The Past.
The shrill sound of an alarm jolts me back to reality. I find myself in what Marco calls a "Cinema Room." Like a show, I'll watch Marco's life unfold before me on a screen.
Four seats beside me sits Echidna, a witch with four centuries of existence behind her. I know she's Betty's mother, and though I initially thought she'd be willing to help, she proposed a bet.
"If you can endure Marco's past, along with his emotions, then I'll save my daughter."
Maybe I should have hesitated, but now I'm committed. Now I know.
To her, Betty means little to nothing.
"She's your daughter; you should save her just because she's a part of you," I tried to tell her.
In the end, all the mothers I've known have acted the same way, including mine. However, I know there are exceptions. I remember once, during my job, a soldier shared that his wife attempted to end their daughter's life.
Initially, I found it hard to believe, but after speaking with the mother, I understood.
It seems they fall under some kind of curse. Something in their minds prevents them from thinking clearly. Sure, there are people who act on their own will, but that doesn't change the fact that it goes against maternal instinct.
Marco calls it "mental illnesses," and he asserts they're difficult conditions to treat and cure. Just as there are varieties of them, there are people who completely lack empathy, even towards their loved ones.
In one of Marco's books, I found a term: sociopaths.
A sociopath, according to Marco's words, is someone prone to psychotic episodes, meaning they're driven by their emotions. The sociopath knows what they're doing is wrong, but they decide to do it anyway for their own gain.
They don't feel empathy for others, but they tend to fall into psychotic episodes if something goes against their plans.
In this case, I wouldn't qualify Echidna with those words.
One-word looms over me as I watch the giant screen in front of me: "psychopath."
It's the most accurate to describe someone who lacks empathy, oblivious to a deep understanding of their own emotions and actions. Although I've never lived that experience, I can't help but wonder what it would be like to be in the shoes of someone like that.
Uncertainty envelops me, but I know I can't judge Echidna without fully understanding her reality.
However, I'm not willing to abandon her. Everyone deserves help, even those who seem lost. Betty and Marco are part of that canvas.
"Echidna, the deal stands, right?" determination shines in my eyes as I face Betty's mother, even if I'm afraid, even if I want to flee, all I have to do is stand firm.
"Of course, but remember, after this attempt, you'll only have one more left." Echidna's words resonate with overwhelming emotional weight.
Echidna's smile turns into a mix of complicity and observation as the scene unfolds on the screen. The test isn't just about watching his past, it's about feeling his strongest emotions and thoughts within my own being.
For moments in time, his emotions are going to usurp my body, and I have to endure it.
Before I can express my thoughts, a young voice interrupts the tension.
Marco's voice, slightly youthful but saturated with emotions, greets through the phone.
I behold him on the screen, his aura, his appearance. This Marco sheds his muscularity, revealing a softer, more charming side. Surprise and curiosity intertwine in my eyes.
More childish, probably around 15 or 16.
"Good morning, dear." Marco's mom blows a kiss through her phone screen, and a smile lights up Marco's face.
I'm filled with a warm melancholy seeing him like this, feeling my soul momentarily soothed. Marco had already mentioned to me that he and his parents were close as a family.
However, I'm aware that this peace will soon fade.
The duality between past happiness and impending pain creates a contrast in my heart, where my emotions flow like a turbulent stream. I try to calm down, but I already know what's going to happen.
"Are you going to the seedbed?" his mother asks while, through the screen, she's knitting something.
Echidna detailed to me that the seedbeds are like creativity fields, grounds where research projects among students germinate. It seems to be the ideal place for minds to flourish with new ideas.
"Yes, it was a peculiar experience; the entrance exam turned out to be a considerable challenge," Marco whispers. "They say it's related to some government experiment."
Marco's mother shows concern, but her worries fade away when Marco bursts into laughter.
"Silly," his mother says, looking at him with a smile. Marco's mother's smile is radiant, and she sighs, telling him, "Have fun, after all, that's what you're enthusiastic about, isn't it?"
