It was Monday, July 15th, the last day of school for everyone. Although classes had been canceled due to a teacher strike, this was to be the true final day. Candado, who had gained a reputation as a "mafia boss" for two reasons—his personality, attitude, and character, and because he always carried a black briefcase that gave the impression he was carrying a weapon—was unusually happy that morning. He had a grin from ear to ear, and he had been like that since he woke up. Usually, Candado hated waking up early, detested any noise or voices around him, but what he loathed most were questions, whether smart or completely stupid.

However, that morning something was different. He was so happy that it made Clementina and Hammya uncomfortable, all because his mother had hugged him that morning, releasing all her bitterness and pain onto him.

As they walked to school, Candado swung his briefcase from side to side.

“It’s a shame my parents couldn’t take me to school this morning,” said Candado.

“Yeah, such a shame,” replied Clementina, avoiding looking at Candado’s back due to the discomfort she felt.

“But they said they’d come to pick me up today. I can’t wait for 12:30, I’m so anxious.”

“Right, it must be quite an achievement,” added Hammya with her usual smile.

The trio arrived at the school gate, which was open. The janitor was cleaning and whistling, also in a good mood. Candado walked toward his classroom, with Hammya and Clementina by his side. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled, placing his hand on the doorknob to open the door.

“Hello, friends!” Candado said cheerfully.

But that greeting made everyone tense: Declan, Lucas, Walsh, Héctor, Viki, Germán, and Clementina (Hammya had no idea what was happening). Especially Clementina, who was left speechless. There was a girl in the room. She was pretty, with brown eyes, a scar over her left eye, and long dark brown hair tied into a ponytail with braids, adorned with white bows. She wore dangling diamond earrings, a dark blue beret, fine black trousers, matching shoes with gold buckles, a white shirt, a blue pullover with a red tie, and white gloves with the symbol of a black heart on the palm.

“Hey, long time no see,” said the girl, raising her hand exaggeratedly with a smile.

Candado didn’t say a word. He stood frozen, with the same expression he had when he arrived.

“Candado, it’s not what you think,” Héctor intervened.

At that moment, Liv appeared in her school uniform, alongside Pucheta in his usual attire.

“Oh, if it isn’t Luis.”

“Luis?” Hammya asked.

Candado dropped his briefcase and ran toward Luis, fist clenched. Luis dodged him quickly, and instead, Candado hit the wall. His joyful expression slowly changed, shifting from fake happiness to casual, then serious, cold, disgusted, angry, and finally furious, with eyes full of rage. It was like watching a robot switch personalities.

The happy Candado had only lasted a few hours. The new Candado had returned, and this time, he was more bloodthirsty.

“I made it clear last time: if I ever saw you again, I’d tear you to pieces.”

“Yeah, I heard you loud and clear,” Luis responded indifferently.

Candado turned, raised his arm, and pointed at Luis. The tension in the room grew; everyone knew what was coming.

“Candado, stop!” Héctor yelled, hesitating.

At that moment, Héctor, Declan, Germán, and Lucas rushed at him, throwing him to the ground, trying to calm him down.

“Candado, stop! You’re going to destroy the school,” insisted Germán, trying to hold his arm.

“Let it be destroyed. I have enough money to rebuild it as many times as necessary,” Candado replied coldly.

“That’s not the point,” said Héctor.

Candado struggled more and more, fueled by his anger, while Luis watched from the teacher’s desk, sitting with a carefree smile. This enraged Candado even further, and slowly, he began breaking free from his friends, his rage giving him strength.

Hammya, understanding what was happening, walked until she stood between Candado and Luis, catching the latter’s attention.

“Miss…” Clementina hesitated.

Hammya turned to Candado, closed her eyes, inhaled and exhaled deeply. Then, she opened them and stared at the completely furious Candado.

“You know if you destroy the school, you’ll also destroy the flag?” Hammya said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Candado stopped instantly, allowing his friends to slowly release him. Then, he straightened his clothes, looked at Hammya for a moment, and then focused on Luis, clearly showing his disgust for her. He put his hands in his pockets and left the room.

“Where is he going?” Hammya asked.

“He’s gone to apologize to the flag,” Lucas said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Luis stepped down from the desk and walked over to Hammya, extending her hand with a smile.

