While Candado and his team were searching for her, the target was deep inside a forest, somewhere in the Chaco region. With a tender smile, the little girl collected stones and pebbles. Some local animals offered their help as she walked.

  "YuAt’f RiiXin’to muru prixen’t" (Don’t stray too far, my moon).

  "RUuy Yutu’k An" (I’m hungry).

  The girl turned and walked toward a dog the size of a lion, black and red in color. She stumbled as she got closer.

  "Re’cairfuj" (Careful), the dog said, using his head to prevent her from falling.

  "Wav’nieta" (Thank you).

  The girl stood up and lay down on the dog's stomach while eating the stones she had gathered.

  "Ri’ jijyr Loj gú" (Rest and don’t eat too much).

  She swallowed two rocks the size of a man's fist and settled comfortably on the dog.

  "Amjasta, I’ji" (I’m sleepy, Amjasta).

  "Litú, N’ Amjasta" (I’m sorry, I’m not Amjasta).

  "Yiturará, Yoh’s Berr" (I miss her so much).

  "Amjasta…"

  Then the girl closed her eyes.

  "Candado Ur’astap" (Candado is looking for her).

  A voice came from the trees.

  "Mauricio."

  "Hello, Kolac."

  "What does the son of the forest want from me?"

  "My father mentioned that two girls were born, shining stars in human terms."

  "And?"

  "Where’s the other one?"

  "Lost, presumably dead. I arrived too late. The humans had already found her."

  The dog’s tail wrapped around the little girl.

  "I’m only here to talk. I know the girl is under your care, but she has an important role for a friend. That will lead Candado to her. Nothing will stop him."

  "Mauricio, do you really think I’ll hand her over to a human?"

  "My father trusts Candado."

  "Just like he trusted Johan?"

  "That was a mistake."

  "This could be too. After all, humans covet the lives of others. They think of themselves."

  "We do too," Mauricio replied, jumping down from the tree. "Don’t think of them that way. If we’re going by those terms, what would you say about nature? Your leaders send the luceros to maintain the balance."

  "It’s different."

  "They don’t want to go extinct. They send the luceros to exterminate humans who live by destruction. That’s what happened with the Black Plague, smallpox, cholera, and other diseases. They think about their own existence. In other words, they think of themselves too."

  Mauricio smiled, realizing he was speaking like Candado.

  "Look, I’m not here to fight. I just came for the girl."

  "No. I’m not giving her to you."

  Mauricio shrugged.

  "Well, I tried." Then he turned his back. "But remember, Candado will only accept your refusal three times. On the fourth, he’ll resort to violence. When he marks his position, nothing will stop him. He’s about words up to a point, but he’s also extremely violent when a child is in danger."

  With that, Mauricio turned into dry leaves and vanished.

  "Fear of humans! What nonsense! They should fear me."

  On the other side, three hours had passed since Candado and Miss Kaikai had parted ways. Riding his steed Uzoori and accompanied by Hammya, Candado was heading to Rucciménkagri’s house, as she could be of use.

  "Hammya, stay here."

  Candado dismounted and approached the house. Unfortunately, Rucciménkagri was not there. He opened the door and searched inside, but found no one. He stepped out, confused.

  "What happened?"

  "She’s not here. Damn, just when I need her."

  "Do you have a plan?"

  Candado mounted the horse.

  "I do, but it won’t be pleasant."

  He made his way to Diana’s forest, a person he didn’t want to get involved with. Her twisted, psychopathic nature made her dangerous; she wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who harmed her forest.

  "Candado, you seem down."

  "I don’t like it when people like her cross your path."

  "Are you worried about me?" Hammya thought, leaning on Candado’s back. "Thank you."

  Candado rode on, feeling sweat trickle down his face. He knew that unlike her brothers Logan and Mauricio, Diana watched every movement in her territory, delighting in the fear of her victims.

  Suddenly, an object sped toward them. With quick reflexes, Candado leaned his body and forced the horse to lie down, narrowly avoiding decapitation. He and Uzoori, along with Hammya, tumbled roughly to the ground. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Candado looked up and saw Diana’s scythe embedded in a tree.

  He helped Hammya to her feet.

  "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

  "Yes, thank you so much," she replied, brushing the dirt off. "What happened?"

  "Diana is welcoming us," Candado said, pointing to the scythe.

  "What nonsense, she’s crazy. She almost killed us."

  "I hope she didn’t hear you. She hates being insulted."

  Then, the tall grasses began to rustle, and a black cat emerged from them. Its sleek fur gleamed with elegance, and to Hammya’s eyes, it was simply beautiful.

