Chapter 142 - 140 The Last Light Before the Shadow

Chapter 142: Chapter 140 The Last Light Before the Shadow

The group crossed the station lobby and headed out toward the vehicle area, where the wind swept through the spaces between the buildings.

Luciana checked the address of their accommodation and approached a driver with a spacious van. While they arranged the transfer, Sebastián placed the suitcases beside the rear compartment, and óscar adjusted his bag to make room for Zaira’s.

Virka helped Valentina climb in and kept her small suitcase near the seat. Narka remained inside, with the opening unobstructed.

Once everyone was settled, the vehicle turned onto a street that sloped gently upward between stone and brick facades.

During the journey, Valentina watched the wooden balconies and sloping rooftops with her face turned toward the window. In the shops, screens displayed prices and advertisements beneath signs that still bore painted names; farther up, the mountains appeared between the streets whenever the buildings left an opening.

Luciana checked the guesthouse entrance before telling the driver where to stop.

Sebastián paid for the ride with his phone and helped unload the luggage.

The entrance was sheltered by a small porch, and beyond the glass, the reception desk, several seats, and other travelers’ suitcases were visible.

The Institute’s reservation was already listed in the register.

Luciana showed the confirmation, received the keys, and listened to the receptionist’s instructions before gathering everyone beside the staircase.

The rooms assigned to the women were connected by an interior door: Luciana and Zaira would occupy one, and Virka and Valentina the other. Sebastián and óscar would share a separate bedroom.

The teacher told them where they would meet again and then accompanied Zaira down the corridor, while Virka let her daughter walk ahead of her toward their room.

The rooms had softly colored walls, neatly made beds, televisions, and air conditioning. Their windows offered a partial view of the street.

Sebastián placed his suitcase beside the wardrobe and opened one of its doors to put away his clothes. There were drawers, hangers, and a lower compartment for shoes.

óscar chose the bed near the window, rested his bag on its edge, and inspected the bathroom: a shower, a mirror, and compartments where he could place his belongings. He then set his tablet on the cabinet beneath the television and tightened his bun before beginning to put away his clothes.

On the other side of the corridor, Valentina opened her suitcase on the bed.

Narka slowly emerged and settled near the pillow while Virka separated the clothes they would leave there from the things they would carry during the tour.

The connecting door remained open. Through it, Zaira could be seen placing her luggage beside the wardrobe, while Luciana set her hat on a piece of furniture.

The area had a spacious vanity, with a mirror and enough drawers to organize their personal care items; beside the bathroom, several shelves provided space for whatever each of them needed.

Valentina put her clothes in the lowest drawer and gathered her notebook, colored pencils, and water bottle again. Virka helped her arrange them without taking up Narka’s space.

He returned inside before they left.

When they returned to reception, Luciana had already checked the available cultural tours.

There was a route aboard a tall-bodied tourist vehicle, with a driver and guide, that connected different visits and allowed them to continue after the lunch break.

The ARMEX museum and the Rakzar cultural house attracted the group’s interest.

óscar reviewed the route on his tablet; Zaira paused over the references to former champions, and Luciana confirmed that they would have time to go inside.

Sebastián took care of paying for the tour transportation as part of the expenses he shared with Virka. Admission fees would be paid at each location, according to the activities they chose.

Shortly afterward, they occupied the same section of the vehicle.

The guide began explaining the history of the streets they passed through, pointing out buildings and spaces that had retained their original uses despite renovations.

Luciana listened with her hands resting on her handbag; from time to time, she looked toward the place being mentioned and saved a reference on her phone.

óscar alternated his attention between the explanations and the slopes they traveled along.

Zaira followed the route until the guide announced the first stop.

After getting off, she adjusted her cap and waited beside the entrance while everyone paid their admission fee. Virka helped Valentina down, holding the small suitcase in her free hand. Sebastián and Virka also paid for the girl’s admission.

Inside the museum, the earliest ARMEX models occupied large display stands and cases.

Their structures were bulkier than those of the models used at the Institute: thick plates, exposed joints, and assemblies of components that protruded around the back and legs.

