"I’m scared..." Her words hit me weakly, like a soft breeze before the storm. Evelyn hugged me from behind, and I couldn’t look at her, frozen in place on the edge of the cliff. I could feel her unease in the trembling grip of her arms. "Kiel... please, get away from there. You're too close..." Her voice broke at the end of the sentence, revealing the fear she was trying to hide. Her small hands gripped my shirt tighter, as if wanting to pull me away from the edge but hesitating to force it. The warmth of her body against mine contrasted sharply with the biting cold rising from the abyss below. "I know you don’t like spending time with me. You always give me harsh looks. I’m sorry if I hurt you..." Her voice trembled again, filled with a vulnerability I had never noticed before. "That’s why I wanted to come here, to show you that I’m not a bad girl." She paused but continued, "Don’t abandon me, I want you to see me... It never seems like you have fun with me... You never call me Eve... You always treat me without affection, and it makes me feel bad." The fear in her voice pulled me back to reality. The cliff, which had seemed harmless before, now felt dangerously close. Despite her young age, her words, laden with sincerity and pain, touched me deeply. I remembered the promise I made to take care of her when we came here, the emptiness that would be left if I left this world, and all the beautiful things still to come. I took a step back, away from the edge. It was a step toward life. Evelyn’s arms were still around me, but now with more certainty. She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt me step back. If I was put in this world, there is meaning. Dying will never be an option. These beings around me, who show their vulnerabilities and open their hearts, deserve my reciprocity. I will never think of giving up again, I promise myself. "Thank you..." Evelyn whispered, still clinging to me, her fear giving way to a sense of security. I hugged her back, finally understanding how much she needed me—and how much I needed to keep living, for all of you. Even if you one day learn the truth about me, I’ll make sure you still care for me. You are my family. When I turned, I saw that she was crying. Her yellow eyes glistened, tears falling sincerely. "It’s okay, Eve. You’re my sister, and I really like that. It’s much better than being alone. Having someone to care for you is always a gift. So, I’m sorry if I hurt you, sis," I said, for the first time calling her sister sincerely. She frowned slightly, wiping her face on my clothes with a cheeky attitude. "Always with the difficult words... What does ‘gift’ mean?" I smiled, relieved by the lightness of the moment. "Let’s go back," I said, feeling as if a huge weight had lifted. "No! Look over there!" She pointed to the top of the spring, where a grotto seemed hidden among the rocks. "Hey, climbing up there is dangerous, Eve." She pouted, her yellow eyes shining irresistibly. "Please..." she asked, full of sweetness. I sighed, already knowing it would be hard to resist that expression. … I started trying to climb the vines that hung down from the top of the grotto where the spring emerged, but my limbs were weak and inefficient. I quickly lost strength and ended up falling back. Frustrated, I looked around for a solution. That’s when I noticed some thick branches and vines scattered on the ground. "I’ve got an idea," I murmured, grabbing the sturdiest branches and the largest leaves. "We’re going to make some kind of lever and pulley." Eve looked at me curiously but with trust. "What should I do?" I used some nearby stones to create a firm pile while tying one of the longest vines to the top of a sturdy branch, creating an improvised lever. I wrapped the other end of the vine around a heavy rock that would serve as a counterweight. "I’m going to need your help pulling the rock while I climb," I explained. "When I give the signal, pull with all your strength, okay?" Eve nodded eagerly, gripping the vine with her small hands. I tested the structure, giving it a few tugs to make sure it was secure. "Ready? Go!" With Eve pulling the rock down, the lever lifted my weight, making it easier to climb up the vines. Using the strength of my arms and legs, and coordinating with her pulls, I managed to reach a higher point where I could secure myself and climb the rest of the way. "I made it, Eve!" I shouted from above, relieved and excited. "Now pull me! Pull me!" she exclaimed, eager. Before helping her, I turned to look into the grotto. I was immediately struck by a breathtaking sight. The place looked like something out of a fairy tale. Soft sunlight filtered through openings in the cave’s ceiling, casting shimmering reflections on the