  "Oh, how cute!" Hammya exclaimed, crouching down and reaching out to it. "Come here, little friend."

  "Miau…"

  Candado looked around, uneasy as he tended to his horse. His eyes scanned for Diana. His heart pounded in his chest, and suddenly, like a sharp blow, something made a sound in his head.

  "Miau..."

  Without thinking twice, he ran to Hammya, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her away forcefully.

  It was in the final moment. Just as Hammya was about to pet the cat, she nearly lost her hand. If her fingers had touched that creature, the outcome would have been disastrous.

  "DIANA!!" Candado shouted, his eyes burning with fury. "You're crossing the line!"

  The cat began to laugh with a feminine voice. Her laughter echoed like a sinister sound. Slowly, her shape twisted and stretched until it became a woman. Diana.

  "You're incredible, Candado," she said, adjusting her hat with a mocking smile. "You have great reflexes."

  Hammya began to tremble when she noticed that Diana held a bloody knife in her right hand. The sight of the crimson blade left her speechless.

  Diana followed the direction of her gaze and casually showed her the knife.

  "Oh, this?" She shrugged. "It's nothing. Just crocodile blood. Stupid reptiles."

  Candado extinguished the flame that burned in his eyes. His voice was thick and threatening.

  "Diana, I'm warning you. If anything happens to Hammya, I will personally tear your eyes out."

  "Ooh, how scary, how scary!" Diana responded mockingly.

  With a graceful movement, she drew her scythe, as if it were a natural extension of her body.

  "Tell me, what do you want, Candado?"

  "The circumstances have forced me to ask for your help."

  "Help? From me?"

  "Yes. I need you to search for or help me find a girl."

  Diana narrowed her eyes with an intrigued gleam.

  "Oh! Interesting. Very interesting. Go on."

  "She's a lucera."

  "How curious! When Dad found out she was missing, he sent Oscar and Logan to look for her."

  "I suppose he didn’t trust you."

  "My father told me not to get involved in this matter."

  "And now I see why."

  "But..." Diana smiled, a mixture of disdain and pleasure on her face. "I can help you."

  She spun her scythe once more before stopping and extending her hand.

  "I can get you close to them."

  "Them?"

  "That's right. The lucera isn't alone."

  "Then take me there immediately."

  "I already told you, I can only get you close."

  "Why?"

  "Mauricio forbade me from getting near them. And I'm not going to disobey him.

  Candado snorted, aware that arguing with Diana was like talking to a wall.

  "Fine."

  He wrapped his left arm around Hammya's waist.

  "Wait!" she protested. "What are you doing?"

  "Let's go."

  With his other hand, Candado grabbed Diana's wrist. In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed. The sensation of displacement was instantaneous.

  When they arrived, Candado released Hammya and quickly distanced himself from Diana.

  "Oh, so mean," she joked.

  "Thanks for this, but I truly despise physical contact with you," Candado clarified.

  "So mean, x2!" Diana said with a laugh. "You know I love you. Well, more than that, I’d love to slit your throat from ear to ear, just for the fun of it."

  Hammya shuddered at the threat, but Candado, as usual, ignored her.

  "Here, a few meters away, is the target," Diana informed.

  Candado nodded. But before he could take a step, Diana stopped him.

  "Wait."

  "What now?"

  "Why, if you knew the location, didn't you notify Logan and Oscar? But you did notify Mauricio."

  Diana smiled with malice.

  "Because I thought it would be interesting. If Dad finds the lucera, he’ll send her to his boss. Then, he’ll send others, and they’ll be much more dangerous. It wouldn’t be a child anymore. It would be an adult or an elder."

  Her smile widened in a way that made Hammya's skin crawl.

  "Oscar and Logan follow Dad’s rules, just like all the kids in the forest, including me. But the world now needs people who break the rules. That way, I can keep enjoying myself. Here, I can do what I’m forbidden to do at home."

  After saying this, Diana transformed back into a cat and disappeared into the woods.

  "Crazy bitch," Candado whispered. "Let's finish this, I don't like Uzoori being in this forest any longer."

  Turning around, he found Hammya trembling. Her hands pressed together tightly.

  "Emerald, calm down."

  Hammya didn’t react. Candado sighed and hugged her tightly.

  "One, two, three, four, five."

  "Oh, Candado?!" Hammya blushed, looking away. "I’m fine, you can let go."

  (Candado thought, The embarrassment of hugging me makes her body heat up, it’s nice for this weather. I should do this more often.)

  He then released her.

  "All set, right?"

  Hammya inhaled and exhaled deeply.

