—There is something I don’t quite understand. You say that a god could not be in or pass to another plane because he would destroy himself; therefore, Kalhanor, who was a negative god, could not enter the plane of Dontar. That’s why he transferred powers to the wizard Aldirk so that he could do evil. Why didn’t Kalhanor create his own world and do evil directly there?

—Do these words mean anything to you: "In his own image and likeness"?

—It’s from a biblical passage,—Gabriel answered.

—Well yes, it’s from a passage in Genesis that will answer your very good question. Kalhanor, being a negative god, would create negative beings. They would not suffer because they would be born of evil, and evil would be their joy; but since the beings of the world of Dontar were good-hearted, they would suffer.

—And couldn’t Dontar destroy Aldirk?

—Dontar is a good god and does not destroy; he builds. He also couldn’t destroy him now, because Aldirk, the wizard, has the powers of a god without being one.

—I still have a doubt: if Aldirk is the creation of a positive god, how did evil take root in him?

—I cannot answer that question because I do not have the answer, Gabriel. Some claim that the plan was devised by Kalhanor; perhaps that is true. Perhaps it was not Aldirk who made contact with Kalhanor, but rather Kalhanor who first reached out to the wizard and planted that initial seed of evil that Dontar foresaw.

Don Anselmo paused again. He lit his pipe once more and took a deep puff. Then he continued:

—When Aldirk managed to obtain extraordinary powers through Kalhanor, nothing could stop him, and he began to create his own creatures, malevolent beings that now serve his cause. Meanwhile, distrust, envy, and hatred began to grow in every living being of the Primordial Earth—a paradise until then—which started to experience its first atmospheric changes and the emergence of diseases and plagues that decimated a large part of the population. Dontar once again summoned The Order of the Five to the summit of Danmajera and informed them that they had to fight against Aldirk to the bitter end, enduring his siege until he, Dontar, could find a solution before the world fell. The great wizards did just that, and bloody battles raged for centuries. Thanks to the sacrifice of the united peoples, Dontar found the solution and pronounced his sentence against Aldirk: "A firstborn shall be the chosen one to put an end to the Age of Darkness, and with it, all its malevolent creatures and the serpent that governs them." This filled Aldirk and his followers with dread, and a glimmer of hope shone for the oppressed peoples. But the response of the evil one did not take long.

Gathering all the power at his disposal, he launched the most atrocious attack known until then, managing to separate humans—the firstborn—from the rest of the peoples. He placed them in different dimensions within this very plane of existence and made the existence of one invisible to the eyes of the other. Thus, a single world was born, divided in two, both parts created on malevolent foundations. By separating the human race from the rest and remaining in the initial dimension, Aldirk has so far managed to prevent Dontar’s sentence from being fulfilled. This is how we arrived at what is today the world of humans, a world heading directly toward destruction, and when this happens, Dontar’s sentence will not be carried out. In that case, Aldirk will have triumphed definitively.

The wizard had to gather such an enormous amount of power to carry out this terrible attack and distort space-time that he nearly destroyed himself. He was left extremely weak. Then he fled and took refuge in the dark lands of Mundark, and his scourge disappeared for centuries. The peoples overcame the terrible loss of the humans, while the humans began a new life, believing themselves to be the sole survivors of the cataclysm. As time passed, collective memory on both sides was transfigured, turning what was once reality—the communion of different races—into mere fantasy. Dontar did not rest, and after several centuries, he summoned The Order of the Five one last time to the summit of Danmajera.

There, he entrusted them with The Key that would open the portal, allowing only one inhabitant of the united peoples to enter the dimension where humans had been exiled by Aldirk. The mission of The Order of the Five was to entrust this key to a people of their choosing, and the mission of that people was to designate the person who would undertake the journey to the land of the humans. After leaving The Key in the custody of the elves, the five wizards withdrew. They now dwell in the Great White Palace atop Danmajera, awaiting the moment when The Chosen One calls them to the final battle. Aldirk secluded himself in the Dark Lands to gather the necessary power to definitively subdue the united peoples. He no longer worried about the humans, believing it was only a matter of time before they sealed their own fate—a time that was now about to be fulfilled. All this, without knowing until then about the existence of The Key.

