"No, Paltio!" Mok shouted bitterly, his voice heavy with sorrow as he watched his young master being devoured by the Oboros.
"No, Paltio!" Alita repeated, her voice trembling.
"No, foolish Paltio… why did you do it?!" Ron exclaimed, tears filling his eyes.
"We need to leave," Pax said coldly. "There's no salvation for him now. Besides, we're surrounded by those beasts."
"But there's nowhere to go!" Alita and Ron responded in unison, seeing that copies of the monster had encircled them from all sides.
"It's the real Oboros," Mok said, staring at the colossus that had swallowed his prince. If I destroy the prism, we'll defeat them, the butler thought, consumed by the burning rage in his chest.
"Wait, butler," Pax warned. "Don't let anger cloud your judgment."
But Mok had already drawn his knives. With a swift motion, he hurled a hundred of them toward the real Oboros. However, before they could reach it, the copies stepped in front, taking the hits and multiplying instantly.
"Damn it!" Mok cursed under his breath.
"I told you," Pax said dryly. "Those things won't let you touch their leader."
"Then there's no other choice," Mok concluded through gritted teeth.
Pax threw a handful of powder onto the ground. Upon contact with the stone, it transformed into a dense cloud of smoke that enveloped them completely. Quickly, he grabbed the stubborn butler and pulled him away from the battlefield.
Alita and Ron, though reluctant, decided to help this time and carried Mok with them.
They took refuge behind some rocks, out of the creatures' reach. There, Alita observed Mok's face. Never before had she seen such fury burning in his eyes.
"There's still a chance Paltio might be alive," she whispered softly. "Calm down."
"I can't…" Mok replied, his voice shaking. "Master Paltio is very important to me. I've watched him grow since he was born. You saw how that thing swallowed him, but it didn't necessarily eat him. If we manage to defeat the Oboros, maybe we can get him out of there."
"You're right," Mok responded, trying to compose himself. "But if we're going to do something, we need to act fast."
"Well… I don't want to sound like a harbinger of doom," Pax interrupted, "but inside that creature, there's potent acid. Sometimes, even its teeth don't kill first—it's the insides that finish you off. If we don't act soon, Paltio will be gone forever."
"Poor Paltio…" Ron murmured, utterly defeated.
"We have to save him!" Alita declared with determination.
"Yes," Mok nodded firmly. "But the key is to separate the real Oboros from the copies. The problem is that there seems to be a connection between them. Every time I try to attack only the original, the others step in without hesitation."
"That's right," Pax agreed. "They're intelligent. They work like a hive."
While they debated how to act with time running out against them, inside the Oboros, Paltio found himself plunged into complete darkness.
Suddenly, a green glow began to slowly illuminate the nauseating place. A thick, viscous liquid started dripping from the cavity's ceiling, corroding the ground wherever it touched. Paltio stepped back, feeling the acid begin to melt the soles of his boots. He quickly removed them, leaving him in just his socks.
The liquid kept falling, faster and faster, dissolving even the nearby rocks.
"Oh no… oh no!" Paltio exclaimed, terrified. "I'm going to die like this… I don't want to end up here. I need to save my people… and the other realms. It can't all end like this…"
The acid spread around him, leaving barely a few inches of space to move. Soon it reached his feet. Paltio closed his eyes, convinced this was the end.
He thought about all the things he would never do, the promises he wouldn't keep, the friends he'd leave behind…
But then, just as the liquid was about to touch him, a kind of energy field enveloped him completely, shielding him from the acid. The liquid evaporated on contact, disappearing in wisps of vapor.
Paltio opened his eyes, incredulous. He was wrapped in a faint light emanating from within him.
The seed… it now shone with intense brilliance.
And then he heard a voice.
"Hello, boy."
"Who are you?" Paltio asked, surprised.
"Did you think I was dead or that this was a dream?"
"No… well, yes… Who are you?"
"Firstly, one says 'thank you.' And second… shouldn't you be telling me who you are first?"
"I'm not inside you, child," the voice replied. "I'm inside the seed."
"Oh! Sorry… I forgot my manners too," Paltio apologized, slightly embarrassed. "But I can't see you… who are you?"
"And I can see you just fine," the voice responded with a hint of amusement. "So I'll do this…"
From the seed emerged a soft light, and from it appeared a hologram: the figure of a man clad in golden armor, radiant like the rising sun.
"My name is Golden," he said solemnly. "And you, young prince… seem to be of noble lineage."
"Hello, Golden," Paltio responded, still surprised but calming down a little. "I'm Paltio, Prince Paltio of Avocadolia."
"Pleased to meet you, Your Highness," Golden greeted with a slight bow.
"But… what are you doing inside my seed?" Paltio asked, curious and still somewhat skeptical.
"Not even I knew, boy," Golden confessed. "I only remember being beside my great and all-powerful master, Avocios, protecting him… and then I faded. I woke up here, inside this seed. Apparently, your whining woke me up."
"I wasn't whining!" Paltio protested.
"Yes, sure… whatever you say," Golden replied with a smirk. "And… can't you get out of there?"