  "I’m fine."

  "Let's go."

  Candado and Hammya walked to the spot Diana had indicated.

  "I have a question."

  "Ask."

  "Diana, was she always like this?"

  "Psychopathic or annoying?"

  "Could be... both?"

  "The truth is, she lies all the time, but there’s one thing she tells the truth about: she’s Mauricio and Logan’s sister. She’s the oldest, Logan’s the youngest, and Mauricio’s the middle one. They were both babies when their parents abandoned them in the middle of a forest, or so they say."

  "How cruel."

  "It’s a lie."

  "What...? Wait, what?!"

  "Diana brutally killed her parents. She crushed their heads with an iron. She drugged them to make it easier to kill them. That’s all you need to know."

  "Why?"

  "I don’t know. Only Diana knows. It was horrible, I’ve never seen anything like it. Well, it was 1950, the world was... crazy."

  "Hey, you said... 1950?"

  "That's right."

  "She shouldn’t be a grandmother!"

  "Good thing Diana isn’t around. She would have slit your throat if she heard you say that."

  Hammya shuddered and quickened her pace to walk in step with Candado.

  "When you become part of the forest, you bind your life to it. In other words, you’ll live as long as the forest lives. The more trees there are, the longer your life. Generally, in the forests of America, it’s children, while in other continents, it’s adults or elders."

  "Why?"

  "Well, the forests of America didn’t need them as much until Columbus arrived."

  "I see, that's interesting."

  "Of course, it is. Diana. She bound her life and her brothers' lives to these forests. The Pombero started adopting children for some strange reason."

  "Is she the Pombero’s daughter?"

  "You could say it that way."

  Suddenly, the sound of rustling leaves was heard.

  "Stop."

  Candado grabbed Hammya's hand, crouched down, and walked slowly toward the noise. There she was: the girl the scorpion woman had been searching for. She wore a green dress, her hair was gray, and her eyes were brown without pupils.

  "Alright, let's go."

  "Wait! Are you really going to approach her?"

  "Hiding and capturing her is no different from kidnapping. I need to talk to her. She's just a child; I'm sure a few words will calm her down."

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Candado adjusted his tie and walked up to her, stepping into the open.

  "Good day," Candado said, giving a slight bow. "Hello, little flower."

  The girl began to tremble.

  "Don't worry."

  Candado reached out to gently pat her head, but she got scared. As a defense, she opened her mouth, releasing a powerful white light that temporarily blinded them. After doing so, she started running through the forest, screaming. However, just a moment later, Candado grabbed her by the shoulders. Despite the intense pain in his eyes, Candado didn't blink for even an instant.

  "That hurts, young lady."

  The girl opened her mouth again.

  "Please, don't even try it," Candado covered her mouth with his hand. "Calm down, I won't hurt you."

  Suddenly, Candado jumped to the left, dodging a deadly attack.

  "Well, well, a canine."

  It was a dog nearly a meter long, growling fiercely.

  "I don't want to fight, my friend."

  The girl bit Candado, but he didn't flinch. He kept talking to the dog.

  "Let's be civilized and talk."

  "We have nothing to talk about. Let the lucera go now."

  "I have to refuse, my canine friend."

  "Then I'll make you do it."

  The dog lunged at Candado.

  Quickly, he threw the girl into Hammya's arms, who was still rubbing her eyes from the intense light earlier. Candado grabbed the dog by the waist, lifted it into the air, and slammed it into the ground. He cracked his knuckles and started hitting it on the snout and stomach.

  "Filthy...!"

  Candado landed a powerful kick to its snout.

  "Enough talking. Fight or bite, but don't talk, stupid canine."

  The dog growled and barked menacingly. Anyone else would have trembled in fear, but Candado... didn't budge.

  "(What? Why isn't this working?!)" thought the canine, surprised.

  Candado moved closer again, took the dog by the head, and headbutted it with such force that the hardness of its skull and the impact felt like striking a rock.

  "Sorry, Fido, but I've seen things more terrifying than a bark."

  Candado wrapped his hands with violet flame. The dog, staggering, got up and looked at the girl, who remained frozen in Hammya's arms. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her body trembled with fear. She knew she couldn’t lose, or it would be the end for her.

  "Alright, can we talk now?"

  "Grroooowwwl."

  "I see."

  Candado and the dog lunged at each other, but suddenly, a feminine figure appeared between them, walking through the tall grass.

  "!!!MOM!!!" Candado shouted.

  "That smell... Mirou?"

  "Hello, son," she replied with a smile before looking at the dog. "Hello, Kolac, long time no see."

