At midday, the air was saturated with the sun's warmth, and the breeze in the garden carried a sense of calm, as if the place was preparing for something different.
Daniel and Maldo stood face to face in the middle of the green space, between the shade of the trees and the scattered sounds of birds.
Daniel said calmly, putting his hands in his pockets, a playful smile on his face:
"Come on... If you can punch me, I'll consider you the winner."
Maldo stepped back, looking at him with eyes sparkling with determination and surprise.
Just a punch? Is he mocking me?
He thought for a moment, then smiled lightly and confidently:
"That's easy... Of course I'll win."
Daniel said calmly, his tone exuding a confidence that didn't need to be raised:
"Show me."
But before Maldo could move, a light smoke rose beside Daniel, thick enough to look like a shadow forming out of thin air.
As it dissipated, Luca was revealed standing there, a broad smile on his face as if he had come to a special play.
"Hey!" he said, waving his hand enthusiastically.
"I'm going to watch this show up close... Maldo, show this arrogant guy your skills!"
"Okay..."
Maldo said and took off.
He rushed forward with all his might, his feet striking the ground with strange confidence, his features tense with excitement and defiance.
But Daniel... didn't move.
He didn't raise his hand, he didn't prepare to defend himself. He just stood still and suspiciously calm.
And when Maldo's fist was about to reach him, Daniel leaned his body slightly to the side … a barely visible movement, but it was enough to make Maldo's blow pass through space.
He lost his balance for a moment, his body swaying in the air, then turned quickly, searching with his eyes for his opponent.
But the space in front of him was empty.
He didn't realize how it had happened until he heard the voice coming from behind him, calm... slightly mocking:
"Do you think your speed will enable you to touch me?"
Maldo froze for a moment, feeling a chill run down his spine, then slowly turned to see Daniel standing behind him, his hands in his pockets as if he had never moved.
Daniel raised his eyebrow with a slight smirk and said in a calm but defiant tone:
"Go on... do your best."
He didn't give up. He clenched his fists and rushed forward again, his footsteps pounding the ground, his eyes never leaving his target this time.
But the result was no different... In an instant, Daniel disappeared from his field of vision, and his fist passed through only air, leaving behind a faint echo of the wind.
Before he could catch his breath, he heard his voice again, coming from the side this time, in a calm, confident tone:
"I told you that your speed won't work on me."
He's fast... really fast...
The thought flashed through his mind like lightning, followed by a slight tremor in his fingers.
His eyes scanned the area, looking for a gap, any plan that would enable him to even touch him.
But he realized, deep in his heart, that this was no longer just a normal training session.
He raised his head again toward Daniel, who stood a few steps away, a calm smile on his face, as if he could read what was going on in Maldo's head without needing words.
He said in his deep, calm voice:
"If you just think... you'll never move."
Maldo took a deep breath. This time, he didn't rush.
His eyes moved between Daniel's features, watching the position of his feet, the tilt of his body, and the direction of his shadow on the ground.
He stepped lightly, then quickened his pace until he was directly in front of him.
At the last moment, he suddenly turned his body to the right, as if he were going to attack from that direction, then changed course in a flash to the left.
The air split behind his fist.
Daniel's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and he took his hand out of his pocket for the first time, grabbing Maldo's head before he could complete his move.
There was a brief silence, before a faint laugh escaped Daniel.
"You did it..." he said with a sideways smile.
Then, patting him on the shoulder, he added:
"You made me take my hand out of my pocket and move."
Daniel slowly withdrew his hand and put it back in his pocket, his slight smile still present.
"Good progress," he said in a low voice that carried a hint of admiration, "but to improve your performance, you must learn that those who fight never fight with their hands... but first with their minds, then with their hands."
Maldo blinked in confusion and said hesitantly:
"How? I don't understand what you mean."
Daniel let out a short laugh, not a mocking one, but more like the smile of a wise man who saw the first seed of understanding being planted.
"I'll simplify it for you..." he said, taking two slow steps, then turning toward him with steady eyes.
"When you attack, you think the fight begins when your hand moves.
But the truth is that the battle begins before that, the moment you think about how to move."
He paused for a moment, then raised his hand and pointed to his head.
"The hand only does what the mind tells it to do. And if your mind is slower than your opponent's... no matter how fast you are, you won't be able to catch up with him."
Maldo stared at him with genuine interest, and something began to form in his mind.
"So... if I understand my opponent first, I can attack him before he even moves?"
Daniel nodded slowly, saying in a tone of quiet satisfaction:
"Real fighting is not a battle of muscles, but a battle of minds.
When you realize that, you will understand why an old man can defeat a young man in his prime."
Before Maldo could reply, Luca suddenly appeared from behind and sat down at his feet, resting his chin on his hands like a child waiting for a story.
"Oh, oh! I get it!" he said with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"So I have to have a mind like an old man, right?"
Daniel stared at him for a silent second, then raised his hand and placed it on his face with obvious fatigue, shaking his head slowly.
"Are you sure... You really understand?"
Maldo laughed softly as he saw Daniel's features melt between patience and despair, while Luca looked proud of himself, as if he had just discovered the secret of the universe.
Daniel took a gold pocket watch out of his pocket, glistening in the dim sunlight, engraved with a detailed rose and a decorative Latin letter in the center.
