The scene was silent, a girl stood alone in the school hallway. Her footsteps echoed softly on the cold floor as she walked slowly, as if each movement was heavier than the last. The air around her seemed tight, dense, and the pressure in her chest only increased. She felt as if she could no longer bear the cruel words and the looks of contempt that surrounded her. The weight of the world was upon her and, for the first time, the feeling that there would be no way out was overwhelming. She stopped in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection with eyes swollen from crying so much. Her mind was on the verge of a decision that would change everything. Her destiny was there, right in front of her, and the pain seemed to have finally won. It was then that an unexpected figure appeared. A girl named Rafaela, with black hair and eyes shining with a mysterious energy, entered the bathroom without making a sound. There was something in her presence that seemed to fill the room with a soft but firm strength. Rafaela approached, and the young woman, surprised, looked at her, not knowing what to expect.
“You are not alone,” Rafaela said in a soft but confident voice. “I know everything seems dark right now, but that does not define who you are. You are much more than that.”
She reached out her hand, and the moment she touched the other’s shoulder, something extraordinary happened. A wave of golden light spread through the air. It was as if all the shadows that surrounded her dissolved in the blink of an eye.
The hateful words she had heard, the cruel insinuations that weighed on her shoulders, all disappeared, taking with them the invisible chains that held her back. She felt instant relief, a sense of freedom she had never experienced before.
The girl, still speechless, looked around, feeling as if the world had suddenly changed. And Rafaela’s voice sounded again, with a worried tone:
“This unrestricted use of artificial intelligence used to create deep fakes is worrying.” I'm sorry you've been another victim of this. Rafaela said, welcoming the girl.
Note: Deepfake is a technology that uses artificial intelligence to create or manipulate images and videos, making them look real, but which are actually fakes.
Unfortunately, one of the most problematic and harmful applications of deepfake technology is the creation of fake nudes, especially of women.
— And all this negativity only ends up strengthening the curses even more, we need to do something fast. Rafaela said, thinking so loudly that she ended up saying what she thought.
The girl looked at her, now calmer, and asked, as if she was beginning to understand the gravity of the situation.
— Curses? What are curses?
But the magical girl just looked at her seriously.
— These curses come from people's suffering. They feed on bullying, pain, insecurity. They are like parasites that grow as the suffering increases.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Before she could answer, the scene changed. Reality returned, and now Kauane and Nikki were in the school cafeteria, talking about their magical powers. Kauane was still reflecting on everything that had happened, while Nikki, as always, was full of enthusiasm.
— So you can use powers from enchanted indigenous people like Saci by controlling the wind? Nikki asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.
Kauane smiled, a little shy, but not sure how to explain it. She wasn't entirely sure what she could or couldn't do with her new powers. What she did know was that the feeling of control still seemed distant.
— Yes, but I don't know how far that can take me. Sometimes, it seems like the power is greater than I am, Kauane replied, almost not knowing what to think about it.
Nikki smiled confidently, as if she was sure that her friend was capable of anything.
— You'll find out, Kauane. I know you will! And, in any case, I'll be by your side.
It was then that a different presence made itself felt. It was like a heavy energy, a strange sensation that permeated the environment. Rasga Mortalha, the entity that had been manifesting itself through Nikki for some time, spoke in a deep, grave voice.
— We're dividing Nikki's body to protect her. So that she won't be contaminated by the curses that we're going to face.
Kauane turned to Nikki, realizing that something else was happening between them, something beyond what she could fully understand.
Before she could ask more, Kururu, the flying frog and guardian of Muiraquitã, appeared, jumping happily into the middle of the conversation. His presence was comforting, but it also brought with it a sense of urgency.
— Curses are the manifestation of negative energy that can contaminate spirits, transforming them into cursed spirits. Curses feed on pain and can grow stronger and stronger, affecting those around them.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Kauane, thoughtful, looked around, now more attentive to the small signs that she had not noticed before. The atmosphere of the school seemed different, filled with something she could not identify.
It was then that two girls entered the bathroom, laughing and putting on makeup, but soon their laughter turned into screams of terror. Kauane and Nikki looked at each other, feeling the air grow heavy around them.
"What happened?" Nikki asked, still not understanding what was happening.
"Let's see," Kauane replied, already decided.
When they entered the bathroom, the atmosphere changed completely. The air became denser, and a feeling of cold took over the room. Suddenly, they were in another place, a foggy space, as if they had crossed into another dimension. Rasga Mortalha appeared again, this time with a serious look.
"Welcome to Setealém. A space between worlds, where cursed spirits are trapped." Kauane looked around, trying to understand what was happening, and asked, confused:
— "Is this like a 'backroom'?"
Shredder looked at her, not understanding the term, but nodded, as if she had understood the reference.
— Yes, it's something like that.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
The next moment, the blonde from the bathroom appeared, but she was no longer the scary figure Kauane had heard about. She was surrounded by an aura of suffering, her eyes empty of pain, but at the same time, full of sadness. She began to move, and a series of spiritual chains appeared around her, trying to trap Kauane and Nikki.
Kauane, with the energy of the wind taking over her body, raised her hand. The air around her stirred, creating a small tornado that pushed the chains away. Nikki, with her umbrakinesis ability, formed energy barriers to protect the two.
The blonde from the bathroom, desperate, tried to teleport away, but her chains pulled her back, as if she were trapped in a curse that she could not break alone.
The girls, now aware of the suffering behind her anger, understood that they were not facing an enemy, but rather a victim.
Kauane took a step forward, the wind still strong in her hands.
"You are not a monster," she said firmly. "You were a victim, like many of us."
──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
The blonde, upon hearing these words, began to calm down. The spiritual chains that surrounded her began to dissipate, and finally, she freed herself from the curses that bound her. The spirit, now in her human form, looked at the girls with teary eyes, full of gratitude.
— I was a victim of bullying. I was destroyed by words, looks and acts of physical aggression. I am remembering again who I am, my name is Maria Augusta and from an early age I was the victim of many attacks. Said the blonde from the bathroom as she looked at her hands.
— I heard that the place where your body was buried was built a school on top. Said Nikki with an empathetic look.
— Yes, but I appear wherever they summon me, but for some reason I was summoned here and was imprisoned again... Said the blonde from the bathroom with her voice trembling with tears.
Kauane and Nikki, with empathy, approached her and helped her find her way back to the spiritual world. The blonde, finally at peace, made the passage to the other side.
Kauane looked at Rasga Mortalha, worried.
— And you, can you make the passage too?
Rasga Mortalha smiled slightly, but with a serious look.
— I still have something to resolve in this world. But, when it's my time, I will pass on. The spirits can only pass on if they want to, you can't force them.
Kururu, always optimistic, approached and said:
— You did a great job, girls. Now, you know how to deal with the spirits and curses. But your journey is just beginning.
──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
With their mission accomplished, the two girls left Setealém. Now, Kauane and Nikki were more aware of the spiritual world around them, feeling the presence of the spirits and curses in every corner of the school.
Kauane looked at Nikki, smiling, and said confidently:
— I think we have a lot of work ahead of us, don't we?
Nikki, looking around, nodded.
— Yes, but we’re in this together.
Kauane took one last look at her surroundings. Suddenly, she disappeared for a moment and soon reappeared in front of Nikki.
— I went to the United States. I ended up with Donald Trump, just like I did with Elon Musk.
Nikki looked at her, astonished, but with an amused smile.
— You’re amazing, you know that?
Kauane smiled back, with a shy expression.
— That makes me blush like a tomato.
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