After the events in the city of Resistencia, where Krauser was seriously injured, Candado received news about his condition thanks to Moneda. Though he was out of danger, Candado chose to visit the hospital to personally verify his condition. However, unfortunately, he couldn't go alone as he was forced to bring Clementina and Hammya along due to their whims. Despite Clementina's constant hints about the closeness between Candado and Hammya in recent months, he chose to ignore them as always.

Upon arriving at the Semáforos agency hospital, he headed to see his injured partner. According to Doctor Bautista Aguirre, Krauser had suffered potentially fatal injuries for any living being, including a deep cut in his abdomen, the amputation of his left leg, and, on two occasions, temporary loss of his head. All this had led to an extreme concentration of his body to heal, considerably draining him. An additional wound could prove fatal. Despite his regeneration, Krauser still felt fatigued due to the enormous energy used in his healing process.

Understanding the situation, Candado decided to visit his friend's room. Krauser lay in bed, chained by his feet and arms on Rozkiewicz's orders, who was still obsessed with pursuing Desza. Since Krauser strictly adhered to the Semáforos' laws (which were close to 3897 in total), specifically the one prohibiting damage to agency property, he was limited in his actions, meaning he couldn't break his "prison" to escape.

"Hello, I see you're alright," greeted Candado as he closed the door behind him.

"Alright my ass. Rozkiewicz has tied me up like an animal and forbade me from moving until I'm recovered," Krauser replied, annoyed.

"How do you manage to go to the bathroom?"

"These chains are long-range. I can move around in the room, but I can't leave it," explained Krauser.

"I see," said Candado as he sat beside the bed.

"Good morning," Clementina and Hammya greeted as they entered the room.

"I see you two are still dazzling," commented Candado.

"Oh, what a gentleman," responded Clementina.

"Are we the first or has anyone else been here?" asked Hammya.

"No, there were people here before you," Krauser replied.

"Really? Who?" asked Candado.

Krauser settled back in bed and leaned against the headboard.

"Well, Moneda, Rozkiewicz, Cabaña, Maidana, Joaquín, Ruth, and Glinka came."

"I'm surprised Joaquín came," commented Candado.

"Of course he did. When he found out, he suspended his meeting and came back here to see how I was doing."

"Now he's really gonna get chewed out," said Clementina.

"I told him not to come over the phone, but what can you do; sometimes I wonder what the hell goes through his mind."

"Well, I didn't understand it either, but now I guess you do too," said Hammya.

"Before you continue," Hammya lifted a basket and brought sweets, fruits, and drinks, "this is to help you recover soon."

"Thanks, girl. I wouldn't be surprised why nobody has a problem with you."

Candado directed his cold, penetrating gaze towards Hammya.

"Yeah, indeed."

"You're also kind, Candado. If it weren't for your wallet, those gifts would have never reached the recipient," Clementina teased.

Krauser burst into laughter.

"So, the lady made you loosen up with the money."

"Yeah, mock all you want," said Candado seriously as he crossed his arms.

"For someone as stingy as you, I see you've got a big heart in that rotten shell of yours."

"What book or movie does everyone watch to come up with such poetic things?"

"Truth is, I got it from a cookbook."

"Oh, I see, poems come decoded in ordinary things," Candado pulled out a planner from his pocket, "June 4th, 2013, poems come from the little things."

"You're a clown. Who writes down such things?"

"I do," then he stood up and took Krauser's hand, "I'm glad you're alright, well tied up, and also very, very healthy," then he let go, "Alright, let's go."

"Wait!"

Candado stopped and turned.

"What do you want?"

"A gift."

"A gift?"

Krauser reached under his bed and pulled out a bag.

"It's not for my birthday yet."

"Take it and spare the comments," said Krauser as he put the bag into his hands.

Candado reached into the bag and pulled out a box with red wrapping. He grimaced and tore off the covering, then opened the box.

"What?" asked Candado as he took out a cellphone.

"Your gift."

Candado, looking over the gift, said,

"Krauser, why do you gift me these gadgets? They ring and ring, vibrate and vibrate, and worst of all, they won't let you sleep."

"Come on, Candado, you need to catch up."

"Me? Catch up? What the hell are you talking about? I barely get along with the landline and Clementina's phone."

"Think, Candado, they won't be writing letters forever."

"With just light and television, I'm more than satisfied."

"And the internet," Clementina chuckled.

"Just... accept it as a gift from one friend to another."

Candado wondered how the doctors hadn't confiscated it. However, he just closed his eyes momentarily and said,

"Alright, you win, I'll accept this cellphone. I wish this thing had buttons and wasn't touch."

"Never satisfied, huh?" said Clementina.

"Alright, now I'm leaving. Thanks for the gift."

Candado turned around and before he could reach the door.

"STOP!"

Candado halted and looked back at Krauser again.

"And now what the hell is it?"

"I received a message from an uncle of mine here in Resistencia. Seems he had a little 'misdelivery'."

"And?"

"Well, the thing is, my uncle has some visitors who demand to see you. They've been at his place for three days. He couldn't contact you, so he reached out to me."

"Visitors?" Candado brought his right hand to his chin. "How odd. Did he say anything else?"

"Yes, he said these visitors don't speak Spanish, so he doesn't know their names or where they're from."

"This is quite strange," then he looked at Krauser with his typical expression. "I'll take the case. Where does he live?"

"On Castelli, it's where we went to celebrate my birthday."

"Ugh, that place. Alright, I'll head there immediately."

Candado bid farewell to his friend and left the room. Now he had to go to a place that didn't evoke good memories to meet with unknown people, so as soon as they left the hospital, he looked at Hammya and Clementina.

"Listen, there's a taxi service here. Take one and go home," Candado said as he handed two hundred pesos to Clementina.

"What's this for?"

"It means you go home. This is my job and no one else's, so you're free."

"Oh no, sir, we'll go with you," said Hammya.

"Of course not, go home now."

"But..."

"Leave it, miss. Let Candado handle it alone. After all, he's grown up and knows how to take care of himself."

"That's the spirit, Clementina. Well, bye, see you at home later."

After saying that, Candado left the place with his hands in his pockets. When he was far enough, Clementina put her hand on his shoulder and whispered.

"I have a plan, come with me."

"Alright."

While Clementina explained her plan, Candado headed to a booth, showed his identification, and requested transportation. At first, they didn't want to give him an agency vehicle since it was used in emergency cases, but Candado didn't want to spend his money on a taxi. He showed his special W.O.G.A.B. pass to be assigned a car and a driver. Candado got into one of the agency-colored cars.

He only gave the address, and the driver just set off. As the car left the agency, Candado leaned against the door and looked out the window. However, the driver glanced at the rearview mirror more than once.

"You're the boy who fought that day of the tragedy, with that blond kid."

"I fought, yeah."

"I knew it was you."

"Sorry, who are you?"

"Ricardo Juliano, I'm a security guard at that agency. I was one of the thousands of guards who helped the injured children."

"Wow, you really risked your life to help those people."

"Of course, I'm thirty-six years old, married with two daughters. How could I not help those people who could be my children?"

"Wow, that's impressive. Did you have any trouble while helping others?"

The driver shook his head slightly and said.

"Not much. I had cover from one of my daughters while I helped as many wounded as I could, but I did have a problem with a girl with green hair."

Candado frowned and raised his left eyebrow.

"Green hair?"

"Yes, I found her dragging the body of a girl about your age under the rain of bullets. When I reached her, I lifted the unconscious girl's body and wanted to take her with me. The place wasn't safe, so I wanted to take her with me."

"What happened?"

"She didn't want to follow me, so I grabbed her arm and tried to force her to come with me. I don't like mistreating children, especially girls, but in that situation, it wasn't appropriate to think about my values. I tried and tried, but she kept struggling until she stopped, and she saw you fighting with that machete-wielding gringo. That's when she started struggling more and more until she gave me a strong kick on my foot. Then she apologized and dashed towards where you were. She grabbed a rock that was there and threw it at the guy. After that, I don't know what happened because I passed out, but I remember she started running towards you. They were shooting at her, but she dodged them. It seemed like you were giving her strength, a lot of strength."

Candado was stunned by what he was hearing. He never thought someone as timid and scared as her would do something like that. He didn't understand; he was tough on her, yet she responded by helping him.

Unable to understand it very well, he decided to look out the car window and try to analyze why she acted like that. It was very strange, and as Candado had said before, he was frustrated not to find an answer to his questions.

"Sir, do you mind if I ask you something?"

Candado shook his head as he looked out the window, biting his thumb with the glove on.

"Why did you decide to join the guilds?"

"It's a family thing," said Candado without looking at him.

"Oh, but why be part of it. I don't mean to be rude, but I have the particularity of seeing an intelligent, educated, and capable person sitting in my car. I honestly don't believe you're on this path just because it's a family thing."

