High in the Andes, where the mountains touched the sky and the air was so pure it seemed magical, stood the Temple of Inti, an ancient sanctuary hidden in the mist.
There, surrounded by walls engraved with history that glowed under a golden fire, the Magical Council of South America gathered.
Five powerful magicians, each a Invoker in their own nation, had answered the call of Anayan of the Flame. The air was filled with the human warmth that characterized Latin Americans and was rarely found in other magical councils around the world.
In the center of the circular room stood a large volcanic stone table on which rested the symbol of the Sun, engraved in gold. Anayan stood at one end, his staff resting gently at his side.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice, my brothers," he said respectfully. "I know you all have much to do in your lands, but the wind has brought news that I cannot ignore."
To his right, Yara dos Santos, the Invoker of Brazil, smiled calmly as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She was a woman brown skin skin, curly hair, and green eyes, dressed in a cloak embroidered with leaves and flowers of all colors.
"When you call, Anayan, the plants listen," she replied in her melodic voice. "Besides, if it's another disaster coming from Europe... we knew it would end up here... it always does."
"Once again, the Europeans are playing with fire, thinking only of themselves... but they always end up burning the rest of the world," snorted Tupaq Illari, the Invoker of Peru. Strongly built and with an intense gaze, he was dressed in Inca symbols and wore a necklace of condor feathers.
He slammed his fist on the table, causing the runes in the room to tremble slightly.
"We saw what happened with Grindelwald and then with that other English madman, Voldemort! They are always the ones who unleash the storms... and we are the ones who end up repairing the cracks and damage they cause to the rest of the world."
A murmur of approval rippled through the room.
Santiago Ferraro, the Invoker from Argentina, adjusted his blue and white scarf elegantly. His tone was more relaxed, almost joking.
"Hey, calm down, Che. At least this time the problem comes with French wine. They should send us a case. Since they always get us into their messes, we might as well get something out of it."
Laughter echoed throughout the room, briefly breaking the tension.
Catalina Rojas, the Invoker from Colombia, a young woman with a vibrant personality, leaned forward with a frown.
"Joking aside, Grindelwald is not just any name. Rumor has it that his acolytes are on the move again... outside of Europe. I have received reports of unusual magical activity on our continent."
Yara nodded.
"I felt it too. In the jungle, the spirits are more restless. Something is disturbing them, a foreign energy is... trying to mix with ours."
Anayan listened silently. His figure radiated calm, but the fire in his eyes reflected the gravity of the situation.
"Grindelwald and his Alliance seek to destabilize the magical centers of the world," he said firmly. "I don't really know what they're preparing for. We've remained in balance for the past few years... but this time I fear it's spreading even further inward."
Alejandro Cruz, the Invoker of Mexico, caressed his obsidian medallion and murmured.
"Then it won't be enough to hide or put up barriers. If darkness breaks the delicate balance of magic, it will end up reaching us all."
Anayan nodded slowly.
"That's right. But we will not respond with war, nor will we fear them. The magic of these lands was born of respect, not domination. That is why I have summoned you. We must decide whether we will face this threat together or wait for chaos to knock on our doors."
A solemn silence fell over the room. Rain tapped softly on the temple, and the echo of thunder seemed to mark the pulse of the earth.
It was Catalina who broke the silence, raising her wand, which glowed with a golden light.
"In Colombia, we will not wait... If there is darkness in our lands, we will face it with one voice."
Tupaq proudly beat his chest.
"Peru will be with you, sister. We won't let another one of those damn European wars stain our lands and hurt our people."
Yara raised her cup.
"Brazil too. We never forget those who try to take what doesn't belong to them."
Santiago nodded, more serious than before.
"Argentina is in too. If the Europeans want to set the world on fire, we will be the storm that extinguishes them."
Anayan looked at them with pride and respect.
Five wizards, five nations, and a single purpose.
Not for politics, nor for ambition, but to defend the magic that united their continent.
The Archmage raised his staff, and a golden flame rose into the air, projecting a map of the continent onto the ceiling.
"Then it is decided," he proclaimed in a solemn voice. "The Council of the Sun moves again." As the flame illuminated their faces, a new era of unity was born under the sky of the Andes.
The golden glow of Anayan's staff slowly faded, leaving the room lit only by the fire of the torches. The silence was heavy, each one thinking about how they should face this crisis. It was not until Yara spoke that everyone abandoned their thoughts.
"If the darkness is already moving, where did you feel it most strongly, Anayan?"
The Archmage stepped toward the center of the table, gestured with his staff, and the projection on the ceiling moved to the table, showing a luminous image of the continent.
Rivers, mountains, and cities glowed in miniature, until a red dot began to burn over the north of the continent.
