Inside Adrian's office, a long conversation stretched on.
The atmosphere was quiet.
Only the soft light coming through the tall windows illuminated the room.
Stacks of documents were scattered across the table.
Adrian was writing.
In front of him, a general reported the events with a serious expression.
"That's right… exactly that," the general continued. "A rift opened above the volcano. Two things fell from it: a man… and a greenish serpent."
Adrian did not lift his eyes from the paper.
He continued writing.
"The man had dark skin, was a bit short… white hair. The serpent fell first into the volcano. That made the lava rise and almost killed everyone who was standing on the edge."
Adrian stopped writing for a moment.
"And then?"
"The man who fell from the rift… stopped the lava in midair."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"Without any tool?"
The general nodded.
"Yes. He simply raised his hand… and the lava remained suspended."
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
"Telekinesis?"
The general shook his head.
"Not exactly. It seemed more like… an absurd level of aura control."
He continued:
"After the serpent came out of the volcano and went on its way, the man followed it. And the lava… simply returned back into the volcano."
Adrian wrote a few more lines.
"Any other distinctive traits about this man?"
The general thought for a moment.
"Oh, yes."
He frowned while trying to remember.
"His eyes were somewhat gray… and there was a green line crossing through the pupils."
He paused.
"And on his face… there were scars."
"Thinking about it… they looked like a tic-tac-toe board."
Adrian stopped writing.
His eyes remained fixed on the page.
"These colors…"
He murmured.
"They remind me of the Hagan."
A pause.
"A Dinark…"
He frowned.
"But I don't remember any with scars like that."
Adrian slowly closed the notebook.
"An Anagarate…"
He took a deep breath.
"A scar."
Then he looked up at the general.
"Well then, General Igor. Thank you for the information."
"I'll try to look for more data."
The general gave a light salute.
"Good luck. If you need anything, just call."
He left the room.
The door closed.
Silence.
Adrian stared at his notes.
Hagan.
Dinarks.
He rested his chin on his hand.
"The Dinarks are a problem for me…"
He thought for a moment.
It had taken an entire month for the people to accept the dismissal of Luis Clent Dinark.
He rubbed his temple.
"In Augusto's case…"
"The people accepted it."
He frowned.
"But with Luis it was different."
Protests.
Debates.
And there were still people who didn't agree.
Adrian gripped his pen tightly.
"Leonardo Dinark…"
he murmured.
"Even a Dinark from antiquity came to bother me."
He took a deep breath.
"The host should already be dead."
"But Luis protects him."
Adrian stood up.
Walked to the window.
Observed the city below.
"I need to calm down…"
He crossed his arms.
"And focus on what really matters."
He began listing names mentally.
"Frederin."
"Augusto."
A pause.
His eyes turned cold.
"And most importantly…"
"Luis Clent Dinark."
He smiled slightly.
"All of you…"
"…are pieces in my plan."
---
On the Train
The landscape rushed past the window.
Fields.
Mountains.
Distant cities.
A boy watched everything in silence.
Frederin.
Beside him were Luis… and Augusto.
Frederin spoke thoughtfully:
"Who would've thought…"
He rested his head against the window.
"It's already been a month."
He smiled.
"It feels like yesterday when I threw myself into this adventure."
Luis replied:
"Yeah…"
He scratched his head.
"It feels like two weeks ago when I discovered Ruby is my sister."
Augusto slowly turned his head.
"But it literally was two weeks ago."
He crossed his arms.
"And you already knew it for a long time."
Luis widened his eyes.
"That's a lie! I didn't know anything!"
Augusto looked at him.
"A lie?"
He sighed.
"You took eleven DNA tests before receiving the same result for the last time."
Frederin immediately turned his head.
"Wait…"
He looked at Luis.
"You took the same test twelve times?"
Luis answered quickly:
"It was just to be sure!"
He raised his hands.
"The tests could've been manipulated!"
Augusto closed his eyes.
Took a deep breath.
"Twelve times…"
He turned toward the window.
"You'd better stay quiet for the rest of the trip."
Frederin started laughing.
"When I talked to Ruby the first time, she said she was your sister… and you didn't want to accept it."
Augusto commented:
"Sometimes I wonder if Luis has some kind of mental problem."
Luis crossed his arms.
"Ignorant people."
He lifted his chin.
"I'm the strongest guy in this kingdom. What if someone wanted to pretend to be my sister for some catastrophic plan?"
He sighed.
"There was no way I could know that my sister, kidnapped as a baby, would show up seventeen years later."
Frederin and Augusto looked at each other.
Augusto nodded.
"I had forgotten that detail…"
"You're right."
Frederin became more serious.
"Seventeen years without knowing anything about her…"
He spoke softly.