“Hello, I never thought someone like you could do that. I’m glad you—"

“Who are you?” Hammya interrupted.

“Rude,” Luis replied.

“Who are you? Candado never reacts like this.”

Luis lowered her arm and gently pressed her forehead against Hammya’s, smiling mischievously.

“What do you know about him?”

Declan approached them and placed a hand on Luis.

“Don’t you dare.”

Luis turned to see Declan holding the hilt of his sword.

“Oh my,” said Luis, stepping away from Hammya and drawing everyone’s attention. “Please, I’m just here visiting this little village of Cerrito.”

“Why?” asked Clementina.

“For fun.”

Just then, the bell rang, and Luis fled through the window, promising to return. Hammya stood by the window, watching her leave.

“You need to line up, girl,” Declan said irritably.

Hammya hesitated for a moment before stepping ahead of Declan, leaving him behind.

When everyone was outside, lining up for the flag-raising ceremony, Candado was already there, tying the flag to the mast. As the second bell rang, he began raising it slowly, head held high and without his beret. The anthem played as the flag ascended, and when it finally reached the sky, the music stopped. The principal gave a brief speech and then allowed the students to return to their classrooms. However, Candado lingered a bit longer. The principal watched him with a smile.

“Do you want me to reprimand him?” asked the vice principal, looking at the boy with disdain.

“No, no, no. It’s good to see someone respect national symbols. People like Candado remind me why I love teaching,” said the principal, smiling as he rolled up the microphone cables.

The vice principal grumbled but said nothing more.

Classes began, but Candado was still visibly upset. Not even reading improved his mood. His notebook and supplies were on the table, but he hadn’t used them all class. He tried to relax, but knowing Luis was around disturbed him deeply. Candado’s anger worried Hammya. What had Luis done to make him like this? That question kept swirling in her head.

When recess time arrived, it was almost a miracle: Candado had managed to hold himself back until that moment. All the students headed to the yard, even the Bailak siblings, except for Candado's companions.

Walsh was the first to stand up. He walked over to his friend and placed a hand on his left shoulder.

"You're going out, right?"

Candado slammed his book shut with force and flashed a chilling smile.

"Of course I am."

Walsh sighed but stood in front of him.

"Candado..."

"Yes?" Candado replied, standing up and heading toward the door.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Walsh raised his right hand and showed three fingers.

At this signal, everyone else got up and made their way to the yard. However, as Hammya was about to do the same...

"Not you, girl. Look at his fingers," Candado said, keeping his gaze fixed on Walsh.

Declan glared at Hammya with disapproval before closing the door behind him, being the last one to leave. Once everyone was gone, Candado spoke.

"Alright, say it. What do you want? A lecture?"

Walsh sighed and pulled up a chair to sit down.

"Candado, sit."

Candado complied, while Hammya watched from her place.

"I suppose this is going to take a while," Candado said.

"That depends on you, my friend."

Candado frowned but then relaxed and looked Walsh in the eyes.

"Go ahead."

"Candado, both you and I know what she did... or at least, what she did to you."

"An abomination. Just her existence makes me sick."

"However, you don't have to let it affect you like this. She didn’t ask for it."

"Whether she asked for it or not changes nothing. The agony of this world belongs to humans, not her."

Candado stood up from his seat and left the room. Before he left, he looked at Walsh’s back.

"She will never be forgiven, never."

He opened the door and left, leaving Walsh and Hammya alone.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," Walsh said.

"Don't worry, Candado will be alright," Hammya replied, though her smile was somewhat uncertain.

Walsh approached and sat beside her.

"You know, from the first day I saw you, I knew you were the reason Candado changed."

"Changed?"

"Yes, you see, Candado used to live completely shut off from everyone. Even though we tried to get him to open up, he never did. To him, our friendship was like that between a boss and his employees. Conversations with him lasted no more than nine minutes. But with you..."

"With me?"

"You changed him, made him better. That day, when I saw him interacting with others, I realized he was improving. And when he shook my hand, I saw your smile, and I knew you thought the same."

Hammya smiled and fiddled with her thumbs.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything you want, darling."

"Darling?"

"Sorry, that’s how I talk to my sister. Does it bother you?"

"No, not at all. Well... Who is Luis?"

Walsh lowered his gaze, melancholic.

