Some time later, when he regained consciousness, the sharp smell of disinfectant filled the air. Someone was dragging him by the arm, pulling him away from the rubble that had once been his mother's work.

- God. They're almost here -, he heard a terrified voice. - Jimmy, you have to go! - Urged Lupe, his mother's nurse, pulling him away from Mari, who was sleeping in a haze across from them.

- But... I was wrong, -the boy stammered, gasping for air. - I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!

- No! - She pulled his gaze away from Mari and looked into Jim's hopeless brown eyes. - She told me that when this happens, you can't be near her -, She dropped to her knees in front of him. - You know exactly what's going to happen if you don't leave right now. Besides, when they find her, they'll take her away and treat her properly. I promise.

The nurse's words made Jim think of Sarita, the first patientof her mom. He saw her lifeless body in his mind—the light brown fur stained with blood. Sarita had been killed by the city mayor's clean squads, the ones who hunted down and disappeared those who were touched by el Despertar.

- Oh, Christ... Are you stupid? You're going to get her killed! - He pushed her, gathering strength from nowhere to head for the exit. - No way, no way! - He was hyperventilating, with no way out.

As he stood facing the street, a voice answered his plea: "It'sss our fault." The hiss carried a hypnotic reproach, whispering into his ears."Bondel. He, he'sss going to help usss," Something inside him said it was true. And with that revelation burning in his mind, he broke into a furious sprint, focused on one thing only: saving his family.

Soon, Lupita's screams faded away. So did the alarms of the neighbors as they fled from the municipal guard. The wail of police sirens disappeared. Even the pounding of her own heart was gone.

Only the sharp pain in her wrists remained. The violent rattling. And the memory of Jean Paul Bondel looking at him and saying: "You are ssso special... ssso special..."

Again and again, as he disappeared into the maze of alleyways.

Fate is not a right, no matter how much we wish it were. It is a whim—unpredictable by nature. There are no chosen ones, no cursed ones. Only those who act when opportunity reveals itself. Only those who accept responsibility can become part of the mechanism.

Because if you are not part of it, you will simply be crushed by it.

- What are you doing! - Smoking tires squealed as they struggled to steer the aimless vehicle. - What was that!

- A child boss. A brat jumped towards us.

As his massive limousine came to a sudden stop, an elegant man from Galia stepped out to investigate the cause of the accident. He had a neatly trimmed goatee, gray hair, and emerald-green eyes. The crash had occurred not far from Sainz's office, now reduced to ruins after the doctor's tragedy, on the outskirts of Guadalupe.

- Sir! -. His driver called out as they watched a one-meter-tall figure rise in front of the limousine. A child. Broken, trembling, and defying the expectations of anyone who had witnessed the impact.

Hours had passed since their first encounter when the boy finally regained his senses. It felt as though he had been asleep for an eternity. And now he stood before him—his hero, his answer. The only person who had ever understood him. The only person willing to recognize him.

- We...we have to go! - Jim wept, giving Bondel no time to ask how he had found him. The science fair winner, desperate for help, pushed forward with a will stronger than his pain.- It's just... it was my fault -, He approached him, his left arm broken and twisted from the impact that had brought the limousine to a stop.

- Santiago, son. Arret*! -Jean Paul worried, not understanding why he was in such a suicidal state of abandonment.

- No, don't touch me! - Jim shouted, letting instinct take over as he raised his broken arm. His features began to change: serpentine pupils, cracked skin, and wrists covered in obsidian-black scales. Amid the rattling and creaking sounds, his twisted arm reshaped itself, healing in a miraculous display of contortion. - Look at me. See? I'm what you've been looking for. Special... just like you told me. - His voice trembled. -. Now, you have to help me save her! And... I'll do whatever you want!

Process: https://youtube.com/shorts/WwfaEONRX6I?si=Orq0sjo9DjTOuGne

He traded his skin for scales, and there was no going back. He understood that he would never have all the answers—that the problem was far greater than him and the secrets he carried. Yet, despite every warning, he chose to pursue the truth, committing himself even further, determined to become one with the machinery of Fate.

The boy revealed himself to Mr. Bondel, promising to use his family's secret research for the benefit of the great lord. In return, he hoped to secure his own conditions: an end to the massacre of his ignorant neighbors in Guadalupe and the resources needed to find a cure.

In the end, at least, he would honor everything his mother had fought for.

* Mijo means Son.

* Ciudad Blanca is the name on the town, it means White City.

* Garçon means young man on french.

* Arret means Stop.

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