The information panels displayed designers’ names, dates, and records of the tests conducted with each model.

The guide explained how those mechanisms required high energy consumption to sustain movement and how subsequent improvements had made it possible to reduce weight and use energy more efficiently.

Zaira approached a display case and traced with her eyes the connection between a knee joint and its lower support.

óscar walked around the adjacent stand, looking from behind for what he could not make out from the front.

A small reproduction of the suit was projected above a nearby base.

The three-dimensional figure moved forward, bent its legs, and raised an arm in continuous motions.

Valentina moved to observe it from the side and found the same depth she had seen from the front. She then looked at the real piece, motionless behind the glass, and searched for the joint she had just seen moving.

—Could they run with that, Dad? —she asked, pointing at the projection’s legs.

Sebastián stood beside her and waited for the figure to complete another step.

—The suit helped move that weight. Look how it moves along with the legs.

The girl followed the sequence.

Virka bent down just enough to bring herself close to her daughter’s eye level and pointed out the corresponding piece in the display case, allowing her to compare the two without losing sight of the movement.

Narka had poked his head through the suitcase opening; his golden eye remained directed toward the stand.

óscar examined another model, even wider than the previous one, and let a comment slip as he stepped aside so Luciana could approach.

—With that uniform, being late to class would have a good excuse.

Valentina laughed and looked again at the size of the metal legs.

A brief laugh escaped Luciana as she raised her eyes toward the piece. Zaira maintained a barely visible smile before turning her attention back to the guide’s explanation.

The marks on the plates, the changes between models, and the corrections noted in the records gradually occupied more of their time than their initial impressions.

Sebastián stopped before an old repair, following the edge where the metal had been replaced. There, the wear still preserved something of the effort of those who had used those pieces, even after their names had been reduced to a few lines beneath the glass.

The visit continued among real examples and projections showing how they worked.

Zaira took pictures of some joints and noted the differences that interested her; óscar related the changes to the test records. Luciana asked permission before photographing one of the panels and checked that the information was legible.

Valentina chose a suit to draw later and asked Sebastián for a picture that would help her remember the parts of its legs.

When they left, they were still comparing details as the guide gathered them to continue.

The cultural house was a few streets farther along.

Inside, traditional Rakzar garments shared space with training equipment and records of former champions. The display cases revealed fabrics, protective gear, and signs of use.

In an open hall, several life-sized holographic figures reproduced training sequences. The luminous bodies moved around a central space and could be observed from different angles.

An attendant paused the reproduction whenever he needed to explain a stance or transition, then allowed it to continue until the movement regained its rhythm.

Zaira remained in front of one sequence after the others had moved on to the next exhibit.

She lowered her chin slightly and followed the change in the position of the feet, then the movement of the arm and the distance the figure maintained from its opponent.

When it ended, she turned toward the attendant and pointed out the moment she wanted to review.

—Could you repeat that part more slowly?

The man adjusted the reproduction from the panel.

Zaira watched again, shifted one foot slightly to check the distance, and noted something on her phone.

Sebastián approached afterward and observed the way the movement left room for a response.

Virka watched from the opposite side, paying attention to the footing that allowed the figure to recover its position.

They exchanged a glance when the figure completed the sequence. Then Virka returned to Valentina, who was following a simpler demonstration.

The girl tried to position her feet like the figure.

She looked down, corrected one of them, and raised her arms before looking for her mother.

Virka gently moved one of her elbows aside so she could see better and waited while she tried again.

—Like this, Mom?

—Yes. Now watch what it does next.

Valentina turned back to the hologram and followed the next step with a seriousness that lasted until óscar approached.

—Now we have someone who can explain this to us when we forget —he said, looking at Luciana.

The girl smiled without lowering her arms.

Luciana responded with a smile and moved closer to listen as she tried to describe the movement. óscar let her finish before helping her find a word.

A few steps away, Zaira was still reviewing the demonstration she had chosen.

Sebastián took a picture of his daughter beside Virka and put away his phone when Valentina wanted to show him what she had learned.

Time passed among the sequences, garments, and questions about those who had preserved those practices.