Candado glanced at the car's rearview mirror with a suspicious expression. Although it was very difficult to know exactly what he was thinking, his expressions were very different from his actions. However, Candado took off his beret, turned it over, and inside was a kind of small pocket. Candado put his right hand in and pulled out a paper with golden letters, then leaned forward a bit and handed the paper to the driver. He took it while looking at the road, and when there was a red light, the car stopped. He looked at the paper Candado had handed him and read it.

"Oh my God, I can't believe it."

The piece of paper was actually a diploma, but not just any. It was a diploma from the Circuits, and on it, there were honorary words and the promotion to a higher position within the Formation; it was the position of Chief Marshal of the G.C.G. (A position that ceased to exist, but at that time meant being the president of the G.C.G. chambers).

"You? A Circuist?"

"I used to think that paths didn't exist, how ignorant I was. Long before I held the position I have now, I was part of the Circuits."

"Why?"

"I thought the world was unjust to Thanatos, just as it is to Cuba. My parents spoke to me about the greatness of the Guilds, yet I never heard about the good deeds of the Circuits, but..." Candado drew his facón and observed the wolf emblem on the handle. "I was wrong. Unlike Cuba, the Circuists had carried out massacres all over the world. I wanted to know why people would follow a murderer, what they were told to drive such a massive slaughter. I realized that the answer couldn't be found by asking those around me. If I wanted to know a little more, I had to be part of them."

"Was that how you joined them?"

"Yes and no, I just wanted to understand how they thought, but as I read the history writings of the Circuit, I realized that there were many leaders who tried to change their past and create a future, but none of them succeeded; I wanted to create peace between both groups, but..."

"But?"

"People weren't ready for peace," Candado looked out the window. "It was then that I met someone who shared my ideas."

"What was his name?"

"Esteban Napoleon Everett, a guy with a mind better than mine, my speech had caught his attention, he supported me in everything, and little by little, I gained supporters. I ran for elections and won for Chief Marshal, I carried out my ideas to improve relations with the W.O.G.A.B., and slowly my ideas were accepted. However, my actions were repudiated by those who were once my friends, the Guilds, but my sister was always there to defend me and support me."

"I know her, Gabriela Esperanza Barret, she was an incredible leader."

Candado showed a smile, but then his expression changed.

"I failed."

"What do you mean you failed?"

"I realized that everything I had done, everything I had built had been destroyed by the people who had voted for me, so I gave up. I didn't want to sink, so I had to make a gesture that would harm someone, forever."

"What happened?"

"The Circuists attacked a settlement, leaving many wounded. Not only that, they burned down a school and a hospital. They did all that while I was ascending to that position, Brigadier. It was all a deception, they just wanted to get me out of there in the worst possible way, they used my name and my words to harm the guilds. I decided to end the project. I didn't want to build a future for those people, so I made a decision. I resigned from my position, and to obtain forgiveness from the Guilds, I gave information about the Circuits: important documents, espionage, weak areas of the Formation, Thanatos files, everything, absolutely everything I provided. I wanted to get back at them for what they had done to me, but I ended up not only being hated by the Circuists but by my friend too. I did something horrible that I'm not proud of, a traitor."

"I didn't know..."

"That I was friends with Esteban, yes, very few know." Candado exhaled and looked again at the rearview mirror. "I never knew if what I did was right or not. And his actions didn't help to gain support from the Circuits and mine to gain favor from the Guilds. And as a consequence of that, Esteban ended up hating me, and I ended up hating him."

"Do you think peace will come between these two entities?"

Candado gave a cynical laugh.

"Sir, it doesn't matter what I believe or not. The real question is, will we be alive to see that?"

The driver started laughing, then took a deep breath and said.

"I'm sure that peace will come, I don't know when, but I know it will come."

Candado, skeptically, said.

"Yes, it's also certain that the United States will become communist."

The driver laughed again. But at that moment something crossed Candado's mind, actions are what make the future, and he wanted that, a future, for himself and his people.

The car stopped in front of the house where Candado wanted to arrive, he got out of the car, showed a smile, and paid him three hundred pesos for his trouble of taking him there. At first, he didn't want to accept it, but Candado threw the money in his face and closed the window with a snap. When he was about to leave, he heard some noises in the back of the car, to be more precise, the trunk. Candado gestured to the driver, who was counting the money since they were ten-dollar bills. He unlocked the trunk, approached, and opened the door completely. But what he saw didn't surprise him or alarm him, he just maintained that cold and indifferent expression of his, seeing Hammya inside the trunk.

"Hello," Hammya said discreetly.

" I know you like to see the faces of your victims when they see you. Come on, do your job."

The man was completely terrified by what he was seeing; he wanted to scream, to call for help, but nothing came out of his mouth. He was too frightened seeing that creature.

"Help... Help me... Anyone, whoever, help," the man said as he looked at the wrecked van with the corpses of his companions.

Candado, looking in the same direction as the man, said, "Forget it, I don't think they're going to move," then he looked at the man, "Their souls belong to Tínbari, as well as yours."

The man was completely frightened; he couldn't move. Then it happened: Tínbari walked up to the man, and the closer he got, the more his heart felt like it was in his throat. Candado stepped aside, and Tínbari sat on top of him.

"Well, this is the nicest part of my job. Hello, I'm Tínbari, a friend of yours."

"You're the devil," the man said with the little strength he had.

"Hurry up, Tínbari, I want to leave before the police come here," Candado said as he looked around.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, just give me a moment," then he looked at the man, "Tell me, who hired you? If you tell me, I won't take your soul, but if you don't, I'll make sure you suffer a lot."

"Greg, Greg, it was Greg."

Candado was astonished to hear that name, the name of a damned murderer, the same one who killed his grandfather.

"Where is he?" Candado asked without turning.

"I don't know, all the information we received was over the phone. We were guaranteed a large sum of money if we took out the porcelain children."

"Tínbari, let him go, we're done here. They'll be safe for sure," then he looked at the man, "I'll let you live, but if you pick up a weapon again and point it at me or my siblings, I won't forgive you, and I'll make sure your death is slow and painful."

Then he put on his gloves and walked away from the scene without looking back, while the man was left totally insane by what he had seen.

The police sirens could be heard in the distance. Candado chuckled to himself, because it was funny that they arrived twenty minutes late; usually, they take longer, but today was different. Although the fight ended quickly, Candado was left without transportation to get back home; however, he didn't mind, as he was thinking about other things. Greg, the man who took his grandfather from him, once again, was far from being an assassin. But what caught his attention the most was why they would attack the children under his care. He tried to come up with a precise answer, but couldn't manage it, and as he tried to piece together what had happened, more pieces appeared, many of which didn't fit together perfectly or simply couldn't be connected. As he had told Clementina, not being able to have a definite answer made it quite clear that they wanted to kill Candado. But why them. It was at that moment that he drew two conclusions: either they stole and kept something or they were collateral damage. Whatever it was, it put his friends and family in danger.

As he walked down the crowded street, it occurred to him to stop thinking for a moment, as stress would only lead him to spit blood on the ground. Then it occurred to him to visit some friends he had there, the family he had helped.

"Candado," Tínbari interrupted.

"What do you want?" Candado asked.

"Wow, you're talking in public."

"I'm too tired to bother if they see me as crazy. Let them call the psychiatrist if I'm not from here."

Tínbari was surprised by the response.

"Okay, if you say so," then he cleared his throat, lowered to the ground, and walked alongside Candado, "Where are we headed?"

"I don't have transportation, so while I'm here, I'd like to visit some friends."

"Friends?"

"Yes, friends, F-R-I-E-N-D-S, friends."

"Yes, I know how to spell it, but I'm surprised you're making friends with others."

"I'm friends with you and no one says anything, so..."

"Yes, that's true, but no one says anything because no one sees me, in fact, you look like a crazy person talking alone on the street."

"What are you doing here?" asked Candado, maintaining his expression.

Hammya, trying to improvise an answer, had no better idea than to reply.

"I got lost."

"Oh, well, then keep looking," he said, then closed the trunk slightly.

"WAIT!"

Hammya started kicking the door until it fell at Candado's feet. He looked at the driver and gestured for him to leave; apparently, he was unaware of what was happening.

The car drove away, leaving Candado and a rather dazed Hammya with trouble getting up.

"You're an idiot, I told you to stay home."

"No, I wanted to know what you were going to do."

"You're worse than Clementina," said Candado as he helped her up. "Speaking of which, where did she go?"

"She actually went home, said it would be a better idea to hide in the trunk."

"And you believed her? You were lucky the ground was level or that we weren't in a chase."

"Yeah, I was really lucky," Hammya admitted.

Candado pinched her cheeks with both hands.

"Next time I tell you something, you'll obey without pulling these stupid stunts. Is that clear?"

Hammya nodded, though it was hardly discernible since Candado was stretching her cheeks.

"Good, that's how I like it."

Candado patted her cheeks and headed towards the house, a rather strange one that stood out among the others with its white color and a roof that was too slanted to the right.

