"And now, what do I do?" Aiden thought, paralyzed by terror as he watched the monstrous creature approach with heavy steps that made the ground tremble beneath his feet. The air vibrated with each step, as if the earth itself was about to collapse. His wide, panic-stricken eyes locked onto the multiple heads of the abomination. Each one gleamed with fangs sharp as bloodied blades, dripping thick saliva that hissed upon touching the ground, leaving small smoking craters where it fell.
The beast looked at him with a mix of insatiable hunger and almost human sadism. "You won't have the same luck as your friend," growled one of the heads in a guttural voice that seemed to resonate from the depths of hell, enveloping him in an unsettling echo. "I'll devour you slowly, piece by piece, with each of my heads, savoring every scream of agony." The serpentine tongues of the heads slithered lasciviously over their fangs, anticipating the macabre feast that was about to begin.
The acrid stench of death and decay invaded Aiden's nostrils, making it hard for him to breathe. His heart pounded fiercely, like an uncontrollable drum inside his chest. He wanted to move, to run, to fight, but his body wouldn't respond. He was trapped, like an insect, under the weight of an invisible boot.
"I think they couldn't…" murmured the Superiority in a grave tone, addressing the Cosmic Cloud as he watched the time dwindle inexorably. His voice resonated with frustration and concern, as if each word carried more weight than the last. "Earth will be doomed before that creature, and the boy… is going to die. What a pity. I liked him." His words hung in the air, laden with melancholy and resignation.
"Stay calm," the Cosmic Cloud responded with ethereal calmness, her glow fluctuating slightly as if trying to transmit serenity. "I know they'll pull through. Have faith." Her voice was soft but firm, like a reassuring whisper seeking to dispel the shadows of fear.
"But how can you not see?" the Superiority retorted, raising his tone slightly, his figure vibrating with impatience. "They swallowed his friend, the one with the system! And now only that boy who opens portals and materializes things remains, but he's paralyzed, unable to move from the spot." He paused, as if the words were too heavy to utter all at once. "There's no hope," he concluded, though a trace of doubt lingered in his voice, as if he wanted to believe otherwise.
Inside the beast, Podbe was still alive. Though not free, his analytical mind refused to succumb to panic. Instead, he searched for an exit, drawn deeper into the monster as if by an invisible magnet. He moved through dark, slippery tunnels where the metallic smell of blood saturated the thick, humid air, making every breath a struggle. Each step echoed like a hollow sound within the creature's internal cavities, interconnected like pulsating veins that fed its multiple demonic heads. Finally, he reached a central chamber illuminated by a dim, supernatural light. There, floating in the center of the room, was a luminous sphere that seemed to pulse with a life of its own.
Within the sphere, Podbe recognized a familiar figure: Drake. Or at least he thought so. The figure inside the sphere bore a face that seemed familiar, but it was marked by unfathomable pain and despair that appeared to consume him entirely. It was as if he were trapped in eternal torment, struggling against invisible forces that kept him prisoner.
Podbe frowned, studying the scene carefully. His sharp gaze scanned every detail of the figure enclosed in the glowing sphere. "When was he captured?" he wondered, trying to mentally reconstruct the events that could have led to this situation. The posture of the figure inside the sphere was tense, as if fighting against unseen forces that held him captive. His face, though distorted by suffering, remained recognizable to Podbe: Drake. Or at least that's what he believed.
The environment seemed to respond to his thoughts, vibrating slightly as if the chamber itself were aware of his presence. The dense, moisture-laden air made breathing difficult, and the metallic scent of blood persisted, saturating each breath he took. Podbe shook his head, forcing himself to focus. There was no time for doubt. If he freed Drake, perhaps he could change the course of events. But something didn't add up. Why was he here? What purpose did this prison within the monster serve?
"If I free Drake, maybe he can help me," Podbe thought, quickly calculating the possibilities. He raised his hands, ready to attack, and murmured with determination: "STAR CLAW." But before he could complete the motion, two figures emerged from the shadows with a deafening roar. A white bull, with horns as sharp as spears, and a giant eagle, whose feathers gleamed like the sun at its zenith, blocked his path to the sphere. Their bodies radiated a primitive and powerful energy, and their roars and screeches reverberated through the chamber like thunder, vibrating in Podbe's very bones.
"I don't have time for this," Podbe growled, annoyed by the interruption. With a swift movement, he unleashed several Galactic Punches that struck the animals, sending them crashing to the ground. "They weren't as strong as I expected," he muttered, though his body showed signs of fatigue. However, before he could proceed, sharp horns emerged from the darkness and charged at him with tremendous force. Podbe barely managed to block the attack with his arms, feeling the impact reverberate through his bones. Before him stood an enormous minotaur wielding a mace the size of a man.
