Finally, they arrived at Adia’s house. They repeated the same procedure: being scanned by the dragons and other security measures. Once inside, they noticed that all the lights were off. They closed the door carefully, but someone startled them from behind. It was Adia who scolded them for arriving so late. Then, laughing softly, she said:
“Of course, if I were your mother, you’d already be grounded, young man.”
After their souls returned to their bodies—so to speak—Adia asked the boy how his first date had gone. Aiden replied that everything had been wonderful until an incident occurred, and the girl had to leave. Adia, who normally wasn’t nosy and didn’t care much about details, simply remarked that it was fine for a first date and that there would be another chance.
“Tomorrow is another day,” she said calmly.
Aiden first denied that it had been a date, somewhat flustered, but then added:
“Yes, you’re right, tomorrow is another day.”
She told them:
“Well, go to sleep.”
The boy and the canine obeyed, heading upstairs to their room. Exhausted from everything they had done that day, Aiden began changing while lost in thought, reflecting on what had happened. He lay down on the bed and, after mentally reviewing the situation, fell peacefully asleep. Podbe and Reia were also deep in thought, but sleep overtook the canine, who did the same as Aiden: he climbed onto the bed, settled at the boy’s feet, and also drifted off. The only one who remained awake was Reia, who continued analyzing what to do if a threat arose and preparing contingencies for any eventuality.
Adia entered Aiden’s room wearing her red pajamas. Upon seeing the tender scene, she decided to cover them with blankets and turned off the light, closing the door slowly before returning to her own room. Although Adia didn’t want to interrogate the boy, she felt a certain unease; she wanted to know what was troubling him. She got into bed, took a book from the nightstand, and, unable to fall asleep, began to read.
At the Sisters of the Sun Orphanage (author’s note: in chapter eleven, I mentioned “Brothers of the Sun,” my mistake—it’s “Sisters.” A thousand apologies), a black van pulled up in front of the building. Two young people stepped out: Lidia and Rino. Lidia had straight red hair that reached her shoulders and yellow eyes that matched the nail polish on her fingers. According to her, she wasn’t the kind of beauty who could win Miss World, but she could certainly stand out in a state-level pageant. Her companion since school, Rino, had short blue hair with a small tuft in the front and bright green eyes. Always attentive to action, his friendliness sometimes made him seem a bit overbearing. Both wore sunglasses that gave them the full appearance of government agents, like in the movies.
They knocked on the door of the orphanage. The gatekeeper, an elderly man, came out to greet them and asked what they wanted. Rino approached the man and explained that they were there about the case of a missing child. The elderly man, somewhat hard of hearing, didn’t quite understand, so Rino repeated the question—this time shouting. The gatekeeper interrupted him:
“I’m not deaf, young man. There’s no need to yell.”
Once the purpose of their visit was understood and after showing their identification, the gatekeeper, Jon, called the Mother Superior on the intercom and informed her that there were people interested in the boy’s case. The Mother, surprised because she had contacted the sheriff without receiving any results, thought the case had escalated and that special agents were now searching for the child. She told Jon to let them in and have them wait in her office.
Jon, after finally understanding the instructions after they were repeated several times, allowed the visitors to enter. From the window, the children watched as a large, black-tinted van entered the residence. They thought someone had come to adopt one of them, but all the orphans wondered, since several days had passed since the official adoption day, what this unexpected visit meant. On that day, twenty percent of the children had found homes.
The two young agents entered the building and were led by Sister Elsa, who introduced herself and instructed them to follow her. Billy and Maria, who were nearby along with other children, were curious to know the reason for the visit. They didn’t look like parents ready to adopt; rather, their appearance suggested they were investigators.
When they entered the Mother Superior’s office, she thanked them for responding to her pleas to find the boy. However, she asked:
“Aren’t you a bit young to be part of the investigative police?”
Rino responded firmly:
“No.”
Lidia silenced her partner and asked the Mother Superior how it was possible that the boy had escaped under her care. The Mother explained that she had no idea why he had run away. While Lidia pretended to take notes on her tablet, she asked if anyone had seen him recently. The Mother confirmed that someone had, and Lidia requested that she call that person.
As they spoke, Elsa noticed that Billy and Maria were eavesdropping behind the door. She caught them and, though she reminded them it was wrong to listen in on others’ conversations, added:
“It’s good you’re here, Billy. The Mother Superior is looking for you.”
