A knock on the door. Gobby opens his eyes and sees Ulrich leaning into the room. Ulrich looks at him and says, Gobby, you have ten minutes to get up. I’ll be waiting at the table in the living room.

Gobby gets up, rubs his eyes with both hands, and looks down at his chest. The scar is still there, though the pain is gone. He goes to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he does not immediately understand who is looking back at him. Nothing remains of yesterday’s Gobby, who looked like a zombie. His skin has color again, and a thin layer of fat has appeared. He looks himself over and seems satisfied. His stomach wakes up as well and immediately makes itself known – he wants to eat.

Leaving the room, Gobby meets German, and they walk to the living room together. On the table, in hunting-house fashion, a large plate with sausages and bacon stands in the center. In front of each of them there is a plate with omelet and vegetables. After Ulrich confirms that they can sit and eat, Gobby begins the meal immediately.

Ulrich prepares tea for himself, takes two sips, and watches the boys eat for about a minute before speaking. Looking at them, he asks, I hope nothing has changed in our agreement overnight. With a sausage still in his mouth, Gobby turns his head toward German. German takes it as permission to speak, pulls out his notebook, and replies, Nothing has changed. But I have a couple of questions. Ulrich interrupts him immediately and says, Questions later. Eat. If we continue our cooperation, we have about two or three weeks to prepare you at a basic level.

Gobby looks up and asks, Why two or three weeks? Ulrich answers calmly, Because that’s roughly how long it would take me to find this place if I were hunting you myself. And I’m the best at what I do. So the Cerberus fighters will probably need about the same time. Maybe a little more. Gobby nods slightly and says, I see. I should tell my parents. My mom is probably worried. Ulrich replies, I’ve thought about that. German’s grandmother is in the hospital, so nothing needs to be done there. Your parents will be informed today by the police that you are under protection in a rehabilitation center. You will just need to call and calm them.

Ulrich then looks at German with a slight smile and adds, I have good news for you. Your grandmother woke up during the night and asked about you. They reassured her and she fell asleep again. She’s still weak, but it’s at least some progress. German stops chewing. A tear runs from his eye. He quickly wipes it away and continues eating.

After a moment Ulrich asks, Finished? Then let’s begin. He slowly stands up. The boys jump to their feet as well. Ulrich asks German to go to his room and think about what he will need for the work ahead. Gobby stays with him. Together they call Gobby’s parents. Ulrich introduces himself as a senior police inspector and explains the situation. Then Gobby speaks with his mother.

After that, Ulrich leads the boys under the stairs, where a door to the basement stands. He opens it with a remote control, and the passage leads deeper inside. Gobby looks at the mechanism with interest and turns to German, asking, German, hey German, what do you think is down there? What’s there? German answers, Based on my analysis, equipment and a training room. Gobby tilts his head and asks, Equipment – like weapons? Wow. German replies, Most likely. Gobby grins and continues, Cool, cool… I wonder if they’ll give me one.

German turns out to be right. The first room is an armory, but it holds only two types of weapons – cold steel and blowguns. On the left side the entire wall is covered with sharp objects: mostly different kinds of knives, but also razor blades and even awls. On the right side many blowguns hang on the wall, from classic models to modern ones. Beneath them stands a cabinet with shelves filled with different types of darts.

Gobby runs from stand to stand, from weapon to weapon, saying, This is incredible. Ulrich replies calmly, On the left are my tools. On the right belonged to my partner.

Continuing further, they enter the next room. It is a hall covered with tatami mats. On the walls there are only three training objects – a punching bag strangely wrapped in chain mail, a wooden human-shaped dummy, and a large target covered with holes.

After crossing the tatami room, they stop in front of another door. Ulrich turns to the boys and says, Behind this door is the command center. That’s where Vann and I planned everything. I’m a fighter myself and can only teach you how to use your abilities, but another person will help unlock them.

Ulrich opens the door. They enter a bright room. A table stands in the middle, and behind it a wall covered entirely with monitors. A professor sits at the table. In front of him lies an open folder full of notes.

Gobby looks at him and asks, Professor?
The professor replies, Hello, Gobby. Hello, German.
Ulrich adds, After talking with German we came to a conclusion – or rather German came to the conclusion that this is the only person who can help Gobby unlock his potential.

The professor walks up to Gobby and says, Show me the scar. Gobby lifts his shirt. The professor looks at it and says, It’s true. At last, direct proof of my theory. I was right all along. Thank you, Gobby. You can lower your shirt. He then turns to Ulrich and asks, May I begin?
Ulrich replies, I’ll leave you to it.

The professor looks at them and begins, Well, my boys, I don’t know how or why things turned out this way, but I’m grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to finish my scientific work. Let’s begin with a question. Have you heard of gifted people? German answers, Yes. People who possess extraordinary abilities. The professor nods slightly and asks, Correct. And do you know how a person becomes gifted? German replies, They are born with abilities others do not have. Probably some gene is responsible. The professor shakes his head and says, That is the common belief, but this theory is overrated. In fact, all children are gifted from birth. German frowns and asks, I don’t understand. If everyone is gifted, why is someone better at something? The professor answers, Society is responsible, but you will see that in more detail in the video. Sit down. I will show you the presentation I gave to the scientific community.