"The architect must have been drunk when he built this house, there's no doubt about it," said Hammya as she rubbed her red cheeks with both hands.

"Judgmental," said Candado as he knocked on the door.

"Who is it? What do you want?" asked a voice behind the door.

"I'm Candado Barret, sent by your nephew, Reinhold Krauser."

"How do you know this is my house?"

"Sir, don't talk nonsense. What do you mean it's not your house? Is it occupied by a kidnapper? A tax collector trapped in a house?"

"The house says Reinho...basfdasdr."

Candado covered Hammya's mouth.

"Sir," he sighed, "I'm the guy from the bathroom incident."

Then there was silence.

"Hello, are you there?"

...

"Hello?"

...

"HELLO!" then he started banging on the door. "HELLO, ANSWER!"

"Wait, wait, please, I was just reminiscing, I'll open now."

When he said that, Candado stopped covering Hammya's mouth and put his hands in his pockets, stepping two centimeters away from the door. Then, it opened, and out came a man around fifty years old, red-haired with graying strands, a horseshoe mustache, and reading glasses. He was wearing a short-sleeved green shirt, black pants, and red sneakers.

"Hello, sorry for the delay, I was just reminiscing and remembered."

"You remembered?"

"Yes, you see..." then he looked at Hammya. "I knew it, I'm crazy."

Candado turned to look at her, making her feel uncomfortable under their gazes. Candado stared at the ground for a moment, as if contemplating what to say, until he came up with something.

"Oh, her, she's just a girl who loves green, nothing more," Candado replied.

"Oh, I see," the man said, relaxing his shoulders.

"What happened, my good man?"

"Come in, please," he said, then looked at Hammya. "And you too, come in."

Both entered the house, which was very tidy; there was no dirt or mess anywhere. Everything was neat and clean, as if the owner suffered from Mysophobia (fear of dirt). There were no signs of dirt or dust. Furthermore, when Candado entered the house, the man closed the door while grabbing a white handkerchief. Candado felt offended by the man's action, but he bit his lip when Hammya took his arm. She knew very well what he was about to do.

"I'm sorry you had to return the cake like that; I didn't know a toad had jumped on it," the man said.

Candado grimaced in disgust when he was reminded of that.

"It's water under the bridge."

"So—" Hammya smiled, "I'd like—"

Candado turned to her with a degree of hostility that made his eyes start to turn slightly violet.

"Okay, I'll be quiet."

"All right, this way, gentlemen," the man said as he cleaned his hands with hand sanitizer.

He led them to a room with a white door.

"I warn you, you won't understand anything. I asked you to come because they mentioned your name and surname in every sentence that came out of their mouths."

"Do they speak Japanese?"

"No."

"Then it's not a problem for me."

The man nodded and proceeded to open the door. Inside, there were three children, one of them a girl. The other was the eldest of them all, lying on a couch with a damp cloth on his head, while the others played with their dolls. And when they saw Candado at the door, they dropped everything and ran to hug him. They were very small, about Yara's height. Candado didn't understand why these two little innocent ones were hugging his legs.

"Uh, hello, what are your names?"

The children showed warm smiles as they hugged Candado. But when he said the first words, the boy lying down opened his eyes and looked at Candado.

"Pojkar, rör inte."

Candado was somewhat surprised to hear what the boy said.

"Do you see, Candado? I don't understand a single word they're saying."

"Swedish," said Candado as he looked at the boy lying on the couch.

"What did he say?" asked Hammya.

"He said to stop hugging me."

"Do you speak Swedish?"

"Yes, any problem, girl?"

"No, none."

"Pojkar!" he said again, then started coughing.

Seeing their brother getting worse, the children ran to him.

"What's happening?" asked Candado as he approached him, took the boy's hand, and indicated to Hammya to open the window, as the room had very little light. The children were barely distinguishable due to the dim lighting in the room. When Hammya pulled back the curtains and opened the window, she and Candado were surprised to see that the children didn't have skin like a normal human; instead, they were made of porcelain from head to toe. Their skin was very smooth.

"Oh my God," exclaimed Hammya, surprised.

"Wow, they look like porcelain dolls," commented Candado skeptically.

The two small ones were twins, and like their brother, they had very white and solid skin. The sunlight made their bodies shine. The girl, like her brothers, had completely black eyes with a circle, presumably their iris, small and white in color. She had long, blonde hair and wore a long black nightgown with a diamond emblem on the chest. The other brother had the same characteristics as the girl, except he had short hair and wore black pants with suspenders, and a blue shirt. The eldest brother had black hair and looked sicker than exhausted.

"Who are you, and how do you know me?" asked Candado as he held his hand.

The boy spoke in Swedish, a language that Hammya and the man couldn't understand, but Candado could.

"My name is Andersson Ljungqvist."

"Your name is Andersson Ljungqvist."

"Yes."

"How do you know me?"

The boy began to speak in his language.

"Vi träffades för en tid sedan, jag söker... hjälp... din hjälp."

Candado was the only one who could understand what Andersson was saying. The others watched attentively as Andersson spoke in Swedish, and then Candado replied to him in the same language.

"Jag minns ingen Andersson, säkert är det mig du letar efter?" Candado responded.

"Självklart, jag beklagar att vi har en sådan här träff. Tycker du inte att det är romantiskt?" Andersson said.

Candado felt disgusted.

"It seems like he said something wrong," the man remarked.

"It's very likely," Candado replied.

This continued for a few minutes until the boy lost consciousness. Candado put his hand on the boy's forehead, closed his eyes, and uttered a few words.

"Rest, buddy. I'll take care of everything," Candado said.

"What's happening?" the man asked.

Candado stood up and looked at the children, who were quite concerned about what was happening. He approached them, hugged them, and without looking back, he asked, "Do the kids have a place to sleep?"

"Yes, their room is next door."

"Good, would you please take them from here?" Candado requested.

"Of course, I will," the man replied.

Candado took the children's hands and said.

"Lyda herrn, er bror är i goda händer."

Then he handed them over to the man. The man took their hands with a latex glove. Candado sighed as he observed his behavior.

"Have positive thoughts," Candado said to himself.

Hammya, who was unaware of what was going on, decided to ask directly, "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you when the gentleman returns; I think he should know too. After all, they sought refuge in his house."

"You're right," she replied as she glanced at the boy.

Candado sat in a chair as large as the one the boy was lying on, crossed his legs and arms, waiting for the man to return. Meanwhile, Hammya, the only one standing in the room, started feeling a bit nervous about the silence that prevailed in the room; she even gripped her dress with both hands.

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"So... What do we do?" she asked.

"I wait," Candado replied with a distant gaze.

"And me? What do I do?"

"I don't know, dear. If standing there helps you think faster, then stay there."

Hammya sighed disappointedly and decided to sit next to Candado.

"You know, I think you haven't worsened in your condition lately," she commented.

"Nor improved," Candado added.

"Well, but it's progress."

Candado gave a sarcastic laugh as he uncrossed his arms.

"I think you don't understand, girl. I'm not improving at all. Nothing's happening to me because I haven't used my power in the last few days, and also because I've been on edge, and I appreciate that you didn't provoke me."

"Well, I think it's a compliment."

"Maybe it is," he replied, then put his hand on his forehead, "or maybe it isn't."

"You've changed lately, Candado," Hammya remarked.

"NO!" Candado closed his eyes and took a deep breath while placing his hand between her and him. "Don't start with that. I think I'm a bit, What am I saying? A bit, I'm sick of people meddling in my personality."

Before Hammya could say anything, the man arrived, wiping his hands with alcohol gel.

"Well, the kids are in their room eating some treats I gave them."

"Make sure it's not too much; they could get sick."

"I know, Candado. I gave them a small bag each."

"I'm glad."

"Alright, now tell me, who are they and where do they come from?" the man asked.

"Well, their names are Andersson Ljungqvist, his siblings are Gerald Ljungqvist and Rosío Jönköping Ljungqvist. They're from Sweden," Candado explained.

"How do they know you?" Hammya inquired.

"Two months ago, I wandered around Stockholm. I had been informed about certain violations by a corrupt Guild. The Traffic Lights couldn't do anything due to their high purchasing power and influence with the state, so they couldn't resist the euros. Thanks to a few of them, they wrote me a letter. It was odd, but I decided to investigate a bit and went there without prior notice."

"But that's illegal," Hammya interjected.

Candado raised his left eyebrow at Hammya. "And how do you know it's illegal?"

"Because I read it in the W.O.G.A.B. code that Jacqueline gave me, 'Every representative from a judge to a president must notify the congress of a visit to a guild outside of their nation.'"

"Well, I see you don't waste any time."

"You chose me as vice president. I'm supposed to carry a responsibility."

"Please, continue with what you were saying earlier," the man urged.

Candado cleared his throat and continued. (*Clarification, what he did is illegal).

