“This isn’t going to end well…”

“Again with these tricks? He’s going to cause trouble.”

“Who let him mess with those dangerous things?”

The murmurs from the older Nephos echoed around me as I prepared my magic experiment. My heart raced with excitement, ignoring the criticisms. I knew this was going to be amazing. I turned to Evelyn, who was watching me with eager eyes, ready to witness the spectacle I had promised.

“One, two... three!” I shouted, throwing the mixture of sodium borate and copper chloride into the salt-covered wires, triggering a chemical reaction using a piece of crystal from the cave to facilitate the process.

With a confident wink at my sister, I threw the small pouch of materials as high as I could. By manipulating the Primordial Energy, I forced a chemical reaction that exploded in bright colors across the sky. Green and blue sparks danced, lighting up everything around in a chaotic display.

The problem? It quickly spiraled out of control, sending sparks that started small fires.

“No!” one of the older Nephos shouted, backing away as the sparks began to dangerously descend toward the people.

“Kiel, watch out!” another yelled, pointing as the fire spread, burning the grass in the square.

“Damn,” I muttered, realizing how bad things were getting. The fire turned on me, becoming a fiery cloud carried by the breeze, and the sparks began to sting my skin with painful burns.

Evelyn, who had been watching in awe, now looked terrified. The smile on her face vanished, replaced by genuine fear.

“I… I’m fine,” I murmured to Evelyn, trying to stay composed as I used my arms to shield myself from the embers. The burns were bearable, but uncomfortable. I knew I had made a mess.

The younger Nephos watched with fascination, but the adults, especially the elders, were far from impressed. Nelco, the village leader, approached, furious.

“Kiel! Look at what you’ve done!” Nelco roared, helpless as the explosions burned the grass and caused panic among the people, who ran to protect the children.

“You’ve ruined the grass, bro, burned the festival decorations, hurt yourself, and worried everyone. Failed!” said Nelco’s son loudly, pulling up his round, childish hat.

Panting and feeling the sting of the burns, I went to Evelyn and took her small, trembling hands. Her eyes were filled with worry and fear from the explosions. “I’m fine, Evelyn,” I murmured, trying to sound confident despite the pain.

The people around were still restless, their voices sharp as they discussed what had happened, clearly disapproving. Some tried to extinguish the small fires while others helped calm the frightened children. Nelco, the “leader” among the Nephos, approached me with a stern look.

“Kiel! Look at the state of the lawn! The New Year’s festival is tonight, and you just had to burn down all our decorations with your irresponsibility. I’m calling your mother to give you a lesson. You’ve crossed all the lines! Days of stealing and using dangerous things, and what happened? Exactly what we’re seeing: disaster.”

I lowered my head, scared of facing my mother’s reprimand. “Please don’t tell her. I promise I’ll never take the village’s chemicals to play with again.”

Nelco sighed, his face softening a little. “Spare me your excuses!” he replied gruffly.

“Please, Uncle Nelco, forgive my brother. He messed up, but it won’t happen again,” Evelyn said, showing her childlike charm.

“Oh, Evelyn, fine, I won’t tell, but if it happens again…” Nelco left the sentence hanging.

“Go away for now,” Nelco said, calmer, after the confusion caused by the fireworks.

I looked at Evelyn, who walked alongside me on my left. “You saved me again, Evelyn. You have no idea how much,” I said with a laugh, referring to the complaints that would have come from our mother if she found out what had happened.

We quickly left the festival area, where the Nephos were putting out the small fires caused by the explosions. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air, but with the fresh evening breeze, everything seemed to calm down. We climbed the stone staircase that led to the pagoda, distancing ourselves from the commotion. The sound of conversations and laughter from the festival grew fainter, and the atmosphere around us gradually became more peaceful.

We sat halfway up, where the steps widened, offering a breathtaking view of the village. Paper lanterns, illuminated by flickering flames, danced in the gentle night breeze, while the luminous dust began to appear in the darkening sky.

“What were you trying to do, Kiel?” Evelyn asked, her childish curiosity tinged with a touch of precocious wisdom.

I laughed, embarrassed. “I wanted to put on a light show just for you, something special,” I replied with a mischievous smile. “Something that would make you smile and say I’m the best brother.”

She looked at me with her big, bright eyes and, despite being so young, squeezed my hand affectionately. “It was beautiful, but you didn’t have to do that, Kiel. Don’t hurt yourself just to impress me,” she said with a sincere, yet slightly sad, tone.

Her simple, direct words echoed in my mind. Evelyn was right, as she always seemed to be, despite her young age. I looked again at the festival area, thinking. The Nephos were extinguishing the last flames as the greenish twilight, caused by the extraplanetary gases, still tinged the horizon.

I sighed, feeling relieved. “You’re right, Eve… I guess I was wrong. How lucky I am to have such a precious sister,” I commented, gazing at the darkening sky filling with luminous dust.

She was silent for a moment, but when I turned, I noticed she was no longer beside me. “Eve?” I called, looking around.

I looked down and saw her sitting with Nene by the entrance to the pagoda stairs, playing a game of Jenga.

“I’m here!” she shouted, laughing, waving at me. Nene, always mimicking, waved enthusiastically too.

I smiled and sighed. “I take it back… my sister abandoned me to play, and this life is a disappointing madness,” I thought.

