It was just another ordinary night.
Porto Alegre stayed awake under the cold light of the moon, and the streets — even this late — still had life passing through them.
Louie, half lost in his own thoughts, decided to go for a walk.
It had been a day since that strange moment in front of the Colégio Península memorial.
And since then...
His head felt like it had no more space.
Too much information, too many things to process at once.
He wanted to breathe a little.
Take a walk.
Just walk around and try to clear his mind — something that had become almost a routine for him since the incident.
The streets were quiet, lit only by the lampposts and the moon.
Everything had that cold, silent glow...
Somewhat distant, somewhat heavy.
But even so, Louie kept walking — thoughts raw and exposed.
— "What's happening...? What the hell was that? I still don't understand a damn thing!"
His expression shifted subtly, from frustration to anger.
— "After everything, Nina and I went home and told mom everything..."
Louie squinted, trying to remember her reaction.
— "But the strangest part... she didn't even seem surprised when I talked about my powers."
He paused for a moment, frowning.
— "Could she have already known something?"
Louie stopped for a second, stared into the void… and awkwardly assumed a fighting stance.
— CHIDORI! — he shouted, punching the air with force.
The sound was lost in the empty street.
An embarrassing silence filled the place… and even a few crickets chirped just to make it worse.
— ...Yeah. That was embarrassing.
He let out a half-grin, shaking his head.
— I'm overthinking this too much, geez...
He rubbed the back of his neck, thoughtful, trying to hide the embarrassment.
— "It's impossible. I don't even know if that was really a power."
He looked at his own hands, as if expecting something to happen again.
— "Maybe it was just a lightning strike, or… some kind of episode. I don't know, man, anything normal, you know?"
He sighed deeply.
— "And that silhouette...? Was that real too?"
He closed his eyes for a second.
— "Maybe just… a memory mixed with the shock of the 'power'? Yeah, it must have been a crazy dream… really crazy and scary."
A heavy silence lingered in the air for a moment.
— "That must be it… right?"
He exhaled slowly, as if hoping the confusion inside him would leave along with his breath.
— Ahhh… this way I'll still make Nina worry — and she'll want to scold me later.
But before he could think of anything else, a strange vibration passed through the air.
It was quick… but it sent a chill down Louie's spine instantly.
— Ugh… that feeling again… — he muttered, feeling the hairs on his arms stand on end. His muscles tensed on their own, as if his body knew something his mind didn't yet. — "Right now, huh? Alone… in the middle of a dark street… fantastic."
That's when he heard it.
— Hey… Louie…
The voice came from one of the nearby alleys. Low. Drawn-out. Emerging straight from the shadows.
Louie froze. Stuck in place.
His heart raced — his gaze darting instantly, trying to process what he had just heard.
Then again:
— Finally… I found you.
It was a male voice. Deep. Heavy.
One of those voices that carry presence without even raising the tone. You could feel the weight just in the way he spoke.
Louie stopped.
He tried to see something in the darkness of the alley… but his eyes barely kept up with his own breathing.
His heart pounding, legs stiff — and still, something inside him insisted he stay.
That he shouldn't run.
Then, a figure emerged from the shadows.
Tall, strong, broad-shouldered.
The man wore a simple, slightly wrinkled dress shirt.
Gray hair, a beard of the same color.
But what stood out the most was his gaze.
Fixed. Sharp.
It seemed to observe every little movement ahead.
Louie managed to take a step back, finally breaking the tension.
— W-who are you? — he asked, trying to hide the tension in his voice. — And what do you want… from me?
The man gave a small smile.
— Can you stop trying to run? — he replied, with a slight tone of mockery.
— My name doesn't matter right now. What matters… is that you have something different there.
He took another step forward; his brown eyes briefly glimmered golden, then almost instantly returned to their original color, still fixed on the boy.
— Whether you like it or not, it needs to be controlled. And as soon as possible.
Louie felt heat rise in his body.
He took another step back, swallowing hard.
— C-controlled…? — he muttered. — What do you mean by that?
You… you know what happened to me? What I am…?
His breathing gradually began to calm.
His body still tense, but curiosity — and fear — battled within him every second.
The man didn't answer immediately.
He just stood there, observing Louie for a few seconds — as if trying to see more than his face showed.
After a moment, he gave a discreet, almost ironic smile.
— You're not alone in this, Louie.
This power that awakened in you… it's not an invention, nor madness.
And, let's be honest… — he let out a light laugh — it has nothing to do with that so-called "Chidori" you shouted in the street.
Louie's eyes widened slightly, his face burning red.
For a second, fear evaporated — replaced by pure embarrassment.
— …Okay, forget that. — he muttered, turning his face aside, unsure where to hide it.
The man let out a soft "hm" through his nose, as if amused.
But he didn't take his eyes off Louie for a second.
— But tell me something… — Louie's gaze turned suspicious again. — How do you know my name? Where do you know me from?
The man took a step forward. Louie instinctively recoiled a bit.
— I'm someone who's gone through something similar. Long ago, but I remember the confusion… the loneliness that comes with it.
And that's why I'm here. To help you turn this power — which, if misused, could destroy everything around you, even yourself — into something that protects those you love.
The man smiled lightly.
— So… how about coming with me?
— What?! — Louie frowned, his voice rising. — Do you even realize how insane this is? I haven't even understood properly what's going on yet!
You think I'm just going to go around with some random guy who appeared out of nowhere?! You're crazy!
— Well… actually, yes. — the man ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. — Honestly, since you're the firstborn of who you are… I thought it'd be easier to convince you.
So much so that I even bought some coffees back in Áurea. Knew you'd like it…
— Coffee? I don't even know what coffee is, man! — Louie retorted, outraged. — But screw that now!
You think I'm just going to walk around with you like it's normal?! Everything's insane!
Too much is happening… I haven't had time to think about anything yet!
The man nodded, taking a deep breath.
— Alright, alright… got it. Then think calmly.
But think for real…
This power you have, if you don't learn to handle it — it could end up hurting the ones you care about most.
He let out a brief sigh.
— Well, now that you've at least been warned, take care.
He turned his back, walking away, still waving his hand.
— We'll see each other soon… Louie Kaede.
And so the night continued on the almost deserted streets of Porto Alegre.
Louie's footsteps echoed quietly on the wet sidewalk as he tried to process everything.
The lampposts flickered, as if hesitating to light the paths ahead.
Nothing seemed to make sense… but one thing was certain:
Whatever was happening, Louie was somehow connected to it all.