The day had arrived.
The sun rose slowly over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of gold and pale blue.
Kevin, Julian, Luis, and Alexys walked down a hill toward the vast plains below.
Behind them, the city faded into the distance.
Buildings.
Streets.
Routine.
Ahead… only wind and destiny.
Luis and Alexys walked in front, chatting excitedly like two young men who could still forget the weight of the world for a few minutes.
Behind them came Kevin and Julian.
Silent.
Observant.
Julian broke the silence.
"Can I tell you something? But… don't tell anyone."
Kevin didn't even turn his head.
"Go ahead."
Julian took a deep breath.
"I haven't felt Ray in a while."
Kevin frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"I know he's still sealed inside me," Julian said. "But he's been too quiet."
Pause.
"Silent. Like he's… waiting for something."
Kevin finally looked at him.
"Since when?"
Julian answered without hesitation.
"Since the moment you disappeared."
The wind passed between them.
But before Kevin could reply—
Luis turned back and shouted from ahead:
"Kevin! How's Alexys's training going to work?"
Kevin stopped walking.
He looked directly at Alexys.
His eyes changed.
Absolute blue.
The air distorted.
Without warning—
the ground beneath Alexys opened into a dark void.
"Hey—?!"
Space pulled him instantly.
Alexys vanished.
The portal closed.
Silence.
Luis's eyes widened.
"WHAT did you just do?!"
Kevin resumed walking as if nothing had happened.
"I sent him to train."
Julian blinked, surprised.
"I thought we were introducing him to everyone first."
Kevin answered coldly:
"That can wait."
Pause.
"What we need right now… is for him to win."
His steps remained firm.
"He needs to bring Frederin."
"The rest of the plan… only my uncle knows."
Luis stopped walking.
His expression hardened.
"If anything happens to Alexys… you'll pay for it."
Kevin stopped.
Turned slowly.
His blue eyes glowed brighter.
"The strong are forged through hardship."
Heavy silence.
"If he dies…"
A brief pause.
"…then he wasn't strong enough."
Luis lunged forward.
A direct punch.
THUM.
The fist stopped midair.
An invisible barrier vibrated between them.
Kevin simply watched.
No emotion.
No effort.
Julian felt the air grow heavy.
And then—
Kevin looked deeply at him.
The world changed.
—
Kevin stood somewhere else.
An infinite hall.
Everything burned.
Black flames rose like pillars.
At the center…
Ray.
Seated upon a throne.
Smiling.
Ray chuckled softly.
Men made of pure darkness appeared around him.
They advanced.
Kevin did not retreat.
One punch.
Another.
Shadow bodies shattered apart.
One grabbed him.
Kevin raised his left hand.
A small green sphere formed at the tip of his finger.
He fired.
The sphere pierced the creature's chest.
Light.
Silence.
Kevin stared at the throne.
"Ray…"
The flames grew higher.
"The King of Illusions."
Everything darkened.
The vision collapsed.
—
In reality…
Kevin had never moved.
To Luis and Julian, he had simply stood still for a few seconds.
Then he blinked.
And resumed walking.
As if he had just understood something.
"Illusions…"
He inhaled slowly.
"Luis. Today is the 8th."
"Let's gather everyone."
Luis nodded slowly.
"Let's do it."
Julian looked at both of them.
"The way you talk… it sounds like everyone's going to die."
Luis answered without looking back.
"We don't know what's coming."
Pause.
"Maybe… this is the beginning of a war."
The three began climbing the hill again.
Back toward the city.
Back to the board.
Kevin touched his eyes.
"I'll get used to this ocular ability soon."
Luis replied:
"I'll investigate it."
"I want to know whether you created something new… or if this power already has a name."
Kevin smiled faintly.
"Good idea."
The wind blew.
---
The apartment was quiet.
Steam filled the bathroom.
Ryane closed the curtains.
Then the window.
She turned the shower handle.
Water poured down heavily.
She stood still for a few seconds, letting the water run through her hair and down her face while staring at the floor.
She took a deep breath.
"Peace…"
The water carried away her accumulated exhaustion.
"Now I'll go find something to eat and—"
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the apartment.
Ryane didn't move.
She simply closed her eyes.
Sighed.
And calmly finished her shower.
Minutes later, dressed and with a towel wrapped around her head drying her hair, she left the bathroom.
She opened the door.
And froze.
In the living room—
Kevin, Julian, and Luis sat around the table.
Cards scattered everywhere.
Competitive expressions.
An intense game of truco.
Julian slammed a card down.
"TRUCO!"
Luis pointed immediately.
"SIX!"
Kevin sighed.
"You two are impossible. I never win this game."
He looked up.
A crooked smile appeared.
"Well, well… decided to show up?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Sister… or rather…"
A dramatic pause.
"First Sentinel."
Ryane froze.
Eyes wide.
Her breathing faltered.
Tears began falling before she realized it.
"Kevin…"
She wiped her face quickly.
Changed her tone.
Firm posture.
Serious.
"Where were you, young man?!"
She walked quickly toward him.
"I was worried!"
She stopped in front of him.
Studied his face.
The scar.
His eyes.
The different aura.
"And that scar? Who did that to you?!"
Before he could answer—
she hugged him tightly.
Without permission.
Kevin froze for a second.
Then relaxed.
A small smile appeared.
"Let's gather our people…"
he said while looking ahead.
"Something big is coming."
Ryane pulled away.
"Luis's birthday?"
Luis raised his hand proudly.
"That's me!"
Kevin nodded.
"Yes… but something slightly less important than that."
A teasing grin appeared.
"The tournament at the Blue Arena."
Ryane crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"In that case… we have A LOT to talk about."
She looked around the room.
Then at the wall.