Each of them gathered different records. Luciana lingered over the historical explanations; óscar connected one sequence with the changes they had just observed; Zaira returned to an exhibit before leaving the hall.

Virka helped Valentina choose which details she wanted to remember, while Sebastián checked that the saved images showed what the girl would try to draw.

Outside, the sun had moved across the facades, and groups of visitors were beginning to disperse for lunch.

They returned to the guesthouse during the tour’s break.

They left the things from their visits in their rooms and gathered in the dining room for the lunch they had arranged.

Valentina sat beside Virka and pulled the small suitcase close to her legs, with Narka still inside. Zaira placed her phone on the table to finish a note; óscar set his tablet to one side, and Luciana put away her records before pulling her glass of water closer.

When the food was served, Valentina began telling Sebastián which part of the suit she wanted to draw first.

Virka listened while bringing her plate closer, and óscar pointed with a finger to the space she would need on the sheet of paper to fit those enormous legs.

The girl laughed again.

Amid the cutlery, the notes, and the slight fatigue from walking, the conversation settled into a peaceful rhythm. Beyond the windows, the wind continued to move the branches beneath the clear northern sky.

The phone vibrated in Sebastián’s pocket while Valentina was trying to explain where she would place the suit’s arms in her drawing.

He set his utensil beside his plate, took out the device, and recognized Selena’s name on the screen.

The girl continued talking until she saw him stand up.

Sebastián glanced briefly around the table, pausing for a moment on Virka.

—I’m going to take a call. I’ll be back in a moment.

Virka nodded and moved the napkin closer to Valentina, who had just taken another bite.

—Bye, Daddy —the girl said, raising a hand.

—Don’t talk with your mouth full —Virka reminded her, arranging the napkin beside her plate.

Valentina lowered her hand and finished chewing.

óscar leaned back slightly in his chair, with one finger still resting on the edge of his tablet.

—Don’t take too long. We still have another part of the tour left.

Luciana set down her glass and raised her face toward Sebastián.

—Take your time with the call. We can wait for you here.

Zaira interrupted her note-taking to see him off with a nod and returned to her phone.

Sebastián left the dining room and moved toward one end of the porch, away from the path of those entering the guesthouse.

The wind stirred the trees along the street.

He answered there, with his back near one of the columns.

—Selena.

—Sebastián. Can you talk?

Her voice retained its usual clarity, although her greeting sounded less distant than during their first conversations.

Sebastián watched a vehicle descending the street before answering.

—Yes. Tell me.

—I need to coordinate another operation to continue the investigation. Before arranging transportation, I want to know if you’re available and where you are.

—I’m in the north. We arrived this morning with the Institute’s club. We’re having lunch now.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the call.

—Will you be staying there tonight?

—Yes. We have accommodation at a guesthouse. We’ll continue the visits during the afternoon.

Selena waited for the rustling of some leaves to pass before resuming the conversation.

—The records you recovered have allowed us to link two locations to the authorizations we reviewed in my apartment. One branch is in the north. The other location is an office on an island outside the country. I’m evaluating which one could provide us with the missing documents.

Sebastián switched the phone to his other hand and turned his eyes toward the interior of the porch.

Two guests crossed the entrance without paying attention to him.

—Are you still looking for whoever was giving the orders?

—Yes. The copies show how the movements were coordinated, but we need to trace the authorizations back to their origin. I want to review the files from those offices and compare them with what we already have.

—We can start with the northern branch.

—I was considering both possibilities. Since you’re already there, accessing that location would require less travel. I would come to accompany you and direct the review. Can you participate today?

Sebastián let his attention return to the dining room for a moment.

Valentina’s voice reached him from there, mingled with a response from óscar.

—At night. I’ll finish the activities with the group first.

—All right. That’s also when I’d prefer to enter. I’ll arrive toward the end of the afternoon, around nightfall. I’ll send you the branch’s location, and we’ll finalize the procedure when we meet.

—I’ll send you the address of the accommodation.

—Let me know when you finish the tour as well. That way, we can meet afterward.

Selena’s precision remained unchanged, but there was room for Sebastián to keep the rest of his day.

He rested his free hand against the column and waited until she resumed the conversation.

