The day had already begun in Porto Alegre.
Far up in the sky, the sun shone with the morning, painting the entire city in golden and light pink hues.
While the city of Porto Alegre went about its calm routine, Kael was far from that tranquility—facing small… problems on his way to look for Emi and Nina.
— Past, huh…? — he let out an ironic laugh. — Let's see if you dance as well as you talk!
The hooded figure in front of him showed no mercy. He rushed forward with a red energy sword, pulsing like a drop of blood falling into still water, slicing the air with a loud echo.
A sharp, direct strike aimed at Kael.
But Kael didn't even move. He just stood there, staring at the sword coming toward his face.
— Too predictable — he murmured, adjusting his stance.
Kael didn't need any effort. His body moved in a quick spin, his feet barely touching the ground. He dodged by centimeters and, in the same motion, turned the evasion into a perfect counterattack—a precise kick straight to the opponent's stomach.
The hooded man flew backward like a broken puppet, slammed into the blue barrier with force, and collapsed to the ground, unable to comprehend the impact.
— Too slow… — Kael murmured, adjusting his stance without showing even the slightest sign of effort.
The second hooded man's eyes widened. He froze, unsure whether to run or scream. All he felt was that fear, as if his heart were about to leap out of his throat.
Trembling with fear, he quickly pulled a purple pistol from his cloak. It looked like a modern weapon, but filled with technology and far more lethal.
Kael just continued walking slowly toward his opponents. Calm. No rush.
— You're so innocent, huh… — he said, voice firm, scanning the surroundings. — You don't even know the basics and think you can take on someone like me?
He took another step, eyes fixed on the armed man.
— The body of someone awakened with Kaelum power… doesn't work like a normal human anymore. Everything changes. Speed, strength, reasoning… everything reaches another level. Did you really think a flashy little sword and a colorful toy gun could handle this?
And then… he vanished.
With a sharp snap, he reappeared behind the man with the gun. His presence was so strong it felt like the air had grown heavier. The hooded man froze every muscle in his body. He didn't even have time to think or see the movement.
Kael was there. Right behind him.
— Hm… that cloak… — Kael said, hand on his chin, inspecting it like a work of art. — Not the same as that guy in Bahia… about ten years ago, but I wouldn't forget that.
He tilted his head slightly, still analyzing the cloak.
— But for some reason… I feel like I've seen this somewhere. I just don't remember where.
The hooded man's blood froze completely. He knew running was useless. The man now behind him, calm as he was… carried a pressure that alone made his legs shake.
Kael glanced sideways. His expression grew serious. For a moment, it was like he had glimpsed something unpleasant—a brief flash of a time he preferred never to relive, or even… forget.
— Ah… I remember where I know this from.
He sighed lightly.
— I don't know if it's just a coincidence or if there's something behind it… but now, whatever… it'll only give me more headache thinking about it.
Without changing his tone or losing his composure, Kael struck with a blow so fast it was almost imperceptible to the man—a clean, precise hit to the nape.
The hooded man spat out saliva immediately, collapsing like a sack of potatoes thrown to the ground.
Kael searched inside both hooded men's cloaks until he found something.
He pulled out a strange device, full of colored buttons and weird symbols.
— And now… which one do I press? — he said, spinning the control in his hand, confused. — If it's come to this point… I guess there's only one way to deal with it…
Without thinking much, Kael gave a small excited smile and pressed his right palm slowly over all the buttons at once.
For a few seconds… total silence echoed in the air.
It was agonizing, the absence of any sound at all.
Then, breaking that brief silence… without warning—
BOOOM!
The device exploded right in front of his face. Kael staggered slightly backward, his face covered in soot and ashes.
— Cough… cough… — he coughed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. — Okay… maybe not my best idea…
He paused, still coughing.
— BUT ALSO… who the hell creates something that explodes just because you press all the buttons?! This makes no sense!
While muttering and blaming his own recklessness on someone else, he began noticing the environment changing around him.
The blue barrier surrounding the field began vibrating slightly…
It grew increasingly unstable… until it began shrinking.
Kael stopped where he was.
He just stared at the bluish barrier disappearing.
And then, in the middle of that solemn moment…
— "Wow… I really wish I had studied it…" — he thought, pouting and blinking strongly, as if holding back tears.