Marco nods, his smile lighting up the room again.
Wrapped in a towel, he looks at his mother. The expression in his eyes brims with excitement and joy, transforming him into someone completely different.
"I think, by following this path, I'll be able to help everyone at the same time. Say hi to my dad for me when he gets home from work," Marco blows a kiss to his mother before ending the call.
I can't understand why something like this had to happen to him.
What did he do to deserve it?
Marco gets up, heads to the shower, and then leaves his room. The place is vast, soldiers dressed in green and black uniforms are everywhere. Various weapons adorn the landscape around them; even Marco, dressed the same way, carries a different weapon.
"It's fascinating, his world. It harbors countless wonders that I would love to explore," Echidna observes around her, as if she were delighting in the moment.
Marco advances with a smile, greeting everyone as he heads towards his destination.
"Will you join the nighttime match?" someone beside him inquires.
Marco winks in response.
"I have to beat them all, of course," Marco smiles, looking at him as he walks.
The person laughs and walks away. Marco continues on his way, while some soldiers rush past him. Then, he takes a detour, heading towards another building, now smaller, but a soldier at the entrance interrupts his path.
"ID!" The soldier carries a rifle completely made of metal; I saw a sketch of it in the laboratory but seeing it in person transforms the situation into something completely different.
Marco extends a badge. The soldier takes it, and in the blink of an eye, we see him submerge into the unknown. Marco's expression, upon entering, transforms into something different.
'I think, I'm scared.'
The connection with his thoughts and emotions seals at this moment. My hand trembles slightly, a heaviness looming over my heart.
'I'll overcome it. I'll be able to face every challenge,' Marco thinks in the depths of his heart.
The feeling fades away, but my hands now tremble with excitement, anticipating what is about to unfold.
"I never get used to this," I observe my hands, witnesses of the emotions implanted in me.
Echidna remains silent, her gaze fixed on the situation. Marco is about to enter that place.
That place where everything comes to life.
"Good morning, everyone," Marco enters, finding eight other people around him.
The professor, with years marked on his face, greets Marco with a smile.
"Take a seat, let's begin."
Nerves don't invade Marco; on the contrary, now a palpable excitement overcomes him. His investigative zeal resonates, immutable through time. Marco sits down and greets the person beside him.
'That hasn't changed, even now.' Whenever there's research to be done, when it comes to these things, he becomes the same Marco I see here, that's why it hurts, it hurts me what I'll see in the future.
The other figures seem fatigued, a fatigue of which, I never understood the reason, perhaps it is linked to the type of institution.
Unlike ours, here military training is a constant. It's as if it were an amplified military academy, more advanced and colossal.
"It's likely none of you know each other," the professor slides chalk on the board.
The looks cross; some show fear, others; confidence.
Marco, on the other hand, immerses himself in the professor's words.
"Each of you are bests in your field," the professor writes numbers, creating a mathematical equation that just by looking at it gives me a headache.
'So, they only picked me from my field,' Marco's voice resonates in my mind, allowing me to better understand the situation.
Each person, meticulously selected from various branches of engineering and pure sciences, was summoned to participate in this unique project. 'There are also chemists,' Marco adds in his thoughts as the meeting room buzzes with anticipation.
The air thickens with tension when the professor takes the floor.
"You are among the best nationwide, and considering the situation, you have been chosen to carry out a project for the national army," the professor announces.
These words, for the first time, stir Marco. 'My mother is going to have a heart attack,' resonates in my mind, synchronizing my pulse with the anxiety he feels.
My heart beats nervously, sharing his unease at this moment. 'If it's a weapon, then I'll have to find a way out,' Marco reflects, and his concern looms over me like a shadow.
People in the room start murmuring, afraid, while the professor, undisturbed, allows the murmur to spread. Uncertainty hangs in the air; however, I know that won't stop Marco.
"Major." Marco stands up, giving a military salute, but the professor's response is going to surprise him.
"I'm not interested in maintaining military formalities, in this case, you don't need to follow protocol with me," the professor winks. "Keep it secret from the higher-ups."
