A week has passed since Norilex's attack on the institution, in a bed in the infirmary Marinep begins to open her eyes, three (3) beds before hers, the sun's rays were pouring over the window with light dimly inside the room through the curtains, following the line of illumination, he sees a male silhouette against the light that, taking advantage of the clarity offered to him, was calmly reading a book.
Marinep quickly withdraws her vision of the boy's tanned skin and whose coppery hair bathed in the solar dawn resembles the same sunset, because something moved next to him, when he turned his head he saw Esteban's blond hair lying on the edge of the bed. She tried to move her left arm to touch him but it was under the sheet crushed by the blond head, so she was only trying to wake him up trying to move him without much success. With his right hand he tries to pull her hair but the hose of the solution that was in his arm makes the metallic IV pole click where the intravenous solution was hanging, attracting the attention of Kevin who closes the book he was reading and quickly approaches towards she.
—Good afternoon princess, how are you feeling?— Kevin asks in a rather low tone.
—I am much better.
—I'll get you something to eat, you've had a long time in bed.
—And how are you? What about the others? And is Erick better already? I ask worried but my exaltation awakens Esteban.
—You should worry about yourself first— Esteban suggests, still sleepy. —Also between that unnecessary excitement and Kevin's coming and going bothers people who want to sleep.
I stare at him in surprise trying not to laugh at his tousled hair so I fix my line of sight to Kevin who is standing in front of the door with a look of Are you listening to what he is saying? To then show a smile and respond to him.
—Well I'm sorry to disturb your sleep, however firstly you shouldn't be sleeping here and secondly you should be awake before the princess which you haven't.
—I was hoping he pulled my hair," she answers with her mouth making a yawn.
—Why would the princess give you that treatment? Anyway, it is good news that you have woken up although you must remember not to demand too much, OK?
—Okay, but you haven't answered me. How are the others?
—We're fine, there's nothing to worry about— Esteban says irritably with his eyes closed as he rests his head on the bed.
—Erick woke up just yesterday to find an antidote to counteract the sleepiness of Norilex spores. He now he's out with the Joselin girl.
—Norilex ... what happened to her?
—She was expelled from the institution, now without powers or a ruler, the territory of Esia is at the mercy of Antirda as the new owner.
—... I want to talk to Joselin— she indicated as I removed the IV from my arm.
—Are you sure about that?— Esteban asks worried.
—In my opinion you'd better rest a bit more— Kevin suggests.
—We cannot afford to waste any more time, as we do not know when the leader of Antirda will strike again.
Esteban and Kevin look at each other worried by Marinep's sudden suggestion, but they nod their heads. Kevin leaves the room to find the leader of Irop who is in the hall with Erick. They enter the infirmary, Marinep observes them seeing that in it the girl who is her brother's girlfriend for a long time has completely recovered from the injury caused in the battle, while Erick still looked between tired and angry .
Silence begins to reign in the room, no one speaks, only alert glances are directed to any importunate, Marinep sighs and asks the question that breaks that soundless environment.
—Let's talk bluntly, you have something to say and I want to hear it— Her words confront Joselin.
—You've grown a lot…— she hesitates to speak for a moment. —It's true, the situation got out of control and what happened here shouldn't have been.
—Are you aware of the lives that were innocently lost because of that?— Erick remembers euphorically. —As a leader I have been instilled that deaths are the order of the day when it comes to fighting of this kind, but this leaves a bad taste in my mouth, that innocent people die because of ambitious idiots.
—Just because of what you said is that we are in this situation. Because of ambition, greed for power and corruption, the worst plagues are unleashed on our world, making the human mind sick so that they wreak havoc for their own pleasure, that is the truth.
—The truth of the world? That is not new news or do you have a new truth? Under what law do you base yourself for it?— Question Erick.
Joselin understands that no one will trust her or anything she says so she lets out a small sigh and moves to a nearby chair, the other leaders are attentive to any of her actions, aware of her ways of acting, she just sits down. and raise his hands in surrender, he will not attack and will not be hostile towards any of them.
—I agree that you do not trust me, but believe me when I tell you that I am in the same situation ... I have not had a ruler since I was 15 years old and I have been under the orders of the Antirda territory since then, I only did what was ordered. as each one of you at the time.
—Why should we trust? Those are just words— Esteban gets up to approach him but Marinep stops him.
—Joselin, I don't know what you've been through. However, you are speaking without releasing all the information and in that way we cannot give you a vote of confidence. Besides, does my brother know what you do?
—I'll tell you ... I know what I'm going to say will seem like just a story but ... please listen to me, he ... doesn't agree with me doing this— she takes a deep breath and then releases it in a big sigh. —The first thing you should know is about the origins of this neutral land that we know as the territory of the institution or what is known, so I ask that you question everything I say.
***
The story dates back a long time, in which there were three beings in the creation of this world and it is not until man obtained the ability to transmit knowledge to another that they knew of their existence and the disclosure that under the earth where they housed their lives emanated a certain magical hint; On the other hand, they realized that, as in natural selection, there were individuals who were chosen to possess attributes related to magical powers. Mentioned mystical gifts were a representation of the territories in which they were, naming them representatives in this way, and then with the passing of time they were also called leaders for their participation in territorial battles, these being a representation of the first being.
