While the kids were desperately running across the scorching dunes of a desert on a distant planet far from Earth, Drake and Marie were in a meeting room with the leaders of their main squadrons. Only Adia was absent, leaving a palpable void in the conversation. The flickering shadows of the lamps danced across the metallic table, reflecting on everyone's tense faces. They were discussing the predicament they had landed in because of the young agents.
"We need to find a way to get to those kids," Drake said, his voice heavy with frustration and concern as he leaned forward, lightly knocking the table with his clenched fist.
"It's hard to know how to get there… Remember, we don't even know where the planet Lux is," Eduard pointed out, crossing his arms thoughtfully. His tone was calm, but there was an undertone of uncertainty in his words.
"We're in quite a bind. Besides, Adrian couldn't find it in the past. What makes you think he'll find it now?" Ezequiel interjected, raising an eyebrow skeptically, his gaze fixed on Adrian.
Azulema, seated next to him, pressed her lips together before responding firmly:
"Hey! My Adrian is incredibly smart. He'll find a solution! Right, Adrian?" she said, turning toward him with a mix of pride and expectation.
But Adrian remained absorbed, his eyes glued to the screen of his computer, completely ignoring the discussion. His fingers typed rapidly, as if following an invisible thread.
"What about Adia? She could use her magic and do something to fix this mess," Eduard suggested, trying to change the subject.
"She's unavailable for now," Drake replied dryly, avoiding further details.
"Did you two fight again?" Azulema asked, leaning forward with curiosity.
"No," Drake responded, though his tone hinted otherwise.
The atmosphere in the room was so tense that it felt like the air itself was vibrating. Everyone was hoping to find a solution, but emotions began to boil over, steering the conversation toward trivialities. Just as the discussion grew louder, a thunderous sound reverberated throughout the room. It was so sharp and piercing that everyone instinctively covered their ears, feeling a stabbing pain as if their eardrums were being punctured.
Amid the chaos, Adrian abruptly stood up from his seat, a triumphant expression on his face.
"Bingo!" he exclaimed, raising his arms as if he'd just solved the greatest mystery in the universe.
"But what did you do? My ears are still ringing from that noise!" Marie shouted, still disoriented as she massaged her temples with her fingers.
Drake, recovering from the shock, furrowed his brow and asked:
"Why did you use that alarm? And more importantly, what do you mean by 'bingo'? Do you have the solution we need?"
Adrian looked at each of them, a confident smile spreading across his face.
"Yes, I've found a way to reach the planet Lux. But we'll need a fragment from that planet—something that comes directly from there."
The others exchanged incredulous glances, as if they had just heard an impossible proposal.
"And where do we get that?" Eduard asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
At that moment, Drake remembered something. His eyes briefly lit up.
"Yu… Where Yu was, there were pieces of a machine that might have come from the planet Lux."
"Then we need to contact him immediately," Eduard said, excited by the possibility.
However, before they could act, a familiar voice echoed in the room. It was Yu, who had been listening to their conversation from some remote location.
"I'm sorry I can't help you. General Bronjort just entered the place where I am. He's confiscated everything, and he's also taken me in for questioning."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Finally, Eduard broke the quiet.
"Damn it! What do we do now?"
Ezequiel turned to Drake, his expression serious.
"You need to speak with the general, sir."
Drake sighed deeply, running a hand over his face as if trying to wipe away the accumulated exhaustion.
"I hope he's in the mood to negotiate… though it'll be tough without him knowing the kids have gone there. If it doesn't work, we'll have to move to Plan B," he muttered to himself.
Marie watched in astonishment as the surrounding leaders displayed faces that were now fresh and full of vitality, free from the wrinkles and weariness that once marked them. Even their posture seemed straighter, as if decades had been erased in the blink of an eye. And now, as she thought more carefully, something in her mind clicked. Marie had always been detail-oriented, but lately, with so many worries weighing on her shoulders, she had overlooked certain things. This time, however, she couldn't ignore it. She remembered seeing someone who resembled Gat—a younger version—who had been accompanying Aiden and his group.
"What happened on that island?" Marie wondered silently, her mind spinning like a whirlwind of questions. "How is it possible they all look so young? Was it something in the air, the water… or something else?"
The mystery gnawed at her from within. She felt a mix of fascination and concern as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Her instincts screamed at her to seek answers, but she knew this wasn't the right moment. With determination, she reminded herself that the mission came first.
"I need to ask the boss," she thought, pressing her lips together slightly. "But not now. First, we need to focus on what truly matters."
She stood up slowly, feeling the ground beneath her boots vibrate with a strange, almost imperceptible energy. It was as if the island itself were alive, watching them from the shadows. She shook her head to clear those thoughts and focused on the present.
