The Shadow Council had succeeded in extinguishing the life of the Scepter of Avocios—the last flame of light on the planet. Everything was now ruled by shadows; the already darkened skies grew even darker, and the moon began to be engulfed by the rising sea, surging with immense power like a geyser. The water that rose was no ordinary water but magical—once an ancient light and pure entity, it had become inert and putrid after the emergence of the shadows, as dark as nothingness itself. The water surged higher and higher, piercing through the sky and blocking out the moon, as if slowly filling it from within.
Once the water completely covered the moon, it radiated a black flash. The moon resembled an eclipse, but instead of being purely dark, it appeared as some kind of portal. The Marine Dawn had begun. "Finally," said a voice emanating from the moon. "I will finally be free," the voice declared.
"Our lord," the councilors intoned, kneeling before the voice. Tejod did the same, and everyone else followed suit. "Hail Urugas!" the gathered crowd cheered.
"Yes, I can finally feel my exit," Urugas said, a manifestation of shadow drawing closer to the portal. But when he tried to cross, he couldn't. "What is this? I can't pass!" Urugas exclaimed, attempting repeatedly to breach the dimension before him, but to no avail. "No, this cannot be happening!" A great, demonic roar echoed across the area, filled with fury at his inability to escape.
"What is happening, my lord?" asked one of the councilors.
"I can't pass! A curse remains—a presence of Avocios' light still blocks me. Where is it? WHERE IS IT?" Urugas raged.
"It seems your plans aren't going to come to fruition, Tejod," Paltio said confidently. "Now return my people to me and leave this place, for the light has triumphed over the darkness."
"What nonsense are you spouting, brat?" Tejod snapped. "This can't be! We were so close, and now our lord can't emerge. I've waited years for this moment. What have you done? You must be responsible!" he accused, glaring at the boy angrily.
"I don't think I've done anything," Paltio replied calmly. "But it seems there's something that has managed to trap your master, preventing him from escaping. Clearly, the magic of Avocios still lingers in this world. Can't you see? It's best you surrender and forget about freeing your master from his prison."
"No, no, no! My lord, this wretched phenomenon called the Marine Dawn is about to end at any moment. I cannot allow this—I must do something for my lord!"
"Well, it's time for you to give up," Paltio said confidently, looking straight at Tejod. "You've lost, and the darkness along with you."
"Why do you speak such nonsense, child? Why do you have such confidence now?" Tejod demanded.
"Because we've already won," Paltio responded, spotting soldiers emerging from the forest.
"Who are those people?" Tejod and the others exclaimed upon seeing the newcomers. Among them were his friends—and his grandfather—who had arrived at the battlefield, all heavily armed and surrounding the shadow armies.
"Fools! You useless rabble—you're outnumbered. Do you really think you'll win, brat?" Tejod spat furiously.
"Give up, Tejod. We outnumber you," Paltio declared confidently. At that moment, the sky began to crack, and the normal night sky became visible once more—no longer cloaked in the darkness of the shadows, but clear and bright.
"But how?" Tejod exclaimed, noticing the sudden change in the sky. "Someone must have discovered how to destroy the crystals."
Both armies clashed, beginning the battle. On his side, Paltio stood face-to-face with Tejod and decided to attack him after seeing the signal Alita had sent, indicating that they had successfully gathered all the citizens who had been turned into statues. However, she couldn't communicate to him that they hadn't found his parents, as they no longer had the mental link provided by Golden. There was no time to dwell on it—the battle had already begun.
With that signal, Paltio addressed Tejod: "You've lost. I've already collected all the statues of the citizens of Avocadalia. Surrender."
Meanwhile, the shadow of Urugas continued searching for what was preventing him from advancing. "Everything has been absorbed; we drained the power of Avocios, rendering it useless for years. So why can't I see what's missing to free myself?" Urugas muttered, scanning everything around him as if his eyes were equipped with a scanner. "What am I overlooking?" he said, inspecting every detail. Then, his gaze fell upon Paltio. "That brat—it must be him. He's the reason I'm still trapped here."
Urugas sent a signal to Tejod.
"I understand," Tejod said, smirking. "Surrender? Do you really think I don't have an ace up my sleeve?" From around his neck, he pulled out an amulet capable of turning any living being into jade.
