"Are you already back?" Miguel asked, marveling at the sudden presence of Karumo and Gael in the room. The other guardians had left, leaving only Miguel with a contemplative expression, awaiting the return of the two.

Gael noticed that the room was now empty, with only Miguel in his field of view, immersed in silent reflections. The arrival of the two young ones brought a lively atmosphere to the surroundings.

"Yes," replied Karumo, with sincere admiration in his voice. "The boy learns remarkably quickly; he managed to dismantle the axis in a way I've never witnessed."

"I didn't promise to become the most powerful guardian for nothing. Nothing is fairer than starting this way," emphasized Gael, exultant with the unfolding of his new powers, while the beauty of the scenery around reflected his excitement.

With an enthusiastic expression, Gael received a brief fist bump from Karumo, the wind guardian, revealing that Karumo himself had taught the greeting during intense training sessions. The gesture demonstrated Karumo's genuine enthusiasm for the boy's new abilities. The atmosphere around seemed to rise with the contagious energy of the moment, further strengthening the bond between master and pupil and revealing the promise of a bright future for Gael as a guardian.

However, Miguel interrupted Gael's excitement with a more serious tone. "I understand," claimed Miguel, momentarily dissipating the enchantment around them.

Karumo observed the interaction, noticing the confusion in the young guardian's eyes at Miguel's dry response. Without making a sound, Silva's master made a discreet mouth signal, indicating that this was Miguel's usual way, and not to worry.

"I came to ask you a favor, Miguel. Could you send me back home?" Gael asked, eager to reunite with his friends and his grandfather, whose concern was surely growing with each passing moment.

"All right, did you really explain everything to the son of man?" Miguel asked Karumo, emphasizing the importance of the transmitted knowledge.

"About the true name of fire, about the sword of your bestoj, and how its power only develops through battles to reach the three levels of the swords?"

"If you're so concerned about it, why didn't you train him yourself?" Karumo retorted, showing impatience at Miguel's questions.

"Open the portal for the boy and let him go." "Very well, son of man," said Miguel, extending his hand forward, preparing to open the portal and grant Gael's departure.

Branches emerged from Miguel's raised arm, intertwining in an arch formed by leaves and branches of an extremely dark purple shade, similar to the one that had surrounded the boy when he was kidnapped from his room. The scenery around them seemed to absorb the enchantment of that manifestation, highlighting the magical beauty of the moment.

"See you around, Master Karumo," said Gael, bidding farewell to the guardian with a playful smile, recalling the joke Karumo had made during his training.

"All right, kid. With the recent crazy events, I'm sure we'll meet much more often," replied Karumo, bidding farewell to Gael with an animated tone.

While Gael crossed the portal, Karumo and Miguel watched the boy leave. A momentary calmness hung in the air, but soon Karumo broke the silence:

"I hope you don't do the same with this boy, whatever you did with Rick," accused Karumo, with a serious and determined look, creating a gentle breeze in the room.

The atmosphere in that place had changed, as if the air were no longer the same. The pressure in the atmosphere was intense, enough to make Gael faint if he were still there. Karumo knew this and reinforced the idea that the boy needed to leave before confronting Miguel.

"What do you mean by that, Karumo?" Miguel asked, cutting off the arc that Gael had crossed and preparing for a possible attack against Karumo.

Miguel tried to control the environment and the elements around him, but Karumo's dominance over the location was much greater. The atmosphere in that room was like a time bomb about to explode at any moment. The scenario acquired a tense and mysterious air, reflecting the invisible conflict between the two guardians and preparing the ground for what was to come.

"Understand it however you want; I'll be keeping an eye on you and anyone who gets in my way," said Gael's master, while opening a portal for the young guardian, mysteriously disappearing from that room.

The departure of the master left Miguel absorbed in his thoughts. There was still a hidden figure in the room that Gael hadn't noticed, but Karumo certainly did, as indicated by the final threat of "anyone who gets in my way."

