The next day, Candado woke up at 7:15 in the morning. By that time, the sun was already shining in the sky, and the noise of motorcycles and cars circulating on the street could be heard. Candado stood up, still sleepy and unwilling, and headed to the bathroom next to his room. His room looked more like a hotel room. He splashed his face with ice-cold water in an attempt to shake off his laziness, but it had no effect. He grabbed his pink toothbrush, applied toothpaste, and then put it in his mouth, starting to brush his teeth for about five minutes. However, instead of spitting out the toothpaste when he finished, he swallowed it.

"Delightful," Candado said, looking at himself in the mirror with a cold expression.

Then, he returned to the adjoining room and looked out the window. From there, he could see his favorite tree in the garden, where he always sat to read or sleep.

"Good morning, guy," Candado said, looking at the tree with a half-smile.

After that, Candado positioned himself next to his bed, raised his left hand, and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, he began to undress without moving, ending up in his underwear. Then, the clothes in the wardrobe started flying toward him and went through the same process: first the dark pants and white socks, then the white shirt, followed by the red tie and brown gala vest, and finally, the shoes and white gloves. But something was still missing. His right hand lacked the glove. He went to his green dresser with nine drawers and opened one of the top ones. In that drawer, there were many gloves with the same design, symbol, and color. Candado took one of the thousands he had and put it on. Then, he closed it delicately and headed towards his cherished beret. He placed it on his head with finesse, opened the door, and went to the stable.

When he arrived there, Candado saw Uzoori sleeping in the hay. He approached him slowly, but when he was close enough, Uzoori stood up and looked at Candado. He quickly took off his beret and hid it behind his back, so Uzoori wouldn't do the same thing he had done last night.

—Forget it, Uzoori.

He saddled his horse and then led it to a kind of elevator that was there. In that place, there was a valve, and Candado approached it and turned it to the right. The elevator started descending at a moderate speed. The lift descended to the garage of the house, but as his parents had gone to work, the car wasn't there, making it easier to exit. Candado approached the huge metal garage door and pressed a button on the side of the door. It began to open at a somewhat slow speed. When the door opened completely, Candado mounted his horse and left the garage. Before leaving, he used his powers to close the door since he didn't feel like getting off the horse to close it. When the door closed, Candado galloped away from the house, crossing the nearly empty streets of the town. Finally, he ventured into the forest, on the outskirts of the village.

When he arrived there, Candado began patting the horse's neck to slow it down, and Uzoori began to walk through the forest. They reached a beautiful meadow where Candado checked his watch, and it was 8:36 in the morning. The sun was already rising in the sky. Candado patted Uzoori's head, and it stopped when its owner did. Candado dismounted and lay down on the soft grass on the ground.

"Do you see, Uzoori? I told you I'd take you for a walk. It's a beautiful place."

Uzoori lay down on the ground to eat the grass there. Candado was also lying on the ground, enjoying the beautiful grass and the fresh morning air. However, from one of the tall grasses, a small black snake with red spots was slowly approaching Candado. The reptile began to climb his leg unnoticed, advancing until it reached his chest. The snake raised its head and showed its teeth with the intention of biting him, but Candado still hadn't noticed its presence. When the snake was close to his face, it began to lick his nose. This made Candado burst into laughter due to the tickling sensations caused by the licks on his nose, until finally, he couldn't take it anymore and stood up. However, in doing so, the snake fell to the ground, hurting itself. Candado bent down to its level and apologized, saying:

"I'm sorry for standing up so abruptly."

The snake inclined its head and began to emit white smoke. From inside that reptile that was starting to envelop her, and after a few seconds, the smoke dissipated, revealing in its place a beautiful five-year-old girl who seemed annoyed. Candado knew her well; her name was Yara, which comes from the diminutive of Yarará.

Yara: She is a small girl of four and a half years with long reddish hair and yellow snake eyes. She wears a long black nightgown and white little shoes. She was raised by Candado and Mauricio when she was an egg, after losing her authentic mother in a forest fire. Despite her shyness, she is playful and only feels comfortable with Candado and Mauricio. She considers Candado her father and Mauricio her uncle.

Power: Despite being a snake, she is not poisonous because Candado shared part of his power with her to survive, which made her lose her venom. She can transform into a human, although as she is young, it often goes wrong. In addition, she can shed her skin to camouflage herself and use sand and dirt as a weapon.

