— I forbid you to experiment on or imprison convergents without their consent just out of fear. Release everyone you have locked up without reason… we are not monsters, we are not weapons. We are still people.

  — Well… I suppose that’s all —the man said, turning and walking out of frame, leaving the terrified commentators behind him.

  One of the reporters raised his voice.

  — W-wait! Is that all?

  — Yes. That was what worried me the most —he replied indifferently. A moment later, the sharp sound of a wall being smashed echoed, followed by calm footsteps walking away.

  Ezequiel’s Offices

  The boys kept watching the broadcast, as stunned as everyone else. No one understood why their bodies were reacting that way to the man’s words.

  — Is that it? —Will said, clearly annoyed, because he didn’t understand the strange sensation running through his body or why the man had been so vague.

  Noticing that the boys were still staring, one of the employees closed the door to the room, forcing the three of them back to the gym.

  — It was the same guy we saw on TV that day, wasn’t it? —Damián said as they walked down the hallway.

  — That doesn’t matter right now… what do we do? Is it okay for us to be here? —Dante exclaimed.

  — I don’t know. We’re not here against our will, so there shouldn’t be a problem, right? —Will replied with a shrug.

  Meanwhile, inside his office, Ezequiel stared in shock at the broadcast along with one of his assistants.

  — Sir… what do we do with those kids?

  — For now, we need to convince them that it’s in their best interest to stay with us. Go talk to them and make them feel comfortable.

  He sat back down in his chair, looking out the window.

  — When Moon gets back, we’ll decide what to do.

  — And what if she doesn’t want to come back? Maybe she’ll see this as a chance for more freedom.

  — Oh, she definitely will. She’ll be even more brazen, but she’ll come back. I can guarantee you that.

  — How can you be so sure?

  — Look, I’ll put it like this: when she “woke up,” she had plenty of time to adapt to the world. Especially someone as brilliant as her. She could have gone to any more competent corporation —and there are definitely better ones —he said with a small resigned laugh—, or she could have founded her own. But… why didn’t she? Why did she even stay on this continent?

  — Maybe we were the first “decent” option she found.

  — You’re overestimating us too much —he leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling—. She’s looking for something—or someone—that I still don’t know what it is, but it’s important enough for a woman like her to go through all this trouble.

  — Do you think those boys have anything to do with what she’s looking for?

  — Hmm… no. She’s very interested in understanding how convergence works. If she’s looking for “someone,” I don’t think it’s exactly those boys.

  As he spoke, a notification appeared: the helicopter he had lent Moon was already on its way back.

  — Well, we’ll find out in time. For now, let’s focus on making the most of her research —he said with a sigh, looking at his computer and beginning to prepare things for her return—. Alright, I have some things to do. Go see the boys—they must be really shaken up.

  — Yes, sir. With your permission.

  — Sure. Good luck, Daniel —he dismissed his employee with a vague wave of his hand.

  Back with the boys, they were once again sitting around the glass table, but this time only their phones were in the center.

  — What if we just go home? —Dante said with a sigh.

  — I want to stay —Damián replied—. I want to see if they’ll tell us more about the “promises” and what’s happening to us. But if you want to leave, you can.

  — No… we’re already here. At least let them tell us what’s going on —Will said, still thinking about the blood droplet trick.

  — I was just coming to talk to you about that.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  A male voice came from the gym door. A suited man holding a tablet entered the room.

  — Nice to meet you. My name is Daniel Baiers.

  — Hello, nice to meet you —Will answered first, followed by his friends—. You’re Ezequiel’s secretary, right? —Will had noticed him when they first entered the building—this man had greeted Ezequiel with some important-looking documents.

  — Yes. Now, if you’d like, I’ll get straight to the point. Feel free to sit down.

  He sat at the glass table, and the three boys followed, arranging their chairs and sitting across from him in complete silence.

  — Well… I hope you’re not afraid of blood.