A complicit smile forms on Marco's face, accepting the professor's words with respect and gratitude. "So, professor, I have a question," the professor nods, Marco sits down and continues. "Is this project meant to develop some kind of weaponry?"
Marco's gaze becomes serious, as if he's about to explode. At that moment, we both clasp our hands, feeling the heart pounding at the tip of my throat. The professor is surprised by the question, but quickly shakes his head.
"No, the reason for this project is..."
The professor coughs lightly.
"The reason for this project is to create a new source of energy."
The professor's words surprise the rest of the students, but Marco exhales a relieved sigh, also easing my heart. The professor, intrigued, heads towards Marco's seat.
"What were you planning to do if it was a weapon?" the professor's question makes Marco smile.
The professor's stern gaze surprises Marco, and I feel like I'm losing my breath. However, after a few seconds, a determination as strong as metal rises in my heart.
"I'd rather die than contribute to the creation of a weapon that fades away the possibility of advancement for humanity," the determination in Marco's words surprises me, even myself. He doesn't say it in vain, he truly feels that way.
With that, I can see it, how much Marco has changed. The current Marco sees weapons as the only way to protect everything. In contrast, this Marco is different. 'We have similar ideals,' I tell myself, feeling that warmth in my heart.
Marco's eyes shine, plunging everyone into silence. The professor smiles and places his hand on Marco's shoulder.
"Advancing humanity," those words describe this seedbed," the professor returns to his position and extracts a crystal.
I see it again.
When I first saw it, I couldn't believe it. I realized that Marco's curse wasn't just his situation.
"This crystal is something we discovered in caves used by drug traffickers," the crystal gleams in bluish tones. Echidna smiles, while I press my lips together. My heart beats excitedly as my soul burns with profound pain.
Both hands clenched, each for a different reason.
"I wonder, how did that pyroxene crystal come here? It's quite curious for a world lacking in magic," Echidna licks her lips, savoring the tea. She doesn't care, but I do. This intense emotion that Marco feels when discovering something new, something that urges me to try to smile.
However, it's not the time. It's the reality of his world, the reality into which he was thrust.
"Marco's fate has been sealed all this time."
Then, Echidna continues:
"It's quite an unpleasant smile you have," my tears fall, but I can't help but show a smile on my face.
'Has Marco's world always had access to magic?'
I don't know.
"We've selected you because you're not affiliated with any organization, as none of you have a background, and we believe that only people like you can develop something like this," the professor places the crystal on the table, making it shine brighter.
It seems that even in his world, Marco is quite intelligent. My heart beats fast, but Marco's excitement in my heart is something I can't hide. 'I don't want to smile; I don't want to get excited.'
"Is it radioactive?" a boy asks, visibly more frightened than usual.
'If it were radioactive, they wouldn't have brought it!' Marco laughs internally, but I really don't understand what he means. The professor joins in his laughter before tossing the crystal to the boy.
"If it were radioactive, I wouldn't have brought it."
The boy examines the crystal while everyone stands up, including Marco. Each one holds it in their hand for a while until it's Marco's turn. At that moment, the crystal experiences a slight reaction.
It lights up slightly more than with the others, and that faint glow is something Echidna explains to me.
"Who would have thought that your soul would be connected to our world," Echidna's words hover over me like a bucket of thorns.
My heart aches as I experience Marco's emotions. On the screen, there are only his eyes, and in his reflection is the illuminating crystal. Marco's emotions flowing intensely, my legs tremble, my lips tremble as I smile.
I squeeze one hand, but the other doesn't respond to my own emotions.
Me...
'My world was Marco's curse.'
People gather around Marco as he reflects for a moment.
"What kind of energy is it?" he asks, turning his gaze to the professor with curiosity.
The professor shrugs. Everyone seems pensive, probably imagining all the possibilities.
He shows pictures in completely dark chambers, where the crystal continues to shine despite the darkness surrounding it.
