Hours after the events took place, Candado sat at the main table of the Roobóleo Brotherhood Guild. All the members had gathered, including Kevin and Martina, who had just arrived to say hello, but—as always—the welcome celebration had to be postponed.

  Candado remained in the center, surrounded by everyone, observing them one by one as if he were studying them. He couldn't find the right way to communicate news that sounded absurd even to him. After several minutes—long, dense, and silent—he sighed and looked first at Anzor.

  "I’m sorry to interrupt your moment with your mother," he said.

  Anzor, unconcerned, replied, "It’s fine. She’s staying for several days."

  "Even so, I’m sorry," Candado repeated.

  Then, he turned to the group.

  "What I am about to say must not leave this room. Can I trust you?"

  "Yes," they answered in unison.

  "Very well." He took a deep breath and let the air out slowly. "The guild has a job. Tomorrow, at one in the afternoon, we travel to Jadek."

  "Jadek? What is that?" Matlotsky asked.

  "The new nation of our ally, Sara of Holly Truth."

  A collective murmur swept through the room.

  "I suppose that means flying," Natalia said.

  "That’s right," Candado nodded. "But don't worry, Mauricio will help us with that."

  "How far is it?" Viki asked.

  "It’s a secret," he replied without hesitation.

  "Come on, give us a hint," Lucas pleaded. "Which continent?"

  "Secret. Don’t insist. It’s for your own good. I can only tell you that we are traveling to a place inaccessible by conventional means. A floating island several kilometers wide."

  "Fascinating," Germán muttered.

  Candado then noticed something strange: Héctor had spent the entire meeting staring fixedly at Hammya. He didn't let her out of his sight, as if trying to solve an impossible riddle.

  "Is something wrong, Héctor?" he asked.

  Héctor didn't react. He kept watching Hammya.

  "Héctor," Candado repeated, firmer this time.

  This time he did react, turning toward him. "Yes... guild mission... Jadeko."

  "Jadek," Candado corrected.

  "That's the one."

  "Are you okay?"

  "Me? Yes, yes. I’m fine. It’s nothing."

  Candado arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. But he continued explaining the mission: they would act as guarantors for a conversation and negotiation between Sara and a yet unknown leader.

  However, as he spoke, Héctor kept glancing back at Hammya. Germán and Pucheta noticed it too.

  When the meeting ended and everyone moved to properly welcome Kevin and Martina, Héctor approached Candado.

  "Can we talk for a moment?" he asked, nodding toward the hallway.

  Candado understood immediately that he meant the basement room.

  "Of course," he replied, standing up to follow him.

  Hammya watched them walk away but continued chatting with the others. Germán smiled with his classic, eerie grimace while solving his Rubik's cube; Lucas and Pucheta continued arguing about some absurd invention.

  When Candado closed the basement door, Héctor walked to the single table and sat down.

  "What happened?" Candado asked.

  Héctor remained silent, trying to bring order to the chaos in his head. He scratched his cheek, took a breath, and finally spoke.

  "Germán and Pucheta had nanobots in their bodies."

  Candado looked at the door, tempted to leave, but Héctor continued before he could move.

  "They’re fine. Nelson and Lucas helped. Everything is under control."

  Candado’s rigid face showed a moment of relief. But Héctor wasn't finished.

  "The problem isn't just that," he added. "It’s... how it all happened."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Hammya."

  Candado frowned. "What does she have to do with it?"

  "She sent a message to me and Darío, telling us to wait for Germán and Ana María at the airport. But according to Germán, he didn't tell anyone. Not even you."

  "Correction: I did know," Candado admitted.

  "I thought so. Every time an agent is arrested and sent to the caves, Germán passes through that place. I know he isn't well. I’m not a doctor, but his traits... they are emerging more strongly every time. Maybe there is something human in there."

  Candado took a seat opposite him.

  "You know Germán's situation," he said calmly. "You cannot repair what he has. Sometimes I want you to understand that often—more often than you can count—people are born with conditions that push them toward three paths: moral, neutral, or amoral. And often, the third one becomes... very bad. Someone who believes in humanity should know that."

