Malachai exited the house through the back door. He carried nothing in his hands: no dagger, no phone, not even a jacket. Just his body, which suddenly felt… different. Heavier in a good way, as if every muscle had gained density overnight.
The forest air behind the property hit him full force. Normally he would have smelled damp pine, wet earth from the morning mist, and distant smoke from some chimney. But now there were new layers. Layers that hadn't existed for him before.
First came his vision.
His night vision was perfect; he could see in total darkness, something his previously modified body from the alien ship hadn't allowed.
The second thing was the smell of fear.
It wasn't a normal human smell. It was chemical, almost metallic, with a sickly sweet, rotten undertone, like old blood mixed with ozone after lightning. It came from far away, from the east, from somewhere deep in the forest where the Kenduskeag River slowed and darkened. And it wasn't recent fear. It was ancient, residual, as if the forest itself had been holding its breath for decades.
Malachai froze. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The trail became sharper: an invisible thread that snaked between the trees, climbed the hill, slipped into a rock crevice, and emerged again near an old, rotten wooden bridge. And at the center of that thread… a heartbeat. Not human, not animal. Something that beat with the deliberate slowness of a heart that didn't need to pump blood, only terror.
Pennywise was watching him.
It wasn't close, at least not physically, but close enough for Malachai to feel the weight of those yellow eyes.
He opened his eyes. The animals of the forest had already vanished. The birds that had been singing in the high branches minutes earlier were now in absolute silence. A deer that had been grazing about a hundred meters away jerked its head up, ears swiveling like radar dishes. It looked straight at him. Then, without a sound, it turned and fled in desperate leaps, disappearing among the trees as if it had seen the devil.
Malachai turned toward the house. Judy stood on the threshold of the back door, watching him. She wore the same loose gray sweatshirt and dark jeans, but now her hair was down, falling in chestnut waves over her shoulders. Her eyes shone with that inner light that never seemed to fade.
"That was… instinct. Lesser entities fear you." She said quietly, almost as if confirming something she already suspected.
Malachai approached slowly, climbing the two porch steps. He stopped a meter away from her.
"Good." He replied. "Let them fear."
Judy tilted her head, studying him. There was no fear in her posture. Only scientific curiosity mixed with something warmer, more human.
"When did it start?"
"Last night. After the house on Route 17. After we cleaned the basement and I took the dagger." He paused, thinking. 'But I think it had been building for a while. When I was exposed to the supernatural, my body… adapted. The ship didn't just give me strength and a good physique. It gave me something more. Something that evolves when I face the unknown, adapting… like a hunter.'
Judy took a step toward him. She extended her hand without touching him, letting her palm hover centimeters from his chest. A faint white light bloomed from her fingertips, as if she were scanning him.
"I feel… a pulse. It's not demonic or cursed energy. It's biological. Your blood, your DNA is rewriting itself in real time. As if it's learning and optimizing."
Malachai stared at her. "Can you feel it?"
"Yes." She lowered her hand but didn't step back. "And I can smell it too. The same trail you're following. Ancient fear. Pennywise is testing us. It wants to see if we'll bite the bait."
Malachai nodded. "Then let's give it something to bite."
They entered the house together. Betty was in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water. When she saw them come in from the porch, she smiled, but the smile froze for a second when she noticed the intensity in Malachai's eyes. It was the same look he'd had when he carried her in his arms the night before… but now there was something wilder, more primal.
"Everything okay?" She asked, stepping closer. Malachai pulled her to him with one arm and kissed her temple.
"Better than okay. Judy and I are going to train. I need to test something new."
Betty nodded, though her eyes filled with worry. "Can I watch?"
"Of course." He said. "But from a distance. I don't want you getting close if something goes wrong."
Betty frowned but didn't argue. She knew she had no powers. She knew her role was different. And though it hurt, she accepted it.
The three of them went out to the clearing behind the house where the forest began to thicken. It was an open space about twenty meters in diameter, surrounded by tall pines. The ground was covered in dry needles and moss. Perfect for leaving no visible marks from the road.
Judy stood in the center.
"First, let's test your new senses. Close your eyes."
Malachai obeyed. The world changed instantly.
He could hear heartbeats he couldn't before: Betty's, ten meters away, fast, nervous, but steady. Judy's slower, controlled, almost meditative. He could hear… voices. Not human. Ethereal whispers coming from the forest. Fragments of ancient sobs, distorted childish laughter, names repeated over and over like a broken echo.