Then the floor.
Then the completely destroyed window.
Silence.
She slowly turned back to them.
"…but only after you fix my window."
Without warning—
she jumped onto Kevin, locking him in a half-headlock.
Kevin laughed.
"Alright, alright!"
Julian immediately raised his hands.
"Ryane, I'll pay for the window later!"
He was already grabbing his coat.
"Let's move!"
Luis gathered the cards quickly.
"Mission officially started!"
Kevin stood up, still laughing.
"The team is together again…"
He looked at each of them.
Something had changed in his gaze.
More mature.
Heavier.
More dangerous.
Outside, the wind swept through the city streets.
Several black crows took flight.
Kevin spoke:
"It's 10 a.m… perfect."
He looked around Ryane's apartment.
Now full.
Sebastian.
Luna.
Augusto.
María.
Julian.
Kira.
Luis.
Ryane.
Everyone gathered.
I thought it would take longer to find everyone… Kevin thought.
But no. That was fast.
The silence lasted only seconds.
Augusto approached first.
No ceremony.
No grand speech.
Just a sincere smile.
"Good to see you again."
Kevin nodded.
Before he could respond—
María ran forward and jumped onto him.
"I MISSED YOU!"
She nearly knocked him over.
"Where were you?!"
Kevin held her so they wouldn't fall.
"Just… traveling the world."
She stepped back slightly, analyzing him.
The scar.
The white hair.
The different eyes.
"What happened to your face?"
"And why is your hair white?!"
Kevin looked away slightly.
"A cat scratched my face."
"And the white hair… old age."
María narrowed her eyes.
Clearly unconvinced.
But she respected it.
Kira crossed her arms, observing.
"Kevin… you definitely got stronger."
"Did you come back for the exam?"
Kevin shook his head.
"No."
"Technically, the kingdom considers me dead."
"I'm not even registered on the power scale anymore."
He inhaled slowly.
"I'm here to complete a mission."
Sebastian, silent until then, spoke calmly:
"Does your mission involve Richard Dinark… your uncle?"
"And where would you place yourself on the power scale?"
Kevin walked toward him.
They shook hands firmly.
"Yes."
"Seems someone here knows more than they should."
He continued:
"Power scale?"
Pause.
"I'd say… I have enough power to destroy a kingdom."
Absolute silence.
No one laughed.
No one doubted him.
Except—
Julian.
"Talking is easy."
"Doing it is harder."
He crossed his arms.
"Better show everyone why we're here."
Kevin smiled.
His eyes turned dark blue.
The air froze.
Instantly—
everyone except Julian and Luis became motionless.
Like statues.
Trapped.
Seeing.
Living.
Feeling.
Luis watched, fascinated.
Spectacular… he thought.
If I had this ability, I'd do unbelievable things.
The vision ended.
The world returned.
Augusto was the first to breathe deeply.
"So… all this time… a dictatorship has been controlling the kingdoms?"
"And it starts with ours?"
Kevin nodded.
"Yes."
Ryane stepped forward.
"Then we need to protect the Minister of Defense."
"If he's doing things right… he'll be the Masked One's first target."
Luis raised a hand.
"Everything stays secret."
"We split up."
He pointed at the group.
"Some protect Adrian covertly."
"Others monitor the kingdom."
"And the strongest… after me…"
He smiled lightly.
"…prepare for the 10th."
Kevin continued:
"We're assuming the tournament might not even happen."
"It could just be… the beginning of an attack."
Kira asked:
"You're sure the messenger will appear there?"
Luis nodded.
"That I'm certain of."
"I just don't know if the world will still be the same afterward."
Sebastian naturally took command.
"Augusto and Ryane — full preparation if things collapse."
"Kira and María — watch the city's surroundings."
"Julian, Ruby, and I protect Adrian."
Augusto raised a finger.
"Small detail… Ruby's with Richard."
Julian shrugged.
"Doesn't matter."
"What matters is bringing Frederin before it's too late."
Kevin added:
"I could retrieve him now…"
"…but that would be pointless."
He smiled faintly.
"He'll return on the 10th."
Kira asked:
"Then who's bringing him?"
Luis answered first:
"The surprise element."
A curious silence filled the room.
Augusto held Ryane's hand.
"Your birthday gift, Luis…"
"…will be the transformation of our kingdom."
Luis laughed sincerely.
Without warning—
he walked to the window.
And jumped.
Wind rushed inside.
Kevin followed.
"See you later, everyone."
"I've got work to do."
Goodbyes came naturally.
María hugged him again.
"Don't disappear again."
Kira nodded once.
"Come back alive."
Sebastian placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I trust you."
Luna touched his hair gently.
"I don't fully believe in your plan… but it's what we have."
Julian bumped fists with him.
"Don't die before me."
Ryane stayed last.
She said nothing.
Only held his arm for a moment.
A sister's gaze.
Silent concern.
Kevin looked at Augusto and Ryane's intertwined hands.
He smiled.
His eyes returned to normal.
He opened the window—
and jumped.
—
Outside.
Luis was already a distant point in the sky.
Kevin fell toward the streets—
but before touching the ground—
green chains of essence burst from his hands.
They shot forward like living lightning.
Hooking onto a building's rooftop.
His body was pulled forward.
He spun through the air.
Another chain fired.
Then another.
And another.
Kevin crossed the city at extreme speed, swinging between buildings like an aerial predator.
Every movement fluid.
Natural.
Green essence left glowing trails behind him.
Windows trembled as he passed.
Papers scattered through the air.
Only green flashes slicing across the sky.
Below, people barely understood what they had seen.
Kevin accelerated.
Passing rooftops.
Leaping towers.
Chasing the distant figure of Luis.
The wind struck hard against his face.