Chapter 26 – Where Are You?

The putrid stench of the sewers still lingered in the air, but Harry ignored it. His eyes scanned the devastated area after the collapse. The ceiling had completely caved in, and the only visible exit was completely blocked by stones and rubble.

He began to circle the area, analyzing possible escape routes, until something unusual caught his attention: two long, sharp bony spikes. Harry remembered—Vinícius had cut off the tails before everything exploded.

"This... would make a good weapon," he murmured, approaching.

Without hesitation, he grabbed one of the spikes. The bone was about thirty centimeters long, with a three-inch base and a sharp point. As he held the structure, Harry recalled the novels he used to read — alchemist heroes forging their weapons with special flames.

He didn't have an alchemical flame... but he had fire. So, he channeled a basic fire spell, burning the bone's surface to purify it, eliminating potential toxins and impurities. He repeated the process with the other spike.

When he finished, he examined both pieces: white, purified, slightly curved. If sharpened, they could become weapons similar to scimitars — like the one Sobrenatural had used weeks before.

Harry pulled a rock from the wall and tried to use it as a whetstone. When he passed the bone blade over the surface, it left a clean cut.

"This is harder than ordinary stone..." he whispered, impressed.

Curious, he channeled Qi into the bone.

Then... something happened.

The bone's natural meridians lit up with a faint bluish glow. Harry's eyes widened.

"This has meridians?! A natural weapon?"

He tested a strike with dense Qi directly at the stone blocking the exit. The impact sounded like metal hitting rock, and to his astonishment, the stone split in two.

"I used... so little Qi..."

Excited and energized, he spent the next few hours digging, cutting, and breaking his way out. Five long hours passed. Fatigue built up, and his Qi was nearly depleted. But finally, a breeze of fresh air hit his face. Harry crawled out of the crevice, collapsed on his back, gasping, and let out a weak laugh.

"Fresh air... I never thought I'd miss this so much."

After regaining some energy, he realized it was already nighttime. The city was quiet, almost deserted. With the improvised bone-swords tied to his pants, his body covered in black grime, and shirtless, he began walking toward Vinícius's house.

Along the way, curious and disgusted looks followed him. People pinched their noses, whispered to each other.

"What a filthy bum..."

Harry lowered his eyes, embarrassed. He really must've looked awful.

When he reached Vinícius's house, the initial relief gave way to dread.

The door was busted open.

"No..." he muttered, heart pounding. Images of his uncle's farmhouse and the bloodied body flashed through his mind.

He rushed inside.

The place was wrecked. Furniture overturned, mattresses ripped, clothes scattered, pillows shredded. Phones and laptops? Gone. But... there was no blood. Nothing indicated a deadly fight.

Harry noticed the layer of dust on the surfaces.

"This... happened days ago. Maybe weeks."

Frustrated, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed to stay calm.

He went to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and took a long bath. The water cleansed his body, but his mind remained restless. As the water fell on his face, he suddenly remembered...

"I could've cleaned myself there... with water magic," he muttered. "Stupid nerd... stupid, stupid..."

After the bath, he searched what remained of their clothes. He found a few dirty but wearable pieces. He tested water magic to clean them and fire magic to dry.

The first two attempts resulted in burnt clothes.

The third time, it worked.

Clean and dressed, he sat on the torn couch and observed the devastated space. The emptiness of the place weighed heavily on his chest.

"Where are you?"

He decided to wait. To recover his energy. To think clearly.

The next morning, with the sky still overcast and his stomach growling, Harry headed for the university.

With only one thought in mind:

Find Rafael and Vinícius.