  With that, he began playing the videos of the “incidents” that had occurred inside the domes, one by one. Every video Moon had collected, though with some censorship, especially in the Lisbon case.

  — We’ve deduced that the man from the broadcast was one of the “winners” of those domes. In fact, Moon went to interview who she believes was his opponent.

  — Does that mean… you’re going to make us fight monsters like those? —Will whispered, while Damián and Dante tried to process what they were seeing.

  — There’s no way to know for sure. It seems to be random. So far, only three incidents have been recorded.

  — Do you have any pattern, any way to predict it or… avoid it? —Damián asked, his voice breaking slightly.

  — Other than the fact that they’re all convergents… nothing —Daniel replied, shaking his head in disappointment—. Though Mrs. Moon is still investigating.

  — So… that’s all the information you have? That at any moment we might be forced to fight to the death against monsters? —Will stood up from his chair, angry, facing the suited man.

  Daniel thought for a second about how to calm the situation. “Well… it’s understandable. I’d be scared too. Though maybe we can use that.” Looking Will in the eyes, he handed him the tablet.

  — There’s still one more thing. Although Moon has already verified its authenticity, it’s very new. But it matches a theory we had.

  — What is this? —Will said, taking the tablet with great curiosity and starting to play the video while his friends leaned in.

  — You’ll see…

  In the video, a girl with white hair and smooth skin appeared. A small spiral horn protruded from her head. She spoke through tears.

  — H-hi… hi, I-I’m Shira… I know it doesn’t look like it, but it’s me. I woke up here and I don’t know where I am… my body is different —the girl could no longer hold back her tears, which fell in pure desperation—. Please… if you’re there, Ren, Yuki, Kenta… whoever… please, if you’re out there, look for me. I really am Shira, I swear!

  As it was a true oath, the feeling of pure truth ran through the boys’ bodies, just like when Ezequiel had made his promise to Damián. In some way, it also felt similar to the orders that man had given.

  — We know that’s not her real name —Daniel said before any of the boys could speak—. Knowing that, the promise shouldn’t be possible. It’s impossible to “fake” a promise. There’s only one explanation…

  — She’s someone else… —Damián interrupted before the man could finish. He stepped back a little from his friends, gripping the cord of his hoodie as he thought. When he had faced the man in the construction site, he had already felt something remotely similar.

  — Think about this: people are gaining powers that seem straight out of fiction series, right?

  — Yeah, the news says it all the time —Dante replied. Will seemed lost in thought, and Daniel was paying close attention to Damián’s deduction.

  — What if that’s exactly it? What if fictional characters are entering our world through people and gaining their powers from there?

  — But then… why are we still… us? —Will asked, and those words echoed even louder in his head.

  — W-well… —Damián was left speechless, still working on his theory.

  — Well, not bad. I’d say you figured out most of it —Moon said with a subtle smile, arms crossed and leaning against the door. She had been listening to everything since they started watching Shira’s video.

  — But I have a couple of questions for you: Is it random? Is the change partial? And why are there cases where the changes are so subtle… like yours?

  The boys were left blank.

  — Nothing? Well, I suppose you still lack information —she moved away from the door, walked past Dante, and stood beside Daniel—. There’s a word that keeps coming up when talking about these changes: “convergence.” Do you know what it means?

  After a few seconds of silence, Will answered firmly.

  — When different bodies of water meet in the same river, it’s called convergence —Will replied, still holding the tablet.

  — Yes. You could say that when characters from another world come into ours, a convergence is created, right? —Damián said, looking at Moon while still playing with the cord of his hoodie—. Though that still doesn’t answer any of the three questions.

  — No, but that theory will help explain my personal one —she opened her palm and pointed it upward. A hologram began to play from its center, showing a man comparing his before and after the convergence.

  — It’s very curious how many convergents can go unnoticed, isn’t it? It should be very obvious to their close ones. After all, in many cases they directly become and identify as another person. So then… why doesn’t that change stand out so much?