  Héctor took a deep breath.

  "Listen to me. Just because I believe in humanity doesn't mean I believe everyone can be saved. Some don't want to be. Others can't, as you say. But if there is even a spark of something human left in him... I don't want to be the one to extinguish it. It isn't blind hope. It’s a choice: not to add more darkness to a world that is already full of it. But I didn't come to talk about Germán. I came to talk about Hammya."

  "What did she do?"

  "The way things happened... it was as if we were in a movie and she was the director. She knew where Germán was. She knew when he was coming back. She knew Walsh could detect anomalies. She knew we would go to the guild. She knew Nelson and Lucas would be there. She knew exactly what problem each person had before Darío or any of us found out. Otherwise... why would Nelson have the exact right medication?"

  Candado brought a hand to his chin.

  "Perhaps her power evolved," he said. "Something similar to Erika’s."

  "Erika needs a physical or mental trigger for that. Danger. A threat. If I didn't have a relationship with her, she could never see if something happened to me. Besides," he looked him in the eye, "you know that the only way to see beyond a few seconds into the future—something resembling Chronos—is through a spell. And from what I know of Hammya... she isn't capable of casting one."

  "Do you suspect her?"

  "Not exactly. But I know she’s hiding something. And if she knew all this with such precision... What else does she know?"

  "Why are you telling me all this?"

  "Because I can't do this alone. I need your help. How did she know? Why did she know? And what else does she know?"

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  Silence fell for a few moments. Candado closed his eyes, opened them, and replied, "I understand. We will talk when the gathering is over."

  "Thank you."

  They left the basement, but as soon as they opened the door, they found Hammya smiling in the threshold.

  "I suppose you want something from me, right?" she asked.

  Héctor and Candado looked at each other. Héctor sighed.

  "Yes... it’s true."

  "Great. Are you taking me in there?" she asked, pointing to the basement door.

  "No," Candado replied coldly.

  "Well, maybe another day."

  "Maybe."

  Héctor didn't know how to start the conversation anymore. Frustrated, Candado placed a hand on each of their shoulders, and the three of them vanished. Instantly, they were back in the white room.

  "Oh, I remember this place," Hammya said with nostalgia.

  "Candado!?" Héctor exclaimed.

  "Don't worry. Amabaray healed me completely," he replied.

  "I suppose I'm here for a reason," Hammya commented.

  "In a way, yes," Héctor said.

  She clapped her hands, enthusiastic. "Great. Do you have questions?"

  "Correct," Candado replied. "And we want answers."

  "Then ask."

  "Did you know what was going to happen to Ana and Germán?" Héctor asked.

  Hammya looked at Candado. She didn't back down, nor did she look uncomfortable. She simply smiled warmly.

  "Yes. I knew."

  Candado felt a visible unease: she wasn't lying.

  "How did you know?" he insisted.

  "Elementary, my dear Ramírez," she replied with light mockery. "I had already lived it."

  Héctor looked at Candado, who frowned without taking his eyes off her.

  "How many times?" Candado asked.

  "Excuse me?" she said.

  "How many times have you 'lived' this? Because I doubt you are very devoted to controlling time."

  Hammya let out a short laugh that died out quickly. Her expression changed to a sad, melancholic smile.

  "Counting this one... five times."

  Both men stood petrified.

  "It can't be," Héctor stammered. "That many times... we would have noticed..."

  "Chronos," Candado interrupted.

  Hammya nodded. "I suppose nothing escapes you."

  And Candado remembered Chronos's reaction that time they met, back in the past.

  "What is that?"

  "Oh, this box..." Chronos opened it and took out a green book. "It is a gift."

  "For me?"

  "No, no, no. For your companion."

  "Who? Helga?"

  "No, it is for a beautiful lady with green hair."

  Candado felt an inexplicable discomfort upon hearing the description, but he hid it.

  "Can I see it?"

  "No."

  Candado answered quickly, with visible annoyance on his face.

  "Too bad."

  Chronos smiled, which caused Candado to stare at him, thinking of a thousand reasons why Chronos would want to see Hammya. Until one of his theories sank into his mind and manifested on his face with surprise.