"Well, I arrived in Stockholm, headed to the location, and caught them breaking many laws of the W.O.G.A.B. and Harambee's own. I closed the place and took care of sanctioning and expelling them. And yes, I made my presence two hours earlier, so technically it's not illegal. After that, while I was returning to catch my flight, I was hit in the back of the head with a stick. Although I didn't feel the blow itself, the force was such that I was temporarily unconscious and weak. I couldn't speak or shout; in fact, I couldn't even call Tínbari. I was very dazed, my whole body was motionless on the ground. It was my mistake to underestimate them; however, I saw a silhouette that appeared out of nowhere and fought with them. I tried to move, fought against the sleep that was overcoming me. All I could see was their face covered by a ski mask. Then I passed out. When I woke up, I was in a police station there with two policemen helping me, while the boy who had helped me was leaving the station. I stood up with the little strength I had and ran to where he was and shouted, 'I'm Candado Barret, from the Argentine Republic. I'm very grateful for your help. When you're in trouble, come find me. I'd be happy to repay my debt to you.' Of course, I said all this in Swedish."

"Incredible," the man remarked.

"Wow, what did he say to you?" Hammya asked.

"He told me he was the person who had saved me, and that he and his siblings are coveted by everyone, including in their country, since they are the last Korslin."

"What?" they both asked.

"That's how porcelain children are. I thought they no longer existed, but after seeing that there are still two living Bailaks, I'm not surprised."

"Why are they coveted?" the man inquired.

"They, unlike the Bailaks, are the ones punished by the power of the asteroid, as their skins are too weak. A blow, a wound, or even a scratch is a death sentence, but they had created a way to rebuild themselves. Which caught the attention of everyone. They had discovered the secret of immortality, so they began to be kidnapped to be told the way to become immortal. They replied that it is not possible for their magic to work with normal humans like us, only those who possess the heart of their race can create that magic. Grave mistake, those words triggered a massive hunt for their kind, ripping out their hearts and using them to become immortal."

"What a tragedy. Why is man like this? Why does he have to destroy beautiful things?" Hammya lamented.

"That will always be a mystery, but not all is lost. That kind of thinking from that era no longer exists, so they'll be safe," Candado replied.

"But why flee from your country?" the man inquired.

"I don't know, but I do know this. Andersson has been pursued by someone from Sweden to this country, and with his condition, he won't be able to defend his siblings. That's why he came to me. I owe him," Candado explained.

"Do they have a place to live?" the man asked.

"Of course, I'm going to take them to my village; they'll be safe there," Candado assured.

"Well, thank God," the man said.

"Please don't do that, sir," Candado interjected.

"Oh, alright, my apologies?" the man responded.

"Candado, lend me your cellphone," Hammya requested.

"What do you need it for?" Candado inquired.

"I'm going to call Nelson to take us to the village, where they can get treated," Hammya explained.

Candado pondered for a moment, thinking, "Perhaps, if I bring this person before Rucciménkagri, they could heal him."

"Finally, you say something useful," Candado remarked, handing over his cellphone. "Do you know Nelson's number just in case?"

Hammya's eyes widened at the question, realizing she had forgotten the most basic thing.

Candado rolled his eyes and took the cellphone back from her. "Silly," he muttered as he dialed Nelson's number.

After a brief conversation, Candado handed the phone to Hammya. "He's on the line."

"Hello, Nelson," Hammya greeted.

"Yeah, who's this?" Nelson asked.

"It's me, Hammya."

"Oh, Candado's girlfriend, how's it going, mate?"

"I'm fine, thank you... NO!" Hammya shouted, embarrassed.

Candado put his hand on Hammya's head and applied some pressure. "Don't shout like that again," he warned, pointing out that Andersson was sleeping.

"Hello, hello, are you still there, girl?" Nelson's voice came from the phone.

"Yes, I'm still here, sorry, it's just... I'm new to this," Hammya apologized.

"Well, what do you need?"

"We have some people we need to take with us."

"We?"

"Yes, us. Candado is with me, so please, we need your help."

"Sure, I was starting to get bored these past few days, I'll come right away."

"Great, thank you."

"What's the address?"

"Oh, well, it's—" Candado showed his notebook to Hammya "—on Castelli Avenue, at that moment Candado showed his little notebook to Hammya—"

"I got it, I'll be there soon."

Nelson hung up and handed the phone back to Candado.

"Since when does anyone make a plan without having one?" Candado asked.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to be helpful," Hammya said, smiling.

Candado sighed, pocketing his cellphone and notebook. "Anyway, thanks for the idea."

Hammya smiled back.

Then Candado headed to the children's room.

"Where are you going, sir?" the man asked.

"To check on the kids. I wouldn't want to worry them about their brother's health, so I'm going to keep them company," Candado replied.

"And what do I do?"

"Count the ants."

"What?"

Then Candado closed the door behind him.

"Oh, that girl is driving me crazy with her questions," Candado said, leaning against the door.

Later, Candado got up and went straight to the children's room. He knocked on the door and then opened it. To his surprise, the children were playing, jumping on the same bed. Suddenly, he saw the boy fall to the floor and break his arm. Candado was alarmed, but he quickly calmed down when he saw the pieces of his arm reattach and return to their place. The girl, still jumping on the bed, wanted to do the same and threw herself to the floor. Candado reacted quickly and also threw himself to cushion the girl's fall, landing on his chest. Being made of porcelain, they were quite heavy, and he ended up breathless.

"Isidro, I hope you give me strength," Candado muttered, enduring the pain.

The girl got off his chest and hid under the bed, thinking he would be angry with her. Meanwhile, the boy remained seated, watching his arm reconstruct itself. Candado sat down and looked around for the girl, eventually finding her hiding under the bed, covering her mouth; her eyes gleaming in the darkness. He took a candy out of his pocket and offered it to her. The girl took it, unwrapped it, and ate it. Then, Candado took the girl's hand and slowly pulled her out from under the bed while she chewed the candy he had given her. Candado sat down again and took another candy out of his pocket, but this time, he gave it to the boy. Then he spoke in Swedish to ask them certain things, and the fundamental question was:

"Do you speak Spanish?"

The children nodded, and the girl was the first to speak.

"Hello, I'm Rosío."

"And I'm Gerald."

"Does your brother also speak Spanish?"

"No, only us. While we were on the plane, we bought a Spanish dictionary, studied it, and memorized it. Thanks to that, and to the people speaking around us, we were able to learn it well."

"Wow, little one," Candado said as he stroked her head; then he continued, "Although you still have a bit of an accent."

"Of course, we're still trying to speak it perfectly," Rosío said.

"It was difficult at first, but then we were able to speak it well," added Gerald.

"By the way, what happened to your brother?"

"While we were coming to this state, we encountered a strange being that attacked a bus. Our brother confronted that strange woman and ended up injured; unfortunately, that made him sick," Gerald explained.

"Woman?" Candado's eyes lit up at the description.

"Eight?" Candado whispered.

"Did you say something, sir?" the children asked.

"No, just that I'm glad you and your brother are safe. After all, I have a debt to repay to him."

"Andersson told us that he saved a boy with a blue beret and took him to the police," Rosío said.

"Yes, Rosío, that was me. I told him that if we ever met again, I would repay my debt to him. The heralds of Harambee always keep their word."

Then the children began to feel sad.

"What's wrong?" Candado asked, concerned.

"Will Andersson be okay?" Gerald asked, suppressing his tears.

Candado hugged them both as they began to slowly release their sadness.

"He will be fine, I assure you. I won't allow you to suffer the loss of a loved one."

As Candado hugged the children, Hammya, who had been observing everything, was moved by the scene. She quietly closed the door, cleared her throat, and knocked on the door. Hearing the knocks, Candado stood up and took the children's hands.

"Yes?"

"Nelson is waiting outside."

"So soon?"

Candado led the children out of the room and then went to the living room, where he saw the man carrying the boy.

"What's going on?" Gerald asked.

"We'll take you to my village, where you'll be safe."

"Will Andersson come with us?" Rosío asked.

Candado put his hands on the girl's shoulders and said without hesitation.

"Yes, I'll keep you safe. Trust me."

Candado took the children's hands again and led them outside the house, where Nelson's shiny car was parked, with him leaning against the car like a teenager waiting for his girlfriend.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd bring dolls," Nelson teased.

When Candado stepped outside the house, he felt a chill run from his spine to his neck, then he heard Tínbari's whisper.

"You've been followed, Candado."

Tínbari's words alarmed him; he couldn't grasp what his guardian had told him.

"Who?"

"Agents."

Candado felt disgust, repulsion, and indignation at hearing that. He was worried, especially because he had innocent people under his care. He stopped halfway between the house and the car, discreetly looked to the left, and saw a red car parked, observing him. Then, he turned to the right and saw two motorcycles and a van, obviously trying to blend in. The bikers pretended to talk among themselves, and the van driver pretended to read a newspaper, which was obvious because the newspaper was upside down, and the man was busy watching them.