Abilities: She is an expert at scaring her enemies due to her snake color.

After transforming into a human, Yara looked at Candado angrily and said:

"You're mean, dad, very mean. I was just playing."

"Forgive me, Yara. I didn't mean to hurt you," Candado said, feeling very sorry.

"I'll forgive you if you give me a piggyback ride."

Candado approached the little girl and lifted her in his arms, just as he does with his little sister Karen. Then, he looked at her and said:

"Are you happy now, Yara?"

"Yes, I am. You're forgiven.

"I'm glad. I don't like it when kids are mad at me."

"I could never be mad at dad," Yara said, hugging him.

"Hey, what do you want for your birthday? Look, it's only two days away."

"I don't know. I'd like to spend more time with you, dad."

"Alright, it's settled. I'll spend more time with the universe's sweetest girl."

"Who is that?"

"Who else could it be?" he continued, "You, of course. With whom do you think I'll spend your birthday?"

"Ah, sorry then!"

"You don't have to apologize. Honestly, I'm the one who should apologize."

"Apologize? Why would you have to apologize?" Yara asked.

"For making a joke with someone underage."

When Yara heard that, she looked at him, and he looked at her. After a few seconds, they both burst into laughter. But while they laughed, Candado began to feel tickling in his legs. This made his laughter disappear instantly, and in its place, his cold expression with the raised left eyebrow appeared.

"Dear, haven't you learned to control your transformation yet?"

"Yes, what gave me away?"

"I think... your tail was tickling me."

"I'm sorry," Yara said, blushing.

Candado gave her a kiss on the cheek and then hugged her.

"You're so sweet. I can't imagine how you'll be when you grow up."

"What was dad like when you were my age?"

"You'll probably be very beautiful. I love your little eyes."

Candado lay on the soft grass, holding Yara in the air, and any trace of seriousness or coldness disappeared completely.

"Fly, Yara!" Candado said as he swung her in the air from side to side. Yara extended her arms while laughing. Candado couldn't stop smiling, as if all his happiness was in the girl who called him dad.

"I'm flying, daddy! I'm flying!"

Then, Candado sat down and placed Yara on his lap so they could enjoy the morning landscape together.

"You know, I'm surprised you're awake at this hour."

"The truth is, I escaped from Uncle Mauricio's lessons." Candado couldn't help but laugh.

"Really? Don't you like his classes?"

"They're very boring. It's better to be outside and play with you."

"Mauricio wants to educate you so you can be a great lady."

Yara turned around and began reaching for Candado's beret with her small arms. He understood what she wanted, took off the beret, and placed it on her head. Since the beret was designed for Candado's head, it was too big for her. He couldn't help but chuckle seeing her like that.

"I can't see anything," Yara said as she extended her hands in all directions to feel her way around. Candado adjusted the beret so she could see. Then, he wrapped his arms around her.

I remember the first time I saw you; you were very small and cute. When I shared some of my powers with you..." Yara touched her chin with her hands.

"I would like to see where you live one day."

"Really?"

"Yes, I want to."

"Well."

Candado lifted her and took her to his horse, which was lying down eating grass. When they approached, he lifted her onto Uzoori's back, who quickly stood up, startling Yara. She held onto the horse tightly as it moved from side to side rapidly. Candado approached him and put his hand on his neck to calm him. When Uzoori felt his owner's hands on his neck, he calmed down and stood still, while Yara continued to cling to him with her eyes closed and puffed-up cheeks. Candado got on his horse and placed his left hand on Yara's head.

"You can let go now; there's no problem."

"No, if I do, he's going to throw me, far, far away, to the stars," Yara said, frightened.

Candado showed a smile on his serious face and put his hands on Yara's soft little hands. He approached her head and whispered.

"Nothing is going to happen; you can let go." When Candado said that, Yara calmed down and slowly began to release the horse. She also opened her eyes and exhaled all the air she had, causing her cheeks to return to their original state.

"I'm glad; nothing happened." But when she said that, Uzoori sneezed, making Yara scared again, and she hugged Candado tightly.

"Heavens, he wants to throw me!" Yara said frightened. Candado started laughing and responded with a hug and kisses on her head.

"Yara, it was just a sneeze; there's nothing to worry about," Candado said, trying not to laugh.

