The walk went by in silence. Theo still couldn't understand what Hayden had told him. "Destroying it," he thought, staring sidelong as the wizard walked by his side tense, his breathing slightly accelerated. Theo didn't like the idea. He was not going to give in. Who did this stranger think was, telling him that he was going to get rid of the only thing he had of his mother? Not even in his dreams. Even after Theo had bombarded him with questions, Hayden just had ignored him and then silenced him due to the fuss he was making. Now, he kept turning his head to verify that in fact, no one was following them.

Hayden had taken him by the wrist to guide him through the maze of alleyways into which they had entered, and, since then, Theo had been feeling a warm sensation in his chest. And it wasn't metaphorically. He looked down at his neck and, with his free hand, loosened the collar of his sweatshirt to take a look. As soon as he saw it, he adjusted his sweatshirt again with disguised speed. He turned his head to Hayden who, luckily for him, was still more focused on his surroundings than on him. Despite that, he did not let his guard down. He was too self-conscious.

The last time he had seen his necklace shine, the situation had not ended very well. He did not know when it had begun to do so, but he could guess that not long ago if he took into account the warm sensation he had been feeling. The thick fabric of his sweatshirt prevented any glint of blue light from escaping from under the garment, and that was the only thing that prevented Theo from drawing Hayden's attention to himself. After he had told him what he intended to do with his necklace, Theo had refused to cooperate until he could find a way to sneak out. And when he did, he wouldn't look back. He would think of all that as a dream and forget about it. Until then, he didn't plan to talk more than necessary, just enough to not arouse suspicion. He just had to wait for the right moment. And to pretend that the warmth of the necklace on his chest didn't alter him in the least.

"Here we are," Hayden's voice took him by surprise.

In front of him stood a medium-high building, whose facade differed from the others in terms of modernity but not in height. It managed to camouflage itself among the majestic buildings that surrounded it, almost as if that had been its purpose.

Hayden led him behind the building, towards a metal door that appeared to be thick. At its highest point, a sort of symbol could be seen adorning it. When the wizard finally let go of his wrist, Theo almost sighed with relief. He had not realized how nervous he had been. Looking at Hayden in expectation of what he would do next, he noticed the state he was in. With a frown and impending paleness, Hayden was leaning against the wall next to the door since he could barely stand. He placed his trembling hand on the metal gate and brought his face closer.

"Hey, are you okay?" Theo said, stepping towards him quickly. "You look very pale."

Hayden moved his other hand and signed to him to shut up. Then he proceeded to whisper several words, if you could call them that, in a language Theo did not know. As soon as he saw how the strange hieroglyph began to glow, Theo slowly took a step back. The splendor grew more and more as Hayden recited the language, his eyes turning red like the previous time. The door gave way a few centimeters and the light went out. Hayden pushed the gate as hard as he could and dragged him in, pushing the heavy iron to close the door.

Theo looked restlessly at the unpolluted corridor. Both the walls and the floor were white, and at the end of it he could see a door similar to the one they had just passed through. Theo jumped startled when he heard the slamming of the door when it opened. A tall white woman approached where they were and looked at Hayden puzzled.

"You got here faster than I thought," said the blonde woman.

"Why isn't anyone watching the door?" said Hayden straightening up.

"I sent everyone home," she replied sternly and then looked at Theo. "We can't trust anyone."

Theo, who listened to the conversation very self-consciously, looked back at her. She smiled at him before speaking to him.

"Theo, right? My name is Madelyn," she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," said Theo, asking himself how she also knew his name.

"I suppose Hayden has already explained the situation you're in," said Madelyn in a friendly tone of voice. "Isn't that so?"

"Not so much," said Theo squinting. "Can you tell me where we are?"

Madelyn looked at him amused.

"This is one of the administrative headquarters of the Government," she finally said. "We work for them."

"I see," said Theo relieved. "Will you help me get home then?"

"Not exactly," said Madelyn hesitating.

