"Paltio! Where is it? The suspense is killing me!" Ron exclaimed impatiently.
"Yes, spit it out already, kid," Pax added with urgency.
"Alright… it seems to be in the central control hub of Ruby's intelligence," Paltio revealed finally.
"But why won't we like it?" Alita asked, frowning. A moment later, her eyes widened with realization. "Ah, I get it now! I don't think Yaco will take us there."
"Where to?" interrupted Yaco, who had returned to the room upon hearing the commotion. "I heard a lot of noise and thought you'd already found the location of the piece."
"Yes," Paltio responded seriously. "It's a large building covered with glass."
"Ah! You mean the center where Ruby is located?" Yaco asked, crossing his arms. "I won't take you there. It's a forbidden site."
"But we need that piece. Without it, we can't advance to the next realm," Paltio argued, trying to reason with him.
"Sorry, kid, but even I'm not allowed there. If you want to enter, you'll have to submit a request to the council, and that could take two to three…" Yaco explained calmly.
"Two to three days?" Ron asked hopefully.
"No, two or three months," Yaco clarified firmly.
"We don't have that much time," Alita protested, looking at the group with concern.
"Well, that's too bad," Yaco said with a shrug.
"These are orders from Tejod!" Pax interjected angrily.
"Yes, but even he knows he has to send a request to the Shadow Council," Yaco replied, unfazed.
"I'm contacting him right now, and you'll see, you petty soldier," Pax muttered, visibly irritated as he activated his communication device.
"Go ahead," Yaco responded indifferently.
Pax quickly summoned a connection via firebirds. A holographic sphere emerged on the wall, projecting the imposing figure of Tejod. His presence resonated throughout the room, and everyone present felt the weight of his authority.
"What do you want, Pax? I'm in the middle of something very important," Tejod growled, his voice laced with impatience.
"Sir, I'm in the third realm, Bacadolia, and I'm not getting the proper assistance from that soldier standing next to me," Pax began, his voice firm but filled with frustration. At that exact moment, Yaco quickly put on his helmet, unable to show his face before the overwhelming presence of the leader of the Red Shadows.
"What's the issue with that Green Shadow soldier?" Tejod asked, his tone sharp as a blade cutting through the air.
"Because he won't give me access to search for the scepter piece," Pax answered, gesturing quickly toward Yaco.
"WHAT?!" Tejod's voice exploded like thunder, reverberating through the room and causing everyone to involuntarily step back. His holographic figure seemed to radiate crushing authority, as if his anger alone could bring the walls crumbling down.
"And why aren't they giving you access?" Tejod demanded, fixing his gaze on Yaco, who visibly swallowed, clearly nervous.
Yaco spoke up, his voice trembling: "According to the golden boy," he said, gesturing awkwardly toward Paltio, "the piece is where Ruby is, in the Diamond Building."
Tejod lowered his voice, though his gaze remained intimidating. "Oh? That changes things. Are you sure it's in that location, little Paltio?"
Paltio stepped forward into the hologram, meeting Tejod's eyes directly. "Yes, sir. I'm sure."
"I see…" Tejod paused before continuing in a threatening tone. "Then find a way for it not to be there. You know, you have 20 days left to fulfill our agreement. Or do you want me to destroy your parents and your village?"
"No, sir. A thousand apologies. I'll search again," Paltio responded, struggling to contain his helplessness and the tears that threatened to spill.
"Good," Tejod said before fading from the hologram.
"Sir, but why can't I go to that place?" Pax interrupted, unable to hold back his frustration.
"No, that place is forbidden. Besides, I don't want to deal with the Shadow Council right now," Tejod replied coldly. To emphasize his point, he grabbed a nearby statue of one of the citizens and shattered it into a thousand pieces with a single motion.
"Alright," Paltio murmured, swallowing his pain and determination. "I'll search again and bring you the scepter piece on time."
"Good, boy, don't fail me, or next time it'll be someone you know very well. I want that piece in less than a day, or you know what will happen," Tejod concluded before vanishing from the hologram.
"Well, you can't go to that place. So you'd better stay here for now, while the golden brat does his yoga pose to 'supposedly' find the object. Hopefully, this time it's somewhere else," Yaco said sarcastically. "I'll be back in five hours; I have some things to do at the palace. Don't leave this place, or Ruby will take care of you." With one last warning, Yaco left, leaving the group steeped in worry.
What is this Shadow Council? And why did Tejod change his tone so quickly when he mentioned it? Pax thought to himself, his brow furrowing slightly beneath his helmet. Something about the Red Shadows leader's reaction didn't add up. Perhaps there was something—or someone—above him... someone or something he even feared.
