Several kilometers away, a Manabolt carriage very different from the one seen at the academy was moving along the road. It was an armored and sealed vehicle, designed for the transport of criminals. The convoy, consisting of three legionary guards (two driving the rustic automobile and one in the sealed cabin), was heading to the maximum-security prison in the kingdom of Haniel.

  Inside the carriage was a man known as Garmo, but more famous as "The Dog" for how he left his victims' bodies. He had murdered several devotees and royal knights in the vicinity of Geduld. The man, over one meter ninety, with a thick build, tanned skin, and hair red as fire, traveled handcuffed by hands and feet. In silence, he was accompanied by a legionary. The cabin possessed a mechanism that absorbed primordial energy, similar to those at the academy, making it impossible to channel any type of energy.

  In an unexpected moment, a tremor was felt, a crunch coming from the depths of the earth. A muffled scream formed near the convoy of the killer's custodians. It was like a geyser that released an unprecedented amount of primordial energy. The guards inside the carriage fainted because of the power of the energy, and the Manabolt stopped. Inside the sealed cabin, the guard thought: —What just happened? An ambush?—. He knew he shouldn't leave the subject alone.

  —What is happening to the controls— he whispered to himself.

  But the guard didn't have time to react. Garmo had freed himself and destroyed his cage. The enormous amount of released primordial energy had overloaded the isolating mechanism, giving him less than a minute to channel Ether and unleash an explosive attack that shattered the legionary's arm, who fainted from shock.

  —By the gods, I think this has been a blessing— said Garmo while walking towards the Manabolt's cabin. He wore a simple cloth garment given to inmates. Upon arriving, he struck the guards in the chest, who only woke up to spit blood before returning to unconsciousness. —Well, these subjects are fainted and, apparently, this Manabolt is broken. I can't go back to Geduld. I'll have to move to some distant town. The guards will realize I escaped in at least twelve hours. I'll have to run as fast as I can.

  Garmo began to run at maximum speed, unaware that he was heading directly toward the Jared VII Academy students' carriage.

  Inside the carriage, after the roar of the mental explosion, Silas woke up from his lethargy. He opened his eyes, dizzy, not understanding what had happened. Sensing that the vehicle was stopped, he felt that something had occurred. —The captain didn't say we would stop halfway? Maybe something happened to him?— thought Silas. He shook Jazmín and Jormun, but they didn't respond, as if they were drugged. Seeing his bag on the floor, he put on his ghost gloves for greater safety.

  He got out of the carriage and found Captain Anselmo and Sergeant Diego in the same condition. —I don't understand what is happening. Why does no one respond?— thought Silas. Suddenly, a blow interrupted him. It was Jormun.

  —I got you! What did you intend to do to us? Who were you going to sell us to? Damn villager!— shouted Jormun while attacking Silas.

  —What are you talking about, Jormun— said Silas, dodging with difficulty. Apparently, Jormun had trained quite a bit after losing to Silas.

  —Don't lie to me, somehow you drugged us all— said Jormun with a kick, followed by a short blow to Silas's body.

  —Why is he so upset?— thought Silas. —I have to calm him down before something bad happens.— With his gloved hands, he threw a hook to Jormun's chin. He dodged it, but Silas used the speed of his gloves to quickly move his hand and impact his opponent's chin, making him fall to subdue him.

  —What are you doing, Jormun? Why are you attacking me?— shouted Silas. —Does this look like a macabre plan planned by a twelve-year-old boy?

  Jormun countered: —Then why were you awake before everyone else?

  —Well, you were awake too— replied Silas.

  —I trained not to fall into traps— replied Jormun.

  —Then how do I make you believe me?— asked Silas.

  Jormun pointed to a plant and told him: —If you let me poison you, I will trust you.

  Jormun explained that his family knew about poisons and that that plant was toxic to legionaries. If ingested and not treated within twelve hours, it could leave an adult without the capacity to channel Ether for days, but a child just starting out would be disabled for life.

  —Well, it is poison for a legionary, but I am not one and, in the worst case, I could cure myself with Ichor— thought Silas.

  —Well, Jormun, how do I know that plant won't kill me?—

  Jormun replied: —You'll have to trust me.

  —Then there is nothing to be done— said Silas. Jormun was already creating a plan in his mind to escape, but seeing that Silas had eaten the plant without hesitation, he was stunned.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  —He actually did it— he thought.

  —Given that only you know which plant I ate, my future depends on you, Jormun— said Silas. Jormun nodded, and both tried to move the legionaries, but nothing had an effect.

  —Why do you mistrust me so much, Jormun?— asked Silas.

  —All people have their price. Everyone can betray you. And the less money someone has, the easier it is for them to sell you out— replied Jormun. Silas didn't want to keep asking. He understood that Jormun's hatred was not personal, but something deeper.

  —Maybe a malfunction in the Manabolt released mana that knocked us all out. Let's hope they wake up— said Silas.

  Silas moved the captain to the carriage while Jormun watched him. Then he went to move Diego, but before lifting him, he said: —I feel the ground vibrating, something is approaching.— An explosion of dust settled in front of the Manabolt. Silas and Jormun got into a defensive position.

  —Wow, I think I have too much luck today. A Manabolt— said Garmo, while charging an Ether strike toward Sergeant Diego. Before Garmo struck, Silas had moved the sergeant from the cabin. —Wow, what speed. I need you to hand over that legionary and I'll also take his vehicle— said Garmo.

