A week had passed since that interview.
After that, the broadcasts returned to normal. On Midnight Frequencies we went back to the usual: wandering ghosts, lost spirits, the occasional curious entity but relatively calm. Nothing compared to what had happened that night.
But even though the interviews returned to routine…
the consequences were still inside me.
The effect of having my sense of fear turned off had not disappeared yet.
During those days I continued learning magic with Bugambilia. Every afternoon we practiced new spells and ways to manipulate energy.
It was strange.
Using magic felt like weaving in the air.
You absorbed energy from the environment—from the night, the earth, from life itself—and then shaped it with symbols, gestures, and concentration. As if you were embroidering an invisible pattern in front of you.
To my surprise, I seemed to have a special affinity with nocturnal energy.
Maybe it was because of the first entity I interviewed.
Maybe it was coincidence.
But for me it was much easier to manipulate the energy of the night than other types of energy I still didn't control.
That week I learned a few basic things:
A shield spell, to protect myself.
A small perception spell that allowed me to feel when something dangerous was nearby.
A simple concealment spell that helped me hide my presence for a few seconds.
And finally, a very basic attack spell: a concentrated flash of light energy mixed with fire.
Nothing spectacular yet.
But enough not to be completely defenseless.
That morning I was sitting in a café.
In front of me was a notebook where I was writing a small report. After all, now I had to study and work at the same time.
In one week my classes would begin.
The aroma of roasted coffee filled the air, mixing with the murmurs of conversations around me.
I liked places like that.
They gave me a small mental break.
Even though I no longer had my two old jobs, my life had not become simpler. There was always something to do.
Study.Train magic.Prepare interviews.
Sometimes I wondered how I would manage to balance everything.
But there was something else occupying my mind.
The fact that I couldn't feel fear.
I felt… good.
Too good.
I remembered what it had been like before: running around stressed, worrying about making it to the end of the month, living with the constant fear of failure.
Then this job appeared.
Then the gods.
The monsters.
The underworld.
And now…
my fear was turned off.
It made me more productive.
Calmer.
More efficient.
So a question slowly began forming in my mind.
What if I asked the god of Fear to remove it forever?
After all, if he represented fear…
maybe he could take it away.
I wondered if he watched me when I was afraid, the same way the night seemed to watch me from the darkness.
While I was thinking about all that, I felt a chill.
A shadow appeared in my vision.
It was blurry. Small.
My protection spell activated immediately.
That only happened when someone had dark intentions toward me.
I looked around the café.
Nothing.
No one looked suspicious.
But something… was there.
And it didn't seem human.
I discreetly took out the jaguar keychain.
Inside, Iztli was resting.
I whispered softly:
"Something strange is watching me."
The keychain vibrated slightly.
It was his way of answering.
I knew what it meant: we needed to go somewhere private so he could come out. He couldn't transform in front of everyone.
The supernatural world was still a secret.
I paid for the coffee in advance and walked out calmly.
I tried to look relaxed.
But I was alert.
I walked a few more streets.
Nothing.
Then suddenly, a vision crossed my mind.
A figure watching me from the other side of the street.
I turned my head.
Something hid behind a pole.
No one else seemed to notice.
My heart didn't race.
The fear was still off.
But my logic told me something clearly:
That thing was following me.
And I needed Iztli.
I began walking faster. I didn't want to cause a scene.
I remembered a clothing store a few blocks ahead.
I went in.
I greeted the clerk, grabbed a few random clothes, and entered the first fitting room I saw.
As soon as I closed the door, my backpack started shaking violently.
A silver light came from the keychain.
Iztli appeared.
But the transformation was too abrupt and I almost hit my head against the fitting room wall.
A strong hand held me before I collided.
"Easy."
I felt his warmth through my back.
"Thanks…" I said, blushing slightly.
Normally I would have turned as red as a tomato.
But with my fear turned off… I barely noticed it.
Iztli smiled faintly.
His human eyes flashed for a moment with something wild.
"Good. Time to find out who's following you."
"How?"
"I'm going to hunt it."
His smile changed.
For a moment, his eyes looked like those of a predator watching its prey.
"But we're surrounded by people."
"There's a construction site nearby. Walk like nothing's wrong. Act like you're not worried."
"And you?"
"I'll go behind you."
I nodded.
I didn't like using myself as bait.
But Iztli was right.
If that thing escaped, it could come back later.
And then it would be worse.
I walked through the crowd.
Trying to look relaxed.
I even bought a few things in a store so I wouldn't raise suspicion.
Sometimes I caught brief glimpses of whatever was following me.
A silhouette.
Small.
Fast.
Finally we reached a building under construction.
I went inside.
Inside there were only old mattresses, alcohol cans, and trash left by people who had probably lived there before.
Then I felt it again.
I slowly turned.
And I saw it.
It was… strange.
It looked like a mix between Gollum and a sickly elf.
Small.
Long ears.
Old hood.
A sack hanging from its shoulder.
Its skin was pale and wrinkled, like that of an old child.
"What are you?" I asked.
The creature smiled.
Its voice was childish.
Like that of a five-year-old child.
"Hello, beautiful lady."
A chill ran down my body.
"Thank you… but why are you following me?"
"My master wants to meet you. He asked me to invite you."
Its smile was too wide.
Too happy.
But my spell had not detected a direct threat.
"Who is your master?"
"Hee hee hee…"
The creature laughed.
"I can't say."
It leaned slightly forward.
"But we can play a game."
"A game?"
"You hide."
"And you look for me?"
"Us."
A knot formed in my stomach.
"Us?"
At that moment something fell from the ceiling.
Iztli.
But not in human form.
In the form of a gigantic panther.
Three meters tall.
Black fur.
Silver markings shining like metal under the light.
In his jaws he carried another white creature, torn apart and lifeless.
Several similar creatures clung to his fur, trying to tear open his skin with their claws.
"Run!" he growled.
I didn't hesitate.
I absorbed energy from the darkness.
The shadows wrapped around me.
And I disappeared inside the construction site.
Meanwhile, the small creature smiled.
Happier than before.
"Friends…"
Its voice echoed through the walls.
"Come play."
One.
More creatures appeared among the shadows.
Two.
Something moved on the ceiling.
Three.
The creature lifted its head.
"It's time to play."
And its childish laughter filled the building.
While behind it the furious roar of Iztli fighting the eyeless creatures echoed through the structure.