The suspicion began to grow in Pax's mind as he watched Tejod's holographic figure fade away. There was a hidden tension in his tone, a subtle yet evident shift: from authoritative and unyielding to cautious and evasive. It was as if merely mentioning the council awakened a wariness that not even Tejod could fully conceal.
Pax crossed his arms, deep in thought. If even Tejod has limits, then this council must be extremely powerful… or dangerous.
"What are we going to do, Golden? We can't go to that place, and we also can't leave this room for five hours," Paltio asked anxiously. "If I don't find the pieces in time, Tejod will destroy someone dear to me. And every citizen is important to me… That citizen he destroyed didn't deserve it." A small tear rolled down his cheek, reflecting his inner pain.
"Calm down, kid, we're here with you," Golden consoled him gently.
"Yes, young master, we'll find a way," Mok added, placing a hand on Paltio's shoulder.
Ron and Alita also offered words of encouragement, but everyone knew they were more cornered than ever. On the one hand, they had five hours locked in that room without being able to leave, and on the other, if they didn't deliver the third piece within 24 hours, Tejod would fulfill his threat: he'd destroy another villager—or worse, Paltio's parents or a relative of Alita or Ron.
"No," Golden interjected after a few seconds of silence. "Though it's somewhat risky."
"What thing?" everyone asked in unison, leaning forward with curiosity.
"I believe I have a solution to our problems, but it's risky and will require everyone's help," Golden explained.
"Spill it already! Don't leave me hanging," Ron complained impatiently.
"Alright, calm down, Ron," Golden replied calmly. "To pull this off, we need to avoid detection. You all noticed that those conveyor belts surround the city, right? But nothing flies over the city… Or at least that's what I observed. The solution is to fly toward that place. Yaco already gave us a clue: it's the only diamond building here."
"That's right!" Alita exclaimed, recalling something. "When that guy was thrown into the air, no robotic hands or monitors appeared until he reached the buildings. It's just a matter of flying higher."
"And how did you figure that out?" Ron asked, surprised.
"Well… my intuition," Golden responded with a hint of mystery in his voice.
"You probably read that guy's mind," Pax muttered, crossing his arms.
"Yes, he read his mind because I told him to," Paltio chimed in, confirming Pax's suspicions.
"Alright, so we know that if we fly high enough, we can make it," Alita concluded. "What if we used Mok's air ring to get there?"
Everyone turned to look at Mok, who quickly pulled out his ring, examining it closely.
"It could work," Mok said, nodding. "But we'll need to coordinate well. If someone falls behind, or we're detected, we're done for."
"Then let's get to work," Paltio said, wiping away his tears and regaining his determination. "Golden, guide us. Together, we'll find a way."
"Yes, it could work," Mok said optimistically as he observed his ring.
"But we don't know how far away the place is," Golden interjected cautiously. "If the ring's power runs out before we get there, we'll plummet and lose any chance we have."
"The only way would be to have a ship or something that can fly," Paltio reflected, gazing out the window as if searching for a solution on the horizon.
"We only have one thing capable of slipping through that window gap," Golden pointed out, a glimmer in his voice. "And that's Nakia."
"Little Nakia?" Ron asked, surprised. "But she can't go alone. You all know that no one but Paltio can touch the scepter pieces," Alita reminded them, crossing her arms.
"Yes, you're right about that, Alita," Golden admitted, nodding. "But Nakia, being a mage, can shrink two people to accompany her for a short period of time. Is that true, Nakia?" he asked, turning his attention to the tiny creature emerging from Alita's cap.
"Yes, I can do that," Nakia replied confidently, though her diminutive voice carried a hint of concern. "But you'll have to act very quickly. I can only use that spell twice a day, and it has to be far from my mistress Meliradal."
"Alright, then let's do it," Paltio said with renewed determination, his eyes gleaming with resolve after Golden's proposal. "There's no time to waste."
Everyone exchanged quick glances, aware of the risks involved in the plan but also of the urgency pressing down on them. The five-hour countdown loomed over them like the Sword of Damocles, each tick-tock resonating in their minds with growing intensity. Moreover, the 24-hour deadline imposed by Tejod to deliver the third scepter piece added unbearable pressure. They knew that if they failed, another innocent citizen would pay the price with their life.
The tension was palpable, almost tangible, as the weight of pending decisions bore down on the group. There was no room for mistakes, no time for doubts—every second counted.