  The girl freed herself from Hammya's grasp and ran to hide behind Kolac.

  "What are you doing here?" asked the dog.

  "I live here. Well, not exactly in this area," she replied.

  "No, what that dog is asking," Candado interjected, "is why you’re here. I’m curious too."

  "When I was coming home from work, I saw a white light. I thought it might be a lucero, so I came as fast as I could, and well, I found you two fighting."

  "Wait... you know luceros?"

  "Of course, I have a friend."

  "Why didn't you ever tell me this?"

  "Because you never asked."

  Candado crossed his arms, unsure of how to respond. Europa, his mother, turned her head and smiled at Hammya in a friendly manner.

  "Hello, Hammya."

  "Hello, Mrs. Barret."

  "So, why were you fighting?"

  "He started it," Candado and Kolac said in unison.

  Europa sighed and sat down on the ground.

  "Alright, explain yourselves."

  Candado and Kolac recounted everything from the beginning.

  Fifteen minutes later.

  Europa nodded slowly.

  "Now I understand. The agents are after her."

  "Correct, Mirou. It’s my duty to protect her," Kolac said, staring intently at Candado. "But I didn’t know you had young ones."

  Europa walked over to Candado, her smile now closer to that of a friend than a mother’s.

  "Yes, Colitas. She’s my child."

  "Mama..." Candado pouted, visibly embarrassed.

  "But why would nature send luceros?" Europa asked, deep in thought.

  "I don’t know either. Nature’s been acting strange, especially because this time, there were two of them."

  "Do you think they want to wipe us out?" Hammya asked, alarmed.

  "I don’t think so," Candado intervened. "From what I observed, the girl is a lucera of health. It means diseases will be eradicated with her. I think they want to strengthen us."

  "That’s ridiculous. Nature would never cooperate with you."

  "True," Europa confirmed. "It wouldn’t unless it wanted something in return."

  Candado squinted, looking down at the ground.

  "Now that I think about it, the Baris have also been acting strange. They were hunting Amabaray fiercely. Just like my powers. Both they and nature have been odd."

  "Candado, you’re kind of scary right now," Hammya commented.

  Candado remembered that name that filled him with hatred: Pullbarey. From what he had heard, that individual was being hunted by all the Baris. And they had an interest in protecting the violet blood.

  Europa placed a hand on his head.

  "Calm down," she said softly.

  Candado took a deep breath, coming to his senses.

  "I think we should talk to my client."

  Candado took out his phone and called Declan.

  "Hello. We’ve found her. Have everyone return to the guild."

  Then he looked at those present.

  "Let’s find Uzoori and head out."

  Some time later, the group reconvened at the guild. This time, Clementina was also present.

  "Clementina? I thought you were busy and wouldn’t be coming."

  "Hello, German. Declan used the usual fax to have everyone come back, so the news reached me."

  "I see. At least, do you know what we’re working on?"

  "I caught up, yes."

  "I’m glad."

  Clementina tilted her head slightly to the right.

  "Is she the client?"

  German nodded.

  "Yes, she is."

  Clementina smiled and placed her index finger on her lower lip.

  "She’s beautiful."

  "True, but not that much."

  Candado and the others were walking back home. The lucero girl was riding on Kolac’s back, while Hammya and Europa were on horseback, and Candado was walking ahead, refusing to carry any more weight for Uzoori and refusing to let his mother walk in the wild.

  "Tell me, kid, how did you know where we were?"

  "I got reliable information."

  "Wow, they work fast around here."

  "I’d say efficiently. By the way, what’s the girl’s name?"

  "Anen, her name is Anen."

  "...I don’t usually do this, but is this a joke?"

  "Not at all."

  Candado sighed and kept walking ahead.

  "By the way, does she speak Spanish?"

  "No, she only speaks Ikmo."

  "I see." Candado looked at Anen. "Britilka’ch, Oiriki Candado, su’kayimo (Good morning, I’m Candado, a friend)."

  Anen nodded.

  "Wait! You speak Ikmo?"

  "It’s one of the few languages I learned on my own, along with Wichi."

  "Wow! How?"

  "Zoyoto taught me."

  "Impossible, honestly impossible."

  "No, it’s not. My grandfather was his lover. He always gives me a birthday gift and visits me once a week."

  The dog turned and looked at Europa.

  "Oh yes, that’s true. Dad... well, he had two women."

  "When?" Hammya asked.

  "Zoyoto is sensitive to sunlight, so he comes out at night. It’s strange I didn’t have time to see him, since the last time he came to our house was six days before you arrived at ours."