Yara continued hugging Candado, but this time, she was calm. Candado took the reins of the horse and sped up. During the journey, Yara began to admire the landscape of the trees in the area and was amazed. However, when they arrived in the town, Yara hid her face in Candado's vest because she was afraid of other humans, which made him feel tender due to the girl's shyness and reminded him of his own past. While he was distracted, watching how Yara was hugging him tightly, his horse stopped in front of his house. Candado checked his watch, and it was 9:50 in the morning.

"Wow, ten minutes to ten. Looks like you had fun, Uzoori," Candado said while petting the horse's neck.

"Where are we, Dad?" Yara asked with her face buried in Candado's chest.

"Well, we're at my home, the place where I live," Candado said. Yara slowly moved her face to see her father's house, but she was too afraid to keep moving her neck until Candado picked her up before getting off his horse. When they touched the ground, he lowered her in front of his feet. But as soon as Yara touched the ground, she hid behind Candado's legs.

"You're adorable, little one. It's okay."

Yara took a cautious step forward, but Candado lifted her and walked towards the entrance of the house. When they were there, he knocked on the door with difficulty. After a few seconds of waiting, the door opened, and Clementina, who was still sleepy, came out.

"Young master? When did you leave the house?"

"What the heck happened to you? You're not supposed to be capable of getting tired," Candado said.

"The truth is, the house doesn't have power due to the heat today, so I used a bit of my reserve energy. So, today, I won't be useful in my current state."

"Well, don't worry. I'll manage for now. Rest."

Clementina stepped aside so Candado could enter. She still hadn't noticed Yara's presence.

"Yes, forgive me, I'll be resting until the light returns," said Clementina as she left the place.

When she left, Candado took Yara's hand and quickly led her to his room. He sat her on his bed and told her to stay there until he returned because he had to take Uzoori to the stable.

But when Candado hurriedly left his room, Hammya, who had just woken up, came out of her room in green pajamas and headed to Candado's room. However, upon opening the door, she found a little girl sitting on Candado's bed playing with a stuffed animal. Hammya was filled with curiosity, wondering why there was a girl in the room of the guy with the worst temper in the country. She approached the girl playing, but as soon as she got close enough, the girl turned and was surprised, freezing in fear. Hammya, still curious, extended her hand to pat the girl's head, but the girl started crying, and seeing this, Hammya felt emotionally overwhelmed. The pain she felt was so intense that she knelt on the floor. The girl went from being sad and scared to being concerned and sorry for making Hammya feel bad. When Hammya felt the tiny hands of the girl on her back, she calmed down and smiled at the little girl who stopped crying.

At that very moment, Candado entered, shaking his hands, and seeing Hammya kneeling on the floor being comforted by a little girl, he found it amusing. "Well, I think this is something not to forget."

The girl, upon hearing Candado's voice, ran to him and hid behind his legs, while Hammya stood up and said, "Well, I'd like you to tell me about the girl hiding behind your legs."

"Her name is Yara, and she's a snake, don't worry, she's not venomous, just shy," explained Candado.

"Snake? Is this some kind of joke of yours?" asked Hammya.

"Girl, when did I make a joke?"

"Well, I thought you were funny."

"Well, you're mistaken, girl."

"Fine, let's assume I believe what you're saying. What is she doing here?"

"She is someone... important, yes, very important."

"Alright, but she's a bit scary. Look at her eyes, they're not normal."

"Neither are Clementina's, and I don't see you horrified by looking at them."

"But it's scary."

"I didn't see that a few minutes ago when you were kneeling on the floor being comforted by a little girl."

"Well, I didn't pay much attention to that, but now that she's looking at me, it scares me."

At that moment, Yara tugged at Candado's pants delicately. He looked at her and saw that she was signaling to talk to him. Candado leaned in, and when he was very close, Yara whispered something in his ear. Hammya, on the other hand, didn't understand what was happening. At one point, Candado started laughing, and Hammya got upset.

"What are you laughing about?" Hammya asked, annoyed.

"Nothing, she just says your hair is beautiful, and she apologizes for making you feel uncomfortable."

Hammya looked at the girl, and sensing her gaze, the girl hid behind Candado's legs. Hammya, not understanding why she hid, said, "If what he told me is true, then why doesn't she tell me directly?"

"Because Yara doesn't know you and thinks you might harm her. She's very sensitive."

"I'm not sensitive," Yara said annoyed.

"SHE SPOKE!" Hammya exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, that's obvious since she whispered in my ear."