  —Take the vehicle, but what do you want the sergeant for?— asked Silas.

  —This is not a negotiation, it is an order— said Garmo with a gloomy voice. Unexpectedly, Garmo looked at Jormun with anger. —Those eyes— he growled. —Change of plans. I'll take that legionary and that boy— he said, pointing to Jormun.

  Garmo moved swiftly toward Jormun with his face disfigured by fury. Jormun barely managed to dodge him. Garmo's fist only grazed him, but he felt pain so intense that he knew a single direct hit would shatter all his bones.

  —Jormun, change of plans! Seems he wants to kill you. Run!— shouted Silas.

  Jormun, seeing there was little he could do against that "human mastodon," ran toward the forest in search of refuge.

  —Boy, you are very brave, but I have nothing against you. If you hand over that killer you call Jormun, you won't get hurt— said Garmo with a calm voice.

  —You won't take anyone, and this is not a negotiation— replied Silas.

  —I don't like hitting children— said Garmo, charging at Silas.

  Silas waited for Garmo with clenched fists. But Garmo's blow did not impact; instead, his elbow was dislocated. Garmo spun him around and returned to his original position.

  —What a strange boy, he seems to have more strength than he appears— thought Garmo. He continued striking, and with every attack, Silas managed to dodge him and dislocate a joint, be it the wrist, the elbow, or the shoulder. He did all this with the help of his ghost gloves, which allowed him to move his hands with such speed that Garmo's joints turned against him.

  —Look, boy, I was having fun because, honestly, I'm not one to hit children— said Garmo.

  —Then why were you going to kill Jormun?— shouted Silas.

  —That is not a child— said Garmo with a dry voice. —Slippery snake, I know you are hiding around here. If you surrender, I won't hurt anyone else— shouted Garmo to the air. But there was no answer. —See, your 'friend' doesn't care about you— he mocked.

  —Okay, I'll surrender— shouted Jormun, coming out from among the trees and placing himself in front of Silas.

  —I'll make it quick and painless— said Garmo, channeling Ether and releasing his true strength, showing that everything before had been just a game. A red aura began to emerge from Garmo's fist, covering it like a gauntlet. Garmo attacked Jormun with such potency that the speed and force of his fist cut through the air like a razor. His fist made impact, but not against Jormun; instead, it hit Silas, who had stopped the blow with both hands. Upon realizing this, Garmo had a brief moment of hesitation over what he had just done, which was interrupted by a blade that pierced his right thigh.

  —You made your friend receive a fatal blow, just to try to kill me with that tiny dagger— said Garmo, taking the weapon and throwing it to the ground. He was going to launch a blow fortified with Ether, but he realized something: he couldn't channel energy.

  —Seems you are surprised by something— said Jormun with a small laugh, while grabbing Silas and dragging him back. —This makes the fight more even, I suppose.

  Moments earlier, Jormun had not fled with the intention of escaping, but to search for a berry that grew near the herb he had given Silas to eat. By mixing these two plants, the poison's effect was accelerated, making the subject unable to channel Ether for a time of ten to thirty minutes. Jormun calculated that, due to Garmo's size, the effect wouldn't last more than five minutes. He had been looking for a moment, hiding in the shadows, to stick his poisoned dagger, but there wasn't one. Therefore, he decided to create a moment of distraction before Garmo's mortal blow, not expecting Silas to stop it. He took advantage of that instant.

  Jormun began to fight against Garmo. Although Garmo couldn't channel Ether, he was still a strong warrior. And even if Jormun channeled all the Ether he could, he was still a twelve-year-old boy against a giant of almost two meters.

  When the battle seemed lost, a flying kick appeared. It was Jazmín, who had begun to fight against Garmo in a state of unconsciousness, as if fighting automatically.

  —Jazmín, good thing you woke up— said Jormun, but obtained no answer. —This weird girl seems to be sleepwalking and fighting in dreams against someone shorter— thought Jormun upon seeing that Jazmín's kicks were directed at Garmo's chest.

  The fight continued. Jazmín's body danced, throwing kicks in different positions, while Jormun sought to do a sweep to knock Garmo to the ground. With hands resting on the ground and in an inverted position, Jazmín launched a whirlwind of kicks while Jormun struck at Garmo's exposed points. But with every blow and kick, Jormun knew time was running out. When Garmo recovered his Ether, it would be two cats fighting against a tiger.

  —Sorry— said Garmo with a blow that impacted Jazmín and Jormun at the same time, sending them far away. For their bad luck, the five minutes were up and Garmo felt he could channel some Ether.

  He prepared to launch a charged blow at Jormun, but a sensation of heaviness and fear invaded him, as if a ton of sand had fallen on him. This stopped him for a few seconds, only to feel a warm liquid on his chest. An arrow had pierced his thorax. The arrow forced Garmo to look for its origin. He saw Diego next to the Manabolt, with his silhouette outlined by the light of a second shot, visibly more powerful, which was already flying straight to his head. Instinctively, Garmo raised his right arm like a shield, flooding it with Ether.

  The impact was brutal. A blinding explosion enveloped everything in a whirlwind of dust and debris. When the dust cloud finally settled, there was no trace of Garmo; only a smoking crater in the earth and a sinister trail of blood venturing into the darkness of the forest.