  "Candado, your life is a box of surprises."

  "Really? I had no idea."

  To sum it up simply, Alfred Barret had two lovers: Andrea, Europa’s mother, and Zoyoto, who gave birth to Zúr. Zúr, in turn, had a daughter named ío, Candado’s half-sister. This was possible because Alfred had been raised in the society of Kanghar, where monogamy wasn’t the norm. There, it wasn’t uncommon for a man to have more than one woman or for a woman to have more than one man, a perspective Alfred had adopted.

  Finally, Candado and the others arrived at the guild. As he placed his hand on the doorknob, he let out a small laugh.

  "Candado, is something going on?" Hammya asked.

  Candado covered his mouth, trying to contain his laughter. After a few minutes, he managed to calm down and responded.

  "It’s just funny how easy this was. The reward was twenty thousand, so I guess Eva spent days looking for her," he puffed out his cheeks as he remembered, then calmed himself. "What took her days, took us an hour. I don’t know if it’s luck, coincidence, or incompetence."

  "Your son’s a weirdo," Kolac commented.

  The dog looked at Europa, but she was also silently laughing. He then looked at Hammya, who simply shrugged.

  Candado cleared his throat, adjusted his tie, and opened the door.

  "Good morning," he greeted.

  "Good morning, Candado," everyone replied.

  They entered the house and headed to the living room.

  "Wow, it’s so clean," Europa commented, inspecting the room.

  "That’s right," Candado said proudly.

  Candado made his way to his office, where Anzor was.

  "Where’s the client?"

  "I’ll call her now."

  Anzor left the room.

  "Wow, you’re quite the Candado."

  "Mom, please."

  Europa walked to the window, moved Candado’s chair aside, and looked outside.

  "Wow, I remember when I was your age, I used to look out the window when I was thinking."

  "I do that too."

  "Really?"

  "Of course."

  Candado stood next to his mother, and they both admired the view.

  "What a beautiful view."

  "Yes, I asked for help to shape it."

  While Candado and Europa talked, Hammya, Kolac, and Anen felt uncomfortable, unsure of how to join the conversation.

  "It’s the first time I’ve seen Mirou like this."

  "It’s the first time I’ve seen Candado like this."

  The door opened, and Declan and Eva entered.

  "Sorry to keep you waiting."

  "Don’t worry," Candado replied.

  "No, I’m sorry," Declan said, looking at Europa. "Mrs. Barret, good morning."

  "Thank you."

  Eva froze for a moment; a brief gasp escaped her lips.

  "What’s wrong, miss?" Candado asked.

  "…"

  "…? Miss?" Candado insisted.

  Eva removed her hood, revealing tears in her eyes, which caught Europa’s attention.

  "No… I can’t believe it."

  Candado looked at his mother.

  "M… Mom, what’s going on? Why are you crying?"

  The others in the room were confused, including Candado, but after a few seconds, he understood.

  "Ah, she..." he said, softening his tone.

  This is a story that happened some time ago, when Miss J?n Europa Iwela Barret was the same age as Candado. She had met a strange girl in a dumpster, dirty and wounded. Europa, far from feeling fear for the creature who was part scorpion and part human, extended a hand and healed her wounds. The girl couldn’t speak, and therefore had no name. Europa gave her both: a language and a name. But she didn’t just receive those from Europa; she also found a family.

  It’s important to note that Europa had also adopted Kr?ma, who, though younger, acted as a little sister.

  Eva and Kr?ma became inseparable, always together. Eva was loved and cherished by the entire family and friends. However, life didn’t allow things to remain that way. One day, when Europa and her parents were away, agents entered their home and kidnapped Eva and Kr?ma. They were valuable specimens for their experiments. Europa searched for them, day after day, night after night, for three long and painful months.

  Finally, they were found. The agents’ hideout was raided with the help of her beloved, her friends, and of course, the guild members and Semaforists, who rescued all the captives, whether human or not. Europa rescued Kr?ma, but Eva wasn’t there; she had been transferred to another facility. Filled with frustration, they dynamited the place, but before doing so, Europa searched other agent bases. As a first step, all the staff was sent to “the caves,” a special prison in Kanghar (which will be discussed further later).

  Europa continued searching, and before she knew it, she had wiped the country clean of the agents’ presence in two months. It was frustrating for her to arrive and not find Eva over a hundred times. However, she didn’t give up. She kept searching, almost without sleep and without eating properly. She often lost her sanity, growing angry and crying at the same time. She looked gaunt. She blamed herself for her “inefficiency.”

