The unexpected visit of one of Arcan’s high watchers left the Archangels deeply shaken—not only because of the immense power he possessed, but also because of everything he told them. That information was hard to digest, so much so that they didn’t even know how to react to the tension that gripped their bodies.

  “Surely this news hit you like a bucket of cold water. However, I must tell you more,” added ‘El, and then stated, “Most likely, once they finish everything in that place, they will return here to finish their task. And the beautiful peace you have fought so hard to defend will end forever, as those beings do not distinguish between guilty and innocent. There is no way to reason with them. Even if you believe yourselves strong, or we consider ourselves powerful, the truth is that we won’t be able to defeat them. And although it’s said that our pontiff might be able to fight them, we face the major disadvantage of them being four… radically superior.”

  Amid the silence, the sage asked the watcher: “Tell me something, ‘El… are you not going to do anything about it? This is your world too…”

  “We can no longer do anything. All that remains is to wait for our judgment… though on the other hand, you might still do something. Or at least, try,” answered ‘El.

  “What do you mean by that? This is all your fault, and now you want to blame us?” said Rafael, furious.

  At this response, the Arcanian reacted: “You’re right. Maybe it’s best to wait for those four to come and kill us all. So then… I’m leaving.”

  “Wait! Please wait,” Miguel said, stopping him. “You must understand that we’re deeply hurt and affected by everything that’s happened. That’s why we reacted this way. So, I assume you didn’t just come to tell us everything you know, but also to ask, in a way, for our cooperation… am I wrong? That’s why I ask you to tell us what we can do to prevent this tragic future.”

  “I fully understand all that hatred toward us. But what’s done is done. And if you want to protect the people of AN, you have no choice but to collaborate. This will be for the good of all… I hope you understand that,” clarified the watcher before continuing. “There is a way to stop the Titans…”

  Upon hearing this, everyone opened their eyes wide with astonishment and began to murmur among themselves.

  “That’s right! No matter how invincible someone may seem, there is always a way to defeat them. Never forget that,” he added with a sly smile. “And these Titans are no exception. However, we can’t use this method, precisely because we are no longer worthy. Only someone who is worthy can use it… and maybe you could be. What I’m talking about is… ‘the Seal of the King.’”

  “The Seal of the King?” They were all stunned by what they were hearing.

  “Exactly. But don’t get ahead of yourselves: that seal is impossible to use. No one from this world can. It is kept in a special place and is made of gold and fire. It floats in the middle of the castle’s main hall and is protected by colossal magic. Anyone who tries to grasp it without being worthy will be annihilated. Simple enough, isn’t it?… Now the question is: which one of you dares to try it? Ha, ha, ha! Your desperate faces show just how terrified you are,” said the watcher, laughing sarcastically.

  “I don’t understand something… You say the seal is impossible to use. So what are we supposed to do?” Sariel asked, looking to his friends.

  “It’s simple. You’re not meant to use it, because it acts on its own… I see you still don’t get it. Around the seal is a powerful spell that activates it. If one of you proves worthy of holding it, you must stand before the Titans—make sure all four are together, otherwise it’ll be useless—and then recite the incantation while aiming the seal at them. And that’s it…”

  After receiving all that valuable information and the instructions from ‘El, Miguel stepped forward and, with a humble smile, looked at his friends and said:

  “Thank you, ‘El, for coming. I don’t know whether your intentions toward us are good or bad, but I must admit that you’ve brought us light, and our eyes have been opened. Now I know exactly what we have to do. From now on, we’ll handle this. And as a token of gratitude for your help, we’ll let you leave. But know this: once all this is over, you and all of Arcan will have to answer for your betrayal. And please, tell the Patriarch that we will come to see him very soon. Now, if you’ll excuse us…”

  Seeing the sincerity and determination in Miguel’s eyes, the high and powerful counselor left without another word.

  After this, his companions, surprised by Miguel’s attitude, approached him and smiled. The sage was also moved by the actions of the Archangels’ leader.

  “Friend, you really know how to handle the bad guys, huh? Ha, ha, ha!” Uriel said with a laugh.

  Everyone began laughing and hugging. However, things were just beginning for them, and they were well aware of that.

  “Young warriors, I now understand why you were chosen for this role, and I am very happy. Now you must decide what we’re going to do,” said Allcan.

  And Miguel, without hesitation, replied: “We know exactly what we’ll do: we’ll go find that seal, and then we’ll chase after those Titans…”

  The others, upon hearing that, supported him without question, because they trusted him completely.

  The sage said: “Since I knew you’d do that, I’ll teach you where Sternentor is and how to use it. But it’ll be better once you return from the castle, alright?”

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  Agreeing, they began planning their next steps carefully… but they were unaware of something very important that the watcher had kept from them.

  Once ‘El returned to Arcan, he met with the generals…

  “Everything went exactly as I planned! Ha, ha, ha! And just as I suspected, one of them is that bastard Daniel’s son.”

  To which Shemihaza responded: “It can’t be… so that damn traitor has always defied us.”

  “That’s why the legendary weapon chose Daniel, and yet he couldn’t use it. What really happened was… it hadn’t chosen him, but his bastard son. That’s why he was strong enough to defeat Samael. However, the one who worries me is that Miguel. His power is considerable. He even dared to challenge and threaten us. But what he doesn’t know is that they’ll be doing the dirty work for us… and they’ll die soon, ha, ha, ha!” This was ‘El’s terrible confession.

  What Miguel and his companions didn’t know was that the seal not only served to imprison the Titans—but also that whoever used it… would be trapped as well. They also didn’t know that it takes three warriors to invoke its power, and that when it’s activated, it unleashes an energy that both destroys and creates simultaneously. In that moment, they might find clues about how their world had once been created.

