After the attack in Brazil, the theft of the relic, and the betrayal of the third guardian, an emergency meeting was convened. The magnitude of the event forced, for the first time in decades, most of the leaders of the five great families to attend in person. The meeting was held in London, England. The situation no longer allowed intermediaries or remote communications.
Representatives of the Security Council, leaders of nuclear powers, European and Asian delegations, as well as high-ranking scientific and military advisors filled the room. Facing them were members of the guardian families and Atlas analysts. The tension was evident.
The UN Secretary-General broke the silence:
—Gentlemen… we have been told about magical seals, interdimensional entities, and a threat that could destroy all humanity as we know it. But what we still don't understand is something more basic.
His gaze fixed on Étienne Orleans.
—If this has been happening for thousands of years… why did we never know anything?
Étienne took a slow breath before answering.
—Because the world was covered by a magical veil. It was established by supreme beings at the request of the five guardian leaders of that time. It was the only way to prevent the psychological collapse of humanity while those wars were being fought in the shadows.
Kenji Arata activated the projection.
The hologram showed planet Earth surrounded by an almost imperceptible luminous network, like an energy mesh wrapping the atmosphere. Murmurs spread through the room.
—In simple terms —Elena added— they are dimensional locks.
She stood and pointed at the hologram.
—When confrontations occurred, those locks absorbed the impact. They altered magical or magnetic flows, as you would call them. They distorted collective memory within an approximate radius of one thousand square kilometers, turning catastrophic events into natural phenomena or explainable accidents.
A military advisor frowned.
—Are you saying you manipulated collective memory?
From the back of the room, a man who had remained silent until then spoke.
—With your permission. I am Marcus Garielka, deputy director of the Atlas division. I believe there is no longer any need to explain who we are or what our work has been.
His firm voice quieted the room.
—We didn't manipulate. We stabilized. If a city had witnessed the real magnitude of some of those crises, global hysteria would have been immediate.
Silence filled the room for several seconds.
Kenji continued:
—I am Kenji Arata, senior Atlas analyst. Allow me to show you something else.
He activated another projector and a three-dimensional image of the planet expanded across almost the entire ceiling.
—This is how the magical veil would appear from space stations, if everyone were able to perceive it.
The image changed.
The luminous network now appeared fractured. Bright cracks spread like broken veins across several continents.
—As you all know —Étienne added— the primary seal is located in Ireland, and that seal has already been compromised. We managed to implement an emergency patch, so to speak, but its duration is limited. At best, less than a year.
He paused briefly before continuing:
—Two weeks ago, the global system was still partially holding. But exactly one week ago the attack in Brazil occurred. The South Atlantic node was compromised, a key relic was taken, and that caused a much larger rupture.
The hologram showed a dark area expanding from the Atlantic like an energetic scar.
—That event —Elena added— accelerated the destabilization. It wasn't just a regional attack. It was a systemic fracture.
Marcus walked slowly in front of everyone.
—And there is something else you must understand. Many of the so-called natural disasters of recent centuries were not entirely natural. Some anomalous earthquakes, impossible storms, unexplained fires… were caused by followers of the Kartnod attempting to weaken the seals where they remain contained.
—They tried to fracture the containment from this side —Elena continued—. Unable to break them directly, they attacked the nodes. The seal absorbed the impact, and humanity only saw natural catastrophes.
A U.S. general spoke with visible irritation:
—So our history is a lie?
Marcus shook his head calmly.
—Partially. Human wars have been human. But some catastrophes… were not entirely so.
The weight of that statement fell heavily across the room.
The Secretary-General took a deep breath.
—What exactly does that mean?
Marcus did not soften his answer:
—It means the world is not prepared to see what has always been hidden. And the system that buffered those crises is failing.
Absolute silence followed.
One of the Mexican government's scientific advisors raised a hand cautiously.
—Is there any possibility of reactivating that veil?
Kenji exchanged a glance with Étienne before answering:
—No, unfortunately. It was created by supreme beings about five thousand years ago. We do not possess the magic or the technology required to replicate something like that.
The President of Argentina then spoke:
—I have a question… Could you explain more clearly who those supreme beings were? Gods like in mythology? Aliens? A hundred years ago that would have sounded like movie characters.
Marcus responded calmly, maintaining his composure:
—Mr. President, that is a topic far too broad and complex to address right now. What matters at the moment is preparation. With the fall of the base in Recife, Brazil, and the theft of the relic, we are almost certain that the next attack will be directed toward Japan.