"If I destroy this, I'll finish off Zeus once and for all," Podbe told himself, resolute. With a roar, he lunged toward the minotaur, executing a "NOVA STOMP" that shook the entire internal structure of the beast. The mace and the minotaur's body are disintegrated in an explosion of energy. Before anything else could emerge, Podbe activated his "STAR CLAW," slicing through the sphere's casing. An agonized voice screamed throughout the chamber: "No!"
The interior of the beast began to collapse, fragmenting like a shattered mirror under the weight of its own mass. The walls cracked, and the creature's deafening roar echoed with uncontrollable fury. "I have no other choice," Podbe thought as he eyed one of the nearest walls. "I'll have to exit through here," he murmured, determined. With a shout of concentration, he unleashed a "GALACTIC FIST" against the surface, tearing through the hydra's flesh as if it were wet paper.
At that very moment, outside, the hydra was already prepared to attack Aiden. Its multiple heads leaned toward him, ready to tear him apart slowly. But just before the fangs could touch him, a thunderous boom erupted from the beast's stomach: "GALACTIC FIST!" Suddenly, the hydra's skin exploded, and Podbe emerged flying, carrying someone else with him. His figure was imposing, enveloped in a faint yet mysterious light.
"Podbe, you're back!" Aiden shouted, his eyes shining with relief and amazement as he realized his friend hadn't been devoured. A weak but sincere smile crossed his face. "I guess I'm kind of immortal," Podbe replied as he descended from the creature's chest. As he touched the ground, the hydra let out one last desperate roar before collapsing, becoming a heap of inert flesh that trembled like jelly.
Aiden looked at the stranger accompanying Podbe, confused. "And who is that?" he asked, pointing to the man who stood silently beside them, his expression serene but inscrutable. "You don't know him, but this is Chief Drake," Podbe responded confidently, though his eyes reflected a shadow of doubt.
"Huh? Drake? My grandfather?" Aiden murmured, tilting his head as he studied the man carefully. "Well, I only saw him briefly, but… what was he doing in there? Besides, he doesn't look much like him," he added, frowning skeptically. His voice trembled slightly, as if trying to reconcile the figure before him with the hazy memories he had of his grandfather. "Are you sure?" he asked, turning to Podbe for confirmation.
Before Podbe could articulate a response, a deep and resonant voice emerged from the surroundings, vibrating in the air like an ancient echo sliding into every corner of the space. "Marvelous," declared the Superiority, its tone brimming with palpable satisfaction. Two gigantic hands erupted from the ground with a low crunch, as if the earth itself were being molded by its will. It began to clap slowly, and the sound reverberated like distant thunder, enveloping everything in an inevitable reverence.
In the sky, hundreds—perhaps thousands—of eyes floated like living constellations, their irises spinning slowly like miniature galaxies. Some were as large as the sun, others as tiny as sparks, but all shared an unsettling quality: they seemed to observe every angle, every movement, every unspoken thought simultaneously. They blinked in unison, like a coordinated pulse beating in rhythm with something far greater than any living being. Their hypnotic glow cast golden and silvery flashes over the landscape, transforming the environment into an ethereal and awe-inspiring canvas.
Among the eyes, mouths of all sizes and shapes opened and closed silently, like cracks in the fabric of the world. Some smiled with teeth as sharp as blades; others curved into expressionless grimaces, while a few remained half-open, murmuring unintelligible words that intertwined into a constant hum. This collective whisper filled the air, a chorus of murmuring voices that seemed to come from all directions at once, as if the wind itself were speaking. The metallic scent of their presence saturated the atmosphere, dense and oppressive, like the smell of a contained electrical storm on the verge of erupting.
"You made it just in time," the Superiority added, its voice flowing like a cascade of overlapping echoes, both melodic and unsettling. Its gaze—or rather, its gazes—settled on the cosmic clock. As it stopped, the final click resounded like a bell toll, breaking the silence with a precision that chilled the blood. Time seemed to hold its breath, and space itself appeared to bow before its authority.
This place was not merely a setting; it was an extension of the Superiority. The arms emerging from the ground were as real as the air being breathed, and the walls of the environment were covered with eyes that blinked in unison, watchful and omniscient. The mouths in the sky murmured unintelligible words, a constant hum that seeped into the minds of those who heard it, sowing doubts and certainties simultaneously. Everything there pulsed with life, a conscious organism that throbbed in rhythm with the entity.