"The light wave we see seems to be generated independently of an energy source, almost as if it were self-sustaining," the professor begins to list several types of energies, some recognizable as solar, wind, and hydraulic, things that Marco has explained to me.
However, I'm unfamiliar with nuclear, biomass, and others...
After completing a list, the professor starts crossing out. There are few types left, and Marco seems pensive, but he doesn't speak a word.
"The tests we've conducted have yielded no results, there are no chemical reactions, the hardness of the crystal is greater than that of diamond, we even conducted tests without getting any cuts," the professor notes again. "With a titanium compound, we managed to obtain this part."
'It doesn't make sense,' Marco thinks.
"It seems that magic is beyond his current understanding," Echidna points out.
Magic only existed in the fictional stories that Marco tells me; for them, it was unthinkable to consider such a thing. The professor changes his expression again, takes his gun and places it on the table.
"So, you'll have an unlimited budget and a salary that will be processed as a scholarship while you study," the professor begins to jot down. "You'll need to attend scheduled physical training classes, also participate in physical research, and venture into the mines with a select group. Upon completion, you'll obtain your Ph.D."
My smile escapes again, feeling Marco's excitement. I press my hands, happy to see him so filled with joy. Despite everything, it seems like this was always his dream.
'It seems like my adventure starts here.'
My heart spins with joy, almost feeling overwhelmed by the emotion. I try to calm down, but the sensations are stronger than I wish. 'I want to cry, but I'm forced to smile.'
"Also, I remind you that this is confidential. Your ranks in the army will be updated, and you will all be given a room change."
'Won't I be with my friends anymore?'
A small pang appears in my heart, but soon Marco looks to his side.
'Meeting new people, having new experiences.'
A warm feeling envelops him.
"He's not even considering the possibility of being tricked," Echidna scoffs, which makes me angry.
"There was no way to know, none at all." I watch Marco, who begins to strike up a conversation with the person next to him. Both seem excited, but the professor interrupts.
"You have five years, then, to conclude everything." The atmosphere becomes tense, my heart compresses, feeling the weight of his words.
"Developing a new type of energy that seems to break the laws of physics in five years?" The whispers return, words like "Impossible" and "Nonsense" echo all around. Marco, upon hearing them, tightens his lips; a fire starts to grow from within me.
I press my hands, trying to contain that chaotic torrent.
"You can't let yourselves be scared!" Marco exclaims, rising from his seat. Everyone looks at him in surprise as he points somewhat annoyed towards the crystal.
"It might be something new, it might be that we need to do everything we can." Marco clenches his fists, and I lose my breath. "Yes, we can! We'll have everything at our disposal. It's time to create something to change the world; each of us was selected."
No... You don't have to do it.
"If we do it, we'll be remembered in history!"
You don't have to choose those words.
"We'll be the pillar of a new generation!" Marco extends his hands, surprising everyone.
The professor just smiles, as if it's something he expected. Even I, who find it hard to read people, can see it. The innocence of wanting to be someone important, the innocence of desiring attention.
'If I do it, I'll be able to give my parents the life they deserve.'
The innocence of longing for the pride of the people we love.
'I'll be able to be happy and help everyone.'
The students seem overwhelmed by Marco's emotion. Most remain silent, while another joins him.
"We must try!" The boy next to him squeezes his hand tightly, looking firmly at everyone. Gradually, everyone is infected with his initiative.
"Thinking they were easily fooled." Echidna massages her forehead a little.
Who could blame them?
Echidna doesn't know it, but the emotion I felt would have clouded everything. I don't blame her, nor can I judge her when I can't even understand what she's referring to.
"So, as I see you're willing, I'll ask you to prepare your garments and be outside an hour before the usual departure." The professor says goodbye and leaves.
Marco, before everyone leaves, stands in front of the door.
"I think the professor wasn't very interested in introducing us, but I'd like each one to do it. After all, we're going to work together from now on." Marco performs a military salute, directing a smile at everyone. "Marco Luz, specialized in engineering..."
