"He's become a Universal Wolf," Aiden and Reia declared in unison.
The statement reverberated like a deep echo in everyone's minds, vibrating through the air with an intensity that felt almost tangible. Podbe now radiated a breathtaking light, a luminosity that transformed his figure into something beyond human or animal. He was no longer just a dog or wolf, nor any ordinary being; he had become a primal force, an entity whose presence defied the very laws of nature. His once dark and earthly fur now shimmered with silvery glimmers under the dim light, as if each strand contained fragments of stars. The gentle breeze surrounding him carried the fresh scent of an electric storm, mingled with a strange yet comforting warmth.
"What is this about a Universal Wolf?" asked their friends, genuine astonishment coloring their voices, while others, still dazed, inquired, "And how are you even alive?"
"Hello!" Aiden responded with an awkward smile, as though he'd just woken from a long sleep.
"Hello?" Maria and Billy exclaimed simultaneously, their voices brimming with disbelief and frustration. "We cried for you because we thought you were dead, and all you can say is hello!"
"Well, I…" Aiden began, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
"Hey! Is that all you've got to defend yourself?" interrupted Billy, grabbing Aiden by the shoulders and shaking him desperately. Aiden staggered, dizzy, as Reia stepped in calmly.
"Easy there, lad, you're going to dismantle him," Reia said, placing a firm hand on Billy's shoulder. Her tone was kind but authoritative, like a grandmother scolding a mischievous grandchild.
"Are you okay? Did anything happen to you?" Adia asked, approaching with genuine concern. Her eyes, filled with tenderness, reflected the surprise of suddenly discovering that Aiden was her grandson. Drake, on the other hand, remained slightly distant, observing with a more reserved expression. He wasn't particularly good with children, but his gaze conveyed a quiet affection. Though one might have expected the opposite.
"Yes, I'm fine. Nothing happened to me," Aiden replied, bringing a hand to his head and blushing slightly.
"I'm glad you're alright, lad," Eduard and Ezequiel said, stepping closer as well. Their voices were deep but warm, like a hug after a long absence.
Once the initial shock subsided, Aiden decided to speak. "Calm down, friends. I'll tell you what happened and why we call him the Universal Wolf."
"Well, this will certainly be exciting," Professor Kile remarked, adjusting his glasses with enthusiasm. General Bronjort, ever more reserved, nodded with a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. Both were eager to hear the story behind such a mysterious name.
Aiden was about to begin his account, but then, with a small bow and a sheepish grin—since he wasn't particularly good at storytelling—he passed the floor to Reia.
"Very well, allow me to explain," she said with a smile. As an AI, she thoroughly enjoyed sharing information, and this occasion would be no different. With a peculiar gleam in her digital eyes, she began narrating the events that had unfolded while Podbe, in his new form as the Universal Wolf, faced Zeus in the background.
The surrounding landscape seemed to vibrate with the tension of the battle. Thunder rumbled in the distance, briefly illuminating the sky with flashes of electric blue. The ground trembled beneath their feet, as if the world itself felt the weight of the fight raging on.
When Aiden entered Podbe's mind, his objective was clear: to restore his sanity. Let us remember that, in his Galactic Wolf form, Podbe became erratic and wild, a danger both to himself and those around him. Podbe's mind was a chaotic labyrinth, a tangled web of disordered thoughts and primal emotions that twisted like black smoke under dim light. In that mental space, Aiden found something unexpected: the figure of his father, Agent B-12, whom he had previously nicknamed Chad.
The presence of Agent B-12 in this mental form was unlike anything Aiden had experienced before. He didn't speak directly to Aiden; rather, his words seemed to emanate from Podbe himself, as if their two consciousnesses were intertwined. "It's my father," Aiden thought, a lump forming in his throat as he confronted the raw truth of his identity for the first time. But there was no time to reflect on it. For Podbe to fight with all his senses intact—and not erratically—Aiden had to say goodbye to this mental version of his father. It was a silent farewell, yet heavy with emotion, like closing a door knowing he might never open it again.
However, in the real world, things took a disastrous turn. The Galactic Wolf, though powerful, was no match for Zeus. With devastating force, the god unleashed an attack that repelled the wolf, splitting him into two lifeless halves that collapsed to the ground. We all watched in horror, convinced we had lost. The air was thick with a tomb-like silence, broken only by the distant echo of thunder. It seemed as though everything was over.
But then… something extraordinary happened. A kind of miracle, something we could never have imagined, emerged out of nowhere. A radiant, almost ethereal cloud enveloped us in a protective sphere. It was warm to the touch, as if it radiated a calming energy that starkly contrasted with the violence surrounding us.