—There’s something else I wanted to tell you. Calista and Octavia Mercer’s examinations begin this afternoon.

His fingers went still against the cold surface.

—What will they evaluate first?

—For Calista, the condition of the remaining segment of her arm and the response of the nerves that could be connected to the interface. They’ll also determine how much functionality remains in the visual pathways. Those tests will allow them to assess whether the proposed reconstruction is viable and what connection each system would need.

Sebastián lowered his chin slightly, attentive to every part of the explanation.

—And Octavia?

—She remains unconscious. The team will record her brain activity through the external system while she receives the planned stimuli: voices, images, and simple commands. They’ll look for voluntary responses that can be repeated. They still need to distinguish them from activity that occurs without a verifiable intention.

A gust of wind stirred the leaves beside the porch.

Sebastián moved a little farther from the edge to hear her better.

—They’re continuing with the external evaluation.

—Yes. The conditions Helena explained are still in effect. Any subsequent stage will depend on what they manage to verify and on the decisions that correspond to each of them.

—Inform me when you have the results.

—I’ll do so as soon as the team can confirm something.

The response came without hesitation.

Then, the rustling of the leaves ceased, and Selena spoke again with a less administrative cadence.

—Then I’ll see you tonight. Enjoy the afternoon with Valentina.

Sebastián looked toward the dining room door.

The girl had leaned over the table to look at something óscar was showing her.

—Thank you. Until tonight, Selena.

—Until tonight.

He put away his phone and returned.

The others had made progress with their lunch; Luciana was checking the tour instructions, and Zaira had stopped writing.

Sebastián finished what remained on his plate while óscar showed Valentina one of the images saved during the morning.

Shortly afterward, they gathered their belongings and went out to meet the guide.

Virka carried the small suitcase beside her daughter, who walked more slowly as she tried to decide which of the suits she would draw first.

The afternoon tour took them toward a more open part of the town.

The buildings stood farther apart around courtyards and shops, and between them appeared stretches of pavement surrounded by low stands.

The guide pointed out one of the earliest regional Rakzar circuits.

It had been repaired to preserve it and welcome visitors, although the joints of the old layout could still be distinguished beneath the new surfaces.

Upon getting off, Zaira approached the edge of the track and followed a curve with her eyes before consulting the information at the entrance.

The adjoining corridors housed competition records, pieces of equipment, and themed shops.

Three-dimensional projections reproduced the movements of former participants through different sections of the circuit; beside them, images of the champions and trophies made it possible to associate each edition with its protagonists.

Luciana stopped before the dates and asked for an explanation about the changes to the track.

óscar compared a projection with the section visible from the corridor.

Zaira watched how a competitor prepared to enter the curve, raised her eyes toward the pavement, and pointed to the same spot when the reproduction passed through it again.

The possibility of trying out some ARMEX preserved for visitor activities fully captured her interest.

The operational models were in an area near the circuit, mounted on supports that allowed people to enter their open structures. An attendant explained the adjustments and supervised the trials.

Zaira asked about the permitted movements, the assistance provided to the legs, and the possibility of completing laps.

Upon learning that the activity was done in pairs, she looked toward the group.

óscar raised a hand before that gaze could settle on him.

—I’ll pass. I’m going to study the stands. They’re part of the history too.

Valentina laughed.

Luciana maintained a small smile while pointing out to the attendant the record she still wanted to ask about.

Virka approached one of the benches with the girl, from where they could see the testing area.

Valentina placed her suitcase beside her legs and examined the open components of the suits before turning toward Sebastián.

—Dad, can you run too?

He looked at the nearest model.

The joints protruded around the knees, and the back support retained the bulk of a technology that still required a great deal of space to accommodate a body.

—Yes. Now you’ll be able to see.

Zaira turned her attention toward him and then toward the two available suits.

Sebastián approached to participate with her.

Each of them paid for the activity before the attendant began adjusting the suits. Zaira left her cap and jacket beside Virka’s bench, tied back her hair to clear the rear support, and stepped into the structure.

Sebastián entered the other one.