moss-covered walls and limestone rocks. At the center, a large lake of crystal-clear water mirrored the colors of the surroundings, and small Luminovos fluttered gracefully above the water, their yellow-blue feathers emitting a bioluminescent glow. Around the lake, curious animals moved, as intrigued by my presence as I was by theirs. I saw Aquarupins, creatures that leaped and swam in the clear waters, their streamlined bodies covered in iridescent scales that changed color as they moved. They performed agile maneuvers in the water, emitting soft sounds. Deeper into the grotto, white crystals vibrated with primordial energy, sending subtle disturbances through the air, now noticeable to my senses. The water of the lake was so pure I could see the bottom covered in smooth stones and more crystals, some larger, scattered like submerged treasures. The gentle sound of running water, trickling through small waterfalls, completed the serenity of the scene. For a moment, I was completely lost in the beauty and peace of that place, forgetting my mission to pull Evelyn up. That sanctuary seemed untouched by time, a magical and wild refuge. "Now it’s my turn to pull," I said, smiling. Using the strength of my legs and the weight of my body, I activated the lever in reverse, lifting Evelyn safely. "Almost there!" I encouraged, pulling carefully. When she reached the top, Eve quickly jumped off the makeshift pulley system, trembling with excitement. She hurried out and stood at the grotto’s peak, mesmerized by the view around her. The Pupins, small, furry mammals, cautiously approached, curious and alert. They had soft, silky fur and large, expressive ears that constantly twitched, picking up every sound around. Their fluffy tails wagged back and forth as they hopped towards Evelyn. She knelt and began playing with them, laughing as the little creatures bounced around her. She stretched out her hand, offering a piece of fruit she took from her pouch, and a brave Pupin jumped into her lap, gently grabbing the fruit with its tiny paws. It nibbled on the fruit with its small teeth, chewing contentedly while Eve stroked its soft ears. "Look, Kiel, he’s so cute!" Eve exclaimed, her eyes shining with happiness. She laughed as more Pupins approached, forming a small circle around her. Each one seemed more adorable than the last, with fur ranging in shades of white, gray, and cyan, and even some in more exotic colors like light pink. Eve continued playing with the Pupins, tickling their bellies and laughing when they rolled over, exposing their paws in a gesture of total trust and fun. It was a delightful sight to see my sister interacting so naturally with these magical creatures, forming an immediate and pure connection. Meanwhile, the crystals themselves were fascinating. Scattered throughout the grotto, they varied in size from small fragments to large pillars rising from the ground or hanging from the ceiling like stalactites and stalagmites. When I touched one, I felt a wave of warmth and energy course through my body, almost as if the crystals were transferring their charge to me. I was captivated by one particularly large crystal that emitted a soft bluish light. I touched its smooth surface, feeling the primordial energy vibrating through my hands as if being absorbed. This is the perfect opportunity to use magic! I sat down on the ground, feeling the cool texture of the earth beneath my hands as I closed my eyes, trying to calm my breathing. Around me, the world seemed distant, muffled, as if time had slowed. I took a deep breath, letting the air fill my lungs, while I focused on the flow of energy coursing through my body. It was like an invisible river, flowing beneath my limbs. My hands began to tremble slightly as I guided the energy, feeling it rise through my veins. When the energy reached my head, I felt a slight tingling, a pressure that seemed to pulse with my heartbeat. My body relaxed, and the tension that had once tethered me to thoughts of the physical world dissolved. ... After several minutes, I found calm enough to focus. "Even Existence could not bear living alone in the abyss’s vastness — how could we? Just like that, life and everything in it was made," I kept repeating. Weak nausea hit my meditation after a few seconds, as if a key had turned. ------- When I opened my eyes, I found myself once again inside my subconscious. This time, however, it seemed... less chaotic? The cracks in the ground were fewer. The landscape was still dead and decaying. Standing in front of the dead tree, I touched it. I sank deeper into it, allowing myself to be swept away by what it truly represented. Its true meaning, its hidden potential. In a blink, everything disappeared, leaving only a vast