Elsa, known for her sharp hearing, was the eyes and ears of the orphanage. She guided the children into the office and asked Billy:
“The boy they’re looking for, Aiden, as stated in the missing notice—is he your friend?”
Billy nodded. Then, Elsa asked him if he knew why Aiden had left and whether he knew of any place where he might be. The sister warned him to tell the truth, or his punishment days would increase. Frightened, Billy explained that Aiden had simply left because he didn’t fit in there and wanted to explore the world. As for possible destinations, Maria interrupted:
“Where could we even go? We’re in an orphanage; we don’t leave to go anywhere, as you can see.”
“Silence, young lady,” Elsa retorted.
The Mother Superior turned back to Billy and asked him to respond. He admitted that, although Aiden had been in several foster homes, he didn’t have a special place in mind. However, if he were in Aiden’s shoes, he would leave on a mode of transportation that didn’t require documents or means of questions. The Mother replied:
“Are you telling me he might have gotten on a train?”
She paused to reflect, then added:
“The only train that can do that is the Great Train.”
But Elsa interjected:
“Remember the news—the Great Train derailed. I hope nothing has happened to the boy.”
The Mother grew sad.
“Let’s hope not, though they’re still searching through the debris.”
Lidia took note of all this and signaled to Rino that it was time to leave. Both agents thanked them for the information and prepared to depart, not before receiving the Mother’s gratitude for their support and her hope that they would find the boy alive. Elsa told Billy and Maria that they could leave as well.
Soon, Billy and Maria leave the office before the agents. Billy confessed to Maria:
“If something happened to Aiden, I’d never forgive myself.”
María tried to reassure him:
“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
Immediately, she enlisted the help of some children, promising to give them her shiniest marbles if they helped delay the two individuals leaving the Mother Superior’s office for a while. The children agreed and surrounded the agents, bombarding them with questions to block their path. Maria signaled to Billy that this was their chance. They slipped out of the courtyard, approached the vehicle, and noticed that the rear door of the van was unlocked. She quickly climbed in and pulled Billy inside, closing the door behind them.
Rino began shouting at the children to stop blocking their way, to which Lidia responded sarcastically:
“You’d be brother of the year.”
And he shot back:
“You know I’m an only child.”
Finally, they managed to clear a path, got into the vehicle, and drove away from the location.
Inside the car, Lidia remarked:
“Poor kid, I hope nothing bad has happened to him.”
Rino replied:
“It’s always because of you that we get into these messes. You only enjoy playing detective.”
Lidia countered:
“I can’t help my desire to always help. Let’s head to where the train derailed.”
“But Lidia, you’re always the voice of reason,” Rino argued. “Because of your stubbornness and not following what Marie told us, they could kick us out of the agency, and we’ll never become agents. What’s my father going to say about this?”
To which she responded:
"Relax; nothing bad is going to happen."
In the back of the van, hidden under a blanket, Maria whispered to Billy:
“Something smells fishy.”
Related Chapters
Agent's Dog System 17.Find the Path
"Something smells fishy," Maria had said. Billy, a bit nervous, replied, "It’s not me—I took a bath today." She covered his mouth with her hand and whispered for him to lower his voice. Luckily for them, the driver, Rino, had turned up the music loud. Maria whispered to him that she wasn’t referring to that; rather, she found it strange that those individuals had suddenly appeared at the orphanage door. Not even the police, busy as they were, took the time to investigate on behalf of an orphan. "I think there’s something suspicious going on," Maria said. "Good thing we got in the van—let’s see where they’re headed and what they plan to do with Aiden."The car continued its journey. Meanwhile, Lidia checked that the phones were charged, which would allow them to call Marie if needed, but she decided against it and chose to go in person without Rino noticing—he was humming along to the songs he had put on.Simultaneously, while they were heading toward the site of the train derailment,
Agent's Dog System 18.Deception (1)
“What’s down that path?” asked Ezequiel, also known as Agent B.Brea, or Agent C-Two, consulted the map before responding:“If you follow that path, you’ll reach Arnoldstein.”Agent B paused thoughtfully. Then, turning to Lidia, he asked:“What was the boy’s name?”“Aiden, sir,” she replied with the formality of a soldier addressing her general.“Well, kid, you don’t have to be so formal with me like you do with bossy Marie,” said Ezequiel with a mischievous smile.Marie approached him and let out a sound of disapproval, glaring at him with a fury that didn’t require psychic interpretation to understand. Ezequiel brushed off her reaction and suggested to Lidia and Rino that they accompany them since they were already there, but not without first asking them to send him an image of the boy.“We should send the image to headquarters; it might help shorten the search,” Marie proposed.“It’s not necessary,” Ezequiel countered. “I doubt the kid has left the country.”“Alright, let’s head d