The fastenings were secured around them as they checked that the joints were aligned and that they could bend their arms without rubbing against the plates.

Their first strides had a different heaviness from that of the Institute’s equipment.

Zaira noticed it immediately: she slowed her pace when she felt the assistance continue pushing after she tried to draw her leg back.

Sebastián maintained a moderate pace and allowed the mechanisms to complete their movement. His strength remained contained in small motions, sufficient to move the suit without demanding a response its components could not withstand.

When they reached the first curve, he maintained his distance beside her while Zaira adjusted her footing to enter it.

During the following laps, she began to anticipate that delay more effectively.

She prepared the change before she needed it, allowed the impulse to finish, and regained her direction through more measured steps.

Sebastián matched the cadence, attentive to the weight borne by the legs and the difference between commanding a movement and feeling the structure complete it.

At times, Zaira indicated a joint with her eyes, and he checked its response when repeating the same section.

The learning took place on the pavement, amid the noise of the components and the corrections each lap allowed them to make.

From the bench, Valentina followed them until they reached the other side of the circuit.

Then she opened her notebook on her knees and searched for a color inside the suitcase. Narka remained near the opening, facing the track.

Virka held one edge of the page when the wind tried to lift it and let the girl draw before pointing out where they would return.

Valentina raised her face in time to see them pass and waved toward Sebastián.

He turned his head just enough to acknowledge her and continued alongside Zaira.

The trial ended after several laps.

Zaira returned breathing more deeply, with an alert expression that remained while the attendant released the fastenings.

Upon stepping out of the support, she looked again toward the curve where she had needed to correct herself during the first lap.

—It forces you to prepare the change beforehand —Zaira commented, retrieving her jacket.

Sebastián withdrew his arm from the structure and waited for it to be secured on its base.

—The assistance takes longer to finish the impulse.

Zaira nodded and added that observation to her own.

Valentina reached her father with her notebook open. She showed him a figure with enormous arms, surrounded by a curved line, and pointed to another she had drawn a little farther ahead.

Sebastián held the page while the girl explained where he and Zaira were.

óscar approached to look at it and recognized aloud the space she had reserved for those watching from the stands. Valentina smiled and began adding them before Virka reminded her that they had to continue.

The afternoon continued among the shops associated with the track and the guide’s final explanations.

There were printed photographs, small reproductions of the equipment, and objects associated with the old competitions.

Sebastián bought Valentina a figure of one of the ARMEX suits and some postcards she chose by looking first at the mountains and then at the circuit.

The girl checked that the toy’s legs could move and raised it toward Virka.

—Look, Mom. This one can run too.

Virka leaned down to examine it and held one of the pieces while Valentina bent the other.

—Yes. Now show me how the arms move.

Before leaving, Luciana handed her phone to the guide and asked him to take a photograph of the group in front of the circuit.

She joined them, holding her hat against a gust of wind. óscar positioned himself beside Zaira while Valentina looked for a place between her parents.

Sebastián held the toy for her until she decided that it should also appear in the picture. The girl took it back and pressed it against her chest.

When the guide returned the phone, everyone moved close enough to see the photograph before returning to the vehicle.

The sun had descended over the hillsides, and shadows were beginning to cross the streets along which they returned to the guesthouse.

Zaira reviewed the images of the track; Luciana organized some references, and óscar rested his tablet on his legs.

Valentina remained beside Virka, with the postcards put away and the small ARMEX between her hands. From time to time, she raised it toward the window to see it under a different light.

Sebastián watched her arrange the toy’s legs the way she had seen his move.

The night still held its pending task, but there was still this shared journey, the hum of the vehicle, and the quiet attention with which his daughter discovered something she had just taken with her.

The vehicle stopped in front of the guesthouse when the sun had already disappeared behind the rooftops.

Sebastián got out first and took Valentina’s suitcase while Virka helped her down. The girl still held the small ARMEX between her hands, with her arms pressed against her chest, and allowed her mother to guide her toward the entrance.

Inside, the temperature was more stable, and the smell of dinner was beginning to spread from the dining room.

