The forest whispered with an ancient murmur, leaves rustling to the rhythm of a wind that came from nowhere. Flox ventured down the narrow path, guided by signs of withered vegetation and unease in the air. With each step, the earth seemed drier, more hostile. Finally, after a curve of twisted roots, he saw it.
A tall tree, broken in the middle, stood like a spear against the sky. Its bark was blackened in an irregular pattern, as if it had been struck by lightning that did not burn, but bled magic. And beneath its shadow, something moved.
Flox drew his sword.
"Who goes there?" he growled firmly.
The body on the ground slowly rose. A young man, partially covered in what looked like sky-blue scales, looked at him with confused but calm eyes. His hair was messy, and the energy around him pulsed like a sick star.
"What... are you?" Flox asked, tensing his posture.
"Me...?" said the young man, looking at his own hands, as if he were just now recognizing himself. His voice sounded as if it hadn't been used in centuries. "I don't remember... only... the fire... and the broken sky."
Flox did not lower his sword.
"I warn you, if you are cursed or part of the darkness that afflicts this forest..."
"Darkness? No... I'm not that," whispered the young man, staggering. "But something is coming. Something worse than me. Much worse."
At that moment, a cold wind swept through the area, bringing with it a sour stench, like rancid meat and rotten magic. The trees shook and the sky turned gray, as if time itself had held its breath.
And then, two figures emerged from the path: Cata and Adrian.
"Flox!" Cata shouted. "Are you okay? What's going on?"
Flox lowered his guard just a little and pointed to the scaly boy.
"I found him at the foot of the tree. It's not black magic... it's ancient magic. Very ancient. And I don't think he's here by accident."
Cata approached cautiously. When her eyes fell on the young man, a chill ran down her spine. Something about him... a presence... like a forgotten memory that wasn't hers.
"What is your name?" she asked, with a mixture of gentleness and authority.
The young man hesitated for a moment. Then, as if a spark had lit up his mind, he said:
"My name is... Dragaba."
The silence grew thick. Cata exchanged glances with Adrian, who frowned.
"That name..." he murmured. "It's in the ancient songs. The human with scales. The forgotten hero."
"What are you saying?" Flox took a step back. "Is he... that Dragaba?"
"It can't be," Cata denied, though doubt crept into her voice. "That was centuries ago. No one can live that long... unless..."
"Unless he's not entirely human," Dragaba whispered, lowering his gaze. "And I... I don't know if I am anymore."
Behind them, the tree creaked loudly, as if something else was awakening inside it. The roots began to crack. A dark energy spilled out from inside the trunk, snaking like living blood.
"That tree isn't dead!" shouted Adrian. "It's sealing something!"
"Back up!" ordered Cata, unsheathing her Shinimoto, whose blade glowed like a full moon. "Get ready! Whatever it is... it's breaking free."
And so, in the heart of the forest, amid the echoes of a legend and the open wound of time, the Catanuncios faced a truth greater than any myth: the forgotten hero had returned. And with him, the secrets that could shatter the Kingdom of Azure.