  On numerous occasions, she tried to kill an agent, but her beloved and friends stopped her. They knew that if she took a life, she would be consumed entirely by anger and pain.

  It was then that, with the help of a circus performer, Europa was able to find Eva’s location. The circus performer also took the opportunity to eliminate the agents, as many of the captives belonged to a now-defunct circuit. Her name was Samanta. After another two months of agonizing searching, they finally found her.

  But it was too late. Eva had been subjected to brainwashing and had become their enemy. Europa was forced to face Eva. Her friends tried to intervene to control her, but it was in vain. Europa received many injuries, but she didn’t stop. In the midst of the chaos, she hugged Eva, crying on her arms, apologizing for being too late. She told her that she had every right to be angry, that if she truly wanted to, she could kill her right then and there.

  Eva lifted her pincers toward her neck, but she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t decapitate her “mother.” Eva cried a lot, saying it hurt, that she was scared, that she wanted to go home, that she wanted to see her again. But the agents had denied her that. Day after day, they tortured her, and she could only rest at night.

  Europa felt immense happiness at hearing her voice again, but it was brief. One of the agents fled and triggered the self-destruct mechanism for the facility, as no research would fall into the hands of the "impure." An explosion resonated above their heads, and debris fell upon them. Among the debris was a beam. Without thinking, Eva shoved Europa out of the way.

  Rodolfo immediately realized that the facility was about to explode. They tried to get Europa out, but the ground cracked, throwing them away from her. Europa, desperate, wanted to return to the lab, but all her companions knew it was no longer possible. With tears in her eyes, they held her back, but she lost control and attacked them, injuring them severely. Although the wounds were not deep, they were painful, as she was exhausted from all the stress of the past five months, including the fight with Eva.

  At that moment, Eva looked into Europa's eyes and whispered one word: "Thank you for everything, Mom."

  Then, the facility exploded. Europa went into crisis, letting out a heart-wrenching scream. Her companions embraced her, sharing in her pain. Europa fainted that day and slept for a week. When she woke up, her pain had also returned. She cried bitterly, hating herself for not having been able to do anything to save her. She felt so miserable that she wished she were dead. The elegant and serious Europa that everyone knew had been shattered, and what remained was a deeply depressed Europa.

  The following days were agonizing. Europa didn’t eat, didn’t drink, and, above all, didn’t speak. She was chained to a bed, hooked up to an IV to keep her alive. Physically and mentally destroyed, Europa had abandoned all hope of living. Amabaray did everything he could, as did her friends, but it was in vain. It was Arturo who, day after day, gave everything he had to try to bring back the Europa they all wanted to see. And it seemed like he had succeeded. Europa began to slowly regain her normality, to the point that she was no longer bound to the bed. Everyone was relieved, or so it seemed.

  One night, Arturo went to the Kanghar hospital to see Europa, and that’s when the worst happened. A window shattered above Europa’s head, and blood began to pour from it. But that didn’t matter to her in the least. She took a shard of glass and began to cut her wrist. Arturo arrived just at that moment, as Europa was in the middle of the act. Enraged, he snatched the glass from her hands. Fortunately, the cut wasn’t deep.

  With his heart overflowing with anger, Arturo shouted at Europa while tending to her wound. But she, with the same fervor, responded in kind. Amidst the shouting, Arturo embraced her and yelled that he loved her. He told her she wasn’t alone, that life was like this, that it hurt when someone close to you leaves, but that didn’t mean she should stop living. That night, Arturo and Europa made love, perhaps because of his confession and the mutual feelings that were blossoming between them. Europa sought to escape the pain and anguish that tormented her.

  The next day, Europa began to recover a little. It was at that moment, after a week, that she learned she was pregnant. That was the final blow that ended her suicidal desires and pushed her to begin appreciating life more and her friends.

  And now, in the present, Europa thought that, after all those years, she was dead. But there she was, Eva, the person she hadn’t been able to save, standing before her, just a few inches away. The feeling she thought she had buried surged again, like an overflowing river.

  Europa jumped over the desk, knocking all the accessories to the floor, and hugged that girl, her girl, her Eva... Her daughter.

  "Eva, you're alive," she said, between sobs.

  Europa began to cry. In her arms was the girl she loved with all her heart again, now all grown up. She couldn’t believe it, she was alive!

  "Mom..." Eva replied, her voice trembling.

  Candado signaled for everyone to leave the room. Once outside, Candado leaned against the wall, while he grabbed a journal. Curiously, the rest of the team was also outside.

  "What happened?" Erika asked.

  "My mom is busy," Candado replied, uninterested, as he continued flipping through the pages of the journal.