— "Snif snif…"
He stood there, looking like a kid who had just lost a new toy.
And when the barrier finally vanished…
His expression changed.
From one second to the next.
Like water into wine.
In front of Kael, dozens of hooded figures emerged from the shadows of nearby alleys. One by one, appearing as if they had been there all along. They formed a semicircle around him.
All armed. All ready.
Kael just cracked his neck with a half-smile at the corner of his mouth.
— You're like rats… the more you crush, the more appear…
Or cockroaches? — he shrugged, laughing to himself. — Whatever.
He raised his gaze.
— Waiting for an invitation? Then let's dance.
The first one charged, carrying a plasma spear.
Kael advanced casually, dodging as if it were natural. With a swift motion, he landed a punch directly to the guy's stomach, followed by an electric discharge that exploded from his fingers.
The hooded man fell instantly, writhing on the ground.
Another charged immediately, wielding an energy scythe that left a wavering trail in the air.
Kael ducked at the exact moment, spun on the ground, and kicked the man's legs, knocking him down completely.
As soon as he got up, he came with a fist charged.
A blue lightning bolt cut the air and struck the enemy squarely in the chest.
The impact was muffled but made the ground vibrate.
Another hooded figure attacked next — this time with a metal glove, pulling his arm back before throwing a punch.
Kael lifted just one finger.
Stopped the punch with his index finger.
Interlaced his fingers with the enemy's and pulled him close, pressing his mouth to the man's ear.
— This dance step I learned in Caprichoso up in the Amazon. — he whispered, smirking.
With a swift spin, he spun the man over his own head like a human top.
One, two, three rotations like a helicopter rotor—until the man's body slammed into the ground with force.
And there was no time to breathe.
Kael grabbed him again and threw the hooded man, landing on other enemies, knocking them all down in one hit.
Then another came.
And another.
And another.
One by one. Always spaced.
Even seeing the others fall like dominoes, they kept coming alone, as if nothing had happened.
Kael paused for a moment.
He stood in the middle of the field, eyes half-closed.
Looked ahead. Then to the sides.
— Hm… strange. — he murmured, frowning. — Why are they coming like this? One at a time?
He paused for a second.
Eyes half-closed. Body relaxed… yet firm.
Two hooded figures approached him — but not simultaneously, one after the other in a rhythm that tried to appear coordinated.
Kael advanced on the first before he could raise his weapon to attack.
His body vanished in a single step — as if the ground had propelled him forward like an invisible lightning — and when he reappeared, his fist was already surrounded by bright sparks, ready to strike.
He hit right in the center of the enemy's chest.
The impact pushed the man's torso backward and the sound of thunder echoed between the surrounding buildings.
The shockwave spread dust across the ground. The hooded man flew as if thrown by an invisible explosion, hitting a wall with the dry sound of cracking concrete.
Kael spun immediately, not even looking back.
The second one was coming with an electric staff, jumping to strike from above.
Kael raised his left arm.
The staff came down full force… and stopped midway, caught between his fingers.
A spark streaked the air like a needle stitching fabric.
He pulled the enemy by the weapon, spinning his body along. He used the opponent's momentum to throw him over his shoulder in a precise fusion of Seoi Nage and Kata Guruma from judo—but before hitting the ground, Kael already grabbed his leg.
With a swift motion, he spun the man at high speed and threw him against the other approaching hooded figures.
— If they wanted to defeat me… they would've come all at once.
He exhaled slowly, adjusting his posture. A spark of lightning ran across his shoulders.
— Without giving me a chance to breathe or even try to retaliate.
His gaze became more serious. The carefree demeanor disappeared, replaced by something more alert, instinctive, and stern.
— But you're buying time. You know full well that even all together you'd be defeated faster… So that's how cowards like you play… I should've expected that.
He scanned the sides, attentive to footsteps in the shadows of alleys, and the echoes around him.
His look was now intense and threatening.
— This is just a mere shitty performance. What you really want… is to buy time.
The next figure approached slowly, imposing.
The body began to shine, metallic reflections everywhere. Skin, eyes, muscles—all seemed made of living steel.
— Interesting… even a Kaelum user you brought… — Kael said, observing the man shining in silver — Let's finish this quickly then.
The man removed his hood, revealing golden eyes and a cold expression.