"Is something wrong, Candado?" Rosío asked.

He didn't respond and continued looking around until he felt the girl tug at his sleeve. Candado quickly snapped back to reality and forced a cynical smile, then approached the car and opened the door. To his surprise, Clementina was there.

"Hello, sir." Candado didn't have time to react and sat the children on Clementina's lap.

"Sir, wha—"

"Danger," Candado whispered.

Clementina was about to scan the area, but he took her hand and looked her in the eyes.

"Take care of these children and don't let them go, please."

Clementina didn't ask anything and simply accepted what he had ordered. Whatever it was, it was serious enough for him to put his "young patron" in that way.

Then, the man placed the boy in the back seat; he was still asleep. Candado fastened his seatbelt and Clementina's since her hands were occupied. At that moment, Hammya came out of the house and was about to sit in the front seat. Candado closed the door and stood in the middle.

"Hammya, you sit in the back."

"No, I want to sit in the front."

"Hammya, I don't have time to argue with you. Sit in the back, period."

She didn't listen and put her hand on the door handle. Candado took her hand and looked her in the eyes, but he wasn't angry; rather, those eyes showed a plea on that cold face.

"Please... Sit in the back."

Hammya understood and nodded.

When everyone got into the car, Candado said goodbye to the man and told Nelson to drive fast; the old man said nothing and started the engine. As the car began to move, Nelson, somewhat worried about what Candado was doing, constantly glanced at the car's mirrors and decided to break the silence.

"You've been a bit distracted since we left the place. Is something wrong?"

"People are following us. I think they're after me and them."

"HOW?!" Hammya shouted.

"I don't like the sound of that, Candado. I think it would be better if I tracked them and—"

"No, you won't. I entrusted you with a task, and you'll fulfill it."

"Candado, maybe you're a bit agitated. Relax, you'll scare the children."

"Yes, I'm agitated because you're in danger, but that doesn't mean I'm crazy. The bad thing about me is that something always happens to the people around me." At that moment, Candado looked at Nelson and was a bit surprised to see Nelson holding a magnum gun with one hand.

"What are you doing, old man?"

"I hadn't noticed, kid. But it must be that red car that's following us. It's most likely that these people are Greg's mercenaries or agents."

"That means that—"

At that precise moment, Candado saw through the reflection of a shop window a guy with a sniper aiming at the car.

When Candado saw this, he shouted.

"GET DOWN!"

Everyone did, except for Hammya, who didn't have time, until the shot was heard.

Candado stretched out his arm, shielding Hammya's head from the window, taking the bullet himself.

"CANDADO!" Hammya cried worriedly.

"Shit, oh shit," Nelson muttered as he accelerated.

"YOU'RE BLEEDING!" Clementina exclaimed alarmed.

"SHUT UP AND STAY DOWN!" Candado shouted as he pulled out the bullet and threw it out the window.

The car sped up, Clementina remained bent over while covering the heads of the frightened children with her hands.

"This is not good, not good at all," Clementina said.

Candado hadn't been injured this time; he had focused all his powers on his arm area, only receiving a strong blow to the forearm. Hammya, who didn't know anything, started crying, thinking that her friend had been hurt because of her. But Candado called Tínbari and requested cover to prevent them from shooting at the car. Nelson, who was at the wheel, rolled down the window and stuck out his arm to then shoot at the cars following them.

"¡DON'T DO THAT, OLD MAN! I NEED YOU TO FOCUS ON THE ROAD!" Candado shouted as he took the wheel.

Nelson started laughing.

"BOY! THE GUN UNDER YOUR SEAT, PLEASE!"

Without hesitation, Candado ducked and pulled out a lightweight assault rifle, handing it to Nelson.

"WHERE THE HELL DO YOU GET THESE WEAPONS!?"

"THEY'RE AN OLD GIFT FROM THE FALKLANDS WAR!" he yelled as he started shooting.

"THAT'S A BLATANT LIE!"

Candado glanced back to check on his companions.

"Are you okay?"

"Affirmative, sir, we're fine."

"I'm sorry, Candado, I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, I'm fine," then he looked up, "Tínbari won't last long in this situation."

Then, he returned to the front, unbuckled his seatbelt, and opened the door.

"What are you doing?" Rosío asked.

"I'm going to keep my word," then he turned to Nelson, "take them home, they'll be safe there, I'll see you later."

Before Nelson could say anything or stop him, Candado jumped out of the car and landed on his feet on the street.

Then, he summoned two flaming dogs to merge and form a huge dog. Candado mounted its back and ran towards the oncoming cars. As they saw their target approaching, they drew their weapons and started shooting, but as Tínbari was ahead, he stopped the bullets before they could hit Candado, grabbing them with his hands. Since the individuals couldn't see him, they thought Candado was the one stopping them. Then, two motorcycles emerged from behind the van and sped towards Candado. They pulled out their guns and started shooting. Candado ignited his hands with the characteristic violet flame and when he was close enough, he punched the front wheels of the motorcycle, causing them to fly through the air. Without blinking and without showing a single expression on his face, he stood up and jumped in front of the car, making his dog disappear and leaving Candado and Tínbari alone. Then, he stood on the roof and with tremendous force, ripped the car's roof off. Then, he got inside the car and started hitting them. Tínbari pulled out the passenger and threw him out, causing him to roll down the street and be run over by a speeding truck. Meanwhile, Candado disarmed the other one, grabbed him by the nape, and slammed him against the steering wheel, knocking him unconscious instantly. Then, he stepped on the brake and the car stopped in front of the van that was also chasing them. Candado opened the passenger door, took the unconscious man, and jumped out of the car, using the man's body to cushion his landing. When he hit the ground, the van rammed into the car, causing a huge crash.

Candado stood up and got off the man's back. Then, he brushed off the dust from his clothes and walked to the van, which was stuck against the car. Although the occupants were all dead, only the driver survived, resulting in an irony that amused Tínbari. Candado opened the car door, which ended up falling off its hinges and onto the ground. Then, he proceeded to pull the agonizing and sore man out of the van and threw him on the ground while putting his foot on his neck.

"Tell me, filthy rat, who sent you?"

The man spat at Candado, but in his position, the spit landed on his face instead of the boy's. Candado simply showed a faint and calm smile.

"You're a fool; even in the direst circumstances, you'll defend your boss," then he leaned down to the man's face level, "I'd love to see how you spend your mercenary reward in heaven," then he took off the white glove from his left hand and touched his forehead.

When he did that, the hideous figure to the human eye known as Tínbari appeared.

"I see you used that again. You know very well that those gloves prevent contact with another person, as it could manifest my presence to others, not to mention that you've done this more than once to fulfill your damn childish whims."

" And what about those who see you?"

"They also don't say anything because they're afraid of me."

"Liar."

"Well, some of them."

"Anyway, what I decide to do with my life is your problem, not mine, so I suggest you don't meddle in other people's affairs."

"Candado, your threats don't work with me."

"Who said it was a threat?"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, forget it."

"You know, you're a pretty strange and closed-off human."

"Haha, if I got five cents every time I'm told that, I'd be rich."

"I'm sure if you had met Hitler as a child, he would have shot himself long ago because of your damn personality."

"I know that if Hitler had met me, he would never have become a murderer. Instead, I would guide him towards a better path, and I'm sure his name would never be a curse."

"Oh, how profound, Candado the good Samaritan," he said ironically.

"Tínbari, no one is born evil. Surely something happened to him, like what happened to Tánatos when he was a child, for him to do something so heinous. Surely that's what happened."

"What are you trying to say with that?"

"It's sad to see someone turn bad. If we want the world to improve, we have to start improving ourselves. The day when the world does good without looking at who they're helping, society and humanity will have changed forever."

"Candado, you're scaring me. You're never like this. I know you apply logic to everything, but this..."

He didn't respond, he just left him with the doubt. It was clear that Candado had spoken too much, and it was time to keep his point of view to himself, just to annoy Tínbari a little.

Candado turned the corner and found the house of his new friends.

"Wow, it has changed a lot since the last time I was here. I wonder if the Fernández family still lives here."

In fact, he was right. The house was no longer a poor rat hole; its paint was new, although it was still the same color. The windows were repaired, shiny, and new, with curtains and everything a normal window could have. The door was repaired and well painted, the garden was tidy, and they had a decent trash can.

"If it looks like this from the outside, how will it be inside?"

Candado approached the door and knocked lightly three times. Then it opened, and behind it stood a man with a mustache and glasses, wearing a light blue polo shirt, black pants, and brown shoes, a person Candado had never seen before.

"Excuse me, I think I'm mistaken..."

"Candado?"

"Huh? Do I know you?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

Then, he received an unexpected hug from the man, feeling the tears and the man's sobbing in his ear. Behind his back were his wife and daughter, both in house clothes; the lady in a light yellow nightgown and his daughter in a short-sleeved green shirt with the face of a white rabbit, black shorts, and barefoot, familiar faces to him.