"Well, Candado hates her, but she’s not evil. Her image... it triggers and opens his most painful wound."

Hammya remained silent.

"Luis is Candado's clone, but only in terms of blood and strength. Her physical appearance, however, belongs to Gabriela."

"So..."

"Yes, she carries Candado's blood, but she looks like Gabriela. You didn’t notice because Gabriela looked like that when she was thirteen. That’s why, every time he sees her, every time he hears her, his heart fills with frustration, pain, and rage. But what consumes him the most is... the indignation with himself, with his very existence."

On the school rooftop:

"You didn’t have to come back," Candado said angrily, glaring at Luis's back.

In the classroom:

"Candado hurts himself every time he looks at her. Even though her appearance is almost identical to his, she was created with Gabriela's DNA: her voice, her personality, her likes, her fears."

"I can’t believe it."

"She’s more of a clone of Gabriela than of Candado."

On the rooftop:

The wind blew gently as Luis turned to face him.

"I’m glad to see you."

Candado, indignant, placed his hand on his back, touching the handle of his knife.

"You're pushing my patience to its limit, abomination."

Luis closed her eyes and gave a soft smile.

"No matter what you say, you’ll never make me abandon what I feel for you."

"Those feelings don’t belong to you. You were created only because of that doctor's whims. Nothing you are belongs to you, not even the affection you feel."

Luis opened her eyes, serious.

"Candado, Sheldon is against you."

"I don’t care what he does."

"He’s joined Desza."

Candado looked away, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don’t want your concerns."

"Oh? Oh, that, it’s nothing. I’ll always worry about you, no matter what."

"SHUT UP!" Candado shouted.

At that moment, Candado remembered that Gabriela had said something similar.

"I’m sorry, sorry for having existed. But you know, whether you hate me or not, I have to protect you."

Candado frowned, and without turning, he said:

"We're done."

Before he could take a step forward, Luis lunged at him and hugged him. Candado stood frozen, unable to fight back or react.

"You’re my brother, Candado. To you, I may be an abomination, a mistake, but to me, you are my brother. Is that all I was born for? I could’ve killed you many times, but I didn’t. I protected you and still do. Sheldon hates you, he wants to kill you, but I won’t allow it. I’m jealous of that girl, Gabriela."

Then, Luis let go, and when Candado turned around, she was already gone.

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"Abomination," Candado muttered, staring into nothingness with a cold expression.

When Candado returned to the classroom, he was visibly depressed. He held his book with a sad and empty look. His eyes were fixed on the pages, but he wasn’t reading. Hammya noticed and grew concerned for him, seeing the vacant look on his face. Candado lowered the book and stared at the chalkboard.

Hammya touched his stiff hand. Candado took a moment to react. He lifted his head and looked at Hammya's hand, with her index, ring, and thumb fingers resting on his palm. When he met her eyes, his gaze was that of someone broken, but Hammya smiled at him.

"Don't forget your parents are coming today."

Candado's eyes seemed to return to reality, as if he had been asleep and those words had awakened him.

"Right," he replied, picking up the book again. "Right."

Though those words seemed to calm him, he didn’t show any joy, only his usual expression.

"Ludmila, Grapes (Uva in spanish), Inspector, Siren."

"Excuse me?"

"Put together the initials of what you just heard."

"L... U... I... S. Wait..." Hammya turned around. "Luis! LUIS!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Ludmila was her middle name, grapes were her favorite fruit, her alias was the Inspector, and sirens were her favorite mythological creatures."

"So, Luis..."

"Basically, her name is made up of the things she liked, convoluted and stupid, but she chose that name."

Candado looked up at the ceiling with his arms crossed, then closed his eyes.

"What a day..."

"Good," Hammya interrupted him.

Candado opened his eyes and looked at her as he lowered his head.

"Huh?"

"Your parents, Candado. Don’t forget."

"Right, right."

Candado leaned back in his chair and looked at the chalkboard, smiling. It was as if he had been freed from a heavy burden, but it was the smile of a bitter, venomous child.

Though I’d like to say that smile lasted, the opposite happened: it got worse. As he relaxed, his hands instinctively touched his right pocket. He patted it two, three, even four times.

"My wallet..." he muttered.

"Huh? What about it?"