"Here," he said in a grave voice, "in Colombia. Near San Agustín in the department of Huila."
Catalina Rojas, the Invoker of Colombia, stood up in surprise.
"San Agustín? Are you sure? That's an area that's extremely protected with ancient enchantments... the stone monoliths still hold the energy of the ancient shamans... No one can use dark magic there without awakening the wrath of the earth."
"That's precisely why they're there," Anayan replied calmly. "Grindelwald's followers seek places where primal magic still lives. Places where the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinnest. In San Agustín, the magic is so old that it predates our schools and ministries, and now... something is corrupting it."
Tupaq crossed his arms, his deep voice resonating with anger.
"Europeans desecrating our sacred sites again? They haven't learned anything from past wars."
"I don't think it's just Europeans," Yara interjected thoughtfully. "Grindelwald always knew how to convince people, regardless of their origin."
Santiago, from the other end, raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have names? Do you know who's moving around here?"
Anayan nodded slowly.
"Two presences are stronger, one of them is Vinda Rosier. The other... a man who hides his magic well, but his signature bears the mark of Percival Graves."
The temperature in the room dropped and a murmur ran around the table.
Catalina frowned and clenched her fists.
"If Graves and Rosier are in San Agustín, then they're not just exploring... they're trying to awaken something."
The echo of the fire resonated softly off the walls of the Temple of Inti. The magical map of the continent still floated above the stone table, and the red dot marking San Agustín in Colombia burned like an open wound.
Anayan kept his gaze fixed on the glow, his voice grave.
"They have desecrated the necropolis, and not with just any kind of magic. They are searching, digging, and interrogating the dead."
Catalina Rojas watched him with concern.
"San Agustín... is a sacred place. Every monolith and statue, every tomb and every stone was created to honor the guardians of the cycle. Muggles only see sculptures, but only wizards know that they are seals, guardians of the passage between life and death."
"That must be why they are there..." said Anayan, his voice lower, almost a whisper that filled the room. "Grindelwald's Alliance is looking for answers... knowledge about the Deathly Hallows."
Silence returned to the temple. Only the crackling of the fire could be heard.
Yara dos Santos leaned back in her seat, sighing in frustration.
"That story again?" she said wearily. "After centuries, they're still obsessed with those things. The wand, the stone, and the cloak. Europe lives believing that its legends were a prophecy."
Tupaq Illari nodded with a grimace of annoyance.
"Grindelwald destroyed himself because of that obsession, and now his acolytes are digging up ancient tombs looking for what their master never found. The problem is that on this continent, the dead do respond if you summon them."
Santiago Ferraro interlaced his fingers, his tone a mixture of sarcasm and concern.
"Of course, because they couldn't choose just any cemetery, could they? They had to come to San Agustín, where every stone has more magic than the entire MACUSA."
"Show some respect," added Catalina, visibly annoyed. "If you touch those graves for dark purposes, the consequences will not only be spiritual. You will awaken forces that no one will be able to control."
Anayan closed his eyes for a moment. His staff began to radiate a faint amber glow.
"They're already trying. The energy flows in that part of Colombia are changing. The earth is shaking as if something were breathing beneath the ground. The acolytes believe that a lost clue about the Resurrection Stone, one of the three relics, is hidden there."
Yara rolled her eyes.
"Of course, because if a European wizard can't get power with his own hands, he decides to dig up Latin American tombs until he finds it."
"Don't underestimate their foolishness," replied Tupaq, in a more serious tone. "The last time one of them sought 'answers,' half the world ended up at war."
Santiago took a sip of his mate before speaking.
"So... what do we do? Are we going to let these madmen continue desecrating our lands while the Europeans argue in their ministries?"
Catalina looked him straight in the eye.
"I'm not going to stand idly by. San Agustín is sacred ground, and if Grindelwald thinks he'll find answers there, he'll be met with the wails of the spirits and with us."
Anayan rested both hands on his staff.
"c will act. But remember, we do not seek to start a war, but to restore balance. If those relics exist, perhaps their nature is not evil, but rather they help us understand the spirits. If darkness insists on claiming what belongs to death... we will be its limit."
A warm current ran through the room.
The torches responded by lighting up with golden fire, and the seals of the Temple began to glow on the walls, accepting his decision.
Yara smiled, although her expression was one of resignation.
"Well, it seems that the sun is rising again above our heads, brothers. But if I have to face European fanatics, I hope they at least bring good wine this time."
The laughter lightened the mood, although the weight of what was to come still hung in the air.
Anayan looked at each of them with pride.
"Get ready," he said at last. "At dawn we will leave for San Agustín, where the Alliance will discover that our light can also burn."
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