"It's the same female cloud from before!" Aiden exclaimed, interrupting Reia, who shot him a reproachful look. The boy lowered his gaze, was embarrassed, and muttered an apology.
"As I was saying," Reia continued in a firm but indulgent tone, "that woman-shaped cloud protected us from certain death. She told us, 'Come with me.' Of course, we didn't have many options—we were trapped in what seemed like absolute nothingness. She took us to a strange, almost unreal place: the subatomic part of the JORGS system, or at least that's what it seemed to me."
Reia paused, letting her words drift through the air like echoes of a revealed secret. The silence that followed seemed to vibrate with the weight of what she had just said. Then, adopting a more serious tone, she continued: "She confessed to us that she wasn't supposed to intervene, but she did so anyway. She saved us just in time, before we were annihilated. She explained that to face Zeus's overwhelming power, we needed to evolve. Podbe had to become something stronger, something beyond anything we'd ever imagined."
The human-like AI paused again, allowing the implications of her words to sink in among those present. "In fact, she had helped before, when Podbe fought Urion. Without anyone realizing it, she had been placing those crescent marks on the dog's forehead—the ones we all noticed and found so strange. Those marks weren't mere decorations; they were preparations, pieces of a cosmic puzzle that were gradually readying Podbe for his ultimate transformation."
"Ah! So that's why!" Leila blurted out, unable to contain her excitement. Her voice rang through the room, momentarily breaking the solemnity of the moment. But as soon as she saw Reia's stern gaze, she shrank back into her seat, lowering her head as if wishing she could disappear. Reia's expression was unmistakable: a mix of exhausted patience and silent warning that clearly said, "No more interruptions."
The atmosphere fell silent once more, now charged with contained tension. All eyes were fixed on Reia, waiting for her to continue. It was evident that what she was about to reveal was far greater than anything any of them could have imagined.
Reia resumed her tale, her voice steady but imbued with an almost reverential tone. The cloud-woman revealed something crucial: when Podbe managed to gather the four crescent moons on his forehead, an immense power would be unleashed. A sphere projected at the center—like a full moon—would release a force capable of defeating our enemy. However, there was a price. For that power to emerge, Podbe would have to sacrifice his existence… though not entirely.
The cloud explained that, within the JORGS system, no one truly dies; only an astral part perishes. The Galactic Wolf, as we knew it, was more of a shell, an external form that could fade without entirely extinguishing its essence. It was a symbolic sacrifice, but a necessary one.
"Wow! Interesting!" Riota and Benjamin exclaimed in unison, their eyes gleaming with genuine amazement. It was clear that Reia's words had sparked a mix of fascination and bewilderment in them.
"Yes, isn't it interesting?" Choy added, unable to contain his excitement. His voice was rapid, almost as if he were trying to fill the silence with his overflowing energy.
However, Adora, ever the analytical one, interjected with a dry tone: "A cloud in the shape of a woman… that's something both strange and crazy." Her comment hung in the air, laced with skepticism, as she crossed her arms and slightly furrowed her brow.
Reia raised an eyebrow, looking at them with an expression that could freeze blood. Her digital eyes seemed to glow with unusual intensity, like cold lights piercing through each person present. She said nothing for a few seconds, but her silence was enough. The atmosphere shifted abruptly: the initial enthusiasm dissipated, replaced by an almost palpable tension.
"That's true. I don't tell lies," Reia finally responded, though her tone was low and sharp, like the edge of a blade. Each word seemed charged with warning, as if reminding them that she wouldn't tolerate questioning or jokes about what she had just shared.
The group exchanged uncomfortable glances. Choy shrank slightly, lowering his voice as if fearing to say something wrong. Adora averted her gaze, apparently regretting her direct comment. Even Riota and Benjamin, who moments before had been excited, now seemed more subdued, like children caught misbehaving.
The atmosphere grew heavy and expectant in silence. Everyone knew they had touched a sensitive point, and no one wanted to be the next to face Reia's chilling stare.
However, Adrian and Rafael, always more analytical, spoke up with skeptical expressions. "But you still haven't told us exactly how that happened. How do you explain it from a scientific perspective?"
Before they could continue, everyone fell silent at the sight of Reia's piercing glare. Her expression made it clear she wouldn't tolerate further interruptions.
"Well, I think this is where I take over," Aiden intervened, speaking timidly but with determination as he saw how Reia was intimidating the others. "All she did was tell me to open a kind of portal using some strange letters. These corresponded to the symbols Podbe has on his tunic. So I spent a good while working on opening portals until I finally found the right one."