Candado's face broke into a sweat. He stood up quickly and began checking all the pockets of his clothes. Patting here, patting there, until his hands stopped on his chest. His expression shifted from surprise to contemplation, and finally, to something more sinister.

"That little... Did she pickpocket me?"

Candado rushed to the window, threw it open, and jumped out.

"YOU THIIIEEEEF!"

His scream faded as he ran off into the distance.

"Wait, what? Wallet? Little...?" The teacher mumbled, too kind and calm to do anything about it.

Hammya, still lost in the moment and in Candado’s brief fit of madness, turned her head toward the twins, who were seated behind her and Candado.

"What just happened?" she asked curiously.

Lucía exchanged a glance with her sister before answering.

"Seems like Luis stole his wallet," Erika replied.

"Luis?" Hammya frowned in surprise. "But I thought—"

"We thought the same thing," Lucía interrupted.

"Luis loves him," Erika continued. "She pulls these little pranks so that Candado will notice her, to remind him that she’s Luis, not Gabriela."

"It’s like a child trying to get their parents’ attention," Lucía added.

"Exactly, something like that," Erika nodded, then looked at her sister with a smile. "Do you remember when Candado ate chalk by accident?"

Lucía giggled softly.

"How could I forget? He thought they were pastries covered in sugar. That day, it was just us and Germán in the guild."

Six months ago.

Candado was sitting at his desk, reading the newspaper, when he reached out for what he thought was a croissant on the table. He took a bite and instantly spat it out, coughing violently as a cloud of white dust covered his lips.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, bringing his hand to his throat.

He looked at the box of supposed croissants, inspecting its contents closely. His expression changed as he realized the truth.

"Son of a... This is chalk with sugar!" he yelled, spitting the remnants into the trash can.

Erika, noticing the mess, handed him a glass of water.

"What’s wrong, Canda?" she asked, concerned.

"This is Luis’s doing," he said, waving a letter that came with the box.

Germán took the letter and read it aloud.

"'Thank you for your dessert,'" he quoted.

Candado jumped to his feet.

"That bitch made me eat chalk! I’m going to make her swallow a chalkboard!" he shouted furiously, kicking the door open. "LUIS!"

Present.

The twins burst into laughter.

"Sorry, it’s just too funny to remember," Erika said, wiping away a tear.

"You should’ve seen how angry he was," Lucía added, with a mischievous smile.

"It’s cruel," Hammya commented, though she smiled a little.

"Even if it’s cruel, Luis truly loves him," Erika responded. "So far, the only way she’s found to get close to him is by making him mad."

"But it seems like he hates her," Hammya murmured.

"If Candado truly hated her, she wouldn’t still be bothering him," Lucía declared.

"Don’t be so harsh, Lucía. Candado would never be capable of truly hating her," Erika scolded.

Hammya, ignoring the conversation, looked out the window where Candado had jumped.

"I wonder what he's doing now?" she whispered to herself.

Somewhere in the forest.

Candado was sprinting down a path full of vegetation.

"Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch," he repeated like a mantra, keeping his focus on his goal.

He ran without stopping, following the easiest paths to get away from the town.

"Where are you?" he muttered, panting as he looked around.

Finally, he saw her. She was alone, sitting on a dead tree, her back to him.

Candado approached stealthily.

"The games are over. Give me my wallet," he ordered coldly.

"I thought you didn’t care about money," Luis responded without even turning around.

"I don’t care about money," Candado pulled out his knife, "but give me what’s mine."

Luis turned around, her expression serious. She reached into her neckline and tossed him the wallet.

Candado quickly sheathed the knife and opened the wallet anxiously. He sighed in relief when he found what he was looking for: a photo of him, at five years old, sitting on Gabriela’s lap.

"I was going to play a prank on you," said Luis, watching him, "but when I saw the picture, I felt bad. That’s why I waited."

Candado looked at her with fury. He closed the wallet and slipped it into his pocket without saying a word.

"Sorry, she was important to you, wasn’t she?" Luis asked, looking at him seriously.

Candado glared at him, gripping the knife tightly.

"What do you know about pain?" he responded with a harsh voice. "You’re a creation of science, born from some damned envious scientist. Everything you’ve been through, everything you feel, what you like or what hurts you—it's all implanted. None of it is real."

Luis stood up slowly, his eyes reflecting a mix of sadness and determination. He walked towards him, but Candado raised the knife again, pointing it directly at him.