"I hear them." He murmured. "Voices. Many. They're not from now. They're… memories trapped in the forest."
Judy stepped closer. She placed a hand on his forearm. Her touch was warm, luminous.
"I hear them too. But mine are different. They're souls asking for peace. Yours… seem to be something else."
Malachai opened his eyes. They were almost black, pupils fully dilated.
He extended a hand toward the forest. He focused. One of the whispers grew louder: a little girl crying, calling for her mom. Malachai "marked" the sound mentally, as if setting a psychic hook. The whisper changed tone: it stopped being a lament and became… frightened. As if the ghost girl had sensed something much larger was hunting her.
Judy let out a soft gasp.
"You made it retreat. You marked it. Now it knows you're hunting it."
A cold, predatory smile spread across Malachai's lips. "Good. Let it know."
Judy raised both hands. Spheres of pure white light bloomed from her palms, floating like tiny suns. She made them slowly orbit Malachai.
"Let's try a combination. Your aura intimidates. My light purifies. Together… we could create a field that dissolves illusions before they can even form."
Malachai nodded. He closed his eyes again. He felt his new presence, that apex aura, expand like an invisible wave. Animals a hundred meters away fled instantly. Even the trees seemed to lean slightly backward, as if pushed by wind.
Judy merged her light with his aura. The spheres fused with the invisible wave, creating a translucent dome of cold light and oppressive presence. Inside the dome, the air grew heavy, cleansed of any ethereal trace. Any illusion Pennywise tried to project there would dissolve instantly.
Malachai opened his eyes. He looked at Judy. "It works."
She nodded but didn't lower her hands. Her palms still hovered near his chest. The light reflected in her eyes, making them look as though they held stars.
"Your presence… is overwhelming." She murmured. "Even for me. I feel… safe. But also something else. Something that pulls."
Malachai stared at her. He took a step closer. The dome of light and aura intensified, enclosing them in a private bubble.
"What do you feel?"
Judy swallowed. Her breathing quickened slightly.
"I want to get closer. And at the same time… I want to run. It's instinct. As if you were… the top of the food chain."
Malachai raised a hand. He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. Judy didn't pull away. She closed her eyes for a second, as if the contact had electrocuted her.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He said softly. "Never."
"I know." She opened her eyes. "But my body hasn't learned that yet. It's still figuring out that you're not a threat… but someone who provides protection and can make me feel… safe… calm." She said, looking into his eyes with a touch of shyness.
They stayed like that for several seconds. The dome continued spinning around them, isolating the outside world. Betty watched them from the porch, about fifteen meters away. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she saw the closeness. She saw that Judy didn't back away. She saw how Malachai touched her with a tenderness he reserved for very few people.
Betty pressed her lips together. She didn't know exactly what they were doing, whether it was part of the "training." She felt a bit of jealousy, but it wasn't pure jealousy. It was also fear, fear of not being enough. Fear that he might need something she couldn't give him: power and understanding of the supernatural world.
Malachai sensed it. Even without looking at her, his apex instinct caught the change in Betty's heartbeat. He stepped back from Judy. The dome slowly dissolved.
"Let's practice more." He said. "But right now… I need to talk to Betty."
Judy nodded. There was no disappointment on her face. Only understanding as she glanced toward Betty.
"I'll keep testing the field alone. Whenever you're ready… we'll continue."
Malachai walked to the porch. Betty waited with her arms crossed, trying to look casual.
"You two look good together." She said, attempting to sound light, but not quite succeeding.
Malachai stopped in front of her. He took her hands.
"She's an ally. Betty, you're mine and that will never change." He murmured.
Betty stared at him. Tears welled up but didn't fall.
"And what if you need someone who understands what you're feeling now? What you're… experiencing?"
Malachai pulled her close. He hugged her tightly.
"Then I tell you. Because you're the only one I can truly trust."
Betty clung to him. She buried her face in his chest.
"Then don't leave me out. Even if I don't have powers… let me stay close."
"I promise. We'll always be together."
They kissed there on the porch, under the midday sun.
From the clearing, Judy watched them in silence. A small, sad smile curved her lips. She had only met Malachai a day ago, but they had connected so well. He was strong, reliable, cared deeply for his loved ones, and he was also handsome… hot. Very hot.
Though she tried to deny it, it was impossible, she felt attracted to Malachai and jealous of Betty. They looked so good together too. She wanted to be the one in Betty's place.
Judy bit her lip bitterly and looked away. She didn't want to watch Malachai and Betty being romantic.