The form of the second being was the representation of the will of the people in each territory and they are endowed with the power to keep the power of the leaders at bay, these being weaker than these. They are known as rulers.
The reason why they began to investigate the lands was due to the fact that these were not vast for human survival, the rulers could not contain the uprising of the peoples who were dying of hunger, so they found themselves in need of ask their counterparts for help, without getting satisfactory answers. So they decided to find these representatives to help them, the hope was felt only to be fragmented when said representatives answered that they could not pay for their problems because the power they had was not what the territory in question needed.
Once again those charged with governing the lands came together to share the gift that was given to the chosen ones. For a while everything was going well, the representatives helped the lands that needed their powers, but people began to ask for more to satisfy their needs, consequently, the representatives began to be exasperated with the situation that was unfolding daily, deciding abandon the mess that was generated to its fate. The rulers were outraged at what happened, since they were also tired of having to borrow their skills and tried by all means to make them stay and listen to their orders or failing that if they did not want to continue helping them they demanded that they obtain that gift for themselves.
These people before the alteration of the rulers entered into a fury that would consequently lead to a conflict between the parties involved; Irop's representative throws an acid at the feet of the ruler of Esia, leaving small bristle holes in him as a warning. The ruler angered by the clear threat cursed with all his might the inequality of forces that had been given to them.
When his own representative is willing to kill him, an unknown force restrains his attack and in turn feels in him a great discomfort. Everyone wonders what happens when suddenly another person appears exposing the situation, what was happening was insurance for the rulers, the will of the territories chose their leaders but the foundations of these bet against the rulers.
The rulers do not explain why the place of origin of their powers revolved around an opposition, to what this person they called "The Neutral" said —The voracity of our powers must be suppressed to connect with a bond of peace— and after saying that, he retired, leaving those present with faces of anguish, anger, anger and omnipotence. Mentioned personality derives from the third and last being, this being the most powerful and unattached among them, but who did not get involved with any of the parties leaving them to their own devices.
With the passage of time in history the number of deaths in battle, starvation, disease and even obstruction of government law became incalculable. The rulers in each generation sent the leaders to wage wars in favor of necessity, and that, little by little, became the acquisition of power from the enemy territory, thus creating a pestilential circle of greed where they stole and were stolen not only in goods monetary and human, if not, that also in mystical power.
The possessors of supernatural powers, tired of fighting against their counterparts year after year, began to withdraw in silence seeking refuge in the neutral personality, explaining with horror the laziness that their lands suffered and the bitterness inflicted on their peoples. Upon hearing everything the leaders said, the neutral representative responded that he was already thinking of an alternative that would solve the problem in question for both parties. Without anything clear, without help and without successes in being able to eradicate the disease later, some leaders became what with effort they wanted to eliminate, liking the battles, the theft of power and the union with their leaders, they lowered the white flags and they plunged further into wars and apathy to their respective territories.
Ten decades before the present, the leader of Antirda together with his ruler raised the white flags again, joining them Afriz and Ocania. The other territories observed what their counterparts were doing and did not agree. The territory of Irop had adopted as a religion that the will of the rulers was the absolute existence so they decided to attack towards the distinction of thoughts; however the neutral appears and intervenes.
As they were all gathered in one place, a cease-fire was proposed, that they make peace and help each other as it had been in the beginning. Faced with such a thought, the leader of Irop questioned his words, claiming that for years they have had endless wars and he never did anything, therefore, his intrusion is just a nuisance of irrationality, having Esia and Amira as support. Taking into account the distrust they had over this person, it revealed that just as they fought for the orders of their rulers, he fought for a balance under a consensus of the same origins, his powers do not benefit those who live on the territories but those who they were chosen by these.
Attentive to the words issued, the rulers felt an indescribable need to obtain that power for themselves and as if listening to what they think, the neutral responds: "They will never be able to steal this power from me as they have done for generations with the other leaders, because my power only it can be hereditary - disappointed rulers stepped back, not without regretting it.
Once again the neutral exposes his demand to what the first leaders accept without more, Irop denies everything that is said to him but then reluctantly in a sudden change of mind accepts the deal and even Esia plotting something or not, narrows the hands with peace; However, Amira's leader and his ruler were brothers with very different personalities, while the ruler was friendly and affable, the leader was presumptuous and arrogant, so the developing issue made them begin to discuss, since, the ruler wanted to accept while his brother is reluctant to agree so he decides to eliminate the neutral and destroy his plans to end the conflict, however, without even touching a hair, the representative of Amira is paralyzed, preventing him from moving.
—Since you have refused to cooperate you are a threat to everyone, with my power I will give you a punishment, your representative power will be divided in two - threat. —Your brother will cease to be ruler to become the representative of South Amira and you of North Amira, dividing your territory and its powers in this way as well.
***
From that moment, a period of calm began, the leaders and representatives helped each other with complete calm and cordiality, all until thirteen years ago.
Before continuing Joselin with the story, the sound of the bell and at the same time the voice of the director through the speakers divert attention.
>> Students are notified to go out to say hello, their families want to see them, after all the news of what happened was broadcast to all territories, so I urge all of you to relax and enjoy that one more day we are alive. <<
After hearing it, Joselin gets up, attracting the defense of those present, to which she only smiles. —Don't worry, I just want to see my mother-in-law. Won't you come Marinep?