FLAW: FIFTY-TWO

**ALEX POV**

Climbing the mountain was not my thing, but I had no choice since the Burnial Camp was on the side of the mountain. We needed to walk two kilometers before we could arrive at the place. We couldn't even use our car since there was no road for vehicles to get there. So, we really had no choice.

Everyone was gasping for air. The holes in their noses were widening to get more air. But I was still impressed by Dao and Sky, who seemed not tired at all. You couldn't see any signs of fatigue on their faces. How they looked down below was exactly how they looked now.

"This is my second time climbing this mountain, but I'm still not used to it," commented Trisha, almost crawling due to exhaustion.

"Maybe we should take a short break," Maica suggested. Everyone agreed, so they all stopped. Some of us sat down, while a few chose to remain standing.

"Who even thought of putting up a camp on the side of the mountain?" Calli questioned as she fanned herself with her hands.

"That's where camps should be," replied Justin, a response agreed upon by Wernie.

After a few minutes of resting, we continued our ascent. It didn't take long before we reached the entrance of the camp. We all felt relieved when we saw the entrance arch, bearing the camp's name, standing before us.

"Finally!" Trisha celebrated while throwing her hands in the air.

We didn't waste any time and went inside. We all went to the registration desk to register and pay the camp's fee. It wasn't too expensive, but just enough to lose pocket money for two days. That was never a problem for Sky. He somehow had an unlimited reservoir of money somewhere in his pocket. I didn't know where, but I bet he's hiding it.

"Should we set up the tents first?" Justin asked, making us look at each other to see if everyone agreed.

"Yes. We can hunt for them if we're done," Sky stated, and everyone nodded in agreement.

We quickly walked to the tent ground where tents could be set up. Fortunately, there were only a few people here, so there was enough space for all of us. Trisha paired with Maica, Calli paired with Wernie, I paired with Sky, and Justin paired with Dao. All in all, there would be four tents to set up.

They started setting up their tents, struggling with the process, while Sky and I subtly used telekinesis to set up ours. In just two minutes, we were done.

"That's not fair! We should do it too!" Calli complained, smiling at me.

"Fine.” I held out both hands, and all the parts of their tent levitated and started to assemble. After a minute, it was done.

"Thanks, Kuya Alex!" Calli enthusiastically acknowledged.

"Ahem!" Trisha cleared her throat to get my attention. I turned to her and smiled when I saw her and Maica frowning while holding the parts of their tent.

"Need help?" I joked. I walked towards them and helped them set up the tent. It didn't take long before we finished.

******

"Just proceed. You're still a kilometer away from it," Dao informed us through our earbuds. We're on our way now towards the so-called center of the energy shift. Sky ordered the club to stay at the camp center, and they agreed. It's a great idea to keep them safe. Unlike us, someone was waiting for them in their homes, so we couldn't risk their lives.

We were deep inside the woods when Dao mentioned that around here was where the energy shift originated. Even after knowing that the attack only happened at ten in the evening, we still decided to go and check for it.

"What about the bogies? The shadow something?" Maica asked in a fearful tone.

"They use shadows as their portals," I answered. Bogies were tricky. They could use our shadows to deliver a surprise attack. So, I'm concerned about how to prevent that kind of attack.

"You're getting closer, Sky," Dao informed, making the four of us more alert.

I used my endar to feel the surroundings. As my energy waves spread throughout the forest, I sensed something like a sheet of concentrated energy until I realized that it was making a circle, telling us that it was some kind of a barrier or a dome.

"Just a few meters ahead," I informed. I noticed the three of them holding out their guns from their waists. We walked in the said direction until we stopped upon noticing the strange arrangement of mushrooms below. They formed a line and stretched in both directions. I used my endar again and was surprised that the sheet was just in front of us. If I reached out with my hand, I could touch it.

"Fairy circle," Trisha mumbled as she stared at the mushrooms at her feet. "People believed that beyond this line is the world of fairies and magic," she continued, then looked ahead of her.

"Dao said they can't hide anymore. But why can't I see anything?" Maica pointed out.

"Maybe their magic is still working?" I guessed.

"We're going in," Sky announced, glancing at his gun's cartridge.

"Stay close with me," I ordered the two, and they both nodded.

Sky took the first step, followed by me and the girls. A new world appeared before us when we stepped beyond the said boundary. But it wasn't the beautiful and full of wonder and happiness kind of world. This place was the total opposite.

Trees were withering. The soil was dry and cracked. Fogs blurred our visions. Those were just a few descriptions I could use for this place. Everything here seemed kind of dead. No signs of life or movement. It was quiet, and the air was full of tension and dense. The place emitted a spooky and gloomy atmosphere that could separate one’s soul from one's body.

