Setting the Scene:
Two days later, the air inside Michelle's small, secluded house was thick with unspoken truths. Cristino, wrapped in a blanket on the sofa, was a ghost of his former self, consumed by the repeating loop of his parents' disappearance and the shadow killer. Michelle and his grandfather, Daniel, spoke in hushed, urgent tones.
"Two days later, Michelle decided to go to England with Cristino, where her husband (Cristino's Grandfather) lived…"
"We can't stay here, Cris," Michelle said, her voice firm, avoiding his eyes. "We are going to England. Daniel is waiting."
They drove in silence toward the airport. Cristino stared out the window, his mind replaying the metallic sound of the killer's scythe. Suddenly, Michelle swerved the car violently, pulling off the main road and plunging the vehicle into a dense, silent woods.
"What just happened?" Cristino shouted, panicked. Michelle and Daniel, without explanation, rushed out of the car and into the trees.
Cristino followed, stumbling through the undergrowth, his confusion curdling into rage. He found them standing beneath an ancient oak, their faces turned upward.
"I am going to kill that man," Cristino yelled, his voice desperate. "He took my mom! I'm going to kill him!"
The Confrontation:
His grandfather, Daniel, stepped forward, his expression changing from worry to stern authority. He wore a simple, white cotton tunic—clothes that looked completely out of place in the forest.
"Who are you?" Cristino asked, the question escaping on a ragged breath. "What is going on?"
A man materialized from the shadows, not the killer, but a figure clad in white, his presence radiating a disconcerting calm. He was young, powerful, and his gaze was steady.
"I am Aries, a Dark Embracer," the man said, an unnervingly smooth introduction. "But I love Cristino."
Before Cristino could register the insane contradiction, the man in white was gone, replaced by a second figure—a mirror image of the first, but dressed in shimmering, gold-stitched white robes.
This man stepped forward, his eyes locking onto Cristino's. "I am Cemin, a Commander of the Light Embracers. I have been asked to capture you. They tell me you have a special power."
"To what end?" Cristino demanded, taking a defensive step back.
Cemin smiled, a thin, knowing twist of the lips. "The Light Realm. You belong there now."
Michelle and Daniel stepped in, confirming everything. Cristino's rage dissolved into disbelief. "You believe this? This… Light Realm?"
Cemin simply extended his hand, a blinding flash of pure white energy erupting from his palm. Before Cristino could fully react, the three figures—Cemin, Michelle, and Daniel—vanished.
The Light Realm:
The transition was instantaneous and overwhelming. Cristino felt a moment of pure decompression, followed by the sensation of standing on solid ground.
He stood on a plateau overlooking a vast, breathtaking city. It was not built of stone or steel, but of light itself. The structures seemed to breathe, glowing with inner luminosity, stretching as far as the horizon. The air was clean, vibrant, and tasted faintly of honey and moss. The beauty of the Light Realm was staggering, a living, pulsing contradiction to the shadowy despair of Matero.
"What place is that?" Cristino whispered, awestruck, the trauma momentarily eclipsed by wonder.
"That's the Dark Realm, where Aries rules," Cemin replied, pointing to a distant, ominous landscape cloaked in perpetual storm clouds and geometric, dark towers. "The realms exist side by side."
Cemin explained the history: The Almighty Superior created the world, and established the Light Embracers (Comm, Cemin, and others) to uphold purity, love, and honesty. Then, the Dark Embracers (Aries' Clan) were born, who believed in creating suffering to gain power.
"But the people here… they look… peaceful," Cristino noted, looking at the inhabitants—tall, serene figures dressed in various shades of white and gold.
"We believe in love and humility," Cemin affirmed. "And they believe in suffering and cruelty. We are opposites."
The Prophecy and the Power:
As they walked, they were immediately met with warm greetings from the High Embracers. They were happy to see Daniel and Michelle return, but ecstatic to see Cemin.
"He is going to help us defeat Aries!" Cemin declared, proudly presenting Cristino.
But the High Embracers were worried. "Who are you, boy?" one asked, suspicion in his voice.
Cemin pulled Cristino aside. "I was hushed. They want you to explain yourself."
Gathering his composure, Cristino, still shaky, recounted his confrontation with the Dark Embracer and the terrifying sight of his parents' disappearance. He described the killer's coldness, the scent of ozone, and his own desperate need for revenge.
Cemin listened intently. "The Almighty put us in charge to stop him and his kind. You possess a special power, Cristino. It's called FATHIUM. It gives you the ability to bring down a Dark Embracer."
Cristino was stunned. Power? He didn't feel powerful; he felt empty.
Cemin put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I will show you how to use it. You will learn the Light, Cristino. We will teach you how to fight."
For the first time since his parents vanished, a spark ignited in Cristino. Not hope, but a fierce, white-hot ambition for retribution. He had a reason now. He had a weapon.