The week passed without incident at the mansion. The introductions between the families came to an end. Haruki and Irina continued handling the requests coming from their superiors. The rest of us used those days to rest, though questions and worries remained with us.
Eleonor recovered, although moving her shoulder still bothered her. The good news was that, according to the scans, her magical nodes had stabilized; it was only a matter of days before she recovered completely.
Elena, for her part, devoted herself entirely to helping Kenji with the new discoveries. On a couple of occasions, we met with her to keep up with any discoveries they might have made, though there was nothing new.
As for me, I experienced no further manifestations like the one I had felt when I touched the bracelet. During those days, whenever I looked at it, that phrase kept running through my mind: bring the relics together.
When the morning of our departure finally arrived, I found Eleonor waiting by my bedroom door.
"We're really leaving this time," she said.
She watched me as I finished adjusting my jacket and asked:
"Did you sleep?"
"Yes, enough," I replied.
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Yes, Mom. I did get some sleep."
She lunged forward with her characteristic speed and grabbed the collar of my jacket. Staring at me with an almost murderous look in her eyes, she said:
"One more joke like that, and I'll give you the beating I promised you back at the academy."
She let go of me and stepped away from the door to let me out. Then we walked toward the hangar.
Sophie and Irina were already beside the aircraft. Haruki was speaking with the coordinator of our escort; when he saw us, he ended the conversation and motioned for us to board. Shortly afterward, the hatch closed, and we left the mansion behind.
Haruki sat down across from us.
"The facility is in Nagano. The staff already have everything ready. When we arrive, they'll check our access credentials, and we'll be able to enter."
I nodded. After so many days of waiting, I would finally have another of the relics.
We spoke little during the journey. Eleonor stayed beside me while Sophie checked the equipment she had brought. As we drew closer, the mountains began to fill the view through the windows.
The aircraft descended toward a facility surrounded by forest. From above, we could make out a few buildings and a landing pad where security personnel were waiting for us.
As we landed, the spy received confirmation of our arrival in the mansion's operations area.
The message included the facility's location. Until then, he had only had access to personnel assignments and preparations for the departure, but that message also appeared in the supply records. Comparing them was enough to confirm the destination.
He waited until he could contact Masumoto securely.
"I have the location."
"Where?"
"Nagano. The transport has just arrived. I'm sending you the exact coordinates."
Masumoto examined the data he received.
"Is Haruki there?"
"Yes."
"Remain at your post. Don't try to find out anything else. And if you don't hear from us within the next fourteen hours, drop everything and fly to Wales. Tell Mr. Valerius we failed."
With those words, the transmission ended.
Masumoto went to where his men were waiting.
"We now know the exact location of our target. Let's move."
Meanwhile, at the facility, the security staff checked our identities and reviewed our authorizations before allowing us to continue. Haruki had to wait with us while they finished. No one opened the doors simply because he asked them to.
Afterward, they led us down a corridor that descended toward the secure storage rooms.
The mark on my back began to react before we reached them.
I stopped and reached toward the bracelet.
"What's wrong?" Eleonor asked.
"I can feel it."
Haruki looked at me in surprise.
"How remarkable!"
"It's at the end of the corridor."
I didn't have to ask him what he meant. A faint pulse ran through my back, growing clearer as we moved forward.
The custodians opened the last door. Inside stood a table, and on it, a small security box protected by magical seals bearing the family emblem. Haruki approached it. His mark began to glow. He removed a thin sheet of metal covering the figure of a dragon, took his dagger, and cut the tip of his ring finger. The figure began to shine with a purple light that illuminated the entire room, and suddenly, the small box opened.
Inside lay a pair of earrings, each set with a gem.
Their size surprised me. After everything we had discussed about that relic, it felt strange to see it there, made up of two such small pieces.
"This is the relic our family has guarded," Haruki said.
Sophie moved close to me. Irina studied the gems, her eyes lit by the blue glow of her vision.
"They're reacting to you," she said.
I could feel it too.
I picked up both earrings. The pulse in my back grew deeper, but it caused no pain. For a few seconds, I stood looking at them, waiting for something like what I had experienced in China to happen.
"Are you going to put them on?" Eleonor asked.
"Yes," I replied.
She moved a little closer.
"I'll be right beside you in case anything happens to you."
I nodded and placed the first one in my ear. The gem gave off a faint glow. I raised my other hand and put on the second.
The moment it was in place, I lost control of my body.
I tried to lower my arms, but they wouldn't respond. My legs remained firm, and my gaze stayed fixed on Eleonor. I saw her frown and move closer.
"Noah."
I tried to answer her.
I couldn't.
My body was completely locked.
Eleonor gripped my arms. I heard Sophie say my name, but her voice began to fade into the distance. The faces, the table, and the walls blurred until they disappeared.
The darkness that remained felt familiar. I tried to hold on to the pressure of Eleonor's hands, but I stopped feeling that too.
Then I made out a silhouette in front of me.
In China, I had barely managed to see a human shape among the golden particles. This time, the outlines remained stable. I could make out the shoulders, the neck, and, little by little, the face.
My breath caught.
I stumbled backward. My foot caught, and I had to spread my arms to keep from falling, but I kept backing away, unable to stop staring.
It couldn't be.
I raised a hand to my face. I touched my cheek, my mouth, my jaw. My fingers were trembling so much that I could barely keep them still.
The face before me.
There was no doubt: it was identical to mine.