♦ Living Metal (synthesis of the figurative "Metal" element + Atomic Element "Nickel")
› The user's body becomes a metallic biomechanical compound, maintaining mobility through internal electromagnetically-contracting structures (like artificial muscles). ‹
He ran at Kael without speaking a single word, but his steps made the ground tremble with pure force.
His feet hit hard, heavy, like hammers of pure steel.
Without warning, he threw a straight punch at high speed toward Kael, air cracking along the path.
PSSSHHHH!
The sound was sharp, like air breaking.
The wind from the strike was so strong it cracked nearby columns.
Chunks of stone flew from surrounding structures.
Kael dodged immediately, light, showing no difficulty or effort.
His eyes glowed, full of electricity, as if seeing everything in slow motion.
The other punch came, with his left hand—a metallic strike slicing through the air, breaking the sound barrier again.
But Kael was faster, easily evading, countering with a light spin, like dancing in the air, delivering a precise punch to the enemy's chest.
CRAACK!
The fist struck the opponent's chest with force, making a high-pitched sound like a steel door creaking.
Kael didn't give him time to breathe. He launched a second punch, fast, precise, perfectly hitting the side of the living-metal man.
The man groaned softly, feeling the force of the blows, but maintaining balance.
Then Kael delivered a third punch, a spinning strike covered in lightning.
The arm sliced through the air like lightning crossing the night sky.
Striking directly in the center of the opponent's chest.
The impact was so strong that the ground beneath them cracked, craters spreading, debris flying in all directions.
The sound reverberated like thunder hitting a steel plate, and air fled from the impact.
Even so, the opponent only stepped back a few paces, not showing much pain, but feeling the weight of Kael's punches.
— Not bad, Áureano… — he said, breathing heavily, with a challenging smile — But that won't bring me down. I'd say I'm… quite resilient.
Kael spun his hand as if stretching his right fist, an electric spark running between his fingers.
A small lightning glove formed around it.
— Yeah… I was a bit afraid of killing you by accident — Kael laughed, mocking the enemy — But I think I went too easy too, I'll go a bit harder now… Let's see if you can keep up with the rhythm of the dance.
Kael shot at him in the blink of an eye, fast as lightning.
The guy barely saw where the strike came from.
The punch cut through the air and hit full force against the opponent's crossed arms, covered in living metal.
The man's feet were planted like stakes, the wind from the strike escaping sharply.
Yet, even with the immense force, the opponent stood firm, holding Kael's fists, almost unbreakable.
But seconds after the impact, small glowing cracks began appearing on the man's metallic skin.
And, belatedly, the metal began dripping molten droplets, like hot wax.
Both arms collapsed into liquid.
The man fell to his knees, completely defeated.
— Your power is good… — Kael said, giving a half-smile, turning his gaze from the man. — But you trusted it too much. Forgot that any metal can melt if heated enough.
He chuckled low.
— Look how generous I am… — he laughed to himself. — Even gave a free basic physics lesson, hahaha…
Kael scanned the others, frowning, still with that mocking smile.
— So… how about repaying my kindness and telling me what your goal was trying to buy time here, hmm? Seems like a fair trade…
The silence that followed was heavy.
One by one, each hooded figure exchanged nervous glances, as if cornered.
It was fear of Kael—yes, they were… but their fear of what would happen if they spoke was even greater.
— I see… not going to talk, huh? Ungrateful bastards. — Kael said, as if he understood their fear just by looking into their desperate eyes.
In the next instant, his body began to fill with energy. Sparks danced across his shoulders, crackling like fireworks. The atmosphere grew dense, electrifying.
— Fine… if your moms didn't teach you about returning favors or paying debts… Daddy here will gladly teach!
He raised his fist. A glove made entirely of lightning formed from his fingers, covering his whole arm. His mocking smile remained.
Then Kael punched the ground in front of him.
BOOOOOOOOM!
A shockwave of electricity exploded in all directions, cracking the ground for dozens of meters around. Walls vibrated, the air trembled, and a huge crater opened beneath his feet.
Even in Áurea, over ten kilometers away, the tremor could be felt—as if the earth became a dance floor for lightning.
The hooded figures surrounding Kael stumbled, faltered… some fell just from the impact of the punch.
But in the next instant, Kael vanished in a bright blue flash.