Luciana gathered the group near the staircase to agree on what was needed for the following morning. Zaira put away her phone after reviewing one last image of the track; óscar ran a hand through his hair, adjusted his bun, and accompanied Sebastián to the room they shared.

Time passed amid open luggage, water running in the bathrooms, and voices briefly exchanged in the corridor.

During dinner, Valentina still found the energy to place the toy beside her plate and show Luciana how its knees bent.

Afterward, she began resting her cheek on one hand.

Virka carefully moved the glass she had left too close to the edge and waited for her to finish eating.

The final observations about the visits were left among the group’s notes, ready to be revisited the following day. When they rose from the table, fatigue had already reduced their conversations to shorter sentences.

Sebastián informed Selena that they had returned and put away his phone before accompanying Virka and Valentina to their room.

In the adjoining room, Luciana and Zaira began arranging their belongings. The door connecting the two spaces was closed.

Valentina left the postcards beside her notebook and climbed into bed after changing her clothes. She tried to keep the ARMEX standing on the bedspread but ended up laying it near the pillow.

Virka placed the small suitcase beside the nightstand, leaving an opening large enough for Narka, and sat beside the girl.

—Tonight, I’m going to work with Selena —Sebastián said, stopping near the bed—. They found another branch connected to the documents. We’re going to enter to review the files.

Virka raised her face.

Her hand remained on Valentina’s back, as the girl had begun settling beneath the blanket.

—Here, in the north?

—Yes —he replied, pulling a chair closer to sit across from them—. We’ll meet now to finalize the entry. You can come if you’d prefer to accompany us. You can also stay with Valentina.

Virka looked at the girl.

A strand of hair had become trapped beneath her cheek, and she moved it aside before answering.

—I’ll stay with her. She’s tired, and I want her to sleep peacefully.

Sebastián nodded.

Virka turned her gaze back toward him, and her fingers closed slightly around the edge of the blanket.

—You can take care of that. If you need help, let me know. One of us will go, and the other will stay here.

From the suitcase, Narka slowly raised his head.

The golden glow of his eye turned toward Sebastián, and a brief inclination confirmed what Virka had just said.

No one else could see that gesture from the corridor.

Sebastián held his gaze and then turned back toward her.

Virka rested a hand on his forearm for a moment.

—Do it. We’ll stay alert.

Valentina opened her eyes when Sebastián leaned toward her.

Her small hand reached for his sleeve and grasped it before he could pull away.

—Are you coming back, Daddy?

—Yes —he replied, adjusting the blanket over her shoulder—. You rest with Mom.

The girl released the fabric and moved the toy closer to her pillow.

Sebastián kissed her forehead and waited for her to close her eyes again.

Virka leaned beside her, keeping one arm close to her body.

Their farewell remained in a glance between them before he left and gently closed the door.

In his room, Sebastián put on a dark jacket and checked Selena’s message.

óscar was sitting on his bed, with his tablet resting on his legs. He looked up when he saw him pick up his phone.

—Going out?

—I have a work matter to attend to. I’ll be back later.

óscar stopped moving his thumb across the screen and nodded.

—See you then. I’ve already done enough sightseeing for today.

Sebastián acknowledged the farewell with a nod and went downstairs.

Outside, the illuminated windows of the guesthouse were beginning to stand out against the street. He waited beside the entrance as the remaining light faded from the mountains and the cold air descended between the buildings.

The taxi appeared shortly afterward.

Selena stepped out with a compact bag and closed the door before turning toward him.

She wore a dark gray wool coat, trousers that allowed her to walk comfortably, and boots with sturdy soles. A knitted hat covered the top of her head; beneath it, her black hair fell loosely over her shoulders.

A light-colored scarf protected her mouth and nose, and her lightly padded gloves allowed her fingers to move freely.

The outfit maintained the precise elegance of her usual clothing. Even beneath garments chosen for the cold, the firmness of her posture and the neatness of her movements made her presence recognizable.

Selena lowered the scarf enough to uncover her mouth.

—Good evening, Sebastián. Did the tour go well?

—Yes. Valentina is resting with Virka.

She briefly glanced at the accommodation’s windows and adjusted the bag’s strap over her shoulder.