Agent's Dog System 19.Deception (2)
Once Adia finished styling Aiden’s hair, she thought it would be a good idea for him to wear a tuxedo, but Aiden commented that it would be too much and that the flowers would suffice. Aiden stepped out dressed in his black jeans, navy-blue jacket, black sweater, and blue polo shirt, as it was starting to get chilly outside—though not as cold as European winters. Podbe accompanied him, but not before hearing Adia say, “Go with the boy and keep an eye on him.” Inside the dog, Reia responded, “Affirmative.” The canine and the boy set off for their second outing—more than a formal date, it was their second meeting with Elena, the girl he had only met the day before but for whom he already felt an intense, overflowing teenage love.Meanwhile, Elena was finishing her workday as usual. Though she was typically kind, that day she seemed distant with customers and the public, as if she had lost her usual spark. The shop owner noticed something was wrong and, concerned, assigned her to organiz
Agent's Dog System 20.In the Wolf’s Mouth
“No, Aiden!” Reia, the artificial intelligence inside Podbe’s mind, cried out desperately. “Something is wrong; the place, the girl’s behavior—everything is off. What do we do now? I’ve lost the connection with him. I need to wake Podbe up; maybe if I use one of the electric shocks, he’ll come in,” she thought.“Get up, Podbe!” she pleaded repeatedly, but the dog didn’t move. Apparently, whatever Elena had given him the food was so strong it could have knocked out an elephant, Reia reflected.Exhausted by the lack of response, she began to meditate, hoping Podbe would wake up so they could go after Aiden. She looked at the girl lying unconscious in front of Podbe and started blaming her for everything that had happened.“That’s why I’m an intelligence: I anticipate events. If Aiden hadn’t met you, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” she muttered to herself, continuing to talk and calculate possible solutions. “You’ll hear me when you wake up, lazy dog,” she shouted at Podbe, though sti
Agent's Dog System 21.Hidden Legacy
One of the people present in the room, a little frightened, asked the doctor why he was treating the boy that way. The doctor responded with a cold smile: “It’s good that you ask. I’m doing it to activate the hidden power lying within him.”He began explaining while pressing additional buttons. A blue liquid started dripping onto Aiden, sliding slowly over his skin like oil.“You see,” the doctor continued in a calm but firm voice, “this boy appears to be the son of one of our previous experiments. Blood tests and preliminary analysis confirm it. We had to halt those experiments because we were being investigated. A reporter stuck her nose where it didn’t belong, but we managed to resolve the issue,” he added coldly, without a trace of remorse in his tone.The project was called Project Nebula. Its purpose was to combine humans with phenomena beyond our comprehension in order to prepare for potential external threats, granting subjects unique abilities. However, there were setbacks:
Agent's Dog System 22.Shadows of the Dawn
Adia was in the house, sipping a cup of hot coffee while calmly flipping through the newspaper and playing cards with her multipurpose robot. It was already past ten o’clock at night. The warm light from the lamp illuminated the room, creating a tranquil but slightly melancholic atmosphere.“Hey, Tron!” called Adia, looking up at her metallic companion. “Have the guys come by for Aiden and the puppy Podbe?”The robot processed the question before responding in its always polite tone: “No, my lady, I haven’t detected any approach to the house.”“How strange,” she murmured, lightly furrowing her brow. “I’m not one to meddle in other people’s lives, but I don’t think that date should be so long as to lose track of time. Besides, he’s still just a kid, like a big baby. I should have given him a phone so we could stay in touch,” she added with a resigned sigh.Tron tilted its mechanical head to one side and responded without hesitation: “As you say, my lady.”“Ah! Sometimes I forget you’
Agent's Dog System 23.The Gloomy Cave
The three entered the dark cave, cautiously advancing along a path that soon forked. They wouldn’t separate, as Eliot thought that in movies, everyone dies if they do. While the agent hesitated about which path to take, one of his companions accidentally stepped on a hidden alarm in the cave.The artificial intelligence at the base of the black alien transmitted brain waves to its master, informing him that the creatures sent had been exterminated. This triggered a mental roar filled with fury from the creature inside the capsule. Surprised by how such a defeat was possible, he decided to intervene personally. However, the artificial intelligence named Xen reminded him that he had not yet fully recovered, being only at thirty percent due to the mortal wounds inflicted earlier. “Damn subject!” he shouted in his mind, consumed by rage. “Then send out the second group,” he ordered, to which Xen nodded, though adding, “Sir, there are intruders in the cave, and they are not forest animals