"I see you didn't move."

When Candado said that, the two people standing behind the man ran towards him and hugged him.

"You're the angel who gave us all this, thank you, thank you very much," the lady said with tears.

"Thank you for coming back, sir," Carolina said as she tried not to cry.

"I see you're very affectionate," Tínbari said as he laughed.

Candado couldn't say anything because he wanted to keep Tínbari a secret. He was quite calm knowing that no part of his body was exposed, except for his face. If he had physical contact with another human being, they could see Tínbari. The only part of his body that was exempt from these laws was his face. The reason for this is that this is the area where every human being's identity to their Bari is, therefore, they cannot usurp these identities. So nothing will happen if they touch his face.

"Yes, I'm also happy to see you," Candado said.

"It's incredible, you've come back," the man said as he let go of him, "welcome to the family, we've been waiting for your return."

"I see you've improved a lot, I almost didn't recognize you, sir," Candado said as he straightened his clothes and tie.

"Thank you for helping us, thank you for that sum of money, we're really indebted to you," Mrs. Fernández said.

"Oh, well, I'm glad you're okay, but let's not beat around the bush."

"It's to beat around the bush, you helped us a lot, we could spend eternity thanking you and it wouldn't be enough," Carolina said.

"Well, I'm happy to see that you're well too, I'm glad you don't have to beg from those domesticated-hearted people anymore."

"It's a privilege to have you here with my family, Mr. Candado," Mr. Fernández said.

"Yes, it's very nice, but could you stop calling me with honorifics? I'm not a prince, king, or one of the many egocentrics of the nobility."

"We can't help it, you helped us a lot, we could live forever saying thank you, and it wouldn't be enough," Carolina said.

"Carolina, I think it would be good if you started telling me how you've been all this time, starting with..." After several minutes of moving his finger around his axis, he pointed at Mr. Fernández.

"Me?"

"Yes, tell me, what has become of your life?"

"Well, after you gave us that money, we paid off our debts, repaired the house, bought furniture, clothes, and appliances, then I looked for a job at a private school in Resistencia."

"Why am I not surprised?" Then he looked at the lady. "And you?"

"A man called me and asked for my help at a private bank."

"QUIT!"

"But why?"

"Go to the provincial or state bank, not a private one, remember that you mortgaged the house and because of that you almost lost your home. Why go back to those crooks who take your money?"

While Candado said all that, the lady took notes with a notebook and a pencil.

"I see, interesting."

"Ah, well," then he looked at Carolina, "I see you're going to school now, right?"

"Yes, but not to regular ones, but to a union school."

"Nowadays, many kids prefer to attend special schools."

"Like you?"

"No, I go to a regular school, where few share circumstances similar to ours."

"Wow, I think I should do the same."

"No, if you feel good at that school, then stay there."

"Okay," I took out a notebook and wrote down, "interesting."

"Is everyone okay with that? No?"

"No, of course not, it's just a coincidence."

"It would be a coincidence if you didn't do the same as them."

"Oh, coincidence?"

Candado took off his beret and scratched his head, then he started spinning his beret with his index finger.

"Well, I had some setbacks on the way back home, I lost my transportation, so I decided to take advantage, since I'm here, to know how you're doing or how life is treating you."

"Thank you for your consideration, we're very well, and all thanks to you; we've started a new life."

Candado almost felt embarrassed when he heard that the person who said that was Verónica, apparently already six years old, in a dress.

"Wow, you look a lot like my daughter," then I covered my mouth, "oh, I slipped," I said pretending to be embarrassed.

Although I said it on purpose, I didn't expect that comment to leave them speechless; their faces showed tremendous surprise.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE YOUR AGE TO HAVE A CHILD?!" Mr. Fernández shouted.

"Actually, it's a daughter, not a son," clarified Candado.

"IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SIR!" Carolina shouted with her exalted snakes.

"Keep those bugs away from me, dear."

"But how is it possible that you have a daughter?" Mrs. Fernández asked, with a great effort not to scream.

"Well, I..."

"Don't tell me you've already experienced relationships..."

"Is she crazy or what, lady? Obviously, that's impossible."

"How old are you?" Carolina asked.

"Five."

"I'm still the oldest, yes," said Verónica.

"Doesn't matter, the point is she looks a lot like Yara, end of story."

"Could she play with her one day?"

"Of course, my dear," said Candado as he stroked her head.

"But how..."

"Well, well, I think we're going to put those questions aside, we don't want to make the boy uncomfortable, right?"

"Yes, you're right, dad."

"Come in, come and eat with us."

"I'm sorry to decline your offer again, ma'am, but I have to go back home before they worry, maybe next time."

"Oh, it's a shame, I guess there's no way to convince you."

"Exactly, but before that, I'd like to see Thomas, I'd like to know how well he's doing in life."

"Well, about that, I think you won't recognize him when you see him anymore, or maybe you'll recognize him, but remember 'another' person."

"Really?"

"Yes, in fact, he's in his room, why don't you go and check for yourself?"

Candado put on his beret and headed upstairs, accompanied by Carolina. Although the boy's room was relatively close to the stairs, Carolina opened the door slightly so that it wouldn't be noticeable that they were spying on him and peeked inside. But what Candado saw left him completely calm, he wasn't surprised or astonished at all. Because to his eyes, it was a well-dressed boy. Although Candado had noticed that the boy had perfectly imitated his way of dressing, but with one difference: the beret was black instead of blue, he was standing in front of the mirror fixing his clothes.

"Oh, I see you love to dress well."

Then he proceeded to open the door, causing little Thomas to be surprised to see his friend and his biggest admiration.

"Hello there, young man, I see you like to wear these types of clothes," then he looked at his chest, "although you still don't know how to wear a tie properly."

The boy was totally surprised, he didn't move and was dumbfounded. Candado bent down and straightened his red tie, the knot was too sloppy, Candado untied it and fixed it again. When he finished, he received a hug from the little boy and the child's happiness turned into tears.

"As if it had been years," said Candado as he accepted the boy's hug.

"It's you, the person who helped me when I had nothing."

Carolina shed a tear or two behind him.

"Okay, okay, it's over now," said Candado while patting Thomas's back.

Then he moved him away from him and looked him in the eyes.

"Come on, don't cry, Thomas doesn't cry, right?"

Candado lifted the little boy and brought them in front of the mirror where he had been posing a while ago. And standing in front of that beautiful mirror, Candado looked at himself and at the boy.

"We look the same," said Candado without taking his eyes off the mirror.

"Yes, it's true."

Then Candado smiled.

"It's okay that you try to be like me, I did the same when I was your age, but you don't have to be perfectly like me, you just have to be better than me."

"I don't understand."

Candado put his hand on his head and lowered the beret, covering his eyes.

"You'll understand someday," then he put his hand in his pocket and took out a candy, "this is my gift to you," he said as he handed the candy to him.

Then he lowered the boy and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Behave well, you're the boy of the family, so you have to take care of your family."

Then he stood up, turned around, and walked to Carolina, who was standing there doing nothing but looking. When he approached her, Candado put his hand on her head and said.

"And you, take care of the boy," then he closed his eyes and continued, "you're the eldest in this family, right? Take good care of your brother."

Then he felt a small tug on his pants, Candado looked down and saw a curious-eyed Verónica.

"And what about me?"

Candado lifted her up and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"You never grow up," then he gave her another kiss on the cheek, "you're a charm, my dear," then he gave her a candy and put his hand on her head, "stay away from the closets, okay?" (He did all this with his sour and serious attitude)

"Okay."

Then he stood up and extended his hand, Carolina did the same, but when she was about to shake hands, Candado took her hand with both hands.

"See you, miss," said Candado with no emotion.

Then he left the room, leaving her petrified with such a strange farewell. When she reacted, she felt something in her hand, she opened it and saw that it was a medal with a sun, and with golden letters, C.I.P. (Institutional Councilor of Parliament, a position that can only be ascended with the approval of a supreme power). Carolina was surprised to see what she had in her hands. That meant she had been promoted to a higher position, and she could be in the Chamber of Traffic Lights, but when she tried to say something, he was already gone.

Candado went downstairs and said goodbye to the family, saying he would come back another time, but before he could leave, Mr. Fernández stopped him.

"You said you were going home, right?"

"Of course, why?"

"And you say you live far away from here, right?"

"Indeed."

"Why don't I give you a ride home? That way, you'll get there faster."

"Uh, no, I'd like to do it on my own, thank you."

"But from Resistencia to your house, you'd arrive late, almost at dusk."

"Maybe, but..."

"I insist, I'll take you home, it's the least I can do for you."

Candado scratched his neck and looked at his feet.

"Alright," then he looked up, "why not, it would be good to get there faster."

"Good, I'll bring the car right away, wait for me."

After saying that, he disappeared behind a door that was behind him, leaving only Candado and Mrs. Fernández.

