Huntik Trilogy. Volume 1 The Battle Against The Specter

The New Threat

Venice, at home Dante was dedicating himself in reading a newspaper, while Zhalia was tidying up some old documents scattered here and there on the kitchen's table. 
It was a calm summer afternoon and the two seekers were sure that none would have disturbed them, until they heard someone knocking at their door.
Dante put the newspaper down with care on his harmchair, by marking with a pencil the page he was up to read, he headed towards the door and opened up.
"Guys, I wasn't expecting you!" he exclaimed seeing the other members of his team on the doorstep. "How come are you here in a such sunny day? You decided to take a weekend off, didn't you?"
"We were about to leave for our seaside vacation..." Lok said scratching his head.
"But then we decided to come here to see you because I had a bad feeling..." Sophie added becoming serious.
"Yup, according to her there's a new threat on the way, which is impossible since we've won even this time!" Lok angrily looked at Sophie, knowing his weekend off was, at that point, to forget. 
"It will better to discuss this matter together." Dante concluded heading towards the kitchen to call Zhalia.
Lok and Sophie were sitting in the living room waiting to discuss with Zhalia and Dante. Lok's backpack opened up from the inside and Cherit came out.
"Have we already reached our destination?" the titan, who slept all that time, asked. He was surprised to see Dante's place, instead of a beach with a dazzling sun. He saw Dante entering the living room alongside Zhalia. 
"Now we can talk, guys."
Zhalia smiled and greeted all and took her place with Dante on the couch in front of Lok, Sophie and Cherit.
Sophie started to tell the facts, with agitation. "So, we were at the train station and... and I heard a voice! A voice who was telling to be prepared because evil would have been back and I wasn't the only one to hear it; my brother, Lucas, called me on my mobile phone few minutes later telling me the same things were told to me! So we decided to come here to talk with you, Dante, to understand what's happening."
Dante looked at her.
"Sophie, if you heard that voice there's only one explanation. Do you remember when we defeated the Blood Spiral and the mission to recover Polar Bear?" 
"Of course I remember!"
"Well, there was an inscription regarding Lord Casterwill and his descendents, it has taken a while to translate it, it sais - The person who descends from the First has the powers of the First himself. He will be able to forestall evil and with his wisdom he will be able to overcome it "
"Prophetic indeed!" Zhalia commented after listening the words of the younger female seeker at Dante's side.
"What does this mean? Is Sophie right, by chance, and we will have to fight again?"
"Exactly, Lok!"
"But why we have to do everything by ourselves? We risked our lives so many times! It's time for the other members of Huntik's Foundation to take care of this stuff!" 
"Yeah, Cherit" Dante said "But we are the best team. By the way, I'm getting bored lately... I don't have the desire to keep investigating on the case of a missing cat." he complained "Investigating our new enemy will be stimulating!" he added with a bent smile.
Zhalia smiled back.
"That's why you were stressed out lately! You don't like cats and moreover you haven't tasted adventure's thrill for months..."
"I tasted other kinds of thrills recently..." he answered looking intensely in her eyes "By the way, I don't hate cats! I only wish that people in this city don't ask me to investigate the case of a missing cat!"
"Are you referring to what kind of thrills, Dante?" Lok naively asked.
At those words Dante paralyzed and turned red, Zhalia bit her lower lip to hyde her embarrassment.
"Ah, love..." Cherit sighted and the two seekers harangued him with a bad look, while Lok bursted in a resounding laugh which was interrupted when the big screen in front of them lit up.
"Metz! It's been a long time!"
"Hi, Dante, it's perfect to see you all together because I don't have good news..."
"What happened?" Dante's look was serious and focused, he was already imagining something connected with the voice heard by Sophie.
"One of Foundation's base in Canada has been destroyed completely by only one person who left a letter in which you are one of the topics, Dante: -The man who possesses the titan Caliban will soon bow down at my power; evil will seduce him and he will join me.
Seekers, beware! Your defeat is close and the only one who will survive is a little girl in her powers. 
Dante, please, promise me that, no matter what, you'll be always loyal to the Huntik Foundation!"
"I'll pay attention, I promise you that. Speaking about sinister messages, it will be better to tell you about the voice heard by Sophie few hours ago." Dante directed his gase towards his team. "Guys, why don't you start packing? Zhalia, take care of my backpack."

Sophie and Lok left the house with Cherit.
"Sophie, do you think that Metz wanted to worn us about something about Dante?"
"I don't know, Lok, but for sure we must check him and make sure he won't do something he will regret in the future."
"That's not how Dante behaves!" Lok commented, thinking how Dante was always been accurate and conscientious during the missions.
"Guys, I think it won't be an easy task." Cherit concluded leaning on Lok's shoulder.

Zhalia had just finished her packing and she started concentrating on Dante's closet, looking in all the drawers the necessary for the travel.
"What about now? How can I tell him? If only this new threat hadn't appeared it would have been easier..." she mumbled to herself. "No, he must know it! When we'll be back from Canada, I'll tell him!" she suddenly froze hearing Dante's footsteps on the stairs. She rapidly put his underwear, t-shits and sweaters in a luggage and while the handle of the door was lowering she took the paper with te results of her blood test evidence she had put on the bed earlier and she hid it under the blanket.
"Zhalia, is everything fine?"
"Yes, I just finished packing!"
"Good. Lok and Sophie are back, come down so we can define teh details." he smiled at her closing the door.
"I'm coming in a minute!"
Zhalia took the paper back in her hands, she looked at it and put it in her luggage.

In the living room Zhalia sat on a harmchair while Dante took his Holotome from under the table.
"Seekers, we have a mission! Mission: Toronto's base. We must find the remains of the diary of the base and news about our new enemy."
The next day Dante closed the door of his home.
"Let's go!" he said with resolution, wrapping one arm on Zhalia's shoulders and he looked her intensily. "Don't worry about the words written in that letter. Everything will be fine!"
"I trust you, Dante." she smiled walking with him at her side.