When he said that, he carried Yara and placed her on his bed, then headed to the door.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"What are you going to do?" Hammya asked.

"I'm going to get some food for Yara, I won't be long. In the meantime, break the ice between you two."

When Candado left, the room fell silent, but with an uncomfortable silence. Until Hammya decided to ask something.

"How did you meet Candado?"

Yara didn't say anything, but her face showed a desire to answer that seemingly easy question.

"Alright, I'll change the question. What is Candado to you?"

"He's my father," Yara said without looking at her.

Hammya smiled and stroked her head, obviously not believing her. Instead, she saw a cute little girl saying cute things.

"Who is your mother, then?"

"I didn't meet her; she died when I was an egg."

When Hammya heard this, she was moved and sat next to the girl.

"I didn't meet my mother either. In fact, I didn't even meet my real parents."

Yara, upon hearing that, looked into Hammya's eyes.

"Really? Then who raised you?" Yara asked.

"A very kind man, who is now in heaven. He's like a father to me, so that's why I'm living here," said Hammya.

"Living with my dad?" Yara asked.

"Yes, you could say that."

At that moment, Candado entered with a plate containing two glasses of milk with dulce de leche cookies in his hand.

"Oh, I think you're getting along well. It's the first time Yara has spoken to someone other than Mauricio or me," said Candado.

"Mauricio?" Hammya asked.

"He's a friend of mine," said Candado as he handed the glasses to Hammya and Yara.

"What about you?" Hammya asked.

When she said that, Candado snapped his fingers, and instantly, a mate and a thermos flew from the kitchen to his hand.

"I am more refined," Candado said sarcastically as he sat in his chair. Hammya took a sip from the glass and set it aside.

Then, she stood up and approached Candado.

"Can I talk to you outside?"

"Sure, why not?" Candado said as he placed what he had in his hand on his desk.

Yara continued to enjoy her milk and cookies while Candado and Hammya left the room. Once they were outside, Candado closed the door.

"Well, what is so important that Yara shouldn't hear?" Candado asked.

"Candado, are you sick?" At that moment, he squinted his eyes and asked.

"What do you want to know exactly?" Candado asked.

"I'll get straight to the point. I saw you last night in the kitchen coughing up blood," Hammya said.

At that moment, Candado hid his eyes behind his eyelids. For a brief moment, when he opened them, he closed his bedroom door tightly to ensure Yara wouldn't overhear.

"Well, now you know. What do you want, then?"

"I want to know why you coughed up blood."

"And what if I don't tell you?" Candado challenged.

"If you don't, I'll make sure your guildmates find out. I know very well that you dislike discussing your personal problems with the guild."

"Are you blackmailing me?" Candado asked with a cold expression.

"It's not blackmail; it's the truth," Hammya said, trembling at his expression.

"You can say whatever you want; no one will believe you. You know, you're new to the guild, and they don't fully trust you. They might think you're from the Circuit, infiltrated into the brotherhood to weaken me and undermine my leadership."

"I don't think they would think that."

"Maybe not, but if I give them a little push, yes, they will."

"Like this? How will you do it then?"

"By lying," he continued. "They trust me blindly. If I say jump into a well, they do it. If I say the cow is red, it's red. And if I say you're a spy, they'll believe it. That's how wretched I am."

"You wouldn't dare."

"No? Try me. If you do it, I'll tell them you're a spy. Maybe it doesn't mean much to you, but for guilds, it's a very serious offense. Let me put it in other words: if the guild finds out you're a spy, they'll kick you out," Candado said with a smile on his face.

"Are you threatening me?"

"It's not a threat; it's the truth."

At that moment, Hammya changed; she stopped being afraid of him and turned furious. So much so that she confronted him.

"Listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you, Candado. I'm not afraid of you. Maybe you're used to people doing everything you say out of fear, but not me. I'll persist until you tell me what I want to know. Maybe if I tell them that, they won't believe me, but my words will linger in their minds, causing suspicion. I know your friend Hector will be the first to suspect. And when I'm dead for being a spy, as you say, they'll follow you twenty-four hours a day, and you won't be able to hide the simple fact that you coughed up blood. When they find out you lied to get me killed, your absurd name will be tarnished, just like the honor of the guild and your family. That's how wretched I am."