"I can't get distracted," she told herself firmly. "Whatever happened here will have to wait. Right now, the only thing that matters is finding the kids and making sure they're safe."
With that purpose in mind, Marie stepped forward, leaving her doubts behind for now. But deep down, she knew that mystery wouldn't remain unanswered for long.
Without another word, Drake left the room alongside Marie, heading toward Bronjort's base. Before crossing the door, he paused for a moment, lightly tapping his forehead and murmuring:
"What a mess these kids have gotten us into…"
Azulema approached Adrian slowly, leaning toward him with an expression that seemed charged with intent. Her dark blue hair lightly brushed his shoulder as she whispered in his ear:
"You pull another stunt like that… and I'll…" She left the sentence hanging, as if giving him room to imagine the worst.
For a moment, Adrian thought Azulema would say something sweet or comforting, given the soft and close tone she had started the conversation with. But when she pulled back, crossing her arms and looking at him with a mix of frustration and reproach, he realized that wasn't the case. He lowered his head, remorseful, and murmured:
"I'm sorry, love." His voice was barely a whisper, but it carried the full weight of his guilt.
In another place, in the dormitories of the complex, Benny — in the form of Aiden — was walking distractedly toward the assigned area when Travis appeared in front of him, blocking his path. His relaxed posture and warm smile contrasted with the seriousness of his question:
"Where'd you disappear to? We were worried."
Aiden hesitated for a moment before responding, carefully recalling the words Marie had chosen for him before she left.
"I just needed some fresh air," he finally answered, trying to sound convincing.
Travis nodded slowly, as if he perfectly understood what Aiden wasn't saying.
"I get it. Sometimes young people don't like being cooped up… and others, well, they don't like being in company. You remind me of a friend I have," he said, his gaze drifting momentarily as he thought of Eliot. "I wonder where he is now…"
He shook his head, returning to the present, and smoothly changed the subject.
"Well, your friends are already waiting for you in the dorms, along with Podbe. You shouldn't keep them waiting any longer."
Aiden frowned, confused. His friends? And Podbe? Then he remembered that Drake had mentioned something about creating replicas of their original companions. He hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. However, he almost veered toward the wrong dormitory until Travis stopped him with a soft laugh.
"Hey, hey! I think that's not your room, Aiden."
Aiden forced an awkward smile and replied:
"It must be all the things on my mind." Without giving Travis time to respond, he quickly entered his assigned room and closed the door behind him.
When he turned on the light, he went face-to-face with his "companions." Akira, Diego, Riota, Cain, and of course, the ever-present Podbe were there, sitting silently or moving in a mechanical manner. They greeted him with odd behavior: some only muttered a timid "hello" or "goodbye," while Podbe occasionally barked without apparent reason. It was clear that these manifestations weren't exactly like the originals; something about their gestures and words felt incomplete, as if they were mere shadows of who they truly were.
Aiden lay down on one of the beds, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over his shoulders. The clock showed the early hours of the morning, but sleep wouldn't come. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of how his real friends were faring on that unknown planet.
But there was something else he couldn't shake from his thoughts: He wanted to ask Ezequiel. Why did Claus share the same agent code? What did it mean? Was it a coincidence, or was there something deeper? He realized he'd eventually have to face that conversation but decided it would be better to leave it for the next day. With a resigned sigh, he turned facedown onto the pillow, letting the silence of the room envelop him.
The distant echo of Podbe's barking was the last thing he heard before his thoughts slowly faded into darkness.
Meanwhile, as Aiden tried to fall asleep inside the dormitory, outside the complex, a hooded figure slipped through the shadows, their movements almost imperceptible under the dim light of the streetlamps. The figure observed the dormitories with a sinister gaze, as if searching for something… or someone.
Miguel, who was on guard duty, noticed a strange movement in the darkness. Frowning, he raised his voice, trying to sound authoritative yet controlled.
"Who's there? Identify yourself," he said, raising his weapon and ensuring it was ready for any eventuality.
There was no response. Only the night wind replied, rustling the nearby branches and creating dancing shadows that seemed to mock him. Uneasy, Miguel quickly radioed Travis.
"Travis, I think there's someone near the dormitories. Come quickly."
Minutes later, the two men met at the location, moving cautiously. Miguel held his weapon steady, while Travis swept the area with a powerful flashlight, its beam cutting through the shadows. The crunch of dry leaves beneath their boots echoed in the night's silence.
But when they reached the spot where Miguel had detected the presence, they found no one. The shadows remained, motionless and menacing, but there was no sign of life. Travis lowered the flashlight, visibly perplexed.