—I’m glad. We have time to review the entry before moving. There’s a café farther up; we can talk there.

Sebastián stepped away from the entrance to walk beside her.

—Let’s go.

The street climbed between stone and brick facades, interrupted by small shops and illuminated entrances. Selena covered her mouth again when a gust of wind swept across the slope.

Her steps maintained a steady rhythm, which Sebastián matched without walking ahead of her.

As they climbed, the lower rooftops revealed a wider expanse of the city. Lights gathered along the streets and scattered as they reached the hillsides, where the darkness concealed the last trees.

The café occupied the upper floor of a building overlooking that descent.

They entered by a side staircase and found a table beside the large window, away from the nearest conversations.

Selena removed her gloves and put them in her bag; then she loosened her scarf and took off her hat, allowing her hair to fall freely over her coat.

The lamps cast a warm light over the tables without obscuring the view outside.

They ordered hot drinks, and she took out her tablet while they waited.

An image of a tall building appeared on the screen. Its straight lines stood out among the smaller buildings surrounding it.

Selena turned the device toward Sebastián and pointed to the upper section.

—We’ll enter through the roof. The branch concentrates most of its surveillance on the lower entrances and the areas where employees and visitors circulate. There are controls upstairs as well, but fewer personnel. The height limits the entry points they consider possible.

Sebastián examined the image before pulling the device a little closer.

—We’ll have to check that when we arrive.

—Yes —she replied, resting a finger near the edge of the screen—. This information allows us to choose where to approach from. The interior route will depend on what we find. You’ll help me reach the upper section; from there, we’ll proceed to the files we need.

He raised his eyes toward Selena.

—I’ll secure the passage first. You’ll direct the review.

Selena held his gaze and rested her hand on the table.

—I want to recover the original records and leave with them. If the situation changes, we’ll adapt our entry without losing sight of that objective.

Sebastián returned the tablet to its previous position.

—I won’t prolong the work.

The response was brief, and Selena accepted it without adding any correction.

She remembered the conversation in her apartment and the clarity with which he had acknowledged his mistake. She could count on that admission when deciding how long they would remain inside and what risks they would accept.

She continued explaining how they would organize their advance from the roof, when she would need to stop to identify the files, and how they would keep an exit available.

Sebastián intervened with specific questions.

The answers gradually refined the procedure between them until each understood clearly what they were responsible for doing.

The drinks arrived as Selena was putting away the image.

She set the tablet aside and wrapped both hands around the cup. The warmth spread through her fingers as steam rose.

—Calista and Octavia are still undergoing their examinations —she commented after checking a notification—. The team will continue through part of the night. There are still no results we can confirm.

Sebastián kept his cup still before drinking.

—Are the agreed conditions still in place?

Selena nodded.

—Yes. We’re still in the evaluation stage. Any subsequent step will depend on what they manage to verify.

He acknowledged the response with a brief nod.

Selena placed her phone beside the tablet and took a sip.

For a few minutes, the conversation became less demanding.

She asked him about the visit to the track, and Sebastián mentioned Zaira’s interest in the old equipment, Valentina’s questions, and the small ARMEX she had chosen before returning.

Selena listened while leaning against the backrest, her fingers wrapped around the cup. Her expression softened slightly when he explained that the girl had spent part of the journey trying to reproduce with the toy the movements she had seen.

A green glow began to spread across the sky as they spoke.

At first, it looked like a faint band, separate from the city’s glow. Then it opened above the mountains and gained depth, folding into long lines whose edges changed slowly.

Violet appeared in the lower areas; higher up, a muted red spread across the darkness.

Some people near the window raised their faces, and the conversations grew quieter.

Selena followed the movement of the colors.

She had seen auroras on other occasions, but that vast display still deserved her setting her cup down on the table.

The bands shifted without retaining a definite shape. They narrowed above one hillside and opened again farther beyond, leaving portions of dark sky between the luminous folds.

The glass caught a faint glow that reached both their hands and outlined Sebastián’s profile as he turned toward the window.

—Had you seen one before? —Selena asked.

Sebastián slowly shook his head, without yet taking his eyes off the sky.

—No.

