was having tea with his mother. The two people spoke at the same time.

“Where the hell have you been?”

Elie looked at Marc with a touch of anger. Milène looked at Nathanaël with a touch of concern. Marc didn't know what to say. Instead, he wondered what she was doing here. On reflection, it seemed logical.

“We were just out to see the field you bought for me.”

“Oh. You could have left me a message. So I wouldn't have to worry.”

“Sorry, Mom.”

“That's okay.”

Elie was still looking at Marc. There seemed to be a fire in her eyes ready to engulf him. But she wasn't the only one looking angrily at Marc. Elie's mother was looking out the window. She understood why her daughter said it was an emergency. She hadn't come to see the handsome, rich and generous Nathanael King, but rather had come to see her boyfriend Marc, who was at Nathanael King's house. This had pissed her off.

Marc began to stress.

“Okay. Someone give me a ride home.”

Nathanaël's mother looked at Elie.

“You live near him, don't you?”

“Yes. We can drop him off.”

Elie's face beamed at the thought of being able to sit next to Marc in the car.

“No way.”

Elie's mother retorted.

“I don't want him in my car.”

“Mom.”

“Not another word, my daughter. I just don't like the guy.”

“Mom, if we don't take him back now, I'm not talking to you.”

Elie's mother looked at her daughter. Tears nearly rolled down her cheeks.

“No. Don't do that, darling. I was only joking.”

Marc felt embarrassed. They said goodbye to Nathanaël and his family and headed home. In the car, nobody said a word. Marc didn't want to say anything to Elie for the same reason he didn't say anything to Nathanaël in the car.

When they got close to home, Elie was the first to speak.

“Mom, I'm going to Marc's.”

“But, you...”

“Mom.”

Catherine couldn't stand the look on her daughter's face.

“Okay.”

She dropped them off at Marc's.

“Come back for dinner.”

“Okay.”

At Marc's, Elie sat directly in the chair. Marc knew he had to unpack everything. He recounted his adventure in the field. At the end of each sentence, Elie seemed shocked. She began to lower her gaze.

“So this is what we have to face.”

Marc didn't answer. He knew better than anyone the fear these things could embody. But despite the strange, out-of-this-world appearance these things had unleashed, he wasn't afraid of them. He wanted to defy them once again.

Elie knew that a force outside this world was at work. But she hadn't planned to be involved in this other world. Her only wish was for everything to return to normal. But unfortunately for her, that was no longer possible.

“Elie. You know I'd probably advise you to stay out of this one.”

Marc didn't want to involve anyone. Even if he wanted to take down the man in black, he had to do it alone. Especially not involve Elie.

“And you know I'll probably refuse.”

Marc looked at Elie this time. She was looking at him with a strange expression. Marc supported her gaze with a dark expression.

“This test, we're going to pass it together.”