When he pointed it at Paltio, nothing happened. "What? Impossible!" Tejod exclaimed, bewildered.
"It's over, sir," Pax interjected. "This wretched traitorous insect…" Tejod growled, clutching the amulet tightly.
The Shadow Council had extinguished the last flame of light on the planet: the Scepter of Avocios had been consumed by darkness. Everything was shrouded in shadows, and the already darkened skies grew even darker. The moon, a silent witness to the ritual, began to be engulfed by a torrent of water rising with immense force, like a magical geyser.
But this water was no ordinary water. Once a pure and luminous entity—a manifestation of life itself—it had become corrupted after the emergence of the shadows, transforming into something inert and putrid, as dark as nothingness. The water surged implacably, breaking through the boundaries of the sky and slowly enveloping the moon. It was as if the celestial body were being devoured by an endless sea.
Finally, when the moon was completely engulfed by the dark water, it radiated a black flash. Instead of a traditional eclipse, what now appeared was a portal—a gateway to the unknown. The Marine Dawn had begun.
"At last," said a deep, resonant voice from within the portal. "I will finally be free," the voice continued, heavy with anticipation and power.
"Our lord," the councilors declared in unison, kneeling reverently before the presence. Tejod quickly followed suit, bowing his head until his forehead touched the ground, and everyone else present joined in worship. "Hail Urugas!" the soldiers and leaders of the shadows cheered, their voices merging into a deafening chant.
"Yes, I can finally feel my exit... At last!" exclaimed Urugas, a shadowy manifestation advancing toward the portal. But as he attempted to cross it, something held him back.
"What is this? I can't pass!" Urugas shouted furiously, straining to force his way into the dimension calling to him. His efforts were in vain.
"No, this cannot be happening!" Urugas roared, his demonic voice echoing across the space. The air vibrated with his anger, and a malevolent energy coursed through the area, chilling the blood of all who heard it.
"What is the matter, my lord?" one of the councilors asked, bowing even lower under his invisible gaze.
"I can't pass! Damn it! There's still a presence of Avocios' light blocking me. Where is it? WHERE IS IT?" Urugas bellowed, his voice heavy with rage and frustration.
Paltio, observing the scene intently, smiled wryly. "It seems your plans aren't going to succeed, Tejod," the prince said, crossing his arms. "Return my people to me and leave this place. After all, it seems the light has triumphed over the darkness."
"What nonsense are you spouting, brat?" Tejod retorted, glaring at him fiercely. "We were so close... My lord cannot emerge! This can't be happening. I've waited years for this moment. Surely, you're the one responsible!" he accused, clenching his fists in fury.
"I don't think I've done anything," Paltio replied calmly, though a spark of determination gleamed in his eyes. "But it's clear that something has managed to trap your master, preventing him from escaping. The magic of Avocios must still linger in this world. Can't you see? It's best you surrender and forget about freeing your master from his prison."
"NO, NO, NO!" Tejod screamed, desperate. "My lord, this accursed phenomenon called the Marine Dawn is about to end at any moment. I cannot allow it! I must do something for my lord!"
The tension in the air was palpable. Everyone present waited anxiously, time seeming to stand still. The fate of the world hung by a thread, and not even the most powerful among the shadows could foresee what would happen next.
"It's time for you to give up," Paltio declared with renewed confidence, locking his gaze on Tejod. "You've lost, and with you, all this darkness has also fallen."
"Why do you spout such nonsense, boy? Where does this newfound confidence come from?" Tejod shot back, frowning as he tried to mask his growing nervousness.
"Because we've already won," Paltio responded, pointing toward the nearby forest. From there, familiar figures began to emerge: his friends, led by his grandfather, armed to the teeth, quickly surrounding the armies of the shadows.
"Who are they?" Tejod asked, visibly stunned as he recognized the newcomers. His eyes filled with disbelief as he spotted Alita, Ron, Lucca, Rykaru, and the others among them. All of them advanced with determination, ready to confront the forces of the shadows.
"Fools! You useless rabble—you're outnumbered. Do you really think you'll win, brat?" Tejod shouted, trying to maintain his arrogant demeanor, though his voice trembled slightly.
"Surrender, Tejod. We outnumber you," Paltio declared firmly.
At that very moment, the sky began to crack, revealing the clear night firmament once more. The dense darkness that had shrouded the world for so long dissipated, giving way to a starlit sky.