Candado stared at Hammya, realizing that her words were beautiful but empty since in some points, it wasn't true that she wasn't afraid. Although others might not have noticed, Hammya was terrified; her sweat increased, her hands trembled so much that she hid them behind her back. But it was true that she didn't care about Candado's threat to kill her since she saw in his eyes that Hammya was willing to tell the truth, no matter what, for Candado to tell her about his problem.

Then, he turned his back to Hammya and said.

"You've won, girl; I'll tell you."

"Well, thank God," Hammya said, relieved.

"But I'll tell you if you promise me two things."

"Okay, what are they?"

"The first is that you don't tell anyone. I don't want anyone else to know, so this will stay between us, just us two."

"I promise. And the second?"

"The second is that you answer this question: Why do you want to know?" Hammya blushed upon hearing Candado's second question, but she calmed herself and said.

"It's because you're my friend, and I'm worried about you," blushed Hammya.

"You have the courage to confront me, but it embarrasses you to say that. You're a very strange girl." —So, will you tell me?

"Yes, but not here." At that moment, Candado touched Hammya's shoulder, looked at his watch, and it was 10:20. Then he crouched down and touched the ground. After a few minutes, the house was dismantled until it was empty, leaving a white space, like a mental institution room but without the mattresses.

"What is this place?" Hammya asked.

"Don't worry, you're in my mind. It's very difficult and exhausting to bring you here. Nothing happens. Time doesn't matter when you're here. No one enters or leaves without my permission."

"But there's nothing here."

"There's nothing because you can't see my memories. But if this," Candado said as he snapped his fingers.

At that moment, the white room disappeared and transformed into a beautiful meadow. A red armchair also appeared in which Candado was sitting.

"Please, have a seat."

Hammya sat beside him, awaiting his response. Candado inhaled and then exhaled before starting.

"A while ago, I had a fight with a guy, I don't know his name, or his identity, as he wore a metal mask on his face, but I do know one thing: he was very strong. It was the most intense fight I've ever had in my life. When I was winning, the coward cast a spell on a kid passing by so that the boy wouldn't get hurt. I stepped in between the kid and the spell, thus absorbing the spell heading towards that boy. When that happened, the bastard laughed and told me that the spell was a poison that would slowly kill me."

"What happened to the guy?

"The bastard escaped that day. He told me he would kill me when I could no longer defend myself," said Candado.

"Haven't you tried to cure yourself in some way?"

"I tried everything, but there was no result."

"And will this kill you?"

"Indeed, unless I find the guy and force him to lift the spell."

"Is there another way to cure yourself or not?"

"Yes, there is, but for that to happen, I would have to find a very powerful healing method. But such power doesn't exist. There's no way a human has acquired that power."

"But there might be someone, there's always someone."

"Yes, it might be, but there isn't. It doesn't exist. It's fictional."

"Maybe over time, you'll heal. If I recall correctly, you're very strong. You can do it."

"Girl, I'm not getting better at all. The blood you saw on my glove is just the beginning. I can't destroy it, only... stop it as much as I can. Within a certain time, not only will I start spitting blood, but there will also be new symptoms."

"Symptoms? What kind of symptoms?"

"I won't be able to move my hands, arms, and legs. I'll also have partial blindness, nosebleeds, and ear bleeding. And, finally, I'll go into a coma. By that point, I won't be able to defend myself against the disease or my enemies. Then, there are two possible outcomes."

"

What are they?

"The first is that the damn disease kills me, or someone who hates me kills me once I'm in a coma."

"Well, I'll help you find the guy who did this to you."

"I'm thrilled by your solidarity, but it'll be impossible for you."

"Nothing is impossible for me."

"Stop using my lines, girl," criticized Candado.

"Sorry. Now I'd like to know, how are you going to keep that horned guy from finding out?"

"Tínbari? He already knows. It's impossible to hide my personal life from someone who's obsessively attached to me."

"Wow, really? How do you know that?"

"Because he's listening to our conversation right now."

"Where is he?" asked Hammya, alarmed.

At that moment, Tínbari manifested with the same black smoke in the beautiful landscape.

"Well, well, well, it seems impossible to hide from someone who reads people very well. Although, truth be told, I didn't know you were sick, and you don't even appear on my life clock."

"It's supposed to be your mind, Candado, and no one can enter," criticized Hammya.

"Yes, no one can enter without my permission, but Tínbari is my Bari, and unfortunately, he doesn't need permission to enter my mind because he is my owner, and I am his owner."