  "No..."

  Candado turned quickly and saw that Hammya was already there.

  "Impossible!" he said with anger.

  "Calm down, you aren't far from the truth, but not close to the lie either."

  "Candado?" Hammya worried.

  "Chronos, you?"

  "You don't want to know that, Candado." Then he looked at Hammya. "Hello, darling. How did you get in?"

  Present Day

  Candado looked at Hammya with a mixture of certainty and exhaustion in his eyes.

  "You touched the book, didn't you?"

  "That's right," she replied bluntly.

  "What's happening, Candado?" Héctor asked, not fully understanding.

  Candado clenched his jaw.

  "I suspected Chronos wanted something from Hammya. He created the perfect conditions to gain leverage over her. It wouldn't be the first time he collected a debt: that's how he got Helga's parents to meet. He needed her to be born to form that strange bond he has with her... but not this time." He looked directly at Hammya. "It was you who asked him for help. And he gave it to you; you transferred your future consciousness to the past one. Only he can do that."

  Hammya closed her eyes. It was answer enough.

  "How close were we," Candado continued, "for you to do something crazy like that?"

  Hammya took a step toward him and hugged him. Then she placed a finger on his lips, as if containing something that shouldn't happen, and left a soft kiss on that finger—almost touching him, almost not.

  Héctor’s eyes widened in surprise. "What...?"

  "Impossible," Candado said, though his tone held no rage, only bitter confirmation.

  "Of course not now," Hammya replied calmly. "But eventually, it will happen."

  "What happened to her?" Candado asked, not breaking eye contact. "Answer me."

  Hammya sighed, lowering her gaze.

  "I am Hammya... but five years older."

  Silence fell like a blow.

  "I want her back," Candado said, with no apparent emotion, but with something sharp beneath the surface.

  "You're so tiresome. It's me! Do you like this version better? Do you like bold and clumsy girls?"

  Candado didn't react. His expression was a wall.

  "I... Want... Her... Back," he repeated, this time with a tone that froze the air.

  Hammya took a deep breath.

  "It is temporary. When I finish what I came to do... I will return."

  "And if you don't?"

  "I'm serious, Candado. When I fulfill what binds me here, it will send me back."

  "What do you need?"

  "For you to listen to me, and to do what I ask," she said, taking a step back. "Trust me. I want what is best for you and for everyone. To make it clearer: the more you listen to me, the faster I will finish, and the sooner you will see her... the old, silly me."

  Candado watched her for a long time, unblinking.

  "Fine," he said at last. "It will be done your way."

  He snapped his fingers, and everyone returned to the guild room. Lucas, holding a sandwich, jumped and accidentally threw it at Germán, who looked at him with an unsettling smile while Lucas apologized clumsily.

  "Not a word," Candado ordered.

  And he walked away without looking back.

  Héctor fixed his eyes on Hammya and put a hand on her shoulder.

  "Let's hope this ends soon."

  "Me too," she replied, though her smile seemed forced.

  Candado left the guild. Night had already fallen. His face was tense, almost immovable, but beneath the surface boiled a contained fury. The sisters—Erika and Lucía—were the only ones who noticed. They exchanged a look and followed him.

  As soon as he stepped out the door, Candado brought his hands to his tear ducts and, with a brusque gesture, threw his beret against the sidewalk. He was shaking. That was the most alarming part: Candado Barret did not tremble. Never.

  A figure bent down, picked up the beret, and took a few steps toward him. It was Erika, accompanied by her sister.

  Both touched him barely on the shoulder, as if afraid they might break him. Candado turned slowly, with visible effort to control his expression. Upon seeing them, he tightened that control even further: he didn't want to scare them.

  He covered his eyes for an instant, took a deep breath, and put his beret back on.

  "I'm fine... I'll be fine," he said in a low voice. "Thank you."

  The twins didn't answer. They just observed him with the same intensity he usually used to observe others.

  "Go inside. Today the protagonists are Kevin and Martina," he said, deflecting the conversation.

  "Where are you going?" they asked in unison.

  "Home. I'm tired... very tired."

