Ileus’ eyes became totally focused on the spirit. 

“No!” Dmitri yelled at the spirit and clasped his son tightly. He shuddered to think what could happen to Ileus and his throat choked. “Stay away from him,” he croaked. A tear had welled up in the corner of his eye. This couldn’t be happening. His facial muscles were tense and there was helplessness in his eyes, which Adrianna understood so well. Dmitri had been waiting for the birth of his son like no one else. He had loved his baby when he was a tiny dot in her tummy. He had made numerous plans for him, with him. The pain that shrouded his mind was so palpable that Adrianna quivered with it. She only stood there as shocked and as pained as he was. The tear escaped and dropped on Ileus’ cheek. 

​​

Suddenly, the time had stopped and not a speck of dust moved. However, even as the time stopped, the spirit could move. It wasn’t bound with the concept of frozen time. Bobbing its mutilated head, it said, “Yes, yes! Master, it is me. I have come to take you to our side. We have waited for you for so long that I don’t even remember. Please come with us. Please be with us. We are ready to accept you. Let us all become one. Once you accept this servant in your body, every soul from the dark side comes to you.” The spirit lurched its ugly right next to Ileus’ face. But Ileus was unfazed. It held out its tongue greedily as if to lick the prize he was about to get. He had waited so long for it that he couldn’t wait for the child’s approval but knew that he couldn’t do a thing if he didn’t have the permission. In fact if he dared to enter his Master’s body without consent, his soul would be shredded into pieces or worse, he might be sent back to Gaira. So he cajoled Ileus, “Master, join us and rule the world.”

 Ileus extended his hand towards the soul as if he wanted to check out his new toy. But what happened was shocking. Bright white light pulsated from his tiny fingers. The light flickered. The spirit became jovial. This was the time for celebration. He bobbed his head, “Yes Maester, show us your power. Accept us.” 

The white light from Ileus fingers changed its color to yellow and then gold. His fingers were steady. The golden light crackled around his fingers, its color matching the yellow of his eyes. The light danced and sizzled around his fingers and then slowly twirled around his palm and wrist. He touched the spirit’s hand. His fingers sank through it. The light that crackled around his fingers, now traveled inside the spirit. 

“Master!” the spirit jumped with joy. The Master was connecting. 

The golden yellow light traversed throughout its body. When it had encompassed each and every part of the spirit, Ileus tilted his head. The spirit’s eyes rotated in its sockets. Suddenly it wailed in loud pain. “Master, what have you done? Remove this light. It feels like fire gushing through me.” 

The golden yellow light crepitated inside the Shadow. It doubled over. Black smoke arose from its mouth. “No Master!” he moaned as one of his maroon eyes burst. The spirit wobbled back with a cry of excruciating pain. It wailed like a wounded child. “Master, I have waited for you so long. I want to be one with you. Accept me.”

Its face became slack, as the golden fire encircled it and gripped its head in its tight grasp. The golden beam cruised around the vein that had held his other eye. It entered the only eye that was left and gripped it firly. 

“Ahhhh!” the spirit cried. “No Master, you can’t do this to me.” But his plea fell on deaf ears. The eye exploded. The spirit stumbled back. “Master,” he said in a pained voice that could put a wailing baby to shame. “We all want to be with you. Let us make a connection. Let us all be on the dark side. We will ruuuuuuuuuu—” 

His deformed spirit blasted into innumerable pieces before he could complete his word “Rule”. 

A loud cry was heard that would never reach the ears of those around him since they were all frozen in time. Ileus had controlled time. He was the Master of Time. It’s not that the baby realized what he was, but at that time that was his reaction. And to nature, it was normal. That’s how he was made, wired, created. 

The entire space filled with golden yellow shimmering light interspersed with black smoke that was slowly rising up as though trying to escape. But the light was too strong. It collected the smoke within by making small orbs around it. The orbs carrying the smoke, which was nothing but pieces of the shredded soul, were all carried out in the open. 

Some of the golden beams encased the Junior Chef, who was lying unconscious, slumped on the floor on the side of the room. They went to the back of his head where it was bleeding. The blood stopped flowing and caked. The lights shimmered and popped in that area until the skin was thoroughly healed. The eyes that were flung open, closed automatically. 

Soon after the blaze that glimmered around Ileus’ hands was withdrawn. Everything came back to normal. Ileus looked up at his father and wiped the tear from his face. 

Not knowing what happened, Dmitri went completely still when he noticed that the room was lit brightly. His mouth fell open as he turned his body around to check as to where the spirit had gone. There was no trace of it. Adrianna, Inyanga, Fleur and Liam also moved around to check but there was not a single trace of it. Everything was restored just the way it was. 

“Where is it?” asked Dmitri, confused. He had still clasped Ileus tightly. 

“I don’t now!” said Adrianna. 

“I can’t feel its presence,” Inyanga pronounced. She brought her hands down. “It seems to have gone.”

“Gone?” Haldir was surprised. He kept his hands on his waist. 

“Are you sure?” Fleur asked. 

“Yes, I am,” Inyanga answered. “It has vanished in thin air.�� 

“What exactly happened? I just felt that I had frozen for a moment. It was right here in front of me,” said a befuddled Dmitri. 

Haldir frowned and repeated, “Frozen?” 

“Yes,” Dmitri relaxed a bit. He looked at Ileus who gave him a two-toothed smile. 

“Da-da!” came a giggle. 

Dmitri hadn’t realized but there were tears still in his eyes and had rolled out. Ileus brought his hands there and wiped the tears again. “Da-da!” came another soft voice. Warm feeling enveloped Dmitri. He sat down in a chair and embraced his baby. Adrianna went over to them and wrapped her arms around the two most valuable people she had in this world. 

Outside, as soon as the wind started to flow, the orbs carried the trapped soul to its destination—Land of Gaira. No one even came to know what had happened because everything occurred in a split second. Niiya, Ookashi, Nate rushed into the restaurant. 

The Junior Chef woke up and with the help of the staff, he was taken inside the kitchen. They heard him saying, “Why am I here?” 

The relief was tangible. Everyone went to sit in the chairs. “Would you all want to go to my place?” Dmitri asked. 

“No, we will have our dinner here,” Adrianna stroked Dmitri’s hair while saying that. She mentally communicated that it would be rude and Ookashi would feel bad. Dmitri took in a deep breath. He looked at his son with pride and asked absentmindedly, “Can you tell me what occurred?” But Adrianna had the inkling as to what might have occurred. 

All at once, Haldir said, “If everyone has settled, can I announce something?” 

They all laughed as they settled.