"What Candado said."

"Shut up, idiot," ordered Candado.

"If that's the case, why did you talk if you knew he was listening?"

"Because it was necessary for Tínbari to find out what's happening to me. Besides, it's very amusing to humiliate death. He didn't know that I have a spell slowly killing me. I evaded his damn death clock. As the song in tribute to Maradona says, 'If he knows how to dribble to scare away death.' In your face, Demonto."

"For this time, I bow to you for deceiving me," said Tínbari, kneeling.

"Why did you tell him that? Did you elude death?"

"What's the use of being eternal if you're going to spend the rest of your eternity as a vegetable? To no one, absolutely no one."

"If you put it that way, then it's okay."

"Well, of course. Remember that…"

"Candado, I wouldn't want to interrupt, but you can't have another person here for more than twenty-eight minutes."

"By Isidro Velázquez, you're right. I'm sorry, Hammya. Time's up."

Candado stood up and clapped twice. As soon as he did that, the beautiful meadow disappeared, and they were back in the room. When they were back, Candado knelt on the floor, exhausted.

"Candado, what's happening? Is it the illness?" asked Hammya, concerned.

"No, it's not that. This is what happens when I have another person for more than twenty-eight minutes," said Candado, panting from fatigue.

"Ha, stupid kid," Tínbari mocked.

At that precise moment, Yara opened the door and saw Candado lying on the floor. She ran towards him to help, even trying to lift him, but being small, she achieved nothing. She could only lift Candado's right arm. While Yara did that, Hammya assisted and placed Candado's left arm over her shoulder, allowing them to lift him off the floor. When Candado could finally stand up again, he said:

"Thanks for helping, but it wasn't necessary."

"I expected nothing less from you, Candado," said Tínbari.

"Don't you have a job to do?" Candado asked.

"Yes, you're right, I do have a job. See you, Candado," said Tínbari as he disappeared.

After the troublesome demon vanished, Candado picked up Yara and then descended to the living room with her in his arms, with Hammya following behind. When they were there, Candado saw Clementina lying on the couch with a terrible look on her face. This surprised him a lot; she was very devastated, and it was because she had used her reserve energy to power the house. Candado handed Yara over to Hammya. Since they had had a friendly conversation for a few minutes, Yara didn't cry or feel upset. Instead, she seemed to enjoy being with Hammya, even resting her head on her shoulder with a smile. Candado, on the other hand, went to the drawer next to the room where Clementina slept. From there, he took out a silver key. With it, he opened a small yellow door. Inside was a phosphorescent blue silicon jar, and next to it were three black buttons, which were the fuses that powered the house. Candado took the phosphorescent jar, but the energy still persisted in the house, indicating that the power had returned to normal. When he saw that everything was functioning, he closed the door, locked it, and put the key back in the same drawer. After that, Candado went to where Clementina was, sat beside her, lifted her body, and unbuttoned her shirt to reveal her belly.

"What are you doing, Candado?" whispered Hammya.

"I'm going to give her energy, my dear. Don't blush; I'm not going to do anything inappropriate."

Having said that, Candado ran his index finger across Clementina's belly in the shape of an X, and out of nowhere, her belly opened like a door. Once the abdomen was open, Candado inserted the phosphorescent jar into the opening and then closed it gently. After a few minutes, Clementina opened her eyes and started making strange noises. Her corneas turned blue with tiny white letters, almost unintelligible, and after a few minutes, her eyes returned to their original color.

"Well, it seems that no operating system has been damaged or lost. Everything appears to be in order," said Clementina.

"Why did you remove the reserve battery, knowing very well that without it, you couldn't stay on your feet?" asked Candado.

"Mr. Hipólito placed groceries in the refrigerator, groceries that cannot withstand today's heat," replied Clementina.

"I didn't know it was hot," said Hammya.

"Exactly, miss, you didn't feel the heat because the house has twelve air conditioners to cool it down and prevent the gentlemen and the young master from feeling hot," said Clementina.

"SILENCE!" shouted Candado.

Clementina directed her gaze to the little girl in Hammya's arms.

"Who is that little person in Hammya's arms?"

"She is Yara, like a little sister to Candado," said Hammya.

"No, it's not true, she's my dad," said Yara, looking at Clementina.

"Young master, I believe she's not a human."

"Don't tell me, what made you notice?" Candado asked sarcastically.