  The slight tremor in his hands confirmed what they already intuited: something very bad had happened.

  "Alright... Through Isidro. See you tomorrow."

  After saying that, Candado nodded and took a step to leave, but both of them grabbed his hands immediately, with surprising strength.

  "What are you doing? Let me go," he asked, bewildered.

  " The little house..." Erika murmured.

  "...isn't finished," Lucía completed.

  Candado frowned. "That again?"

  "You aren't going to your house, Dad," Lucía said with unusual seriousness.

  "You're going to ours," Erika finished.

  Candado resisted. "Let me go. I want to be alone."

  "We'll tell Clementina," they warned at the same time.

  He looked at them with a mixture of weariness and resignation.

  "As your father, I order you to let me go."

  The grip became tighter.

  "No," they said, trembling.

  Candado felt the irritation rising like fire. His eyes lit up, acquiring that flaming shine that signified a warning.

  "Let me go," he growled.

  The sisters closed their eyes, terrified. But they didn't let go.

  Candado wanted to yell at them. Push them. Drive them away. But something inside him broke before he could even try. The fire in his eyes went out and, without a word, he fell to his knees.

  They held him up, surprised by the sudden collapse.

  Candado looked at the ground. A few drops fell. He was crying. And he was fighting so that no one would see him cry.

  "Why don't you listen to me?" he said with a broken voice. "Am I not your father?"

  The sisters knelt with him and hugged him at the same time.

  "We are here," Erika whispered. "We aren't going to leave."

  "If you don't want to tell us, we won't ask," Lucía added. "We're just going to be with you. You were always there for us... now it's our turn to take care of you a little."

  Candado yielded, clumsily, and hugged them too. He cried a while longer, until the trembling diminished. When the sisters looked up, they noticed a figure in the distance watching them from the guild window: Hammya. She was visibly worried. But in their eyes, she was responsible for why Candado was in this state. With slightly sharpened eyes, as if the scene provoked something uncomfortable in them, they glared back at her.

  The twins tightened their grip on Candado even more and, without letting go, led him away from Hammya’s sight.

  The sisters' house was a few blocks from the guild. When they entered, their mother peeked out from the kitchen.

  "Erika? Lucía? Is that you?"

  "Yes, Mom," they answered.

  The woman appeared with the ladle still in her hand. She had the same short red hair as her daughters and eyes just as clear. Upon seeing Candado looking so sad, she grew worried.

  "What happened?"

  "Can Candado sleep with us tonight?" Erika asked.

  "Of course. I'll call his house."

  The sisters took him to their room and sat him on Lucía’s bed. They opened the closet and took out a box with clean clothes meant especially for him; for a long time, they had prepared a small "kit" for the nights Candado stayed over.

  They left him to change, but they set a gentle trap: Lucas had installed a system—at the sisters' request, of course—that prevented Candado from turning off the room light when he was sad and wanted to isolate himself. If he pressed the switch, the hallway light would turn off instead. That way, they could enter and ensure he didn't lock himself in his own darkness.

  And as they expected, two minutes later, the hallway light went out.

  They entered in silence.

  Candado was standing in front of the switch, pressing it over and over, like someone wanting to erase his own existence rather than just turn off a light.

  Erika took off his beret gently and placed it on her bed. Lucía crouched down to take off his shoes. Then they laid him down and tucked him in. Candado remained motionless, like a doll without a soul. He wasn't crying anymore, but his eyes were red and his gaze was lost, completely extinguished.

  The rage they felt toward Hammya grew even more. They couldn't help but blame their friend for bringing Candado to this state, even if Hammya had saved Candado before. It didn't justify their anger, especially if she had dragged him into this situation.

  Erika turned off the light using a hidden button under the nightstand. Then both went to the bathroom to change, told their mother they would eat later, and returned to the room.

  Candado was still staring at the ceiling, expressionless.

  They climbed into the bed, one on each side, and placed their hands on his chest. They gave him small, rhythmic pats while humming a lullaby he had known since childhood. The same one he used to sing to them.

  Little by little, Candado’s eyes closed, and a few tears escaped involuntarily.

  And when he finally fell asleep, they did too.