"Is this the Fairy Realm they were talking about?" Maica asked as she gazed upon the scene around us.

Then, we heard the sound of a shutter, as if someone was taking some pictures. We looked at Trisha, holding a phone oriented to take another photo. "Calli asked me to document this," Trisha immediately defended herself before we could ask.

"Status?" Dao asked.

"We're inside the fairy realm, but we don't see anything," Sky reported. I used my endar again to locate the victims. My energy spread through the vast space of nothingness. My endar reached its limit and found nothing.

"How can we find them if this fog is so thick?" Trisha reasoned. She was right. With this fog, we might get lost.

"I'll try to remove it," I suggested while absorbing energy. When I felt it was enough, I released them all with a shockwave. The fog was pushed away, revealing a clearer scene. But it was still the same scene we saw even with the fog.

"What the—" Trisha mumbled while staring at something. "Did you see that?" she asked us, but we just gave her puzzled looks. "I just saw a ghost!" she exclaimed with a scared look.

"Oh no! Maybe that's your grim reaper!" Maica teased me, making her laugh.

"Nonsense! A grim reaper has a scythe. That one didn't have anything," Trisha protested.

"Let's go," Sky ordered, stopping us. We continued walking, but we still didn't see anything. It looked like this place had been abandoned or something. Then, we all jumped in shock when a shriek echoed throughout the place. We stared at each other with wide eyes, fear and anxiety plastered on our faces. "It's coming that way," Sky stated, then started running towards the scream's source. We were forced to follow him.

"What could that be?" Maica asked.

"Whatever it is, it's not good," I replied.

We continued running until we stopped in front of a large dead tree. It was so big that it would take ten people to hug it. There's a hole in its trunk that seems to be an entrance. Sky continued to walk towards the tree even though he knew what might happen to him.
"Sky!

You're not planning to go in there, are you?" I asked him worriedly.

"They might be inside this tree," Sky answered. "If you're scared, you can stay here," he suggested, surprising me.

"Excuse me, sir, but we're coming with you," I bravely defended, and the two followed behind me as we moved toward the creepy hole in the tree. As we approached the hole, my fear grew stronger. But the one in front of me seemed not scared at all.

Is Sky this brave?

A descending staircase startled us from the hole. There was only one meaning to it – we're going underground. And whatever lies beneath this tree was something we should be aware of. The four of us took the stairs, tightly holding each other, while the two girls at the back looked around anxiously.

"I hope there are no spiders here," Trisha prayed, scanning every corner of the ceiling, walls, and path with a fearful glance.

"Don't say that; they might just appear," Maica threatened. It was getting dark, so I used my psi ball to give us at least a bit of light. The place was also getting warmer, and a certain smell was lingering. "This smell is just too much for my nose," Maica complained, covering her nose with Trisha.

We reached the bottom, and another entrance was in front of us. The entrance was covered by countless thick vines, just like in fairy movies. We heard an unfamiliar sound, and I think it came from beyond these vines. It seemed we were close now. Close to the victims and the enemies. The fight would surely start once we exposed ourselves to them.

"Shall we proceed?" I asked Sky, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Let's just go back to the camp first. We need a plan," Sky replied, which we immediately agreed with. We quickly retraced our steps upward before anyone could spot us. After a few minutes, we reached the campground. The Enigma club welcomed us with their worried looks. "We somehow found their lair, but we haven't attacked yet. It's too reckless to charge in without a plan," Sky informed, making Dao curious. "What we need is a strategic plan.”

"We can trap them. We can use their 'supposed' weaknesses to lure them into the trap," Justin suggested.

"Not bad, but what if it fails?" Calli raised a concerned question.

"It won't if they all desire pain," Dao answered.

"What do you mean, Dao?" Wernie asked.

"Someone will act as bait," Dao immediately declared, causing concern among everyone.

"That's too dangerous!" I protested.

"Not stopping them will increase the risk, Alex. We need to resort to this," Sky explained, seemingly in agreement with Dao's suggestion.

"Even so! I called them to help, not to endanger them," I emphasized.

"That's the only way we can help, Alex," Dao pointed out. I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn't believe that he was okay with this plan. The chance for this plan to succeed was 50:50.

"If you say so, Dao, who will be the bait?" Calli asked, looking at each other to determine who would make a good bait.

"Yours truly," Dao announced, implying he would take on the role. Now I'm starting to wonder how this guy could pull it off. I'm worried about this plan. Parts of me were saying that this would not end well.

"No," I objected again. "If one of us should be the bait, then it should be someone who can protect themselves."

"Are you saying—?"

Justin didn't finish his statement as I nodded. "I promised myself that I won't let anyone be killed again by these monsters," I pointed out. "If you want to help, keep yourself safe."
The Mindbender's Journey
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