She watched another band beginning to form above the previous one.

—It isn’t always visible with such clarity.

He remained attentive to the movement, and Selena let the response rest there.

Her attention traveled across the colors until it returned naturally to the face before her.

The green light varied across Sebastián’s temple; beneath it, the spirals of his irises retained their dark red color. He had relaxed his shoulders slightly and held his cup without drinking, focused on something he did not need to resolve.

Selena had seen him maintain that same attention in the face of a threat, follow an incomplete record, and listen to a question until the person asking it had finished speaking.

Now she found it directed toward the sky.

That stillness allowed her to observe a part of him that continued to appear between his tasks, brief and difficult to anticipate. On the train, she had discovered that he could walk without heading anywhere. Now she watched him stop before something neither of them had anticipated.

Reichel’s words returned with the simplicity of an instruction that had remained pending: observe what changed within her when she was with him.

Selena kept her hands near the cup and allowed that question to approach what she was experiencing.

They had finalized the entry. She could check the messages again or review the documents, but she remained there, watching him.

Since when had it become so easy for her to remain like that?

Trusting him had reasons she could recognize.

He had listened to her judgment when she knew the place better, acted when the plan stopped working, and accepted an objection without hiding behind the result.

He had also made a mistake.

Selena kept that certainty alongside the others. Her trust had become firmer precisely because they had been able to discuss it without him attempting to diminish its importance.

The answer he had given in her apartment still held value because he had taken responsibility for what he needed to correct.

And there was the way he had included her under his protection.

That decision remained in her memory with a clarity that the passing days had not diminished.

Sebastián had escaped with both of them, returned for the director, and afterward sat across from her to listen to what they still needed to understand.

Selena could measure the value of his word in the recovered evidence and in the simple fact of finding herself alive on the other side of a table.

Her attention remained there even now, when no one was threatening her.

Sebastián had spent the day with his family. When the activities ended, he had made sure Valentina was accompanied and had come to their agreed meeting.

That work was part of his word, just as being with his loved ones was part of his choices.

Selena knew how difficult it could be to sustain both things when obligations began to accumulate. He did so with a restraint that left little room to display the effort.

There was something profoundly stable about that way of being.

She could speak to him precisely, point out a risk, and remain silent afterward. He did not force her to justify every space she opened in the conversation.

The tranquility she was beginning to feel beside him had taken that form: small gestures, direct answers, questions she could leave unfinished.

Selena slid her thumb along the rim of the cup.

Now she remembered conversations unrelated to work and looked forward to discovering what he chose when no one needed anything. She had come to know the person occupying her thoughts better, and that closeness had given her doubts a different weight.

How much of that uneasiness still arose from a lack of information?

How much of it already belonged to what she wanted to preserve?

The aurora extended toward one end of the window.

Sebastián followed the change with his eyes and then briefly turned back toward Selena.

—Should we leave now?

She checked the time.

The margin they had planned for was still available.

—We still have time —she replied, placing her phone face down beside the tablet.

Sebastián nodded and returned his attention to the sky.

Selena looked in the same direction, although for a moment she could still make out his reflection on the glass, superimposed over the city lights.

The entry was prepared.

There, between the drinks beginning to cool and the slow movement of the colors, there remained a stretch of time they could share without adding another task to it.

She realized she wanted to stay.

The certainty was small, but it demanded a different kind of honesty from the one she used to organize reports.

She could respect a doubt and continue observing it without forcing an answer.

She could also acknowledge that this closeness mattered to her, that she was beginning to reserve a place for it of her own choosing.

Admitting it still did not give a name to what she felt.

But it allowed her to stop treating every manifestation of it as an irregularity that needed correcting.

A violet edge opened above the green band, and Selena raised her face slightly to follow it.

The cup remained motionless between her hands.

She would still have to ask herself what was growing there and how far she wished to allow it to go.

That night, beside Sebastián, she was willing to give it time.

________________________________________

END OF Chapter 140 The path continues...

New Chapters are revealed every

Sunday, and also between Wednesday or Thursday,

when the will of the tale so decides.

Each one leaves another scar on Sebastián’s journey.

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