In less time than a blink, a trail of blue sparks streaked across the ground in zigzags, passing through dozens of hooded figures at the same time.
Kael stopped, back to everyone.
Silence dominated, until Kael's voice broke it:
— End of the dance… How did you like the show?
One by one, they fell like dominoes, all struck down like a fireplace.
When the last body fell behind him, Kael looked over his shoulder and smiled.
— Fainted yet? Hahaha. — He laughed loudly, walking among the bodies to the crater opened by his previous punch.
There, he found the fallen metal man, his arms now pools of liquid iron. Kael encased him with a purple barrier, using his "mental defense" to move him.
— We'll have a better talk when we get to Áurea…
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Porto Alegre was living the peak of the morning.
And down below, in the underground, Áurea shone with its artificial sun, almost perfectly copying the position of the sun on the surface.
Louie walked without hurry, but with a head full of thoughts.
Too much madness was happening nonstop. His mind was packed with doubts and questions.
The streets of the futuristic city were calm, only the sound of footsteps and random conversations tossed in the air by strangers along the way.
The golden light reflected on the buildings, down to the streets, enhancing the surreal feeling of that strange city—strange, yet peaceful.
Kael had left not long ago.
Leaving Louie with that strange serious face of his and even more doubts pressing his chest—just thinking about the danger his family was in, and the possibility of them being dragged into this crazy city, was enough to make him uneasy about all of it.
And then, cutting through his thoughts out of absolute nowhere… a strange sensation made him stop.
For an instant, he felt something odd.
That shiver of being watched.
He started scanning the surroundings with his eyes—for anyone watching, he probably looked like a lunatic—but none of that mattered. He kept searching for the source of that strange feeling.
He looked from the crowded streets all the way up to the tops of the tallest, brightest buildings.
That's when he saw a figure standing in the distance.
It looked like a woman, hooded, wearing a strange and suspicious purple cloak.
Her pale skin showed just a little, along with strands of hair black as coal.
But the eyes… the eyes were crystal clear to Louie's sight.
Purple. Bright. Alive. Staring directly at him.
She had a light way of simply being there—almost like… an angel. Firm yet soft, as if every micro-movement was part of a performance.
Louie didn't know how to explain that sensation, but he felt like he knew her.
He didn't remember her, had never seen her before—but there was something there. Something that left him restless.
The exchange of glances lasted only a moment.
And what ended it…
Was the girl's own movement, turning and walking away as if nothing had happened, heading toward a darker, less crowded part of the city.
Narrow alleys, almost hidden between the shining giant structures of the city.
She reached the entrance of one… and, like a step of magic, vanished into its darkness.
Louie didn't even think. Didn't hesitate. He bolted forward without looking back.
He followed her trail, cutting through the dark alley and arriving again at the bright, busy streets.
At every corner, she seemed to get further away, but never far enough to disappear completely…
Something inside him told him he couldn't stop.
That she was more connected to him than he could possibly imagine.
And that, somehow, it all had to do with a past intertwined with his own.
— Wait up! — Louie shouted.
The figure didn't slow down.
She kept going fast, as if she hadn't even heard him.
— "Damn it! She's not gonna stop, is she?" — Louie muttered, forcing himself to speed up.
With his reflexes sharpened thanks to his Kaelum body and the awakening of his powers—his body felt unnaturally light and strong—he dashed across walkways, slipped between buildings, and pushed through the crowd.
She always kept just one step ahead, moving as if gravity itself was nothing more than a toy to her—once again putting Newton's laws to shame.
Every sidestep, every turn, every motion of hers seemed to be leading him toward a predetermined place.
Even with how suspicious it all was, Louie kept chasing her, feeling that he had to catch her, to understand who she was and what that strange sensation meant.
But, because the world isn't made of strawberries, and Louie's life would never be that easy, the ground suddenly shook.
A rumble spread through all of Áurea—no, almost the entire state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Screams filled the bright streets. The technological structures vibrated faintly. Dust rose from the ground of the underground city. And Louie… lost his balance for a moment.
— "An earthquake? Out of nowhere? This city is insane, it has to be!" — he grumbled, trying to steady himself on the ground.
Still recovering from the tremor, he looked toward where the amethyst-eyed girl had been just moments before.
But… she had already disappe