  "With what?" Lucía asked.

  "With being happy."

  Inside the room, Europa and Eva continued hugging each other, crying together, and that scene lasted for almost eleven minutes. It was Europa who, in the end, tried to pull away. With her thumbs, she wiped away Eva’s tears.

  "I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you again, Eva. I missed you... I’ve missed you so much."

  "I looked for you, I swear. But I never found you. I searched and searched. When I recovered, I went back to our old house, but it was gone. I looked for you, but you were no longer there. I thought you had forgotten about me."

  "I would never do that. I thought about you all the time, about how many years you must be now. Every time I looked around, I remembered you and the time we spent together."

  Europa and Eva hugged once more.

  Meanwhile, Candado, who had been waiting behind the door reading the journal, was accompanied by Kolac, Anen, and Hammya.

  "I feel like our client forgot about the mission," Kolac commented.

  "Really?" Candado asked indifferently, not lifting his eyes from the journal.

  "When she’s done crying, I’ll remind her. She might be my mom’s friend, but she’s still a client," Candado added, turning another page.

  "Mirou seemed really happy," said the dog.

  "I’m glad. Aren’t you?" Hammya responded, moved.

  Candado kept flipping through the journal.

  "Yeah, of course."

  "Don’t be like that. Your mom finally found her and is very happy."

  "I see." Candado turned another page. "Do you know her?"

  "Well... no..." Hammya replied, hesitating.

  "Neither do I, which makes it hard for me to sympathize with that emotion," Candado said, not looking up.

  "Canda..." Hammya tried to say, but he quickly raised his hand to silence her.

  "I honestly want you to be quiet right now. I’m not in the mood."

  A spark seemed to light up in Hammya’s mind. She pulled her hand away from Candado and smiled at him.

  "I know, you’re jealous."

  Candado stared at her intently while slowly rolling up the journal.

  "If you hit me..."

  "What? What would happen if I hit you?"

  "You’d prove that I’m right."

  Something inside Candado snapped.

  "You know, Emerald."

  "What?"

  "You’re completely right that, if you hit me, I’d have to admit you’re right about it."

  "See, see?"

  "But..." Candado raised his hands with the rolled-up journal. "That’s something I don’t care about. Giving someone else the right is something that’ll never affect my life, so it’s not really a loss."

  BAM!

  Hammya received a light hit from Candado.

  "Wow, I thought that would hurt."

  Candado unrolled the journal and continued reading. Kolac was somewhat surprised by what he had just seen.

  "Did the human... hold back... his power to strike her? I could tell Candado restrained all his strength from the start. It seems that girl is somewhat precious to him."

  The door opened, and there was Eva, clinging to Europa (in full spoiled-child mode), with a satisfied expression on her face.

  "You can continue," Eva said, trying to show her usual attitude.

  Candado ignored the scene and rolled up the journal.

  "Let’s begin."

  Candado entered the room, followed by his team, and sat at his desk.

  "Let’s begin, Miss Eva."

  Kolac stood next to her, while the girl kept hugging him.

  "Yes, ask me whatever you want."

  Candado began asking questions about the girl and her role.

  "It was Sara, Sara from Holy Truth."

  Eva explained that Sara had started moving her pieces in the game. She wanted to create a nation of her species to unite her people under an ideal, not under survival and fear of humans. That’s why she needed to return to her old world. To do so, she needed the Luceros, as there were eight of them, and to carry out her ambition, Sara needed the last two.

  Candado asked why there were so many Luceros on Earth. Eva replied that the Luceros didn’t just bring destruction, but also life. Nature differs from humans in one thing: the mercy of the species. It doesn’t seek to extinguish, but to hunt. After all, dying is part of nature, and because of that, when they create a poison, they also create the cure. The Lucero in front of Candado represented the deadly disease, while the other, who had unfortunately died, was the cure. Eva also explained that, according to Sara, nature had felt a terrible danger approaching the planet, which is why it responded with this maneuver, thinking that humanity was to blame.

  Candado looked at the girl.

  "Sara needs them for a purpose, right?"

  The girl partially hid behind Kolac.

  "Yes. Sara wasn’t planning to hide it from the guilds or from you."

  "I know that. She’s many things, but not a liar."

  "Girl..." Candado sighed and muttered to himself. "I don’t feel like speaking Ikmo, let alone forming understandable sentences."

  Candado opened a drawer, took out a megaphone, some headphones, and a black stone, which he handed to Kolac.

  "Tell the girl to speak into this."

  Kolac explained to the girl about the stone, and within two minutes, she took it with both hands and looked at Candado, determined.