"Tell me, Candado, how can I find another job?"

Candado stroked his chin for a while and then looked at her.

"What is your desire in life?"

"I want to help other people, just like you do."

"Well, you can be a police officer, lawyer, politician, nurse, prosecutor, or teacher."

"Alright, alright, and alright," she said as she wrote in a little notebook.

"I think I'm starting to hate those notes."

"Did you say something?"

"No, I didn't say anything."

At that moment, Mr. Fernández burst into the room.

"It's ready."

"That was quick," said Candado as he headed for the door, then he turned around, "goodbye, Mrs. Fernández, I promise to visit you again."

"The house will always be open for you."

Candado smiled and replied, "Yes, for sure."

Then Candado left the house. Outside, an eye-catching orange car was waiting for him, it looked like a Peugeot, but it wasn't a Peugeot.

"What is this?"

"It's a car, Candado, a beautiful and shiny car."

"I've never seen one like it before."

"Well, my little company made it, behold the Fangiomovil."

"Wow, honestly, wow."

Candado's eyes lit up at the sight of a car made in Argentina.

"What do you think?"

"How did you build it?" asked Candado as he ran his hand over the hood.

"After you gave us that generous amount of money, I went looking for land in Buenos Aires, bought an old factory, and hired a group of workers to do the job."

"But how did you get them to build it in such a short time?"

"Company secrets."

Then both got into the car.

"Tell me, sir, will your employees be paid well?"

"Of course, after I received your help, I got a new life, I'm sure this is the work of Almighty God."

"Heh, yeah, sure," Candado said sarcastically as he fastened his seatbelt.

"Alright, here we go."

The man started the engine and the car started moving; the sound was muted, it was almost comforting for the man, although it wasn't for Candado. Somehow, it reminded him of his father, and just feeling those good moments he had spent with him, it brought him some nostalgia in his heart, but also a joyful memory of his past.

"I won't give up."

Mr. Fernández was somewhat surprised to hear that, but he didn't do anything, just smiled and replied with a slight smile.

Candado had fallen asleep halfway through the journey, so there was hardly any conversation with Mr. Fernández. Although he suspected that Candado was involved in something big and dangerous, they remained just suspicions, as he didn't have time to ask him, and it was a shame. But he wasn't going to interrupt his sleep.

When they arrived in the town of Isla del Cerrito, the man gently woke Candado and told him they had arrived.

Candado woke up, covered his mouth, and yawned.

"Gosh, how long did I sleep?"

"An hour."

"Wow, we're already here, alright, thanks."

"Wait, don't you want me to take you home?"

"No, I don't want to bother you," then he extended his hand, and the man quickly shook it, "thanks for taking the trouble to bring me here, I appreciate it."

"You sound like a robot when you say that with that face."

"Get used to it."

Then he got out of the car and closed the door behind him, then made a gesture for the man to leave, showing an attempt at a smile. The man touched his temple three times while smiling, then reversed and drove away from the boy; the man looked at Candado's figure through the rearview mirror as he smiled.

"Whatever it is, he's a good person," the man said aloud.

When the car was out of sight, Candado put his hands in his pockets and decided to walk a bit. Just when he thought he wouldn't have a headache, bam, Tínbari appeared out of nowhere just to bother him.

"Ah, back to this pigsty."

"Excuse me for not having skyscrapers."

"What you're saying is complete nonsense."

"I didn't say anything. Besides, where have you been?"

"Uh, here and there."

"Then go back there and stay there."

Tínbari started laughing.

"Come on, Candado, it's just a joke, don't take it to heart."

"I think I've said it before, but never mind, I'll say it again."

"What?"

"You're a pain."

"And you..."

"Don't push it, scoundrel."

"Well, I'm going to think of something clever, be right back."

After saying that, he disappeared again.

"Please, don't come back," Candado said as he scratched his chin.

After having such a brief conversation with Tínbari, Candado headed to his favorite plaza. The sun was still high in the sky. Then he took out his watch and looked at the time: it was 1:01 in the afternoon. He exhaled and looked at the sky again. His eyes started to feel heavy, and with each passing minute, his blinking slowed down. Candado touched his eyes with his index finger and thumb.

"I need an energy boost, it's not time to sleep yet," he said as he tapped his cheeks a few times.

Then he headed home, hoping someone would be there. After all, he was starting to get tired. As he turned the corner, he could see his house, and not only that, he could see those who had accompanied him outside his house. All his friends were outside his door waiting. Nelson was leaning against the car door, beaten; Clementina was on the roof of the car surveying the area, probably to see if he was nearby. Anderson, already cured for mysterious reasons, seemed to be just a passenger; he was sitting in front of the door of his house with Hipólito keeping him company, while both watched the two porcelain dolls playing with Yara. Hammya was the most worried of all, she was pacing back and forth looking at the ground with her hands behind her back.

"What's this?" he wondered to himself as he watched the scene.

Candado inhaled and then exhaled; then he put one foot forward and walked straight towards them, taking his hands out of his pockets and waving at them while his eyes were closed.

"Here comes the scolding," Candado muttered.

Then he opened his eyes and was surprised to see everyone running towards him.

"Oh gosh, this is going to hurt," Candado said as he took his hands out of his pockets and stood still in the middle of the sidewalk.

Nelson was the first to arrive, he took Candado by the waist and lifted him into the air, while Candado maintained his cool demeanor.

"I already knew it, you're okay."

"YOU DON'T HAVE THE WOUND!" Hammya exclaimed, surprised.

Candado looked at his arm, although the bullet had sunk in a bit at the impact site.

"Oh, that, I've already told you before, I always come out unscathed from situations."

"I said it once and I'll say it again, you're fine," Nelson said as he held him in the air still.

Candado didn't respond, he just kept his gaze on the old man's eyes, while he kept spinning and spinning him in the air.

"Could you put me down? Please?"

Nelson stopped and gently set him down on the ground.

"Thanks, now..."

Before he could say anything else, Hammya hugged him tightly, followed by Clementina, Hipólito, Nelson, Andersson, Rocío, Gerald, and Yara.

"Good Heavens, I think I'm going to break my back."

"Shut up, party pooper," Clementina said.

"Yeah, I'm glad to see you all too, but it's not worth exaggerating."

Then Candado felt his shoulder wet, he looked down and saw Hammya.

"Hey, are you crying?"

"No," she said in a shaky voice.

"Yeah, right," Candado replied sarcastically.

He took Hammya by the shoulders and separated her from him to look her in the eyes. Indeed, she was crying.

"What are you going to tell me now? That you're sweating from your eyes?"

"Yes."

Candado was about to laugh at her response, but instead, he discreetly bit his lips, looked at everyone, and gestured for them to give him some space. Everyone moved away from him, and then he said.

"Well, I'm glad that you all..."

"Really? Because you don't seem very excited," Clementina interrupted.

"You're going to drive me crazy."

Hipólito gently lowered his fist on Clementina's head.

"Silence, child."

"Fine... Well, you know what... You can go back to what you were doing before."

As soon as he said that, everyone hugged Candado again.

"What are you doing?"

"You said we should go back to what we were doing, right?"

"I didn't mean that, Clementina, I didn't mean that."

"Once more, please?" Yara pleaded.

"Oh, my Isidro, alright, alright."

Everyone cheered and continued hugging Candado for over ten minutes until he finally felt free once they all could step away from him. Candado explained why he was delayed and how he got here. While Nelson could understand where he had stayed, the others didn't understand anything. And once he finished telling everything that had happened, hiding certain things, everyone went back to their chores. Hipólito went back to the house to prepare the kitchen while the grandmother was away, and his parents were also absent. Nelson returned home with his shot-up car, taking the forest path to avoid attracting attention, difficult to drive, but easy to avoid the eyes of other people. Candado had tried to send Yara home, but she refused to leave, wanting to play a little more with her new friends, so she stayed by her father's side.

On the other hand, Candado wanted to talk a bit with Andersson, which was quite easy since Candado knew Swedish and speaking it wasn't difficult, although Andersson struggled a bit to speak Spanish, but it wasn't a problem. Now that they had all the time in the world, Candado took Andersson and the others to the meadow where he and Yara played that time, while they sat under the tree to chat a bit about the situation. Hammya and Clementina took the little ones to play. Andersson felt comfortable seeing his little siblings having fun.

Bra, jag hoppas att den här platsen passar dig." (Good, I hope this place suits you.)

Andersson nodded his head, accepting what Candado had said.

"Tack för hjälpen." (Thanks for the help.)

Inget att (No problem).

"Bra, vad ville du prata om?" (Well, what did you want to talk about?).

"Jag vill att du berättar för mig om ditt liv och dina syskon." (I want you to tell me about your life and your siblings).

"Bra."

Andersson began by explaining the basics, about what he had to go through, like there were people looking for them, clashes against agents. About how he confronted a woman in a bus with a number eight on her forehead.