"Wow, her eyes are terrifying, but she's beautiful," said Clementina.

"Why do they always tell me that?" asked Yara.

"It's strange. Who gave the girl that name?" asked Clementina.

"Mauricio, why?"

"Well, who would have thought, it's the first time I've seen a non-venomous Yarará," said Clementina.

"When I gave her some of my magic to survive, I accidentally took away her venom," said Candado.

"Wow, you're already a dad, that's very interesting," said Clementina.

"Don't make fun of me, Clementina," said Candado.

After she said that, Clementina stood up and said:

"Well, thank you very much for giving me energy, but I have to go. There are many things to do in the house."

When Clementina left the room, there were knocks on the door of the house. Candado went to see who was knocking, looked through the peephole in the door, and saw Mauricio with crossed arms. Without making him wait any longer, Candado opened the door and let him in.

"Good morning, Candado. I came to see if Yara was here."

"Yes, she's here, no problem," said Candado.

"Thank goodness, I need to take her back to my village. I'm going to teach her to read today," said Mauricio.

At that moment, Hammya burst in with Yara in her arms. Mauricio was surprised to see Yara in someone else's arms, as she feared everything except Candado and him.

"Well, this is strange. Yara would be crying if she were in someone else's arms besides ours," said Mauricio.

"Yes, it's surprising at first, but then you get used to it," said Candado.

At that moment, Hammya put Yara down, and when she was on the floor, she ran joyfully towards Mauricio, as all children do when they see their father coming home from work. Yara ended up hugging his leg. Mauricio touched his hat and said goodbye to Candado. Yara turned around and also said goodbye to both of them. Right at that moment, Mauricio and Yara vanished, turning into dry leaves.

"Wow, that was strange," said Hammya.

"You'll get used to it over time," said Candado as he closed the door.

When Candado closed the entrance, he turned around and stood still for a few minutes, looking Hammya up and down. This made her very uncomfortable, so much so that she asked:

"Why are you staring at me so much?"

"Now that I see you properly, it seems like you're a fan of the color green."

"Yes, any problem?"

"No, not at all. It just catches my attention."

"If that's the case, I'm also intrigued by the fact that you always dress formally."

"Whatever you say, emerald," said Candado as he took off his beret and placed it on the door's coat rack.

Hammya went upstairs and headed to her room, while Candado also went to his room. But when he was about to enter his room, he heard his sister crying, prompting Candado to go to Karen's room. When he entered, he saw his little sister crying. Although she was crying, it didn't catch his attention much when he saw her pacifier on the floor. Candado picked it up, snapped his fingers, and a bottle of water appeared out of nowhere. Candado used his flames and destroyed it, but mysteriously the water didn't fall; instead, it was floating. He took advantage of this, washed Karen's pacifier with that water, and when he finished, he opened the window and used his powers to remove the water from the room. Then, he closed it, went over to his sister, put her pacifier back, covered her with a little blanket, and finally kissed her on the forehead.

After that, he left his sister's room and, this time, headed to his own. He entered and lay down on his bed. By then, he had forgotten about what he had heard yesterday. Candado hadn't been thinking about everything that Bari had told him in that house. Initially, he thought it was all a joke, but that idea was disqualified when Slonbari showed up. What he had told him was majestic. He couldn't believe that the place where his grandfather longed to go was in total chaos, with wars, destruction, and death. Candado thought that going there wouldn't make a difference. That's when he realized that there are conflicts throughout the entire universe. It's incredible that Earth, with all its problems, hasn't entered into a catastrophic war of superhumans. Candado knew very well that as long as there is a balance between the guild members and the circuitists, nothing would happen, especially if he was present, as he is feared by the majority of the circuits. But, would it be a good idea to leave his planet to fight with other beings? Since if he abandoned Earth to fight with other fools, the U.F.E.T.C. would take advantage and invade the W.O.G.A.B., even though he himself had thought that the circuits and the guilds hardly ever fought. But if he didn't go to that planet, Earth would be threatened, and everyone would be in trouble. All this thinking was causing Candado a great deal of stress. He imagined his friends and family being killed and enslaved by both sides, Cotorium and the circuit. This made Candado have a very severe coughing fit, and as a result, he spit blood on the floor. While he was cleaning his lips with a handkerchief, a voice was heard.

"If you continue like this, soon the clock of your life will reach zero."

Candado turned around and saw Tínbari lying on his bookshelf.