  Candado smiled, put on the headphones, and spoke into the megaphone.

  "Anen, can you understand me?"

  The girl nodded her head.

  "Great. Use that stone to talk to me. Do you understand?"

  "Wu'c."

  "The stone," Candado said into the megaphone.

  The girl looked at the stone.

  "Yes."

  "That's it."

  "Candado, you're a genius," praised Hammya.

  "The genius is that madman," Candado said, pointing his thumb at Lucas.

  "That's right, it's my device and my genius."

  Candado continued with his plan and began to chat with the girl. The device translated his words into the Ikmo language, so no one in the room understood what he was saying, except for Europa and Kolac. Apparently, Candado was having a friendly and sweet conversation to please Anen, and guess what? He succeeded. Candado was skilled at winning over the little girl. But not everything was rosy. It was obvious, from Kolac and Europa’s facial expressions, that Candado was asking questions that weren’t very pleasant for the girl, causing Kolac and Europa to interrupt. It was an uncomfortable situation, but no one in the room who didn’t understand Ikmo laughed, especially since none of them had that kind of mentality. None of them were a normal child by society’s standards, especially in comparison to Candado.

  After a long 34 minutes, Candado finished the conversation. He took off the headphones and stood up.

  "What’s happening?" Lucas asked.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I officially have two pieces of news: one good and one bad. Which one do you want to hear?"

  "We want to hear the bad one."

  "The agents will do whatever it takes to kidnap that girl, which puts all of us in danger of disappearing at any moment. Not to mention that Sara’s indirect request is illegal for the guilds, as Rucciménkagri is involved in this. They could imprison us for treason, revoke our Kangarience citizenship, fine us, and even strip us of our guild membership and the guild itself."

  Everyone, except Hammya, felt terror as they saw Candado deliver the bad news with a serious smile.

  "I don’t want to ask, but someone has to… What about the good part?" Europa asked, a slight tension in her voice.

  "Sara of Holy Truth has begun to establish the society of non-humans, and we, humbly, will help her," Candado responded.

  "Sorry to interrupt, but what does that have to do with what's good for us?" another voice asked in the room.

  "Nothing," Candado replied, without changing his expression.

  He looked at his mother.

  "We can talk about this later. I think you have your hands full."

  "What with?" Europa asked, confused.

  "Miss Eva, I would like you to spend time with my mother now that the girl is safe."

  "But I have to take the girl to Sara."

  "I'll take care of that," Candado interrupted.

  Then, Candado turned to the rest of the group.

  "I’d like everyone to rest for now."

  "What about the agents?" Hammya asked, concerned.

  "They’ll be watched. Most likely, they’ll try to kidnap them, but it’s different when I’m involved."

  "Can I go with you?" Hammya asked.

  "No, Emerald. It’s too dangerous for you to be by my side. For now, you'll be safe at my house with my family."

  "What guarantee is there that will happen?" the girl asked, distrustful.

  "The agents have years of experience with what can happen to them if they mess with a Barret," Candado replied firmly.

  "But still..."

  Candado touched his nose with his index finger.

  "Please, trust me. Nothing will happen to me."

  "Take care, son," Europa said, worried.

  Candado replied, adjusting his beret while winking with his left eye.

  "Tínbari, you can come out now."

  Suddenly, black smoke filtered through the window, and Tínbari's figure appeared.

  "Well, well, well... I thought you’d never ask me," he said, his deep voice filling the room.

  "Shut up and take me to Sara," Candado ordered, his impatience evident.

  "Don’t I have the right to say anything?" Tínbari asked, a mischievous smile crossing his face.

  Candado looked at the rest of the group.

  "Remember, if you see an agent lurking around, don’t fight alone, please."

  "Yes, Candado," everyone replied in unison.

  Tínbari transformed into smoke once again, wrapped around Candado, and they both vanished from the room.

  "There he goes..." Clementina said, watching them fade away.

  Antarctica

  A masked figure walked through the quiet streets of Sancardia, the capital of Tanacia, the country of Circuits, located in the frozen desert of Antarctica. Impossible to penetrate, this place was considered the paradise of the circuists and the model state they aspired to impose on the world. The forests surrounding the city were beautiful, and their lush vegetation could have fooled anyone into thinking they were in a corner of Europe or Asia.

  Hachipusaq hummed a catchy melody, typical of the area, called "The God Dresses in Black" by Paul Salazar, a song that played at Tánatos' wedding.

  The city was calm, and although many people were out in the streets, Hachipusaq remained unnoticed.

  What was her goal? It was clear: the triumvirate.