Breaking The Barrier

Richard frowned, crossing his arms. "A plan? What kind of plan?"

Max leaned against the desk, arms crossed, looking way too confident. "I know how to shut off George's alarm barrier."

Richard blinked. "...Excuse me?"

Max smirked. "You heard me."

Richard scoffed. "You're telling me that you, Max Carter, can somehow disable a supernatural alarm set up by George Cross—one of the most experienced exorcists out there?"

"Yep," Max said casually, popping the "p."

Richard stared at him, waiting for more of an explanation. When it didn't come, he threw up his hands. "Alright, screw it. I'll bite. How?"

Max shrugged. "Merit of being his disciple for over ten years."

Richard froze.

"Wait, wait, wait. Ten years?" He sat up straighter. "You've been training under my grandpa for a whole ass decade?"

Max just nodded, like he had said something completely normal.

Richard blinked. "Dude. You're twenty. That means you started when you were… what, ten?"

"More like nine," Max said, cracking his neck. "Long story."

Richard narrowed his eyes. "How? I mean, how did that even happen? I've never once heard Grandpa mention how he got a loudmouthed idiot for a disciple."

Max scoffed. "First of all, rude. Second of all, things happened. It ended up that way."

Richard's eyes narrowed further. "That's the most bullshit answer I've ever heard in my life."

Max smirked. "And yet, I'm not elaborating."

Richard sighed deeply and rubbed his temples.

He wasn't stupid. Max was dodging the question.

And that was weird.

Max never shut up about himself. If there was an opportunity to brag, exaggerate, or tell some insane story, he'd take it. But this time? He was actively avoiding the topic.

For a second, Richard considered pressing him.

But then Max looked around the room, scrunching his nose.

"Jesus, dude. When's the last time you cleaned this place?"

Richard frowned. "What?"

Max stepped over a pile of clothes on the floor. "It's like a warzone in here. Are you secretly hoarding bodies under this mess?"

Richard rolled his eyes. "It's called organized chaos."

"This isn't organized, it's just chaos." Max nudged an empty water bottle with his foot. "You got, like, five water bottles over here, and I know you didn't finish any of them."

Richard pointed at Max. "Okay, first of all, I drink from all of them at different times—"

"Like a psychopath?"

Richard sighed. "Look, I've had more important things to deal with than my room."

Max dramatically shook his head. "And this is why you don't have a girlfriend."

Richard deadpanned. "Look who's talking."

Max opened his mouth—then stopped.

Then he just turned and walked toward the door.

Richard smirked. "That's what I thought."

Max waved him off. "Whatever, man. Let's get to work. Come on."

Richard sighed and got up, following Max out the door.

Max led the way down the stairs, taking two steps at a time like he was in some kind of hurry.

Richard followed behind, still thinking about what Max had said earlier. Ten years. He hadn't even known Max that long, but his grandpa had been training him since he was a kid? And George never mentioned it?

That was weird. Really weird.

Richard was about to ask again, maybe try to get something out of Max, but as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Max turned toward the back door.

"Alright, storage shed. Let's go."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Why are we going to the storage shed?"

Max didn't answer. He just pushed open the back door and stepped outside.

The backyard was quiet. Richard's grandma had gone out for some reason, leaving the house completely empty except for them. The wind was cool, brushing through the small garden George had built near the fence. The storage shed sat near the back corner, a small, old-looking structure with a rusty lock that didn't even work properly anymore.

Richard squinted at it. "...What exactly are we looking for?"

Max didn't stop walking. "You'll see."

Richard sighed. "You know, if you just explained things ahead of time, I wouldn't have to ask so many damn questions."

Max smirked. "Yeah, but it's funnier when you're confused."

Richard rolled his eyes. "I hate you."

"I know."

They reached the storage shed. Max grabbed the handle, twisted it, and pushed the door open. It creaked loudly, revealing a cramped, dusty interior filled with old tools, cardboard boxes, and a bunch of random junk.

Max stepped inside first, brushing a cobweb out of his face. "God, does no one ever clean this place?"

Richard followed cautiously, his nose wrinkling at the musty smell of old wood and metal.

"Yeah, pretty sure the last person who came in here was my grandpa. Like… five years ago."

"Figures." Max ducked under a hanging rake, stepping over some old gardening equipment. "Alright, help me find a cardboard box."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "A cardboard box? That's it? Dude, half of this room is cardboard boxes."

Max shot him a look. "Just look, dumbass."

Richard sighed and started glancing around. The place was cluttered as hell—rusty shovels, old paint cans, plastic containers filled with stuff no one would ever use.

Meanwhile, Max made his way to a wooden shelf near the back and reached for one of the higher boxes.

Richard frowned. "So are you gonna explain why we're looking for a cardboard box, or am I just supposed to trust the fact that you randomly know what you're doing?"