His presentation motivates the rest to do the same; everyone looks happy and excited for what's to come. However, I don't share that enthusiasm.
I just want to see him like this, so happy, more than any previous smile, more than any emotion I've perceived in him. As each one introduces themselves, joy permeates the atmosphere.
It weighs on me because I feel it's my fault.
Marco organizes everyone and requests a photo, everyone agrees, and after taking it, he gets everyone's contacts.
"See you tomorrow, comrades!" Marco walks away from the place with a big smile on his face.
My heart beats strongly with excitement, it beats, and I can't wipe the smile off my face. These aren't my emotions, but his are so intense that I can't overshadow them.
'Marco's determination is stronger than mine.'
He walks away, joins his friends, and they start chatting and having fun. He seems like a different person, someone so open and warm.
Marco has changed too much, but after witnessing a bit of what has happened to him, I can't judge him.
"It's curious," says Echidna before taking a sip of tea.
Then, after some time passes, everyone is gathered again. This time, they are taken in something called a helicopter.
My amazement doesn't cease, even after having seen it before.
With a loud noise, I watch as Marco flies in one of the machines he told me about. It's faster than the balloon and looks much more practical. It's impressive, and I'm not the only one who thinks so.
"You say that, in that world, humanity has evolved for thousands of years." Echidna bites a cookie while admiring the same thing I am.
"Yes, Marco told me time ago." I have no idea how long this world has been existing, but undoubtedly, they surpass our advancements in every aspect. However, the arrival of these crystals will mark a turning point.
They arrive at what will now be their home; with that, everyone settles in and is led to the laboratory.
The organization is by last names, and Marco ends up next to a girl. At first, I was surprised because she bore an astonishing resemblance to Crusch. Though her hair is a deep black, her features are practically identical. And to add to the surprise, her voice is similar to Rem's.
"Do you think we stand a chance?" Marco asks, giving her an encouraging smile. "We'll make it, one way or another. Maria, your skills in programming and electronics will be crucial," Marco tries to boost her morale, and she responds with a warm smile.
'She's really cute! I hope I can keep talking to her.'
They both seem to hit it off, and from the affectionate expression on Marco's face, it seems they both feel happy. But my heart, on the other hand, suffers slightly. The professor reappears, this time with two black suitcases.
I already have an idea about what's going to happen, although I still don't fully understand. They can't have just appeared in this world by chance. There has to be a reason, a purpose.
"It seems everyone is in good condition. In this case, we should start the investigations immediately," the professor opens both suitcases, revealing the other crystal. A fire lamicta crystal, of considerable size, almost the size of two hands.
The professor takes both crystals and, upon connecting them, the fire lamicta crystal activates, emitting a faint glow and releasing a gentle warmth that spreads throughout the environment.
"The bluish crystal seems to function as a catalyst," comments John, whose name I already know.
"Why do you say that, John?" Marco asks, approaching the crystal. The professor also seems eager to get the answer.
"I don't fully understand its functioning, but when both crystals are brought close, they emit mutual illumination," John approaches the crystals again. "The red crystal generates the thermal reaction."
At that moment, another boy asks, "Are there any signs of an electromagnetic field?" The professor shakes his head. "No electron exchanges are detected; instead, the air's electrons seem to be affected by the energy of the red crystal."
At the professor's affirmation, everyone seems lost in deep thoughts. Although I don't fully understand what they're talking about, Marco seems reluctant to accept the answer. 'It seems like magic, much as it pains me.'
"So, the idea is to use both elements to generate energy, right?" Marco intervenes with another question. All eyes turn to the professor, eager to get even a hint of additional information.
The professor nods.
"The red crystal is highly dangerous, but it seems to be controllable depending on the distance from the blue crystal."
At that moment, Marco intervenes with another question.
"Does it have any name?"
All eyes turn to the professor, eager to get even a hint of additional information. "The higher-ups say that the drug traffickers called it..." the professor writes it on the board. "The red crystal is called lamicta, and the bluish one, pyroxene."