"Back off. Don’t come any closer," he growled.

Luis paused for a moment but then continued walking, raising a calm hand. He took Candado’s rigid hand, still poised to strike, and with a slow, firm gesture, managed to lower the weapon. Without saying a word, he hugged him.

"I wasn’t planning to tell you, but Eight joined the Witnesses," Luis whispered.

Candado pushed him away abruptly and looked at him with disdain.

"Are you talking about that traitor?" he said, his brow furrowed. "I’m surprised you even know about her, considering you didn’t even exist when I met her."

Luis held his gaze, hurt, but didn’t respond to the provocation.

"She’s in my memories," he said, lowering his eyes.

"Your memories or my sister’s?" Candado shot back with venom in his voice.

Luis pressed his lips together, ignoring the comment, and continued.

"Eight is planning an attack against you. Sheldon and the Witnesses... it seems you have more enemies now."

Candado narrowed his eyes, both intrigued and furious.

"When?" he asked, his tone more controlled.

"I don’t know," Luis replied, shrugging.

"You don’t know? You warn me about something you’re not even sure of?" Candado looked at him incredulously.

"No. But I do know something," Luis said, averting his gaze. "They said they’d strike when... when the music reaches my ears."

Candado remained silent, perplexed.

"What?" he asked, as if he hadn’t heard right.

"The information came from an infiltrator. I planted a recorder to listen to their conversations," Luis explained, more calmly.

Candado sat down on the floor, thoughtful, his eyes fixed on a distant point.

"We’re all madmen..." he murmured to himself.

"What did you say?" Luis asked, frowning.

Candado stood up abruptly and turned his back on him.

"Thank you, Luis," he said in a distant tone.

"Candado, wait," Luis insisted, worried. "What does it mean?"

"Desza is playing. She knows there’s an infiltrator. She wants you to play her game, to chase her to the ends of the earth."

"And the attack?" Luis asked.

"It’ll happen," Candado affirmed, "but not today, or tomorrow. She’ll wait until I make the first move. I appreciate the information, but I’m not going to do anything. The OMGAB is already on it."

Luis gave a slight smile.

"Then I’ll stay here for a few months," he announced suddenly.

Candado looked at him, stunned.

"What did you say?"

"I said I’ll stay here for a few months," Luis repeated calmly.

Candado tilted his head, thoughtful, then let out a sigh.

"Sometimes I wonder if this will work," Luis murmured, almost to herself.

"What will?"

"Nothing, never mind. I’m sure it will work. Right?"

"What the… you know what, I won’t even bother."

Candado decided not to try anymore and left the way he had come, leaving Luis behind.

Back at school, only an hour had passed since he’d left. Candado rounded the building and arrived at one of the classroom windows, which hadn’t been closed yet. With a leap, he jumped inside, rolling on the floor and surprising everyone, including the teacher. He quickly stood up, dusted himself off, and looked at his classmates. Erika and Lucía were giggling quietly; Hammya stood frozen, eraser still in hand, interrupted in the middle of her task. Héctor covered his eyes, overwhelmed with secondhand embarrassment. Declan, German, Ana, Lucas, and Viki watched in amazement, silently clapping with exaggerated enthusiasm. Matlotsky, as usual, was asleep at his desk, unable to adjust to mornings even after four years. The Bailak brothers snickered, while Walsh watched with concern. Esteban stared without any visible expression on his face. Anzor and Liv, on the other hand, weren’t paying attention at all.

Despite the general commotion, the Social Studies teacher, a forty-year-old man with red hair and a goatee, regained his composure. His green eyes and stern expression made him perfect for dealing with the most rebellious students. He wore a white lab coat, a blue tie, dark pants, and black shoes, and his face was filled with irritation as he watched Candado from his desk.

"Well, Mr. Barret," said the teacher, crossing his arms. "Do you have something to say to explain your grand entrance?"

"It’s funny you ask, isn't it?"

"Barret," the teacher said.

"Yes?"

"To the principal’s office."

Declan grew furious and placed his hand on his sword, but was stopped by his desk mate, Anzor.

"Look, Barret, the Language teacher told me..."

“Your girlfriend?”

“No, Candado, she’s not my girlfriend.”

“OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” everyone shouted, except for Candado’s brigade.