"I tried a few minutes ago," Golden responded, "but I couldn't. There's some kind of magic preventing me."
"How did you end up here?" Paltio persisted.
"Prince," Golden sighed, "I have already told you I don't know. Are you scatterbrained or what?"
"A bit…" Paltio admitted with nervous laughter.
"Hey… do you know how we can get out of here?" Paltio asked, regaining his seriousness.
"Where are we, boy?"
"Inside a monstrous beast called the Oboros."
"Ah… That explains why there's so much acid in this place… And why the walls keep moving."
"So… can you get me out?"
"I could," Golden answered, "but I'd have to give you a bit of my power from here. I can't do much while I'm only connected to you through this seed."
He paused before continuing:
"You mentioned Avocadolia… That's the realm where my master shaped his creation, a paradise for the avocado people—as you call yourselves."
"That's right," Paltio confirmed. "Maybe that's why you're with me. My grandfather said this seed was special, and though I didn't believe him at first, I think he was right… Perhaps my destiny is tied to yours."
"It's possible," Golden reflected. "If my lord placed me within you, it must be for a reason. I suppose it's to protect you… and other things."
"Yes, but right now I'm on a quest," Paltio explained. "I'm trying to gather the pieces of the scepter, the last source of magic left by Avocios."
"You said 'the last source'?" Golden asked, his tone growing more serious. "Then… has my lord perished?"
"I don't know," Paltio replied sadly. "We're searching for him too."
"I see…" Golden murmured. "You said 'we.' Do you have company out there?"
"Yes," Paltio nodded. "My friends are out there, fighting beasts like this one."
"Ah… They must be powerful warriors," Golden commented admiringly.
"Well… not necessarily," Paltio chuckled. "Though one of them is."
"And what do you need the scepter for?" Golden asked, intrigued.
"Well…" Paltio began, but was interrupted.
"Don't tell me," Golden stopped him. "I've already read your thoughts and mind."
"Hey! That's personal!" Paltio protested.
"My apologies," Golden said quickly, "but I needed to understand things fast. Now I see: you're searching for the scepter because the shadows attacked your village and other realms. You plan to give it to that Tejod fellow."
"Hey! It's for a good reason!" Paltio defended himself.
"No," Golden replied firmly. "That's precisely why I won't help you."
"Please! I need it. Maybe I can find Avocios in the process… and reverse the evil corrupting the world," Paltio pleaded.
"No, boy," Golden countered authoritatively. "My king would never allow his last shred of power to fall into enemy hands."
"But I wasn't planning to give it to him!" Paltio insisted. "If you read my mind, you'd know I planned to use the scepter to find the pieces, and through them, locate Avocios along the way. With his help, we'll face the shadow army."
Golden fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.
"Very well, boy…" he said finally. "If I see that your soul is pure and blah blah blah … fine. I'll give you some help."
He paused and added in a serious tone:
"But first, we need to get out of this horrendous place that smells like rancid oil."
"Well… you asked for it, boy," Golden warned. "This is going to hurt. I don't know if you can handle it."
At that instant, Golden retreated back into the seed. A brilliant golden aura began emanating from it, spreading slowly until it enveloped Paltio's entire body. His skin glowed like the sun, radiating energy from every pore. Even his eyes lit up with a warm, powerful light.
A massive sphere of energy formed around him, growing stronger and stronger… until it erupted in a blinding explosion that shook the very bowels of the Oboros.
Meanwhile, Mok and the others were still working on a plan to save Paltio.
"Alright, you all know what to do," the butler declared, stepping forward with determination.
Pax ignited his blue flame to illuminate the cave. But just then, Alita and Ron drew the beasts' attention by shouting loudly, luring the Oboros toward them.
The creatures arrived roaring, surrounding them completely. The real Oboros, its amber prism glowing under the dim light, strode among its copies like a king among subjects.
"Alright, get ready!" Mok shouted.
He pulled out his knives and hurled them with precision, blocking the fangs of several beasts attempting to attack. Then he unsheathed his sword, preparing for the decisive strike.
He ran toward the real Oboros. He'd only have one chance.
Just as he was about to reach it, the beast roared furiously—and suddenly, multiple copies materialized out of nowhere, positioning themselves between him and his target, shielding their leader like a living wall.
"Damn it!" Mok exclaimed. "I didn't expect that!"
"Neither did I," Pax admitted. "I thought they only multiplied when attacked… but it seems the cursed monster can also create them with a simple roar."
"We're doomed…" Mok said in a defeated voice. "The opportunity I proposed… it's gone down the drain."
He looked at the gigantic Oboros, which seemed to smirk arrogantly. The butler couldn't help but collapse to his knees, clenching his fists in frustration.
There was nothing left to do.
For the first time, he accepted defeat.
He wouldn't be able to save his young master.
Just as everyone felt all hope was lost, the Oboros let out a roar—but not one of fury, rather of pain.
The prism in its chest shone intensely, and the creature's body inflated like a balloon before exploding into a thousand pieces.
Amidst the debris and darkness, something glowed brightly… something very familiar.
And everyone, astonished, exclaimed in unison:
"Paltio!"