Max groaned dramatically. "Richard. Buddy. Pal. Shut the hell up and watch."

Richard threw up his hands. "Fine, fine. I'll shut up. Just know that this is the reason you don't have friends."

Max snorted, pulling the box down from the shelf. A cloud of dust burst into the air, making him cough.

"Jesus—" He waved the dust away. "This thing's ancient."

Richard watched as Max placed the box on the floor and crouched down.

"...Okay. And now what?"

Max rubbed some of the dust off the lid and smirked. "Now? We find what we came here for."

Richard folded his arms. "Which is…?"

Max glanced up at him. "The incantation that powers George's alarm barrier."

Richard blinked. "Wait, hold on. That's actually a thing?"

Max sighed deeply. "Oh my god. Do you even know how exorcism works at all?"

Richard looked offended. "I just got thrown into this supernatural crap like, what? A week ago? No one has explained anything to me."

Max shook his head. "Damn. George really is a terrible teacher."

Richard smirked. "Agreed."

Max exhaled through his nose, tapping the top of the box. "Alright, listen up. When exorcists set up a barrier, a seal, a curse, or whatever, they don't just do it with magic. It needs a written incantation to actually activate it. That incantation is basically the core of the barrier. Destroy it, and the barrier disappears."

Richard slowly nodded. "...So you're saying this box contains the paper that's keeping George's alarm barrier up?"

"Most likely, yeah."

Richard still wasn't entirely convinced, but at this point, he wasn't going to argue.

Max cracked his knuckles. "Alright. Time to find it."

ax crouched in front of the box, rolling up his sleeves like he was about to perform surgery.

Richard stood over him, arms crossed. "So… do we just start digging through that thing?"

Max shot him a look. "No, Richard, I'm gonna summon the spirit of organization to do it for me."

Richard sighed. "I hate you."

Max smirked. "I know."

With that, he popped the box open. A fresh puff of dust exploded into the air, making both of them immediately cough their lungs out.

"Holy shit—" Richard covered his mouth, stepping back. "Is there an entire ecosystem growing in there?"

Max waved a hand through the dust. "Ugh, probably. I wouldn't be surprised if we find a whole-ass rat colony hiding under this junk."

Richard grimaced. "Please don't say that."

Max ignored him, digging through the contents of the box. It was packed to the brim with old exorcism books, notebooks filled with George's handwriting, and random scraps of parchment with various symbols scribbled across them.

Max flipped through each book, tossing them aside one by one.

"Not it." Toss.

"Not this either." Toss.

"Garbage." Toss.

"More garbage." Toss.

Richard watched in growing horror as Max slowly turned the storage shed into an even bigger mess.

"Jesus, man," Richard muttered, looking at the discarded books on the ground. "Grandpa's gonna kill you when he sees this."

Max snorted. "If he didn't want his stuff thrown around, he shouldn't have left it in a box gathering dust for a hundred years."

Richard rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

Max kept digging deeper into the box. His movements became a little more frantic. The more he searched, the more determined he looked.

Richard raised an eyebrow. "You sure it's even in there?"

"Positive," Max muttered, flipping through another book. "George wouldn't set up a barrier without having the incantation written down somewhere."

"Maybe he just decides to hid it somewhere else after setting it up this time?"

Max paused.

Richard noticed. "...You didn't think of that, did you?"

"Shut up."

Max went back to searching.

A few more books. A few more pieces of parchment. Nothing.

Until—

"...Oh?"

Richard looked up. "Oh?"

Max froze, staring at the book he had just pulled out. Unlike the others, this one was thinner, smaller, and tucked between two heavier tomes like it had been hidden there on purpose.

His expression shifted slightly.

"...Bingo."

Richard squinted. "Wait. You actually found it?"

Max didn't answer right away. He slowly opened the book, flipping through the pages.

Then, right in the middle of the book, he found it.

A single piece of parchment, tucked between the pages.

The writing was precise, clean, and unmistakably George's. A series of symbols and incantations were scribbled across the sheet, glowing faintly with supernatural energy.

Max held it up. "This is it."

Richard tilted his head. "So… what now?"

Max grinned.

And ripped the paper in half.

The moment the paper tore—

A sudden shift.

The air felt lighter. The faint energy humming through the house vanished in an instant.

Max smirked, holding up the torn pieces.

"And with that," he said triumphantly, "we're officially free."

Richard stared at him. "…That's it?"

"That's it."

"You're telling me that a simple piece of paper was keeping me locked in this house?"

"Welcome to the world of exorcism, dumbass."

Richard exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. "I don't know whether to be impressed or pissed off."

"Both are valid."

Richard shook his head. "Whatever. I just hope Grandpa doesn't realize what we did."

Max's smirk widened. "Oh, don't worry." He patted Richard's shoulder. "We'll be long gone before that happens."