Theo looked at her confused and a little frightened. He was about to ask her what she meant, but Hayden's hand around his shoulder stopped him. He was trying to hold on firmly, but Theo could see how his legs were barely responding, trembling as much as his body.

"I'm sorry," said Hayden. "I don't feel very well."

Theo held him the best he could, holding his arm around his shoulders and trying to support his weight. Madelyn quickly approached Hayden and did the same as Theo.

"Are you all right?" Hayden could only shake his head. "Theo," she said to him, trying to calm his nervousness. "We're going to have to take him to the nurse's room."

Theo just looked at her without knowing what to say, but when she started walking down the aisle, he had no choice but to accompany her. They went further into countless corridors until they reached a room where there were different medical devices and various objects that Theo could not distinguish. As soon as Hayden was seated on the stretcher there, Theo stood still in his place, only moving his head to see how Madelyn walked around the room looking for something. From one of the desk drawers, she pulled out a syringe and then a small jar with a bright, pale liquid in it.

"Stay still," he said to Hayden before injecting the liquid. "What happened?" Madelyn continued talking calmly.

"I had to use magic to hide our location," said Hayden, who had stopped shaking, "They were looking for us." He looked around slowly and then smiled halfway. "There's really no one."

Madelyn sighed before answering.

"I've already told you," she said, her voice and features hardened. "We can't take that risk. You don't—."

"I know," Hayden interrupted her before she could finish and held her gaze.

"Hey, I'm sorry but," Theo timidly intervened. "Is everything all right?

They both looked at him as if they had forgotten his existence. Madelyn went to the desk, leaned slightly on it, and invited Theo to move closer.

"Has Hayden explained to you where we are?" said Madelyn, softening her gaze.

"If you mean if he told me about magic, spells, and parallel worlds," Theo began, still unable to believe the bizarreness of the situation. "Yes, he did."

"All right," she replied and, after a short pause, continued, "I'm sorry if it's so sudden but we don't have time. We need you to do us a favor."

Theo saw it coming. Before answering her, he premeditated and analyzed his possibilities.

"You want my necklace, don't you?" he said as calmly as he could.

Madelyn looked at him with her eyes slightly wider.

"Did you tell him that too?" she said, looking at Hayden, almost as a reprimand.

"He wouldn't shut up otherwise," answered Hayden. His complexion had improved quite a bit.

Theo frowned at his comment, regretting that he had even cared for him, and turned to Madelyn.

"Look, I know this must be very important to you," said Theo without being able to hide the annoyance in his voice. "But it's also important to me. I'm sorry."

Madelyn didn't even flinch.

"Do you have it with you?" she said, adjusting her glasses.

At that moment Theo realized that he no longer was feeling the heat that the necklace had emitted before. He didn't notice. And he wasn't sure if that was anything to be relieved or worried about. He had no idea what it meant.

"Yes," he said with his heart pounding in his chest as he watched Madelyn approach him.

"Can I see it?"

Theo hesitated to show it to her or not. If they wanted to take it off between the two of them, they almost certainly would. More so now that Hayden had recovered notably. He ended up pulling it out from under his sweatshirt, without taking it off from his neck. Madelyn grabbed the gem and got closer to him to inspect it in amazement. Theo waited several seconds to take it back, but when he brushed Madelyn's hand doing so, a light sparkled from the crystal, brief but appreciably. He released the crystal in an instant, now hanging from his neck. Madelyn fluctuated her sight between him and the pendant.

"What was that?" she said stunned.

Hayden got up and went towards them.

Madelyn looked at Theo with a suspicious gleam in her eyes. "Give me your hand," she ordered him.

"For what?" Theo said, anxious.

"What are you doing?" Hayden asked Madelyn in confusion.

"I just want to check something."

Madelyn was watching him fixedly and unperturbed with her hand outstretched, waiting for him. He held her gaze as long as he could, but in the end, she intimidated him, so he stretched out his hand to her. The instant he touched her hand, the crystal of the necklace was illuminated by the blue light.

"Fascinating," said the woman, letting go of his hand.