“SHUT UP!” the professor shouted, annoyed, as he slammed his hand on the desk.

“Excuse my audacity; I’ll head to the principal’s office right away,” Candado said calmly.

“Yes, that would be best, sir.”

Candado gestured with his left hand to his classmates, signaling them to maintain order. Then he walked to the principal’s office and opened the door, where the director was waiting for him.

“Oh, it’s the eighth time I’ve seen you, and I’ve given you some very good words.”

“Ninth, sir, ninth, but thank you for the lovely words,” Candado replied as he sat down in front of him.

“What was it this time?”

“I jumped out of the window and said some bad words.”

“Well, well.” The principal opened a drawer and offered him a can of soda.

“Thank you,” Candado said as he opened it with his knife.

“I’ve told you many times not to bring that to school.”

“Oh, I forgot.”

“You’re just like your father.”

“Really? Everyone says I look more like my mom, Rudolph.”

“My name isn’t Rudolph; it’s Rudolph. I don’t know why you call me that.”

“Mom called you that.”

The principal sighed.

“How are your parents?”

“Fine. You should come over for dinner one of these days.”

“I wish I could, but I have many responsibilities.”

“Yes, I see, sitting there saying you have responsibilities.”

“Very bold, Mr. Barret, very bold.”

“There are still thefts in this school.”

“Not anymore; that’s over, Candado. There will be no more legal looting.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I’m not lying.”

“Ha, I see; you’re the legendary ice boy.”

“And you’re the locked-up Candado.”

“Who says that?”

“All the people I know.”

“Are there thirty of them?”

“Yes.”

“Well, if you say so.”

“Changing the subject, how is Saillim doing?”

“Fine, fine. Having her under the same roof is unbearable, but she’s fine.”

“That’s new. Does she live with you?”

“Of course.”

Rudolph leaned back in his chair.

“I smell scandalous romance. It’s good to be young.”

“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately; it seems no one knows how to maintain a friendship with someone of the opposite sex. Poor unfortunate souls.”

He then took a sip of his soda.

“Your mother was the same. Although she was your father’s beloved, I remember she was quite the unattainable star.”

“To be honest, I haven’t asked her yet, but tell me.”

Rudolph leaned back even more.

“Really?”

“I’m going to be here until class ends, so tell me,” he said as he took another sip of his soda.

“Well, your mother was just like you. In fact, you inherited her intimidating gaze and her taste in clothing.”

“Yes, I know that part; I saw it in a photo.”

“It all started when your mother called us: me, Laura (Héctor’s mother), Mercedes (mother of Joaquín and Kruger), and Han (Thuy Han).”

“Wow, just you guys?”

“At that moment, yes. I remember your mother took us to Villa Ángela.”

Twenty-six years ago:

“What’s going on, General?” asked the energetic Laura.

“We’ve done a lot today; it’s time for a break.”

“Great, after a tough fight, it’s good to slack off a bit,” said Mercedes.

“Okay, let’s fight.”

“Forget it, Laura. I’m tired, and honestly, I want to rest. My whole body hurts.”

“It’s good to take a break; it relaxes your bones and mind.”

“You said it, Thuy; let’s chill.”

“Where do you get all that energy, Ramírez? And you just got out of the hospital yesterday.”

“How naive, Rodolfito; I always give 100% of my potential every day,” Laura said.

“Only Europe is allowed to call me that.”

“Bumpkin.”

“You’re a…”

“Enough.” Mercedes stepped between them. “You shouldn’t fight here, especially with Europe present.”

“We’ll talk later,” Rudolph said.

Europe cleared her throat.

“I’m so sorry for worrying you like that. It’s not very… I’m sorry, it’s quite common for me not to say anything to the people around me, so I apologize. However, I called you all to make up for my rudeness. Today we’ll have fun.”

“Let’s go for it!”

“Calm down, Laura. You’ll open your stitches.”

Laura ignored her and started running through the park, laughing heartily. However, while running, a ball hit her in the face, causing her to fall backward.

“Wounded soldier, wounded soldier!” she repeated over and over as she crawled on the ground, pretending to be shot.

Her friends rushed to where she lay on her back, her face injured and her tongue out, as if she were a corpse. Mercedes was the first to arrive.

“Are you okay?” asked Thuy Han.

