Page 43 of Espíritu

Julian hadn’t thought about it like that before—not really. That maybe what Catriz did to him had left something behind.

Maybe it had marked him for life.

“You’re tangled up in serious brujo shit,” Angel said, voice quieter now. “Whether you meant to be or not.”

“Classic me,” he said, but inwardly, his panic was starting to churn. This connection to the spirit world—the way Julian kept seeing things, the way the dark spot pulsed as if it were alive—it wasn’t random or temporary.

And no matter how far he ran from it, it was catching up.

“So I’ve got a sixth sense for soul scars because a deranged brujo played pincushion with me?”

Angel’s lips curved into a half smile that didn’t quite reach their eyes. “Maybe it’s a gift,” they said. “Maybe it’s baggage. Either way, it’s yours now.”

Not an accusation—just the truth. Whatever this thing inside Julian was, it wasn’t going away.

“Here’s the thing.” Angel paced a small circle. “Lots of people carry a Marca Hueca. Shit happens. We lose parts of ourselves. Most of the time, people keep on living. Damaged, yeah, but still here.”

They stopped to face Julian.

“But when a spirit dies with a hollow mark—that’s when things get dangerous.”

Angel’s voice dropped. “The mark doesn’t just stay behind. It festers. And if no one helps them—no one guides them—it twists. That’s when you get a—”

“Maligno,” Julian finished.

Angel nodded.

Julian touched his scar. Was the spot turning him into a monster? And what about Luca? The dark spot blooming across his chest. Luca’d been pulling away lately, quieter, but still smiling like it didn’t hurt.

“It’s not just about seeing them, is it?” Julian said quietly. “The Marca Hueca.”

Angel shook their head. “That’s just the start. If you want to protect someone—and yourself—you have to stop it before the damage becomes permanent.”

Julian pulsed with hope. “You mean I could actually do something about it?”

Angel shrugged as if it were no big deal. “If you’re serious, yeah. I can teach you. How to read the signs. How to help people before it’s too late.”

Julian thought of Luca’s shy smiles, his nervous laugh. He thought of the dark spot blooming on Luca’s chest that mirrored his own. But for the first time in weeks, Julian didn’t feel doomed. Maybe this was a fight he could actually win.

“All right,” he said. “Let’s figure this out. For Luca. For me. For all of us.”

“Good,” Angel said, and Julian felt confident that Angel had his back.

But even with a plan in place, something still gnawed at the edge of Julian’s mind.

“There’s one more thing,” he said, quieter now. “Sometimes I see … stuff.”

Angel raised an eyebrow. “Stuff?”

“In the dark,” Julian clarified. “Not people. Just … shapes. Like shadows. Watching.”

Angel’s brow furrowed. “Shadows?”

Julian nodded. “Like they’re waiting for something. Like they know me.”

Angel’s eyes narrowed, gaze drifting past Julian into the dark beyond them.

“Focus on what’s in front of you,” they said. “We’ll deal with your shadow friends later.”