Hayden looked amazed at how the light slowly extinguished and looked up to look into his eyes. "Can I touch you?"

Theo was puzzled by the unexpected question. "I suppose," he said without being able to make eye contact with him.

Hayden took his hand between his own and the same thing happened when he did. Theo silently admired how the rays of light radiating from the pendant reflected dimly in the sorcerer's eyes.

"Hayden," intercepted Madelyn, "Can we talk?"

The young man turned away from Theo and walked to where Madelyn was, several meters from him, and turned his back on him. Theo could not hear what they were talking about, but he could see that something was not going very well. Judging by Madelyn's countenance, she seemed upset. The conversation began to become intense; they barely controlled the volume of their voices. Theo was thinking about whether to intervene before something happened but he was not expecting what came out of Hayden's mouth.

"What do you want me to do?!" Hayden whispered fiercely. "Threaten him with Ethan?!

"Hayden!" said Madelyn as she glanced at Theo across the room.

Theo gawked at them. He didn't know whether to get angry or anxious. It was his brother after all.

"My brother?" he said without completely believing it. There was no answer. "What's he got to do with any of this?”

Hayden, who had turned around in haste, looked at him overwhelmed and with tormented eyes. That only managed to agitate Theo. Madelyn, on the other hand, looked serene.

"Listen, Theo," she said as she got to where he was. "Your brother is fine.”

"Why wouldn't he be? Where is he?" Theo stopped her.

"I'll tell you," she paused, "after you give me the necklace.”

Hayden approached them anxiously. "Madelyn," he managed to say before she shut him up.

Nobody moved. Theo was the first to break the silence, overflowing with impotence.

"What's in this necklace that's so valuable to you?!" he said. "Where is my brother?”

"If you want to know, you know what to do," she said, reaching out her hand.

"What will happen to me after I give it to you?”

"I'll take you to the central headquarters, where we can protect you," said Madelyn without taking her eyes off him.

"What about him?" he said, pointing at Hayden without even looking at him.

Madelyn was slow to respond. "He'll take care of the necklace. Don't worry about it.”

"Where are you taking it?" he asked Hayden, defying him with his gaze. "I deserve to know at least that.”

Hayden sighed, "I have to find the alchemist who made it. They will know how to destroy it effectively.”

"I want to go with you.”

"No. That's not going to happen." Madelyn said strictly while looking at the mechanical clock on her wrist. "Hayden, it's time for you to leave," she sounded irritated. "Give me the necklace.”

"It may be the only time I can find out anything about my mother," Theo said, softening his voice. "That person must know something.”

"You are staying here,” Madelyn said. "You're not only going to slow down the mission, but you're going to get yourself killed.”

"Theo, it can be dangerous," said Hayden, trying to make him reconsider it.

Theo, stubborn, just folded his arms.

"Don't make me take it off you," her eyes turned bright red as soon as she said that. She lifted her hand in his direction and stood in that position.

Hayden came between them. "You don't have to do that.”

"Yes, I do. Move, Hayden.” And she began to murmur in an unknown language.

"Madelyn!”

Theo was stuck in his place; he didn't know she'd go that far to get the necklace. He had to admit that he was a little, quite, scared. He squeezed the pendant hard and closed his eyes impulsively. All he could hear was a bustle of voices. The next thing he felt was a warm wind going through him. When he opened his eyes, Madelyn and Hayden looked at him with a mixture of astonishment and shock. The pendant was shining again. This time because of him. The whole room was dazzled by his light and both Madelyn and Hayden were pushed away from him by the energy coming from the necklace. When Theo realized what was going on, he stopped squeezing the crystal and tried to calm down. The flow of energy stopped immediately. Everyone in the place was stunned.

Hayden went towards him when he was able to stand up. "Are you alright?”

Theo nodded, a strange feeling running through his entire nervous system. As if someone had turned on a switch inside him. One that needed to be turned on a long time ago. He looked at Hayden confidently.

"I'm going with you.”