Mike first helped Emily to her feet, then gently took Amanda by the arms, though with the urgency of someone who knew every second could be their last, trapped in the uncertainty of not knowing who would survive and who would not. Matías was still crying against Mike’s wife’s chest, feeling completely safe in the warmth of her embrace, not knowing where his mother was at that very moment when he needed her most. Mike held him firmly, helping him to stand.“Quickly, we have to get out of here. The base is no longer safe—for us, or for anyone,” he said tensely, his gaze scanning every corner of the improvised refuge, fully aware that at any instant something could shatter what little peace remained.He wasn’t wrong.A sharp, metallic screech echoed just behind them. A distorted shadow slipped through the makeshift opening of their hideout. Out of the gloom emerged one of those creatures, its single eye glowing like a blade’s crack of light—blood-red. Its body twisted unnaturally, as if

The ship rose into the sky with a metallic roar, shaking everyone in their seats. Mike gripped the controls tightly while Stanford, at his side, scanned the indicators on the panel.“We need a destination, and fast,” Stanford muttered, his eyes locked on the glowing touchscreens before him. “We can’t wander around in the air, not with them chasing us and looking for any desperate way to catch us—and who knows what they’d do if they succeed.”Mike nodded, his gaze fixed on the dark horizon.From the back seat, Amanda leaned forward, pointing at the GPS monitor, since her passenger seat wasn’t too far from the pilots.“Look, there… a deserted island, not far from the city coast. If we get there, we could hide. I don’t think they’d catch us there, or well… considering how smart they seem to be…”“Or here,” Emily interrupted, enlarging another signal she had just managed to detect on the map before a final decision was made. “A small village. There’s an abandoned house marked in the satel

The door closed behind them, and soon the sound of small footsteps running through the hallway filled the house. Matías quickly grabbed his father’s and Amanda’s hands, pulling them toward the backyard. The fresh morning air wrapped around them, accompanied by the chirping of birds that had built their nest under the eaves of the house.“Here, Dad!” the boy shouted, pointing at an old ball he had found in a corner.When exactly had the child gone to explore the house and stumbled upon that toy on his way?Mike smiled. He couldn’t remember the last time he had played soccer peacefully with his son without constantly having to look over his shoulder, just like he had hours earlier, while playing with Emily before all the previous chaos. He picked up the ball, tossed it into the air, and with an exaggerated gesture of a “professional goalkeeper,” threw it back to Matías.“Catch it, champ!”Amanda clapped softly, laughing as she watched the boy stumble after the ball. The scene felt heali

Emily opened her mouth to begin, but she barely spoke the first words before Mike cut her off, raising his hand abruptly.“Don’t continue,” he said, his voice rough and his eyes burning with contained fury. “I don’t want to hear it… I don’t want to… I don’t need any more details about what that bastard did to you…”His breathing grew heavy, as if each inhalation carried tons of anger and pain. Amanda tried to approach, but she stepped back when she felt the energy beginning to emanate from her husband. It was as if the air itself vibrated around him, charged with an invisible electricity that made the windowpanes tremble.“Mike…” Stanford whispered, in a warning tone, hoping his father-in-law would hold his temper—because although he understood perfectly that Mike wanted to explode with rage, this was not the time to do it, or things would end very badly for them.But it was already too late. The magic in Hamilton’s veins woke like a beast that had been caged for too long. His pupils

The Hamilton family climbed down from the ship when its engines finally shut off.Mike asked to be the first to get out, then let the others follow, since he wanted to make sure everything was in order outside the ship and thus avoid any unexpected mishaps.Mike scanned the area like an eagle perching on the highest branch of a tree to ensure that everything was in absolute order. When he confirmed it was safe, Hamilton signaled to his family, and one by one they carefully disembarked, keeping their eyes fixed on the place that lay before them.Stanford suggested they walk together as a small group, with Mike and him leading; Emily and her mother agreed, taking refuge behind the men who accompanied them in the rescue of little Matías, who they believed had been kidnapped and was supposed to be there.Little by little, they approached the large metal door that awaited them and would allow them to enter.Mike had a bad feeling about it; his skin went cold with goosebumps, making him dou