I carefully descended the stairs, feeling the residual heat of the burns on my skin. Every step reminded me of the small catastrophe I had caused, and I also noticed something eerie: the burns had almost disappeared in just half an hour.

As I approached the event area, the hustle and bustle of the New Year’s festival preparations became audible, bringing a mix of aromas, sounds, and sights that were both familiar and unique to our world. Every year, this event takes place, after all.

The rustic wooden stalls, decorated with colorful fabrics and local flowers, were scattered around the main square. The Nephos worked together, putting the finishing touches on their respective tasks. Small blown-glass lanterns hung from strings, each emitting a soft, flickering light that began to stand out against the darkening sky.

The smell of traditional foods wafted through the air, momentarily making me forget the pain of the burns. In one of the stalls, an older Nepho, with skillful hands, shaped bread dough into intricate, almost perfectly oval shapes before placing them in the wood-fired oven.

The smell of freshly baked bread mixed with spices and herbs was tempting, but my preference for meat was unanimous. Another stall featured a large cauldron, from which came the spicy, comforting aroma of a rich soup filled with vegetables and chunks of meat—unfortunately, I don’t like soup. Further ahead, a table was filled with bright, fresh fruits, picked from the orchards that grew on the plantations.

The decorations were a spectacle in their own right. Hand-painted oars, symbolizing their connection to the Alvim River, which separates and sustains both Loura and Florem, were displayed ornamentally along the main path. Statues of local creatures, several of which were puppins, carved in wood and stone, adorned the corners of the square. Banners made of woven fabrics in vibrant colors swayed gently in the breeze, giving a sense of continuous movement, accentuating Florem’s flag—a field of three yellow flowers in the top left corner against a royal blue background.

The people, dressed in their finest clothes for the occasion, laughed and chatted as they worked. Children ran around, playing with small handmade toys, while the adults focused on making sure everything was perfect for the celebration. There was a palpable sense of community and unity, something that always touched me deeply.

How do they manage to unite so strongly for a cause that isn’t about the individual? Am I the outdated one here? Seeing this as something irrelevant and unreal to our nature? That’s one thing I really won’t change—I now accept my family as kind people, but I don’t see myself putting them above me.

But is family a community? Is it really about blood ties, or is it about belonging? How complicated… I mean, it’s a mix of both. I have 50% of my parents’ blood, from 37% to 61% for my sister. Maybe she’s the one most similar to me in this world or less so than my parents, who knows. But loving someone isn’t restricted to that alone... I can’t say I would prefer one of the three.

Kiel, get this into your mind: if you’re going to sacrifice yourself for someone, follow the norm of nature, try to preserve your genes, that’s the truth. If you want to pass on your natural duty, do it! I thought, trying to make sense of everything, failing miserably.

However... if I had different genes in different lives, even as animals... Then it doesn’t make sense. This goes beyond the physical and reaches the metaphysical! So…

I got it, I’ll do whatever I want.

Problem solved.

I approached one of the preparation tables, where an older woman was arranging plates of finely decorated desserts. She looked at me and smiled kindly, offering me a piece of cake topped with a shiny layer of icing.

“You caused quite a stir today, Kiel,” she said, her eyes full of understanding. “Enjoy the festival, you can have this little cake.” She finished, patting my head.

I thanked her and took the piece of cake, feeling a warm, comforting sensation spread inside me, maybe shame? The world is affecting me in an irritating way.

As I bit into the sweet, soft cake, I looked around and saw Evelyn happily playing with Nene, a spontaneous smile on her face.

I must have taken too long in my reflection…

The preparations were almost complete, and the anticipation for the celebration was growing. The sound of music began to fill the air, traditional instruments now in the spotlight.

I sat at a table, savoring my piece of cake and watching the festival unfold. With each moment, more people joined the celebration, and the air filled with laughter and lively conversations.

While I was lost in my thoughts, I felt a presence beside me. I turned in surprise and saw Aidam sitting down unexpectedly. “We need to have a serious talk, young man,” he said with a serious face, startling me with his sudden appearance.

My heart raced, fearing an impending scolding. But before I could respond, he continued, his curious look contrasting with his serious tone. “Seriously, since when did you learn to use magic? They told me you made fire of several colors! How did you learn that?”

Before I could formulate a response, my mother, Ari, suddenly appeared, interrupting the conversation. “Kiel!” she exclaimed, her voice laden with concern and noticeable anger, visibly expressed on her face. “What were you thinking? Playing with dangerous chemicals! Causing a fire… And you, Aidam, should be more responsible and tell him he was wrong and correct him! You shouldn’t have allowed him to do something so risky, nor be complicit in such behavior!”

She pulled Aidam’s hair, who grimaced in pain. “You were complicit in the problem Kiel caused,” she continued, with a severe tone.

Turning her back, still angry, she said, “Now, I’m going to call Evelyn for dinner.” She walked away, dressed in a shiny outfit that she only wore for such occasions, which made her look elegant even when stressed. “This conversation isn’t over,” she concluded.

As my mother walked away to fetch Evelyn, Aidam rubbed his head where it had been pulled, looking at me with a mix of relief and curiosity. “So, how did you manage to do that magic?” he asked, still intrigued by my answer.

My father turns a blind eye to his son’s adrenaline-fueled whims; if he were the solo father of another family, he would have raised many delinquents...