  The doubt began to eat away at Damián’s mind. It was something he hadn’t noticed before, something that wasn’t a minor detail. He had seen it on the news day after day for weeks: people who “turned out to be convergents” when no one suspected anything. Although at the time he hadn’t paid much attention, now he was starting to form a theory.

  — Could it be because every convergence is different? —Dante said with a quick deduction.

  — That’s true, but even so there’s a pattern that repeats in at least 50% of the cases. The memories change, the person changes, but the personality—the “essence” of that person—remains the same.

  — Are you saying it’s like that person and the character they converged with were already similar? —Will asked as he handed the tablet back to Daniel and finally looked Moon in the “eyes.” — Like they were the equivalent of them in our reality.

  Moon gave a small applause with the tips of her fingers, creating a metallic screech that cut off the hologram.

  — Well, 10 points to you —she said sarcastically, while thinking “if he looks like him… both of them remind me of them.” Although it couldn’t be seen through her visor, she was scanning Will from head to toe.

  — And how do you explain our case?

  — You fall into that other 50% that I still don’t fully understand —she replied, snatching the tablet from Daniel’s hands and heading toward the door.

  — W-wait, what about our results? —Damián asked before she left.

  — Well, yes. You are resonants —she said almost dismissively as she walked out of the room, followed by the boys who wanted more answers.

  — I’ve already told you everything relevant, but… —she stopped and turned, looking at the boys with a fake smile—. If you want more answers, you’ll have to stay a little longer.

  — Daniel, please show them their rooms.

  With that, the woman left, leaving the boys alone with Daniel.

  — But we already know where our room is —Will said, although Damián honestly didn’t remember well, so it was useful for him.

  — I was also going to mention that. We prepared personal rooms for each of you, in case you decide to stay longer, of course.

  The three boys looked at each other and nodded. After all, they had shown them that they really did have a lot of information. But more than knowing what was happening to them, deep down it was because of the immense curiosity they all shared about the whole situation—a thirst for knowledge very common in youth, and one that the three of them had in common.

  Meanwhile, in different corners of the world, everyone showed different reactions to the commands. No matter how hard they tried, no one could resist, regardless of rank or “power.” That ability could give a single person control over the world.

  Inside the darkness of a now-ruined building, a hoarse but calm voice could be heard coming from inside offices that reeked of blood and death, where the sound of a television broadcast played.

  — Hooo, so that’s what it meant… —the voice said with a laugh.

  — If the “voice” had been a little more specific, we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble, right, Director?

  The voice spoke to a man lying on the floor, covered in blood —blood that perhaps wasn’t all his—, which terrified him even more.

  — W-what do you want now?

  The source of the voice fell silent for a few seconds. A spark of electricity briefly illuminated the speaker: spikes that looked like bones protruded from his body, covered in blood and skin.

  He leaned down, grabbed the man’s head with his sharp fingers, and lifted him to look him in the face.

  — I order you… that you and your entire organization —or what’s left of it— only exist to fulfill my every desire.

  His words ran through the man’s body like a burning blade, cutting his skin and scorching his veins, lodging in his brain, invading his thoughts and tearing apart his will.

  — Y-yes, sir —the man said as his own blood ran down his face.

  — Thank you. Although I know you would have done it anyway, with or without that weird thing.

  He released the man, who fell heavily to the floor, and stood up from his “throne” of rubble. He slowly approached a nearby window, and with every step the rough spikes protruding from his body began to retract, giving the subject a less threatening and more ordinary appearance.

  — To start with, I want you to make public all the information you have on convergents.

  Reflected by the radiant moonlight streaming through the window, his sharp amethyst-purple eyes and what appeared to be a handsome face adorned with a diabolical smile became visible.

  — I want to fight again…

  Above the building where they stood, a cluster of clouds formed with peculiar but subtle flashes of red, yellow, and blue.

  — And if their theory about the increase is true… I think I’ll be able to do something very fun.