"I understand, jag beklagar att jag får dig att berätta det här." (I understand, I'm sorry I'm making you tell this).

"Nej, inga problem (No, no problem)—Then he looked at his siblings, who were playing with Yara's hair.—Det är fantastiskt att vi har kommit så här långt, ärligt talat, jag trodde aldrig att jag skulle leva här (It's amazing that we've come this far, honestly, I never thought I would survive here).

"Men här är du." (But here you are).

"Ja, det var mycket absurd." (Yes, it was very absurd)—Then he lowered his gaze and continued—sanningen, aldrig visste jag om vi har oss, jag och mina bröder, är en gåva eller ett straff (The truth is, I never knew if what we have, me and my brothers, is a gift or a punishment).

"Vad menar du?" (What do you mean?).

"Veras vän, det gjorde jag inte be om detta, gjorde ingen, men vi är här, jag förlorade mina föräldrar på grund av kretsen, vad hände med mig var dumt, hela mitt liv har jag lärt mig att misstro människor, men din hjälp (You see, friend, I didn't ask for this, no one did, but here we are, I lost my parents because of the circuit, what happened to me was stupid, my whole life I've learned to mistrust people, but your help).

"Andersson, får du inte tänka på det, jag vet att ditt liv var svårt, men behöver inte straffa dig själv (Andersson, you shouldn't think about that, I know your life was hard, but you don't need to punish yourself)—Then he briefly moved his eyes to the left.—Titta, när var sista gången du såg dem skratta sådär? (Look, when was the last time you saw them laugh like that?).

"Bra, Jag förstår inte vad du betyder för mig." (Well, I don't understand what you mean to me).

"Livet är alltid svårt, men nej, vi kommer inte att ge upp. Att vilja ta ditt liv var en feg handling, för om du gör det, skulle du lämna dina bröder ensamma i denna värld och tvinga dem att överleva på egen hand, längs dåliga vägar." (Life is always hard, but no, we won't give up. Wanting to take your life was a cowardly act, because if you did, you would leave your brothers alone in this world and force them to survive on their own, through bad paths).

"Andersson sighed."

"Bra." (Good)

Then he placed his hand on his shoulder and continued.

"Jag vet inte om jag hittade dig av en slump, men jag måste säga att det var en lättnad att hitta dig den här gången." (I don't know if I found you by chance, but I must say it was a relief to find you this time).

"Gud, ja du är värd beröm." (God, yes you deserve praise).

"Du är välkommen." (You're welcome).

"Jag skulle vilja göra något för dig." (I would like to do something for you).

"Först, lär dig att tala mitt språk, och sedan, stanna kvar i denna stad. Det skulle vara trevligt om min lilla lekte med dina bröder." (First, learn to speak my language, and then, stay in this town. It would be nice if my little one played with your brothers).

"Det är okej." (It's okay).

At that moment, Yara came running and took Candado's hands.

"Come play with us," she said, her eyes shining.

"I'm coming, princess," Candado replied with a smile.

He then stood up and scooped her into his arms, eliciting a joyful scream from her.

"I'm a monster that will eat little Yara," Candado declared playfully as he lifted her into the air.

But as soon as he did that, the two porcelain brothers grabbed Candado's legs and pulled him back with force, causing him to fall, his chest hitting the ground.

"The monster has fallen," Gerald proclaimed as he stood on Candado's back.

"Good," applauded Rocío, "you've been punished for kidnapping a damsel."

"Indeed, the monster has fallen," Candado said, releasing Yara and turning around to lie on his back, looking up at the sky and sticking out his tongue as if he were dead. "I'm dead, dah."

Then Clementina approached him and poked him with a twig.

"What are you doing?" Yara asked.

"Just making sure he's dead," Clementina replied mischievously.

She then poked him in the stomach.

"I'm not ticklish, so stop that," Candado said, keeping his eyes closed.

But just as he said that, Yara jumped on his stomach, causing him to wake up and sit up.

"I told you not to do that."

He then hugged Yara, wrapping his arms around her neck, while she laughed. He was also joined by hugs from Gerald and Rocío, while Clementina and Hammya laughed at the scene. Andersson felt calmer seeing his siblings having fun. Yara transformed into a snake and slithered up his body to his head, where she coiled herself up and relaxed.

"I want to do that too," Rocío said.

Candado tried to contain his laughter at the little girl's antics. But Hammya lifted her up and placed her on Candado's shoulders.

"What do you think you're doing?" Candado asked, amused.

He smiled and stood up, then looked at Gerald, and in a strange way, Candado gave a small stomp on the ground, and out of nowhere, two dogs appeared, only this time they were puppies, no longer with their characteristic flames, just their purple fur. Although it initially startled Gerald, these little puppies jumped on him and started licking his face.

"Impressive," Clementina congratulated. "It's the same trick he used in the fight with Miss Fereshteh."

"Heh, it's a very old magic, created by my grandfather a long time ago."

"But... they're very small."

"It's easy to make them like this, as long as I use minimal magic. The puppies were just like the adults, only a little smaller and with beautiful faces. They had few teeth, their barks were very high-pitched, they were very playful, and they couldn't stay still, spinning and spinning, playing with little Gerald."

"Oh, puppies," she said tenderly. Candado leaned down and the girl got off, accompanied by Yara, who had turned back into a human.

"When it comes to children, you're very kind," Hammya remarked.

Candado looked at Hammya, with an indifferent attitude, as he always does, slightly unsettling her, but then he smiled.

"Keep those comments to yourself, will you?"

Hammya and Clementina were puzzled by this unusual expression from Candado.

"Who are you?" they both said.

"Don't make me angry," Candado said, his cold demeanor returning.

He then walked with his hands in his pockets to the children, who were happily playing with the puppies. Candado leaned down and placed both hands on Yara's and Gerald's heads.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a smile.

"We're playing with the puppies," Rocío said.

"Wow, it's very relaxing, isn't it?" Candado observed.

"Why don't you join us?" Gerald suggested.

Candado shook his head. "No, I think I'll just watch."

He then sat down as the kids moved away from him, chasing after the puppies. Candado felt content watching them play, especially Yara, who had begun to open up to others. He had never seen her so cheerful with other people; in the past, she would be crying and screaming for her father or Mauricio. Candado brought his hand to his chin and pondered. Now that he had made the observation about his little one, it all started because Hammya appeared. It was quite strange; she still had no knowledge of her powers, despite having used them twice, three times with that time Declan spoke in her language to annoy Viki. It was too quick to draw conclusions yet, but Candado suspected that Hammya might have a split personality.

Candado removed his hand and then looked at Hammya; she was playing with Yara, lifting her into the air, imitating Candado. It was strange, both times she used her powers, her eyes and personality changed. But after thinking about them, he lay back, picked up a small flower next to him, and examined it closely.

"You're too intriguing, Hammya Saillim," he said softly, then let go of the flower and the wind carried it away. "Too intriguing," he added before closing his eyes.

When they realized that Candado was too far away from them, they quickly returned to where he was lying down. When they arrived, Candado had fallen asleep, completely exhausted. Yara rested her head on Candado's chest to feel the beating of his heart.

"He's still alive."

"It's obvious he's still alive, girl, he's just sleeping," Clementina said.

"Okay, what do we do now?" Rocío asked.

"I think it's best for Candado to rest for a while," Andersson said as he approached behind them with his hands behind his back. "We'll wake him up later."

"Andersson, you've learned to speak, well done."

"Thank you, Lady Clementina."

"But... Candado is the one who organizes us, if he's sleeping, then what do we do?" Clementina asked.

"Why don't we do the same?"

After saying that, Andersson lay down on the ground on his back, then looked at the others.

"Come on, join us."

"I don't think..."

"It's relaxing," Gerald interrupted.

Clementina turned around and saw the three children lying behind her.

"You're going to get your clothes dirty," she scratched her head. "Well, after all, he's relaxed too," she added before lying down on the ground.

The two brothers were stroking the puppies they had, each on their belly, while looking at the sky. Yara, on the other hand, was lying on her right side while holding Candado's hand. It was at that moment that Yara realized Candado's hand was large. Andersson was looking up and chattering about the clouds, saying things like some looked like a car, plane, or a duck, while Clementina listened to what he said with less or no importance at all, focusing only on the noise around her, so she could warn Candado of an imminent danger.

Hammya, on the other hand, lay on the left side of Candado. Looking up at the sky with her right hand on her abdomen, she smiled, feeling peace around her. Lost in the beautiful things she imagined when looking at the celestial sky, she decided to lower her gaze and saw Candado, who was sleeping so peacefully. His breathing was slow, his eyes were tightly closed, and his face was cool and expressionless as the wind moved some strands of hair on his forehead. Hammya couldn't help but feel moved; she smiled and moved her hand to his, her fingers intertwining with his. Candado still didn't wake up, in fact, he didn't even notice Hammya's hand, but even so, she felt happy, happy to be with him.