"You're very annoying. Don't you have anything else to think about other than death?" Candado asked angrily.

"Calm down, gauchito. I didn't come to bother, just came to see how you were. I also care about my users," Tínbari said in a mocking tone.

"Don't lie to me. I know very well that you're not here to see if I'm okay."

"Yes, it's true. I only came to bother, but seeing how you are, I think I better leave."

"STOP! I know that's also a lie. Now tell me, why are you here?" Candado asked.

"I'm here because something interesting has happened that might interest you."

"What could be interesting now?"

"A bus has arrived in town with new passengers."

"And why should I care about that?"

"Wait, I haven't finished, Candado. The thing is, a guy from circuit number 666 has arrived on that bus."

"Circuit 666? It must be a joke, right?"

"Heh, it's a coincidence, nothing more. It's not diabolical or anything like that," Tínbari said.

"I don't give a damn if it's diabolical or not. Today is hot, and I don't want to go out to fight some idiot just because he wants to know a secret that he doesn't even know will benefit him."

"Oh, Candado, always finding excuses not to fight," Tínbari said.

"I just don't want to go look for him. Let him come to me, and that's it, makes my life easier. Candado, I suggest you go see him."

"No, I won't go, damn it, because it's hot."

"But you didn't complain when you went out to see Yara."

"Because it was 8:00 in the morning, and by that time, it's cool. But at 10:00, you can already feel the sun on your skin," Candado said.

"Then change into summer clothes and be done with it," Tínbari suggested.

"No, I won't change clothes and put on that crap. It's not my style. I'll stick with formal wear."

"Well, if that's the case, I can imagine seeing you lost in the Sahara or Gobi Desert, carrying a blanket and a stove in the hottest places on Earth."

"Shut up, I'll go when the sun goes down."

"But that's a long way off, kid. I think you should..."

"No way, I'm not leaving my room with the heat today."

"ENOUGH!"

At that moment, Tínbari's face changed and became more sinister than it already was.

"You're going out there, you'll fight that guy, and you'll win."

Candado didn't say anything, but his response was clear when he pulled out his knife and threw it at Tínbari's face, embedding it in the middle of his forehead. Tínbari had thought that showing a terrifying face would make him obey, but he was wrong. He didn't know that Candado would throw his knife in his face.

"You're more than trash. Do you think I'll be afraid just because you disfigure your face? Tínbari, you of all people know that after that training, I don't feel anything."

"I forgot, but it doesn't change the fact. You're going to go and fight," Tínbari said defiantly as he removed the knife from his forehead and left it on the desk.

Candado grabbed a small stool from under his desk, placed it in front of Tínbari, then stood on it and pressed his forehead against his.

"I won't go out there until the sun goes down."

"As you wish," Tínbari replied as he disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

When Tínbari left, Candado got off his stool and put it back under his desk. Then, he lay back on his bed to sleep. But as he was falling asleep, he started to feel heat out of nowhere. When he opened his eyes, he realized that, somehow, he was outside under scorching sun. At that moment, Tínbari appeared with a smile.

"Well, you're outside now. Now we just have to wait for that opponent."

"What do you think you're doing? I told you I didn't want to go out."

"I thought if I couldn't bring you out voluntarily, then I'd force you out."

"You're a..."

"Oh, just in time, here he comes."

At that moment, a boy in winter clothing was slowly approaching the place where Candado was.

"Don't mess with me, how can he wear those clothes with this heat?" said Candado, surprised.

When the boy stopped in front of Candado, Tínbari disappeared with a laugh that only Candado could hear. While he glared at the boy, irritated by the heat, Faustino introduced himself and said:

"Greetings, I'm Hernán Faustino from Circuit No. 666 in Tierra del Fuego. Nice to meet you."

"Very well, Fausto, I've noticed that every time you speak, you release vapor from your mouth, not to mention you're wearing winter clothes."

"Yes, my power is based on ice and water, but unfortunately, to fight without harming the innocent, I have to wear this so my powers don't freeze others," said Faustino.

"Ah, good for you," said Candado.

"If it's okay with you, then let's fight."

"Not today, it's too hot. Another day."

As Candado was leaving, Faustino froze Candado's feet, incapacitating him from escaping. Then he turned around and said:

"I hate violence, but once I get angry, nothing can stop me."

"I'd like to see that," Faustino said with a smile.