Mercedes gave her a weak punch in the abdomen, right where her injury was.

“MY STITCHES!” Laura screamed, writhing in pain on the ground.

“She’s dead,” Mercedes said as she took off her white beret.

“I’m alive, I’m alive!” Laura said, feigning pain on her face.

Everyone began to laugh. Europe looked at the ball for a moment, approached it, and picked it up.

“And this?”

She looked around and saw a boy coming toward her, raising his hand to indicate that he was the owner of the ball.

“That’s mine,” he said, then placed his hands on the ball, ripping it from Europe’s hands. “Thank you very much, and goodbye.”

Europe felt annoyed. She pulled a hook from her sleeve and wrapped it around his left ankle, dragging him toward her, putting her foot on his chest and showing a cold demeanor.

“Excuse me if you’re in a hurry, but you hit a friend. I think the least you can do is apologize, right?”

“GUYS! HELP!”

Out of nowhere, a chain shot out from the ground where the guy was at her feet and grazed Europe’s cheek, forcing her to pull away from him abruptly and fall into Mercedes’ arms.

“What was that?” Laura asked as she stood up and covered her friend.

The boy managed to free himself from Europa's bindings and moved as far away from her as he could, hiding behind his savior.

“It’s rude to treat my brother like that, brat,” said a redheaded boy as the chain from the ground wrapped around his forearm.

Rodolfo stepped forward, positioning himself between Laura, who was shielding Mercedes and Europa.

“Very brave, very brave,” said the stranger.

Rodolfo didn’t respond, but his icy fists spoke for him.

“STOP!” shouted a voice from behind the stranger.

A boy was running at full speed, accompanied by four others. When he arrived, he was out of breath.

“What a pathetic sight,” thought Europa.

“Goodness, I take my eyes off you for a few seconds and you’re already causing trouble.”

“They were attacking Felipe.”

“They?”

“No, that was my mistake. It was HER!” the boy said, pointing at Europa.

“Oh, I see,” he said, stepping between himself and Rodolfo, causing the others to surround Europa for protection. He was still weak from the last fight, but it didn’t matter much since he was one meter seventy tall and she was one meter forty-five, the shortest in the group. Rodolfo was a bit taller, at one meter fifty-nine.

“Relax, I don’t want to fight. I’m a nice person, just like you,” said the stranger.

“Stay away from her,” Mercedes replied, frowning.

“I don’t want to do anything to her.”

“YOU'RE LYING! Everyone hates her and tries to hurt her. Why would you be any different?” Laura clutched Europa tightly.

“Huh? How can anyone hate a pretty girl?”

Europa looked at the tall boy in confusion.

“Laura, let me go,” she said coldly.

“I won’t let my baby go. Nobody’s taking your cuteness away, not even him.”

“Let me go, I’m telling you,” she insisted, struggling without success.

Mercedes grabbed Laura from behind and pulled her away from Europa.

“Annoying, loud, and dramatic. Europa wants her space.”

“No, no, no! I want to be next to her.”

“Exaggerating again,” Thuy Han said.

Once Laura released her, Europa began to straighten her wrinkled clothes. She gestured for them to make way. When Rodolfo, the last barrier, stepped aside, Europa could finally see the boy in front of her.

“Oh, wow, you’re short.”

Europa didn’t respond.

“How old are you?” the boy asked, uncomfortable.

“How old are you?”

“Me? Sixteen.”

“I turned thirteen yesterday.”

“Wow, you’re a little girl.”

“Yes, and what’s wrong with that? Mister…”

“Oh, how foolish of me. My name is Arturo Storni.”

“Europa Barret.”

“Wow, miss, I’d like to apologize for what happened. You see… my friend Bacone isn’t good at being… you know… ‘cordial,’ so I’m sorry.”

Europa crossed her arms.

“I hope it doesn’t happen again.”

“It won’t, I swear.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t trust strangers who give their word.”

Arturo rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

“That makes sense. I’d think the same if I were in your position. So…” Arturo knelt down and took her hand, surprising Europa, “we’ll do this.”

“What are you doing?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Arturo smiled.

“An ancient guild oath. It is said that when Jack Barret went to Italy to help the resistance, he made an oath with Rosa Velázquez, taking her hand and bestowing a precious object upon her.”

Arturo pulled a red harmonica from his pocket and handed it to Europa.