Amidst the mystery-laden environment, a young man emerged in Miguel's presence. He was one of those who were beside the guardians' table during the attack against Gael when he invoked the true name of fire and sent Eduardo away.

The young man had an intriguing appearance, with a stubble, tan skin, and hair combed upwards. His single golden eye fixed on Miguel, waiting for his master's next commands. The situation seemed as unstable as a house of cards about to collapse.

"The death of Rick, the shadows moving... there's only one person who can have such power, but even controlling the shadows is an impressive feat for him, Daniel Smith," Miguel said, looking at the table.

Daniel knew that his master was right. The shadows were uncontrollable beings; even when the worlds were one, they never cooperated with each other. But why now, suddenly, did they ally? What did this individual have to offer that no other being who had risen against the guardians and the blessed ones could achieve?

"And what will we do with the boy? He received the greatest power among us!" Daniel asked Miguel, pondering about Gael's fate from that moment on. The future unfolded amidst puzzles and uncertainties, while events seemed to shape themselves like pieces of an intricate elemental game.

"The war against the shadows has already been declared with Rick's death; we can't do anything against the choice his bestoj made. Now we have to work to make sure that this power is on our side," said Miguel, as the surroundings seemed to imbue themselves with a dense atmosphere, echoing the seriousness of the situation. The table, adorned with ancestral symbols, witnessed Miguel's restlessness, who was trembling his leg, passing on to Daniel the anxiety that the subject caused him. Amidst this context, Miguel sought a path for the next steps to be taken.

"Send a message to everyone to stay alert to the small shadows. Don't let them escape to other dimensions, as we know that the one manipulating them has the power to connect the passages," Miguel continued, with a firm look, aware of the importance of the actions that needed to be taken.

"Yes, master. Is there anything else you would like me to do?" Daniel asked, already aware of the answer but open to any other guidance.

"Keep an eye on what Karumo is doing," ordered Miguel, conveying his next commands to Daniel without taking his eyes off the table, as if each symbol engraved there could reveal secrets of the future.

"Any sign of betrayal to the guardians, any hint of Rick's disciple with him or approaching the shadows, inform me immediately. All guardians will be summoned."

Daniel nodded in agreement, and as soon as Miguel created a portal for the young man, he left the room. In addition to facing the war against the shadows, the guardians would now deal with

a collision that could trigger the destruction of the seven universes.

Meanwhile, in a distant place, Gael suddenly appeared, falling from the ceiling of his room and landing on his bed. The furniture narrowly escaped becoming scrap with the impact. Luis and Daniella watched, astonished, the boy in front of them.

"Where did you go?" they both asked in unison, with curious looks.

"You fell toward the ground and came from the ceiling almost at the same time. What happened?" Daniella asked, trying to understand the intriguing phenomenon.

"So, time there passes differently than here!" Gael said, reflecting aloud, coming to a conclusion from Daniella's words. The surroundings, with their colors and details, seemed to involve themselves in mystery, as if hiding answers to the enigmas unfolding in the story.

It was the most logical option, as the girl's words referred to that. However, the boy had the feeling that he had spent hours in that mysterious place, immersed in that enchanting landscape, where the scenery unfolded in dazzling colors and details. When he finally returned to his room, time seemed not to have passed, as if a distinct temporal flow enveloped that experience. His friends, Luis and Daniella, maintained the same astonished expression, exactly as when he had been sucked into the portal created by Miguel.

"What's happening here, Gael? Where did you go?" Luis asked, showing some apprehension at what he had witnessed.

"I went to get the proof you both wanted so much to believe in me," Gael said, responding to his friends with confidence, while snapping his fingers, creating a flame that danced delicately in the palm of his hand. The fire seemed to radiate an aura of mystery and magic, leaving Luis and Daniella even more amazed by the spectacle before them. The scenery around reflected the light of the flames, creating a unique and enchanting atmosphere, as if supernatural forces were dancing in harmony with the will of the young guardian.