"But how?" Tejod murmured, bewildered by the sudden change. "It's impossible! Someone must have discovered how to destroy the crystals!"
Both armies clashed in fierce combat. The Shadow soldiers fought with unrelenting fury, but Paltio's allies were stronger and more determined to reclaim their world. Meanwhile, Paltio stood face-to-face with Tejod, ready to confront him. Upon receiving the signal sent by Alita—a distant flash of light—he knew they had gathered all the citizens that were being converted into statues. However, she hadn't been able to telepathically communicate that they still hadn't found his parents, as they no longer had Golden's mental link.
With this certainty, Paltio looked directly at Tejod and declared: "You've lost. I've already collected all the statues of Avocadalia's citizens. Surrender."
Meanwhile, Urugas's shadow continued to struggle, searching for the reason he couldn't cross the portal. "How is this possible? If they've already absorbed everything... They drained the power of Avocios, rendering it useless for years. What am I missing to free myself completely?" His voice resonated with frustration as he frantically scanned the surroundings, as if equipped with a radar in his dark eyes.
"What am I overlooking?" Urugas muttered, inspecting every detail. Finally, his attention focused on Paltio. "That brat... Yes, it must be him. He's the reason I'm still trapped here."
Urugas sent a mental signal to Tejod, who grinned maliciously upon receiving it. "I understand," the badger said, flashing a twisted smile. "Surrender, eh, boy? Do you really think I don't have an ace up my sleeve?" With that, he pulled an amulet from around his neck, pointing it directly at Paltio.
However, when he activated it, nothing happened.
"What?" Tejod exclaimed, incredulous. He inspected the artifact and noticed something alarming: instead of the powerful object he once possessed, only a worthless piece of rock remained.
"My amulet! Were you looking for this, sir?" Pax said, holding up the real amulet that had been secretly kept hidden.
"You treacherous little insect!" Tejod roared, glaring daggers at Pax. "But what do I have in my hand?" he shouted, examining the useless chunk of rock.
"Grrrrr!" Tejod bellowed, his cry of rage echoing across the battlefield.
"Well, I'm not who you think I am," Pax said calmly as he removed the disguise, revealing his true identity: Lukeandria.
"You!" Tejod screamed, hatred dripping from every word. "That lucuma brat... You should be dead, like your people!"
"And now, weren't you saying something about surrendering?" Paltio interrupted, seizing the moment to press Tejod.
"You shut up, damn kid!" Tejod roared, clenching his fists in fury. "Even if you have the amulet, you don't know how to use it!"
"What amulet?" Lukeandria asked innocently, showing her empty hands with a mischievous smile.
"Bye-bye, silly, meow!" Toco-Toco exclaimed from afar, waving the stolen amulet before vanishing at lightning speed into the shadows.
"Now then, are you ready to give up?" Paltio said, advancing toward Tejod with determination, ready to strike.
"Wait a minute, boy," Tejod replied, raising a hand in warning. With a swift motion, he pulled something from beneath his cloak: two red jade statues. "Because if not, I'll finish off your parents."
Paltio froze in shock, his body paralyzed as the words echoed cruelly in his mind.
"You're lying," Paltio retorted, though his voice trembled slightly. "Alita sent me the signal that they collected everyone."
"Do you want to find out?" Tejod sneered, holding the statues by the neck as if they were mere trophies.
Paltio stood frozen, torn between anger and despair. He didn't know what to do. His parents were in danger, but he had also promised to protect his friends.
"I'll handle this," Lukeandria interjected, stepping forward with determination. But before she could act, a dark ray shot out of nowhere, violently hurling her through the air.
"Well, what an annoying girl," one of the councilors remarked indifferently, watching as Lukeandria crashed to the ground, dazed but still conscious.
"I'll finish off your little friend over there too, Paltio," Tejod sneered, relishing the moral conflict he saw in the prince's eyes.
Tejod had him cornered. "I have your parents and your little friend. Who will you save?"
The air seemed to freeze around them. The tension was palpable, and Paltio felt the weight of the decision threatening to crush him. His gaze darted from the statues of his parents to Lukeandria, who was struggling to get back on her feet despite her weakness.
"Choose, boy," Tejod murmured, leaning toward him with a triumphant smile. "Your time is running out."