“Here, a peace offering from a guild member. My late father’s harmonica.”

Europa looked closely at the harmonica.

“You’re not a guild member. What you’re saying isn’t a gesture of goodwill, and it’s not practiced.”

“Damn...that’s bad. Sorry to lie to you, haha. But the story is true.”

“It is, but if you want to have a good relationship, answer me one question: Are you a Circuit?”

“Of course, I’m not ashamed of it.”

Europa scrutinized him, unsure how to react. She could tell he wasn’t lying this time. However, seeing what he had done as a strange goodwill ritual, she decided to test this method.

“Well, I don’t see a lie in your words, so…”

Europa took off her beret, revealing her long black hair, which amazed everyone.

“I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you without your… hat,” Mercedes said, surprised.

“Well, I don’t think it’s fair that only you do something like that. So here,” Europa placed her beret in Arturo’s hand, as if it were a coat rack. “It’s a beret my mother bought for me; it’s very important to me.”

Arturo smiled again.

“Alright, I’ll do it, Europa.”

Present Day.

“Who would have thought? Later, Jän would end up with that man. Honestly, I can’t believe it.”

“Hey, you’re talking about my dad.”

“The truth is, when Jän told me she was pregnant, I thought… oh my God. She was only sixteen when she was three months along.”

“Get to the point. What did you think of him?”

“That he was a rapist.”

Candado said nothing, trying to process the harsh information he had received from Rodolfo.

“Oh, didn’t you think, even a little bit, that it was love?”

“Your mother was 16, and your father was 20. What did you expect me to think? In my eyes, she was just a teenager, and your father was an adult. Call it whatever you want, but you know it’s a crime.”

“They were different times. Still, they’re my parents.”

“That's factual, yes... she truly loves him.”

“Of course.”

At that moment, the bell rang.

“Looks like your time is up.”

Candado stood up, grabbed his bag, and shook Rodolfo's hand.

“It was good talking to you.”

“Likewise.”

Candado adjusted his beret.

“I’ll see you tomorrow as civilians.”

“Yeah, tomorrow.”

Candado placed his beret back on and hurried out of the room.

“Oh, Canda, you’re out,” Lucas said.

“Are we meeting at the guild?”

“I’m afraid not, Walsh. My parents are coming today.”

Just then, Hammya rushed toward him and took his hand.

“Hurry, I saw the car!” she said, pulling him along at full speed.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, kid.”

“See you, Candado,” everyone said their goodbyes.

“Hammya, you don’t have to do this.”

“Just be quiet.”

Candado and Hammya stopped outside the school, where Clementina was waiting for them.

“Oh, young patron, you’re here.”

“Don’t bother me.”

“Here they come!” Hammya pointed.

Candado smiled.

“Yeah, here they are.”

The red Perono car (a model created by the Barret automotive company) was driven by Europa, with her husband sitting beside her.

“Get in, kids!” Arturo said, opening the door for them.

Clementina stepped aside to let Hammya pass, then Candado, leaving herself between the two.

“Oh, wow. How are you?” Europa asked, sounding like a taxi driver.

“Good,” everyone replied with smiles.

“How was school?”

“Good,” said Clementina.

“Normal,” said Candado.

“Fun,” said Hammya.

“Great.”

Then Europa looked out the window and saw Rodolfo watching from his house, smiling.

“Benjamin Rodolfo, nice to see you, thanks for looking after my kids.”

(Her change in tone overwhelms me), Rodolfo thought and continued, “I’m just doing my job. Take care.”

“Same to you, sweetheart.”

Europa started the car and pulled away.

“I hope you all had fun today,” Arturo said.

“Why is Mrs. Barret dressed casually?”

“I’m not working today; I just went to pick up my darling from work.”

“How romantic!” Hammya exclaimed.

“Yeah, I am,” he replied, winking at Arturo.

“Oh, wow, your parents are the best, Candado,” Hammya teased.

“I don’t know other parents, but yes, they’re good.”

“When you talk like that, you’re just like your mother,” Arturo remarked.

“Hey, don’t say it like that.”

Everyone laughed except for Candado, who only managed a smile, captivating Hammya.

“Hey, Candado.”

“What?”

“You have a beautiful smile.”

“Flattering, Esmeralda, flattering.”