Agent's Dog System 24. Revelations and Rescues
I’m no longer in service, young man. I left the agency a long time ago. I’m Agent A—or I was; these days, I only use my civilian name. What are we waiting for? We need to get going. At that moment, she removed what she was wearing in front of him, causing him to collapse, red with embarrassment, as he caught a glimpse of her in her underwear while she opened a suitcase containing a custom-made special suit. Gat had his hands over his face, trying not to look.While she changed, she said:“Don’t be embarrassed; I’ve gotten used to changing in front of others because of the missions I’ve had.” Then she asked him why he was in the city or why the agency had sent him there. He responded, still covering his face to avoid looking:“I’m searching for the Oceans group. According to reports, they’re hiding somewhere in this area. And well, seeing that you haven’t been informed or don’t have much information, I’ll tell you that Agent B Twelve was injured in his latest mission facing this organi
Latest Chapter
53.Televised Terror (1)
Good afternoon, my name is Melisa Crig, your well-known evening news reporter. This time I am living with a piece of extremely important news that the public needs to witness. I am at the scene where one of the branches of the Radar Company used to be located. By showing the camera that Creg took off his shoulder, you can see the names of the company. She indicated to Creg to zoom in on the location. She continued narrating: "Here is the building where this company operated, split in half." Apparently, a major experiment went wrong. She motioned to Greg to show the humanoid creature."It appears to be a kind of humanoid figure, half insect, half lion," from what we can observe. "It has a child in its torso with some sort of tentacles," she narrated while thinking, "Rita Ribs wasn't crazy after all." Maybe the things she said were real, and I can see they are. "What she mentioned about children being mistreated and used for experiments and animals was all true," she questioned
52.Mystery, Camera & Action!
High in the sky, a helicopter was seen passing through the area. In its path, it spotted a distant red light that could be seen from the mountains and was rising up to the sky.“Quickly, head that way,” one of the people inside the machine indicated.It was a team of civilians who liked to wander the area searching for strange or paranormal things. The team was composed of Kile Rosas, a professor from a respectable university who sought answers to mysterious phenomena. He was about sixty years old, with little hair and wore large, bottle-like glasses. His assistant, Philip, was a young university student who supported him in all his crazy adventures with the camera. He was on an unpaid scholarship and only needed the professor's recommendations, though he was intrigued by these paranormal activities. Additionally, there was their faithful pilot, Michele, a young woman who enjoyed piloting all types of vehicles and aircraft. Of course, she didn’t do it for free, as she needed money to c
51.Zero Life
The leaders turned from their positions to see the creature approaching the supreme leader, Zeus. A unified "No!" echoed from both sides of what was left of the building. Some closed their eyes, thinking it was the end of their lord's plans with the boy's death. However, they then saw that the creature had released him for no apparent reason and moved a bit forward, screaming so loudly that they heard it from where they were. At that moment, they saw the hound striking Urion from behind."Firehead!" Podbe thought to himself, barking loudly, appearing somewhat battered from the previous battle. But how is it possible that they are alive? How did they manage to escape from there? Urion wondered as he saw his tentacle fall to the ground, releasing Aiden.Moments earlier, the floor above was collapsing on Podbe and company. "Quick, everyone, form up behind me!" she instructed. Quickly, she looked in all directions as if searching for something, and once she found what she was looking for,
50.Storm of Destruction
Urion continued flying at full speed through the large opening he had created in the floors of the inverted pyramid, that is, the underground, to reach the surface. He destroys more and more structures, firing rays while holding Aiden trapped with one of his tentacles.The boy tried to break free, but it was useless; he screamed and struggled with desperation. He even managed to bite the tentacle, causing it to loosen slightly, but soon it tightened again and squeezed him with greater force. Before he lost consciousness, the guardian mentally told him: "It is still too early for you to die. You will not perish from a fall; you will have the privilege of being finished off by a guardian. You are valuable to that person, but dangerous to us." Aiden took his last breath, wondering who "we" were and if there were more of them, before passing out from the pressure of the tentacle.Meanwhile, the robots from Zeus's company, upon hearing the order given by the lead robot from t
