Chapter 6: Tic-tac

  A week passed… but this time, it was different.

  Juan continued training, but now there was no longer that cold look that had worried everyone. Now, each exercise had purpose — a balance.

  During the day, Juan walked through the neighborhood. There was nothing extraordinary about what he did… but that’s what made it special. If he saw an elderly woman carrying heavy grocery bags, he’d smile and offer to help. If he spotted a child crying because their ice cream had fallen, Juan would reach into his pocket and give them whatever little money he had to buy another.

  Small gestures. Simple, everyday things… but they meant everything.

  He didn’t use his overwhelming strength or show off his abilities… he just acted like himself — the boy who had always wanted to help others.

  Yessy noticed. She didn’t say anything directly, but every time she saw Juan helping someone, she felt her son was finding the balance between strength and kindness.

  Even his grandmother smiled more when Juan returned home and shared stories of how he had helped someone.

  For a moment… everything seemed peaceful.

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  But peace never lasts long.

  That night, when Juan collapsed into bed, he felt it…

  The room darkened, and suddenly, Juan was there again: in the starry void.

  Galaxies swirled around him, but this time something was different. A dense, dark smoke seeped between the constellations, like something impure staining that sacred place.

  In front of him appeared The Mother, but she didn’t speak. She only raised her hand and, with a slight gesture, showed him a vision.

  Juan saw himself… but it wasn’t really him.

  His reflection was shrouded in a dark fog that pulsed violently, like something inside was about to explode. His eyes were empty… as if that version of himself had no soul.

  The figure opened its mouth and whispered two words, in a dry and hollow tone:

  —“Tick… tock… Tick… tock…”

  The vision vanished.

  Juan stood still, unable to understand what he had just seen.

  —“What… what does that mean?” —he murmured.

  For the first time, The Mother didn’t answer. She only looked at him… and Juan knew that what he had seen wasn’t just a dream.

  Two days later…

  Time passed unnoticed. Everything seemed normal, but an unsettling feeling lingered in the air — like something unseen was about to shatter.

  And then… it happened.

  The scene was quick, brutal… and no one saw it coming.

  Juan sat at the table with his family. The atmosphere was warm, filled with laughter and casual conversation. His grandmother was there, serving herself a bowl of hot soup while joking with Yessy.

  —This soup just needs a bit of magic to be perfect… —his grandmother chuckled.

  Everyone laughed. It was a happy day… the last happy day.

  The next scene was devastating.

  Without warning, the image shifted. Juan, standing alone in the middle of the room, staring blankly at the camera… silent.

  No tears, no words… just standing there, motionless. His expressionless face said more than any scream of pain ever could.

  His grandmother was gone.

  The woman who had consoled him, who had taught him that kindness was his greatest power, who promised him he would become someone great… was no longer there.

  Juan didn’t cry. He just stared into nothing, lost in his thoughts.

  The Mother knew it… and now Juan did too.

  The ticking of the clock echoed in the empty room.

  Tick… tock… Tick… tock…

  Destiny was moving… and this time, Juan had no way to stop it.