"I told you," the Cosmic Cloud remarked with an ethereal smile. "You shouldn't have doubted me." The Superiority nodded, though its eyes remained fixed on the trio before it. "You're right, this pair is special. But… who is that person with them?" it asked, pointing to the figure accompanying them. "I don't know," the cloud replied, shrugging slightly. "Well, it doesn't matter," the Superiority concluded with an impatient gesture. "Just leave. Take whoever that person is out of my sight and out of my dimension."
"But sir, I can't open any more portals. I'm too weak," Aiden protested, his voice trembling. The Superiority snorted, visibly annoyed, and extended one of its enormous hands toward them. Without giving them time to react, it swallowed them all: Aiden, Podbe, and the supposed Drake. None of them knew who the man accompanying them truly was, but there was no time for questions. "Wait!" exclaimed the Cosmic Cloud, trying to stop it. But it was too late. The Superiority had already sent them back to Earth.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Aida and the others were gathered, downtrodden and worried. They didn't know if they would ever see Aiden and Podbe again. The sky, gray and oppressive, seemed to reflect their despair. But then, something extraordinary happened. From the firmament emerged an enormous hand that appeared to tear through reality itself, as if ripping a hole in the fabric of the universe. Melisa, always alert, began filming the phenomenon with astonishment.
The giant hand released something that plummeted rapidly toward the ground. It was Aiden and Podbe. Instantly, Podbe created an energy platform beneath them to prevent them from crashing. "It's good to see you again," Reia said, looking up at the sky as she watched Aiden and Podbe descend. Her voice was warm and comforting, like a ray of sunshine after a storm.
"They're back!" she exclaimed, overjoyed. "Yes!" Aiden responded happily. "But it seems something happened to Podbe." Both looked at the canine, who had now reverted to his dog form. Aiden approached him with a smile. "We did it, didn't we?" Podbe stared at him intently but didn't respond. Instead, he let out a small bark that resonated like an echo of triumph.
The others came running to where Aiden and Podbe had appeared, their faces lit up with relief and excitement. Everyone gathered to hug Aiden, who seemed safe and sound, and also Podbe, whose canine form remained familiar and comforting. However, soon Aiden and Podbe noticed through their mental link that something wasn't adding up. "Hey!" Aiden exclaimed, pointing to the man who had fallen with them. "We thought this guy was Mr. Drake, well, my grandfather… but it's not him. Look, Podbe! Drake is coming with the others!"
Podbe frowned, looking at the stranger with suspicion. "Yes, you're right. But then, who is this?" he asked, tilting his head to one side as if trying to solve a puzzle. Reia quickly interjected. "They came with someone else," she said in a calm but intrigued voice. They explained what had happened to Reia, but she shook her head. "Drake was always here. So, who could it be?"
Everyone gathered around Podbe and Aiden again, enveloping them in warm hugs and relieved laughter. The group celebrated their return as if they had escaped the very jaws of fate, but the two young men didn't share the same joy. Their faces, marked by shadows of concern, revealed an unease that no one else seemed to notice. The smiles of the others were genuine, but for Podbe and Aiden, the weight of what they had endured still hung over their shoulders like an invisible cloak.
Billy, always curious and restless, was the first to break through the silent tension. He approached Aiden with light steps, his expression filled with that characteristic mix of enthusiasm and confusion. "Hey, buddy! Where did you go? You were here just a second ago, and then… poof, you appeared out of nowhere," he said, making an exaggerated gesture with his hands, as if trying to recreate a magical explosion in the air.
Aiden frowned, looking at him as if he'd just heard something absurd. "What are you talking about? We were gone for almost half an hour," he replied, his tone laced with disbelief. His voice sounded higher than usual, a result of the frustration beginning to grow inside him.
"Half an hour? No, you were only gone for a minute… or so I think," Billy countered, scratching the back of his neck distractedly. His gaze wandered to the ground, as if trying to decipher an invisible puzzle.
"I see," Aiden murmured, slowly understanding. "Time flows differently in that place." He was about to tell them about their battle against the hydra, about the entity known as the Superiority, when a voice echoed behind them, interrupting everything.
"Thank you for bringing me back to this world. I'll have to start all over again," the voice said calmly, almost casually. Everyone turned abruptly, startled by the sudden appearance. Before them stood a tall, thin man, wrapped in a dark cape that billowed as if caught in an invisible wind. Azulema pointed at him in disbelief. "Drake!"
"It can't be true," Leila protested, looking back and forth between the newcomer and the real Drake, who was still standing with the group. "If he's here with me, then who are you?" The man smiled enigmatically before raising a hand to his face. With a fluid motion, he removed a mask that perfectly mimicked Drake's appearance, revealing his true identity.
"You again!" Adrian, Eduard, and Ezequiel exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with astonishment and horror.
"That's right," the man replied with an arrogant smile. "It's me."