void, a tangled darkness in a world of overlapping planes. It was like a labyrinth of knowledge, where once-accessible concepts were now obscured. It was the code of reality—the matrix that governed movement. Kinetic energy. The domain of everything that moves. My mind began to retrieve fragments of forgotten ideas. Movement: particles that randomly and vectorially vibrate, generating heat, the most basic form of energy. This agitation inevitably seeks uniform distribution. And then, there’s the energy that is preserved, moving in constant directions, perpetuating itself, transmitting between bodies. The amount of accumulated energy defines the state of matter: solid, liquid, gas, organizing, drawing closer, pulling apart—always moving to fill space. My eyes focused on a labyrinthine tree. Suddenly, a golden thread of light emerged, breathing life into a beam within the tree's darkness. A wave of overwhelming happiness washed over me as various concepts penetrated my mind: molecules, elements, inertia, force, temperature... — Yes! — I exclaimed, seeing small threads of light entwine with the tree. Though only a fraction, everything began to make sense, composing my understanding. ------- Time passed quickly as I dozed off, and soon the sun began to set. The arrival of night brought a new spectacle: the soft glow of the crystals and animals illuminated the now serene environment. Still trying to understand what was happening, I noticed that the Pupins approached Eve without hesitation but kept their distance from me. That intrigued me. "Eve, why do you think they avoid coming near me?" I asked, trying to hide my discomfort. She looked at me, then at the Pupins, thoughtful. "Maybe they just need time to get used to you, big bro. They’re small, they might be scared," she answered. I nodded, trying to accept the explanation. "I want to show you something," I said, walking towards her. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity under the soft light of the crystals. I raised my hand and focused, feeling the energy I absorbed from the crystal respond to my will. The lessons about molecules, elements, and invisible forces came to the surface. I concentrated on the water molecules suspended in the air, visualizing them as tiny floating spheres. Moisture was present in everything, in every drop of dew about to form. My mind guided the energy I had drawn from the crystal, turning theory into action. I took a deep breath and immersed myself in the now-familiar concepts: the attraction and repulsion of intermolecular forces, the inertia of particles, the variation in temperature that leads to condensation. There was slight resistance in manipulating the Primordial Energy, as if it wasn’t mine. But, gradually, droplets of water began to appear around my hand, floating like suspended pearls. I controlled them, forming a small vortex, each drop following my will. "Look," I whispered, extending my hand. The water formed a small liquid sphere between us. Eve looked in awe, her eyes reflecting the water's shimmering glow. "How did you do that?" she asked, fascinated. "It’s a matter of understanding. It’s magic," I explained, my voice low, almost reverent. "The water molecules are always in the air, even when we can’t see them. With concentration and control of Primordial Energy, we can guide them and make them visible." Eve touched the water sphere with the tip of her fingers, enchanted. "Incredible! How can I do it too?" I smiled, embarrassed. "I’m just beginning to understand. It’ll take a while for you to learn." With a smooth motion, I made the water sphere dance in the air. "Magic is physical, not mystical. It’s in everything around us and responds to our logic and reasoning." A smile crossed my face, but I quickly felt a nausea, as if my spirit was distorting. In milliseconds, I transformed the water bubble into an ice spike. "Wow!" Eve exclaimed, amazed. But the familiar headache and mental exhaustion began to surface. I let the ice blade fall, shattering on the ground. I really need to understand how this works biologically, I thought with frustration. "Can we take one of these little creatures home, bro?" Eve asked, lifting a Pupin that was cuddling up against her leg, startled by the impact of the ice on the ground. The little creature looked at me with its big, expressive eyes, completely clueless. I shook my head. "They belong here. Imagine if a giant Pupin took you away, never to return?" Eve pouted, clearly disappointed. "But he’s so cute... I really wanted a Pupin..." "I think it’s time to go home," I stated, trying to be firm. She started to protest. "But..." Before she could continue, I cut her off. "It’s my head on the line, not yours," I exclaimed, ending the conversation.