The professor seats Gobby and German at the computer and starts the video. First, fragments appear on the screen showing gifted adults – great fighters, composers, athletes, artists, scientists, and people with supernatural abilities. Among them are many figures resembling anime heroes with unusual powers. Each fragment includes additional information – country, year, and ability. Gobby and German watch the video side by side.

Then the professor’s voice appears over the footage: All the people you see now are considered unique – gifted individuals. Each of you believes they were lucky, that their giftedness was given to them at birth. I must disappoint you. There are no unique children with unique abilities. All children are gifted. As you may have understood from these fragments, there are only unique adults – because society made them so. In that sense, they were fortunate. The circumstances in which they grew up allowed them to remain gifted, as they were when they were born.

Now about my theory – “Giftedness and Nature.” A human being is a core that consists of two parts. The first is the conscious part – how a person sees the world. The second is the unconscious or instinctive part – how a person feels and exists in the world. The unconscious part is an inner creature, an inner animal. It is the source of strength. If a person maintains a connection with it, they are capable of more than those who have lost this connection. As a result, people who have lost the connection call those who have not lost it gifted.

How is this connection maintained? Through inner speech. Through dialogue with oneself. But at some point this dialogue with one’s own essence, when it becomes visible to others, was classified as a sign of psychiatric disorder. In conclusion, I propose the hypothesis that allowing children to communicate with their instinctive part allows them to remain stronger, more complete, and to discover their uniqueness.

The screen goes dark. Gobby turns toward the professor and asks, So my Deda… is that my instinctive part? The one that allowed me to be unique? The professor answers, Exactly. But because of adults and circumstances, you lost the connection with him. Your case, however, is unusual – the connection with Deda was not broken, only lost. He still influences you. One of the proofs of this influence is this scar. He touches the place where the scar is located with his finger. And your new heart.

German looks at the professor and asks, Professor, could you explain more about this connection? If I understand correctly, it is the key element in possessing power. The professor replies, Ulrich was right when he said you have changed. Well done. The connection between the different parts of the self is the most important thing in a person’s life. When a person functions as a unified core, the concepts of norm or limitation disappear. Such a person can do anything.

German pauses and then says, All right. There are ordinary people without the connection and gifted ones who still have it. But then it turns out… He pauses again and continues more quietly, that it is easier to be an ordinary person, since they make up most of the population, and the gifted become something like exhibition pieces used by ordinary people. And the Higher Ones – are they gifted or ordinary? The professor repeats the word, The Higher Ones? German explains what Ulrich told him. The professor listens and then answers, It seems there is still much I do not know. In my theory I call them people of power. Very well. I will explain the structure of the world and the types of people based on their connection to their essence.

The professor continues, In my research I distinguish five types of people. Three primary types and two deviations.

The first type is when the connection with the essence exists, but control over life is completely given to the instinctive part. Such people live by reactions. They feel, but they do not reflect. They enjoy and they fight. They are guided by inner nature, not by choice. A typical example is soldiers and criminals. They are strong, but their strength does not belong to them.

He pauses and looks at German. Then he continues, The second type is when the connection has been lost, but the essence still exists inside the person. It becomes passive, and the person tries either to restore it or at least partially understand it. As a result, only separate elements remain accessible – skills, reactions, hidden abilities. Most people exist in this state. Including students.

German frowns and asks, And the third? The professor answers, The third type is fusion. A person and the essence work in tandem. Not struggle and not submission, but coordination. Such people control not only themselves but also the processes around them. They create structures, establish rules, and direct others. Founders of companies, architects of systems, those who are usually called people of power.

German says quietly, So the Higher Ones are those who have fused? The professor nods and replies, It seems so.

After a moment he continues, There are two more types that are difficult to describe scientifically. The fourth type is a person without an essence. They can see the world but cannot feel it. They can act but do not belong to what is happening. It is an empty shell. People on life-support systems. Severe psychiatric patients. A complete loss of inner reality.

Gobby shifts slightly.

The fifth type is an anomaly. When the essence continues to exist without a body. We call them ghosts.

The professor spreads his hands slightly and adds, It is almost impossible to obtain objective data about these two categories.

German thinks for a moment and says, So… ordinary people are those whose connection is broken, gifted people are those who kept it, and the Higher Ones are those who fused with it? The professor replies, Within my model – yes.

They become so absorbed in the conversation that they do not notice Gobby falling asleep. After a moment the professor lowers his voice and says, From my conversation with Ulrich I understood that you, German, restored the connection with your essence in a critical situation. That is why Ulrich will work with you. My task is to restore Gobby’s connection.

Gobby opens his eyes slightly. I’m ready. The professor answers, Then we will begin tomorrow. I need to prepare the process.