"That must not have been easy for you."
Luis remained silent.
Head lowered.
Tears began falling from his face.
"I should've locked the house door…"
he murmured.
"Things weren't supposed to end up like this."
---
The Train Station
The train stopped.
Evening was falling.
Passengers began stepping off.
Luis, Augusto, and Frederin walked through the station.
Frederin asked excitedly:
"So now I can register and become a real warrior, right?"
Augusto replied:
"Hold on, kid."
"Things aren't like they used to be."
Frederin frowned.
"What?"
Luis explained:
"After we were removed from power, a lot changed."
"If you want to become a real warrior… you'll have to take an exam."
Frederin sighed.
"I should've stayed in college…"
Augusto answered bluntly:
"There's no going back."
"You already canceled your enrollment."
He put his hands in his pockets.
"Leave your dream of being an architect for another time."
Luis gave a small smile.
"Frederin, it's not that hard."
"It's just a combat test against some strong opponents."
He patted the boy's shoulder.
"But you trained with us. You'll crush it."
Frederin smiled excitedly.
"Now I'm pumped."
"I want to take this exam and become a real warrior."
Augusto pointed to the station exit.
"Let's go register you."
Luis added:
"When your battle happens, we'll be there watching."
Frederin laughed.
"I doubt it."
He crossed his arms.
"You always find a way to disappear."
The sentence hit Luis.
He became uncomfortable.
Almost sad.
Frederin didn't notice.
But Augusto did.
And chose to say nothing.
---
Another Part of the Kingdom
The sun was setting at the edge of Hestia.
A small village.
Golden light painted the wooden houses with shades of orange and pink.
Among the streets and the crowd…
Alexys and Kevin walked.
Kevin spoke while looking at the sky:
"If the sky turns gray and you start feeling sad…"
He pointed to the horizon.
"Imagine a blue sky."
"Remember that you can open your wings and fly."
He gave a small smile.
"But be careful… I don't recommend getting lost in the air."
Alexys replied:
"Sometimes understanding what you say is complicated."
Kevin laughed.
"One day you'll understand."
Alexys sighed.
"Leaving that aside…"
He looked around.
"How did I even end up here?"
"The last thing I remember is an explosion."
Kevin answered calmly:
"I brought you here."
He opened his arms.
"To the borders of my kingdom."
"Hestia."
He looked at the darkening sky.
"Let's find a place to spend the night."
"We leave early tomorrow."
Alexys asked:
"To where?"
Kevin shrugged.
"Wherever life takes us."
---
In the City
Frederin stood in line.
A tall, flashy building.
The registration site for the warrior exam.
He thought:
My turn is getting close…
The problem is that only 150 people will be selected.
If I fail… I wasted my time.
The line moved slowly.
Frederin murmured:
"It's boring standing here alone…"
He sighed.
"If Luis or Augusto were here, things would definitely turn into chaos… and the registrations would get canceled."
Night fell.
Finally, his turn arrived.
The reception staff looked at him.
An older woman asked:
"Boy… are you by any chance the host of Leonardo Dinark?"
Frederin replied:
"Yes, ma'am."
"Will that stop me from taking the exam?"
The woman smiled slightly.
"Actually… hosts receive priority."
"You can come on October 10."
"You've already passed the presence evaluation."
Frederin widened his eyes.
"So I can go straight to the physical exam?"
"Yes."
Frederin left happily.
But the woman remembered Adrian's words.
---
Memory
Adrian had said:
"If the host of Leonardo Dinark wants to take the exam…"
He smiled coldly.
"Let him go straight to the physical test."
"What I want…"
"…is for him to die."
"And if it happens during the exam…"
"…even better."
---
Frederin returned to the building where they were staying.
He climbed the stairs.
Room 101.
He opened the door.
The first thing he saw was Luis and Augusto playing dominoes.
Frederin entered excited.
"Next round, I'm playing!"
The two stopped playing.
Augusto asked:
"How was the exam?"
Frederin replied with a smile:
"Great!"
"I have to go on October 10 to the grand arena."
Luis smiled.
"Congratulations, my friend."
"If you pass the physical exam… you'll become an official warrior."
They went back to their game.
---
Later
Everyone was asleep.
Except one.
Luis sat on the rooftop of the building.
Watching the city.
The wind blew strongly.
He murmured:
"I know you're nearby…"
A pause.
"Kevin."
He looked at the sky.
"How strong have you become?"
He sighed.
"Come back soon."
"I want you to meet Frederin."
He smiled slightly.
"My new friend."
For a few seconds…
Behind Luis appeared an eye with wings.
Like an entity embracing him.
Luis smiled.
The wind blew even stronger.