He contemplated it for a few silent seconds, as if its hands reminded him of something heavier than time itself, then said in a calm tone:
"Come on... I have to check on Sally now."
He slipped the watch back into his pocket with practiced ease, then turned and walked steadily back toward the house, adding without looking back:
"We'll continue training later, little fighter."
Maldo stared at Daniel as he walked away, his eyes following his footsteps until he disappeared at the entrance to the house. There was something strange about his gait... a mixture of calmness and heaviness, as if each step carried a secret he did not want to reveal.
But his reverie was soon interrupted by a poke in his shoulder.
He turned quickly to see Luca smiling slyly, his arms crossed behind his head, saying in a light tone:
"Come on, genius... Let's have some fun. I mean, of course, let's train together, now that he's gone."
Maldo gave him a skeptical look, his eyebrows raised, and said in a dry tone:
"Does that mean you want to be my coach now?"
Luca replied, waving his hand with feigned confidence:
"Of course! Who else can teach you the secrets of real fighting? Rule number one: if you can't win, at least make your opponent regret his victory!"
Then he added in a less serious and more arrogant tone:
"And this is also my chance to show you my amazing magic and teach you how to use your own magic."
Maldo looked at his hand for a moment, overcome with surprise.
"I forgot I had magic!" he whispered to himself, as if his own power, which he hadn't used since he acquired it, had slipped his mind.
"Yes, show me," said Maldo, his voice a mixture of excitement and defiance.
"Okay," replied Luca, slowly raising his finger.
"To master your magic, you have to focus, imagine, and feel the heat and the cold. Feel the heat creeping under your skin, the cold wrapping around your bones... then bring them together."
Luca's finger glowed with black fire, faint at first, then growing stronger, as if it were a living entity, pulsing with mysterious energy before Maldo's eyes.
Luca nodded slowly, his eyes sparkling with a hint of defiance.
"Actually, this is a small flame of my power... I tried to simplify it for you."
Maldo stared at him with wide eyes, his heart pounding.
"Okay... I'll try it too," he said, his voice carrying a mixture of excitement and fear.
He had to feel the heat and cold in his body at the same time.
Just as Luca had said... bring them together.
He closed his eyes and raised his hand forward, searching within himself for any trace of that mysterious energy.
And in the darkness of his mind, he glimpsed a small spark flashing.
Yes... That's it.
He slowly opened his eyes.
His palm glowed briefly with an unstable light, then quickly faded, leaving behind a solemn silence—as if something deep inside him had awakened, then fallen back asleep before he realized what had happened.
"It's okay..." Luca said in a satisfied tone, leaning toward calmness.
"That's a good start. With continued practice, you'll be able to do it easily."
He raised his hand slowly, as if the air itself was responding to his signal.
The scattered leaves around them suddenly moved, swirling in a small vortex, making a whisper as they danced in the air.
Then he snapped his finger, and the movement stopped in an instant, and all the leaves burned in a single flash, leaving ashes floating to the ground.
He brought his hand back to his side and looked at Maldo with his usual mysterious sparkle in his eyes.
"You can use magic... in all its forms."
"Amazing,"
Maldo whispered, his eyes widening in genuine surprise.
Luca smiled lightly and smugly, placing his hands behind his back.
"I know, I know... I'm wonderful, my boy."
He paused for a moment, then added in a deliberately confident tone:
"In fact, I'm beyond wonderful."
I'll pretend I didn't hear anything...
Maldo thought as he turned away, returning home with weary steps.
"Hua! I'm not done with my great lessons yet!"
Luca shouted after him, his tone a mixture of protest and arrogance.
Maldo sighed and waved his hand without turning around.
"I'm tired from training... I'm going back now."
Luca stared at his back for a moment, his eyes shining with a sparkle that was not entirely understandable.
Then he smiled slightly, almost sarcastically, before walking quietly behind him toward the house.
Daniel was sitting in the hall, quietly engrossed in his book, unaffected by the hustle and bustle of the world around him.
Maldo went straight to Sally's room, but she wasn't there.
He returned to the living room, his eyes searching among the familiar furniture, his voice tinged with slight concern:
"Silver Daniel... Where's Sally?"
Daniel looked up from his book, his expression calm as always.
"She's on the balcony..." he replied in a steady voice, then added with a mixture of sternness and humor:
"And also... stop saying my name like that."
Maldo paid no attention to the warnings and moved hesitantly toward the balcony.
There, his eyes froze for a moment.
That red hair, fluttering lightly in the open air, as if dancing to an invisible rhythm.
Sally swayed lightly, as if her small body embodied music that only her heart could hear,
swimming between light and shadow with an agility and freedom that made the scene seem more like a dream than reality.
Her dance was like the work of a great artist, impossible to describe in words.
Her every small movement made Maldo's eyes sparkle, as if the light itself were reflected in them.
When Sally noticed his arrival, she stopped suddenly and smiled with childlike surprise:
"Maldo... you surprised me."
Maldo whispered, as if afraid to break the calm of the moment:
"I'm sorry..."
He was about to walk away, but suddenly Sally ran towards him quickly and gently pulled him to her side.
"No... don't go!"
Maldo stopped suddenly, his eyes contemplating her small face, warmth rising in his chest in a way he did not yet understand.
He wanted to speak, but he couldn't find the words. All he could do was stand still, feeling the weight of the moment.