The Nightmare Wizard
Chapter 66: Capítulo 66 – Agimenes Eye

Chapter 66: Capítulo 66 – Agimenes Eye

William stood at the bow, the sea breeze whipping at his face as he watched Lia’s silhouette meditating in the darkness of the night. The stillness of the moment led him to immerse himself in the silent conversation with Angel, his AI companion, through the bond of their souls.

"Angel," William thought, the uncertainty still throbbing in his mind, "that day... I still don’t understand how I survived. I hadn’t had time to review the fight recordings. Show me."

"Reproducing file..." Angel replied, her voice resonating clearly in his mind.

In William’s mental vision, the fire spell launched fiercely towards him. He remembered instinctively activating the shield, interposing his body between the blast and Lia. But what followed defied all logic. The fire spell exploded with the violence of a bursting bubble, only to reappear an instant later, continuing its trajectory and protecting him long enough to avoid death. "Wait... I don’t understand. Let’s see that part again."

Together, William and Angel analyzed the recording from every possible angle. Each frame was meticulously examined, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Even Angel’s scanners detected no mana fluctuations coming from another direction, ruling out the intervention of Aurus or any other mage.

William brought a hand to his head, confusion clouding his thoughts. "There! There’s something!" Angel suddenly exclaimed. "Observe your arm."

They returned to the recording, focusing on William’s arm. At the critical moment, a small dark shadow seemed to shoot out at incredible speed from his arm towards the shield, reinforcing it just at the instant of impact. Surprise flooded William. "I don’t understand what’s happening." He held his arm, examining it intently. "Right there... that’s where the dark beetle bit me. Do you think it has something to do with it?"

"The moment I was able to re-establish contact with your body after your return from that world, I noticed a strange energy signature, but unfortunately, I couldn’t identify it. Furthermore, with Aurus’s intervention, I didn’t want to disturb you, as indicated in my initial protocols," Angel replied, beginning to review her memory files in search of any connection.

"Ignore the protocols from now on," William ordered firmly. "Notify me of anything strange that happens, no matter who is present."

"Understood. I will do as you say," Angel confirmed. "I regret not being able to show you exact data. During all the time we were in that world, I lost contact with your real body and couldn’t monitor it."

"It’s okay, Angel. It’s not your fault. Thank you for helping me," William replied sincerely.

As he remained thoughtful, observing the starry night and Lia’s serene figure in her meditation, she stood up. "I’m finished. We can go back to the room."

"Go ahead, Lia," William said softly. "I need to stay a moment longer to do something."

Lia nodded with a small smile, retreating with the quietness and devotion of a wife.

"Angel," William thought, determination hardening his features, "I’m going to try to enter that place again. Protect me."

"I will try to monitor everything in more detail this time," Angel replied.

William began to recite the incantation to open the dream world.

"Between the storm and the calm,

where the world divides and the mind is embalmed,

I invoke the guardian, the silent echo,

show me that which is not real... yet Exists."

But no matter how hard he tried, the spell didn’t seem to work. It was as if something was missing, a key piece he couldn’t find. Frustrated, he began to examine his body for any clue. It was then that he noticed on his left ring finger a small black line, almost imperceptible, forming a ring thinner than a hair.

"What is this?" William asked, his voice filled with surprise.

"Based on the data, it appeared the moment you began reciting the spell. But it doesn’t seem to have substance, it’s just like a light," Angel replied, analyzing the anomaly.

The ring disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had never existed. "Do you think it’s like a timer?" William mused aloud. "Maybe when it’s not there, I can go back."

"We would need to experiment more times to reach a conclusion," Angel replied cautiously. "But I will monitor every change to make sure we don’t miss anything."

William still rubbed his left ring finger, but the strange sensation and the fleeting ring had vanished, leaving him with more questions than answers. Everything at that moment felt shrouded in a veil of mystery.

Carefully, he took out a worn leather book from inside his coat, protecting it from the salty breeze that could damage it. It was the last spell Aurus had given him, a peculiar incantation he hadn’t yet had the opportunity to practice. Taking advantage of the quiet of the night, he decided to try. The spell, called Agimenes Eyes, was strange to say the least. According to the book, the legend told the story of an unknown mage, betrayed by all his loved ones: his wife unfaithful with his friends, his mother who abandoned him at birth, his father who beat him every day until he escaped home, his neighbors who set fire to his belongings out of greed. On his deathbed, a demon named Agimenes appeared to him and proposed a deal: he would grant him whatever he asked for in exchange for an eternal contract. The mage accepted, asking for the power to see through lies.

Agimenes fulfilled his part of the bargain, granting him a spell. Upon learning it, a small, semi-transparent, floating eye appeared before the mage. He returned home, and every time someone spoke to him, he activated his Agimenes Eye, being able to see the true intentions hidden in their hearts. The book claimed that this nameless mage gave the spell to a certain J. Thompson so that all humanity would know the truth of things.

Just as the legend promised, J. Thompson popularized the spell, but soon discovered that its usefulness extended beyond people, also working with objects. With Agimenes Eye, he could appraise any unknown object with precision. The spell was so powerful and revealing that many influential organizations feared its disclosure. Throughout the millennia, the magical world tried to destroy it, and at that time, only a few powerful mages possessed fragmented copies of the incantation. The version Aurus had given William could only manifest as a pair of auxiliary eyes, unable to discern the truth or appraise objects. Aurus had solemnly warned him never to reveal to anyone that he possessed this spell, or his life would be in danger. Furthermore, if he ever managed to gather the remaining pieces, Agimenes Eye could be considered a Calamity-level Taboo spell. This was part of the payment for his help, and William understood the immense importance of the secret, feeling a chill of fear run down his spine. However, his curiosity about the spell was even greater, leading him to swear absolute silence.

The last thing William whispered as he closed the book was, "J. Thompson... this person is becoming more and more interesting. I really want to know who he is."