Aiden paused, as if reliving that moment in his mind. "When I finally opened it, the runes on the door—which formed a perfect circle—began to spin. They emitted an intense golden glow, as if they were alive. Suddenly, those runes shot out toward Podbe, fusing with him. They enveloped him in a beam of light so bright that we had to shield our eyes. My little dog, who had been sleeping peacefully in my arms, started to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes, and his initial bark soon transformed into a deep, resonant howl, so powerful it nearly hurt my eardrums."
The boy lowered his voice, as if afraid to break the solemnity of the memory. "That's when he began to change. I thought he would revert to the wild form of the Galactic Wolf, but something different happened. Instead, his body expanded and refined, taking on an appearance closer to that of a human, though radiating an awe-inspiring majesty. He looked omnipotent, illuminated by an inner light that seemed to come from another world. It was… breathtaking."
Aiden swallowed hard before continuing. "However, the cloud warned us about something troubling."
"What?" everyone asked in unison, leaning forward with rapt attention.
"She told us that this current form of Podbe, though powerful, is imperfect. It's a premature version of the Universal Wolf, and it won't last long. He has to use his powers quickly, before he loses this state."
"So Podbe needs to take that guy down as soon as possible," Billy interrupted, his urgent tone reflecting the gravity of the situation.
"That's what I fear," Reia confirmed, nodding seriously.
"Then let's cheer Podbe on—or the Universal Wolf, as he is now," Maria suggested, rising enthusiastically.
"Come on, Podbe! You can do it!" Billy shouted, and everyone present joined in, cheering fervently.
Aiden, however, remained silent, murmuring to himself: "Yes, you can." But his tone betrayed doubt, as if he wasn't entirely convinced. There was something he hadn't told them, something the cloud had asked him to keep secret until they overcame the challenge of defeating Zeus. An even greater threat was brewing in the shadows, and very soon they would need all the help they could muster to face it.
"That was quite a story, miss… young man," Professor Kile said, addressing Reia first and then Aiden, his tone blending admiration and intrigue. "I never imagined there were so many things beyond our comprehension: cosmic beings, powers beyond this world…" His voice trailed off for a moment, as if lost in thought. Then, with a renewed gleam in his eyes, he added, "I'm dying to take a look at this supposed system inside that dog's body."
And these, who are they? —Reia and Aiden thought almost simultaneously, exchanging a fleeting glance that reflected both curiosity and caution.
Meanwhile, Melisa was completely absorbed in another matter. "Come on, Greg, record this. Everything that both of them are saying, and the battle we're witnessing right in front of us, is pure gold. We need to get online, so everyone can see how they're going to kick that so-called god's ass."
It was then that Agent Shadow, who had awakened after the brutal beating Zeus had inflicted on him, interjected with an unexpected suggestion. "Maybe you can broadcast if you use that device over there." His voice was hoarse but filled with determination. He glanced at the general of the Square, who gave him a slight nod of approval, as if silently endorsing his initiative, knowing the world needed to see there was still hope.
"I'll take you there. It's the least I can do for you all and to give a glimmer of hope," Agent Shadow said solemnly.
Melisa didn't waste any time. With infectious energy, she gathered her team and plunged into the shadow cast by the agent, transporting them to a sort of office located higher up in the area. Upon arrival, Ian, who limped slightly, managed to get the machines working with Philip's help.
"Well, it looks like everything's in order," Choy announced, closely observing the screens. The blinking lights and activated monitors created an atmosphere of futuristic technology, though somewhat improvised.
"It's not a plane, but at least I can handle these controls," Melisa remarked confidently, adjusting the settings with a smile.
Greg, always attentive to technical details, reviewed the monitors and confirmed: "Yes, it seems the transmission is ready. And it appears to connect to the world via satellite."
"He's right," Professor Kile corroborated, adjusting his glasses with excitement.
"Alright, then we're live," Melisa declared firmly.
"I think so," Greg responded, double-checking the indicators one last time.
"It's a job well done for The Finders!" Choy exclaimed, thrilled by the team's accomplishment. However, Professor Kile barely paid attention, distractedly responding, "Yes, whatever you say, lad."
Choy lowered his head, somewhat disheartened, and retreated to a corner of the room.
"If everything's working, then let's go live again," Melisa ordered, turning to Greg, her trusted cameras person. He picked up his camera and began the countdown with precise gestures: three, two, one… and with a smooth motion, he signaled: "On air!"