49.The Guardian's Transformation
The cocoon began to open slowly, revealing a strange and fascinating creature. First, horns resembling antennae emerged, attached to what appeared to be its head, followed by arms similar to those of a human. Finally, the rest of the body slid out of the cocoon with an almost hypnotic grace. Once the red light enveloping the cocoon had completely faded, the creature was fully exposed to everyone.It had a humanoid shape, but its head was adorned with two pincers that could initially be mistaken for antennae. Its face resembled that of a human, except for the nose, which had been replaced by a structure akin to that of an insect. Instead of a nose, it had bright red eyes with blue irises that seemed to burn like embers. Its body was covered with lion-like skin, and its hands had four long, slender fingers. Its feet ended in hooves, though they gave the impression of wearing shoes due to their natural design. On its back, a protective shell housed small insect-like wings, still motionle
48.A New Menace
Adia watched as the mysterious figure finished off the monster that had once taken so much effort for them to defeat in the past. In truth, they hadn’t managed to defeat it back then; they had only succeeded in sending it back through the portal. But who is he? He doesn’t seem human. Maybe he’s a monster too, Adia thought, her mind clouded by gaps in her memory. Her gaze slid over the dark armor that completely covered the stranger. Perhaps he hides his face because he knows no one could bear to look at it."Podbe, are you okay? I’ve got you, buddy," said Aiden as he carefully picked Podbe up from the ground. The dog mumbled Aiden's name, his voice weak but filled with determination. "That hit hurt," Podbe said through the link, looking up at Aiden with golden eyes that gleamed with a mix of pain and pride. "What are you doing here? Weren’t you trying to open that portal?" asked the dog. To which Aiden replied, "That doesn’t matter anymore. The guy destroyed the monster instantly."Bo
47.Stolen Soul
In the cave where Agent I-Five entered and from which he has yet to emerge, we encounter Xen, an artificial intelligence housed within a robot whose design resembles a metallic skeleton wrapped in armored plates. On a cold, rusted table, unable to move, lay the agent, with a helmet connected to a machine that looked like an old computer, as large as if it were an industrial server from another era. The air was thick with static electricity, and the constant hum of fans echoed off the damp walls of the cave."I still haven't found anything valuable; I'd better keep investigating," said Xen coldly as he observed the bound agent, his mechanical eyes glowing with a reddish gleam. "And I enjoy inflicting pain on others," he added with a frivolous laugh that resonated like scraping metal.As he continued to dig through the memories in the agent's brain, a shrill alarm shattered the silence. On the central computer screen, an alert appeared: the mutated creatures, known as the moles, had bee
46.The Obsidian Knight
I will go ahead, my Lord," Sir Larot said to Zeus. The latter gave him a sign of approval, saying, "Go ahead." With an almost imperceptible movement, Larot vanished as if he were a ghost. Murmurs quickly filled the air: "Arrogant, vain, pompous," some said. However, one person remained silent. In his mind, Aragon Barns reflected: "Well, well, you have found something challenging. I sensed it too." Aragon, his only friend, mentor, and confidant, was the only one who knew who hid behind that imposing armor.In a matter of seconds, Larot arrived at the battlefield. His obsidian-black armor gleamed under the dim light, and his great sword rested majestically on his back. Before him, an immense creature roared with ferocity. Without hesitation, Larot leaped as he ran, propelling himself toward the monster with a devastating kick that struck its face directly. The beast staggered backward.The spectators watched in awe as the mysterious warrior burst onto the scene. He lande
45.The Great Beast of the Portal
The dog stood in front of the beast because, after talking with Reia and Aiden without reaching an agreement, he decided to face it to save his new friends. Podbe stood tall with every hair on end, as if every fiber of his being was ready for battle. He repeated to himself mentally: "I can do this, I must protect them, or at least try. This cannot be the end.""Don't be stubborn, Podbe," warned Reia with a tone mixed with concern and frustration. "The system itself says you don’t have the strength needed to defeat it.""We can’t lose, right, Aiden? We’re the good guys," replied the canine, activating his hardness ability as he advanced toward the beast with fierce determination."What are we going to do?" asked the frightened children, watching as the enormous beast approached with gigantic steps that made the ground tremble beneath their feet.Eduard tried to calm Adia, who had curled into a fetal position after seeing that creature emerge. As she babbled, she kept repeating: "This c