"How strange… I'm sure I felt something here. Something… familiar," he murmured to himself, though he didn't want to dwell on it too much.
Miguel glanced at him sideways, raising an eyebrow.
"Familiar? You mean Eliot, right?"
Travis nodded slowly, his expression darkened by an uncomfortable memory.
"Yes… Ever since he disappeared in that cave, things have been acting strangely. And now this feeling… I'm worried something might've happened to him during the mission they're on in Panama. I should try to contact him."
Miguel placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, trying to reassure him.
"Relax. What would he be doing here if he's on a mission? You'll see, he'll get in touch soon. Don't worry so much."
Travis accepted Miguel's words with a slight nod, though he didn't seem entirely convinced. They decided to report the incident over the radio to reinforce security at the institute. Anais responded at the other end of the line, her voice calm but professional.
"Understood. I'll see what I can do to increase surveillance. Anything else?"
Before hanging up, Travis asked one last question, though he knew the answer probably wouldn't be what he hoped for.
"Anais… Do you know anything about Eliot?"
There was a brief silence before Anais replied, her tone now softer.
"I'm sorry, Travis. He still hasn't contacted us."
Travis sighed heavily, frustrated. He ended the call without another word, letting an uncomfortable silence settle between the two men for a moment. Concern was etched on his face, deepening the lines on his forehead as he gazed into the shadows surrounding them.
Miguel observed him closely, noticing how his friend's anguish seemed to grow with each passing second. Finally, he broke the silence with a light tone, attempting to ease the tension.
"Here we go again with that… It's Eliot. Remember how he used to be? He loved getting into tough situations just for the thrill of solving them. He's always been like that, hasn't he?"
Travis nodded slowly, allowing himself a brief reprieve as he recalled the man who had once been his close companion. His mind conjured images of Eliot laughing carelessly after a complicated mission or debating strategies with an energy that seemed inexhaustible. It was as if he always carried a spark of confidence that illuminated even the darkest moments.
"Yes, I know," Travis replied, his voice heavy with nostalgia but also concern. He glanced toward the shadows once more, as if expecting Eliot to appear at any moment. "But ever since he disappeared in that cave… something changed. He's different, like he's no longer himself. We don't even know what happened to him there."
Miguel crossed his arms, thoughtful. Though he tried to stay optimistic, he couldn't ignore the unease beginning to grow in his chest.
"Maybe he just needs time to return to who he was. You know how Eliot is—he's always been hard to figure out. But I'm sure he's fine, wherever he is. That guy knows how to take care of himself, even in the worst situations."
Travis forced a small smile, though it didn't fully dispel his worry. He knew Miguel was right, but something in his gut told him this time was different. This time, perhaps, Eliot wasn't just facing another complicated mission but something much deeper and more dangerous.
"Let's hope you're right," Travis finally said, refocusing on the present. "For now, we'd better keep an eye on the dormitories. I don't want to take any unnecessary risks."
The two men exchanged one last glance before walking away, their footsteps softly echoing against the ground as they returned to patrolling the perimeter. The shadows still lingered, but there was nothing more they could do except move forward, trusting that answers would come soon.
In another place, a phone rang insistently. Someone picked it up, immediately recognizing the voice on the other end of the line.
"Ah! It's you, Drake," General Bronjort answered, his tone laced with arrogance and authority.
Drake clenched his teeth, forcing a calm he didn't feel.
"Yes, it's me, Mr. Bronjort. I understand you have one of our agents. I wanted to know why he's being detained."
Bronjort let out a dry laugh, as if enjoying Drake's discomfort.
"Well, well, how did you find out…? I'm sure he already contacted you. But it doesn't matter. Either way, he'll stay with me for as long as necessary. I have things to discuss with him. Plus, he had alien technology in his possession."
Drake furrowed his brow, feeling the tension rise within him.
"If you're planning to see him, I regret to inform you that he won't be available until further notice," Bronjort continued, his tone now more severe.
Marie, who was listening to the conversation from across the room, crossed her arms with concern.
Bronjort gave no time for rebuttals. His voice grew even more intimidating.
"Don't waste my time, Drake. Remember, you need to find where those aliens are. Besides, tomorrow I'll be visiting the institute to see your grandson. I expect him to be there." And with that, he abruptly ended the call, leaving Drake with a knot in his stomach.
Drake slowly lowered the phone, his face darkened by frustration. He looked at Marie and muttered:
"I think Plan A failed."
Marie observed her boss's expression with concern. Drake sighed and said, "Well, it can't be helped… we'll move on to Plan B."