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The elves had to guard it and choose the envoy who would carry out the mission; but Aldirk awoke and began to spread evil once more. Resentment, hatred, and plagues began to ravage the now disunited peoples. Civil wars followed, and diseases led immortality to be thought of as a myth. Only the elves managed to preserve it, but at the cost of their exile; they had to leave the beautiful Valarión and entrust The Key to a group of noble half-elves who sacrificed themselves to fulfill their duty of delivering it to the designated envoy. Time passed, and in the beautiful Valarión, the great council gathered and, by common agreement, chose me to embark on a crucial mission: to find the right man.

I was designated the Envoy. I hold the Key that will open the portal, allowing only one person to pass into the other world—the Chosen One. This Key was named the Legacy of the Five.

What I never expected was that my search would take so many years. Let me explain why: The mission was not meant to last more than two thousand years—enough time to find the Chosen One. But the secret of the Key’s existence reached Aldirk’s ears. In his panic, and in another display of power, he distorted human space-time even further. That’s how my arrival in your world was drastically altered—I emerged at the cradle of civilization, at the dawn of humanity. Of course, I didn’t know this at the time. I only knew that within two thousand years, I had to find the Chosen One.

Centuries passed, and I realized with horror that something had gone wrong when I crossed the portal.

Everything depended on me and how long I could stay alive. The centuries passed. My eyes have witnessed nearly five thousand years of human history. Throughout my stay in your dimension, I have seen entire civilizations rise and fall; I have been a direct witness to unique moments. Gabriel, I have traveled this world far and wide hundreds of times—thousands of times. I know practically all the written and unwritten history of humanity. In my relentless pilgrimage, I have learned much from every culture and every people; I have spoken hundreds of languages and dialects; I have fought alongside great heroes in countless battles. Thousands of years rest upon my weary body.

All these centuries, I have fruitlessly searched for the Chosen One among those whose lives bore a heroic essence, among those who have shaped history, among those who have filled pages of glory with their deeds at the cost of their own sacrifice.

But no. I was never able to find him. Then I understood that our hope lay in the common man, in someone with well-formed values—someone simple, unaware that deep within, in the very depths of his being, a seed lay dormant, waiting to sprout with these values and ideals that would drive him to fight to the last consequence, beyond the unimaginable, to make them a reality. That person, at first, would not know it; he would feel like just another among the crowd, someone struggling to survive, witnessing in despair the slow decline of his species. And today, after so much, so much searching, I can finally tell that person that they have a unique opportunity to change the course of things—to bring an end, once and for all, to all of humanity’s suffering.

—What are you trying to tell me with this fascinating story? That I am the Chosen One? —hGabriel said with a hint of sarcasm, unable to believe a word of the old man’s tale.

—I know you don’t believe me, boy. I know it’s hard to open your mind these days. In the past, humans were too superstitious. Now, they are too skeptical. I only ask that you grant me the benefit of the doubt. Don’t close yourself off completely or succumb to total disbelief.

—How do you expect me to believe you? I don’t even know you. This is only the second time I’ve seen you in my life. You sent me those books all those years I spent in the orphanage, and I had no idea it was you. Now you summon me to your house and tell me this legendary tale, trying to convince me it’s true, and on top of that, you tell me I have a role to play in it. Who do you take me for, sir? I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t like being treated like a fool.”

—I’m sorry, Gabriel. I truly am, and I understand your anger, but I have only fulfilled my duty. I don’t make the rules—I follow them. And if my role was to find you, then I have done so. It is not my fault that your role in this story is the central one. I am old, very old, and I have little time left. I could simply throw my hands up and say, ‘Enough, to hell with it.’ If you want to accept it, accept it. If not, do as you please. But no… I won’t settle for that. I have values, and I have friends who still hold onto the hope that I will keep my word and that you will fulfill the role meant for you. If you want proof, you shall have it, boy. Now leave and think about it.

—You speak of proof. Show it to me, and perhaps… perhaps I might start to believe your words.

—I am not human. I could show you my pointed ears, and you still wouldn’t believe me. But I do have a gift, one that most humans do not: perception. Something will happen this week—something that could hasten the end of the human race. I don’t know when or where, only that it will happen sometime this week. Be attentive. And if that convinces you, I will be waiting for your answer.

The old man said nothing more. He took an old book from the table and began reading, leaving Gabriel confused and furious.

—I can assure you, I will never set foot in this house again.

The old man did not respond. Gabriel climbed the stairs and left, slamming the door behind him. Don Anselmo closed the book, took a deep puff from his pipe, and, smiling, said:

—Oh, yes! Yes, you will be back!

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