  The real problem was that removing the seal from its place could bring about the end of AN.

  Asael returned from his mission with important news…

  “My lord, I’ve returned from the mission you entrusted to me. And just as we thought, Sternentor is real. Best of all, the Titans didn’t even bother to close the path that leads directly to that planet—which, by the way, is rather small and humid, from what I could see in my visions. You’ll be pleased to know it rotates much faster than ours, so its days are surely shorter. Also, it only draws from one solar star, smaller than ours. In short, it’s a chunk of land orbiting a sun. Not very encouraging… but it’ll do. My question is: what do we do about the four?”

  “Don’t worry. We already have someone who’ll take care of that,” said Shemihaza.

  “But sir, if I may ask, who are you referring to?” Asael asked, curious.

  The Patriarch rose from his seat and calmly replied: “Well, it’s your friends—the famous disciples of Daniel. They’ll do everything for us, even give up their lives. And we’ll just stay back and watch the events unfold. Once everything is resolved, we’ll move to our new home. You may rest now…”

  Arcan waited for the coming events and for the Archangels to act, because now everything depended on them.

  Meanwhile, in Serf, the young ones decided to return to their homes to inform their families of what they were about to do and to spend time with them before beginning such a dangerous mission.

  Gabriel couldn’t stop thinking about the Arcanian’s words, so he decided to speak with his mother and ask for more information about his past.

  Once home, Aminara and he talked about many things. However, Gabriel couldn’t bring himself to say what was on his mind. His mother, sensing he was hiding something, said:

  “Son, is there something you want to talk to me about?”

  “Why do you think that, Mom?” Gabriel replied hesitantly.

  “Son, I’m your mother—you can’t fool me. So tell me…”

  “Alright… it’s about… well, I’ve never asked you this so as not to upset you, but I need to know the whole truth, please. It’s about my father. Tell me what really happened and who he was. Was he an Arcanian? I need to know, Mom…”

  “Oh, son… I knew this day would come.” After a sigh, she said, “I’ve never told you because I wanted you to grow up strong and mentally stable. But I think it was selfish of me not to speak the truth, so I’ll tell you now. Sit down, please…”

  “I was very young and part of Portcan’s military. I always stood out for my skills and strength. You could say I was the best in my unit—and not to brag. At that time, I never stopped training. I loved combat and weapon handling. The cities were more united than they are now. The best warriors from other cities would often visit our fortress. I remember that once, the Patriarch himself came, and with him came two generals. One of them was a seraph—my first time seeing one. Her name was Harmoni, I still remember… enormous, beautiful wings. And her companion, tall and confident, his face radiated power. He was from Arcan.

  They came often to observe our military’s progress and to advise us.

  And for some reason, I hardly ever stayed home. I loved spending time at the fortress and training, until one day, I was alone practicing new combat techniques when both generals arrived. When they saw me, they came over to congratulate me. Harmoni invited me to a friendly sparring match, and I was as excited as I was nervous… but I accepted. What can I say, son? She was amazing, but her humility was even greater—and that’s why we became very close friends. And her companion began teaching me techniques that only they used… like magic.

  The more time passed, the more interested I became in him, until one day Qubel came and told me he suspected my feelings, and that it wasn’t allowed—that I should stay away. But I was already in love. And their visits became more frequent and longer. Harmoni knew, and she was such a good friend that she’d go off wandering the city, as she loved our land and traditions, leaving us alone together more often. I remember Qubel, after warning us so many times, ended up becoming a good friend too.

  We were in love…

  One day I went to wait for him, but they weren’t alone. They were accompanied by a far more powerful Arcanian than any I had seen. If I remember correctly, his name was ‘El…”

  When she said that, Gabriel was both shocked and enraged…

  Aminara asked him: “Is something wrong, son?”

  “No, Mom… please keep going,” he replied.

  “Alright. That general didn’t seem very friendly. And that day, neither Harmoni nor her companion even looked at me, so I knew something was wrong. That same night, my love came to see me and told me he couldn’t be with me anymore, because it would put my life at risk. And I saw such sincerity in his eyes that I believed him. Besides, Qubel had already warned us: if it wasn’t approved by the Patriarch or the King, no Arcanian could have a relationship with someone from Portcan.

  But I was already carrying a child in my womb. And for that reason, I went to see Qubel. He supported me, and without telling anyone, he advised me to keep it secret for our safety. So I decided to move to the countryside… this very house where you were born, son.

  I understand if you’re angry with me… but your father’s name is…”

  And before she could say it, Gabriel began to cry—with a mix of sorrow, anger, and joy—because he already suspected who she was talking about…

  “Your father’s name was Daniel. That’s why I sent you to him when you were a child. I don’t want you to hate him. He was always good. And even though he never knew about you, he always sent supplies to Qubel for him to give to me. That’s why we never lacked anything. And now… I wish I could see him again and tell him everything about you… and how much I miss him…” (she said through tears).

  “And when Qubel told me he had been killed for rebelling against the Patriarch’s betrayal… I felt so guilty for not telling him sooner, and yet so happy to have known him. I hope he forgives me… and you too.”

  “No, Mom. You don’t have to regret anything. I’m happy and thankful you sent me to that valley. Thanks to that, I met my friends and became who I am. Now I know he wasn’t just my teacher… but my father.

  See this sword? He gave it to me. And before handing it over, he said he didn’t know why, but that the legendary weapon had chosen him to give it to me…

  Now everything makes sense. And now I also know who killed him… and I swear to you, I will avenge him.”