Ava returned to the Tower's headquarters and entered the meeting room with a serious expression. Nicolas and Cole were still focused on the files, and as soon as she approached, Nicolas looked up with a sense of urgency.
"Commander Ava, we've found something on Rod Sugg," Nicolas said, leaning forward eagerly to share the discovery. "In the files, we discovered a possible link between the president of the Brazilian Tower and a unit of the National Telecommunications Agency in Cuiabá. The connections are in the call logs, but this unit, which should be state-run, is no longer under government control because the Conclave runs the entire city now."
"So Rod is in contact with this unit?" she asked, trying to extract more details.
"Yes. According to the records, there are several calls between him and a man, but the conversations are very suggestive, indirect. It's like they're protecting themselves, speaking cautiously, avoiding explicit statements. It doesn't seem normal, considering the level of power they both have."
She thought for a moment, looking out the large window in the room, and said, "Rod knew his calls would be monitored. He must have adjusted the tone of the conversation to avoid suspicion. Whoever the other man is, both of them were trying to protect themselves," she concluded, crossing her arms. "And what about you, Cole? Have you found anything on the Conclave?"
"No, Commander, nothing related to the Conclave so far," he shook his head, with a slight hesitation.
"Keep digging through those files. I'll be back tonight to review everything, and in the meantime, stay alert by the phone on the desk. I'm expecting a call from the Containment Center about Tahiko's cooperation."
Nicolas, ever curious, asked, "Commander, why are you leaving again?"
"I'm heading to the Operations Center. I need an update on Koji and Saik's progress towards the capital, Cuiabá."
As soon as Ava left, Nicolas turned to Cole. "Man, why didn't you tell her you might be related to Koji?"
"She didn't seem interested. And besides, I'm not even sure of that yet," Cole replied thoughtfully.
"You could've at least mentioned it. Who knows? She might've stayed to hear the story. After all, it's not every day you find out you might be related to a bearer!"
Cole reflected for a moment before responding.
"It's not that simple, I don't know, it's more complicated. My family... the Fullers… were practically wiped out by the Oxfords a long time ago. The chances of two members of our lineage meeting are slim."
"My family's pretty chill, never had that kind of feud. But why did this other family hate yours so much?"
Cole leaned back in his chair, his expression becoming a bit more serious. "When I was younger, my father used to say that the ancient families always fought for control of the Writings. Whoever controlled more Writings held more power. The Oxfords always set the rules and sought to eliminate anyone who strayed from what they deemed right."
"Sounds like your dad hated the Oxfords," Nicolas remarked casually, shuffling some papers.
Cole remained silent for a moment before thinking to himself, "Those Oxfords… he doesn't know who they really are." Then, he looked at Nicolas and said aloud, "Not just my father, but all the other ancient families hated them. They're the cause of all this conflict."
"Does your father live with you?"
"No. I haven't seen him in years. I don't even know if he's alive."
"And your mom?"
"I don't know how she's doing either."
"Damn, so that other family really screwed you guys over."
Cole hesitated before answering, his expression clouded by an old memory that hadn't been resolved. "Yeah…"
~ 14 years ago in Dynami, April 26, 2011 ~
Cole was just a nine-year-old boy, lying on his father's lap, who, smiling and cheerful, said to his son:
"I know I'll need to make that delicious pasta you like, but first I need to tell you the first chapter of this story I've got. It won't be a simple chapter, more of a summary, because I know your mind's focused on food, right?"
Then, between laughter and excitement, his father began:
"So, my boy, way back, long before the civilizations you've heard about, there was a family called the Oxfords. They were like shadows, always present, but no one knew where they came from. Some say they appeared long before the first empires, when there wasn't even writing or order. And guess what? Their symbol — 'Ox' — was found in ancient sanctuaries, where Chile is today, long, long before Christ, some 70,000 years ago! A mysterious people made those monuments, and then… poof! They disappeared, leaving only the Oxford mark behind.
"But what made this family so special, Cole, was that they didn't become powerful by being kings or warriors, no. It was their pacts, made in the shadows, with beings no one could understand. Temarus, the one closest to what we know as the Devil, was who started it all around 15,000 BC, in what is now Turkey. They worshipped forces beyond common understanding. But, as always happens with the Oxfords, things went wrong. A strange disaster wiped out two-thirds of the original family, and after that, they began to spread around the world, carrying with them the 'Ox' symbol. Over time, their name changed from 'Ox' to 'Oxfho,' and finally to 'Oxford.' And each time they changed their name, more tragedies followed. There was always a high price to pay.
"In ancient Greece, they split into different family lines, Primary and Secondary, causing more confusion. But their power wasn't military. No. They meddled in cults and formed alliances with forces no one dared mention. In ancient Rome, they were behind kings, empires, and even some terrible downfalls. They never showed themselves on the frontlines, but they were always pulling strings behind the scenes.
"But Cole, their peak was during the Middle Ages. They became guardians of secrets no one dared to reveal. They had books, pacts... And every time a global crisis arose, there they were, pulling the strings. During the fall of Rome, some wanderers found a manuscript, and that's when the world began to see that the Oxfords weren't just a family of power and wealth, but a pillar of something much darker, something that connected humans to… different entities.
"Over time, they were there at the most terrible moments in history. At the height and collapse of the Assyrian Empire, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the exile of the Hebrews, civilizations fell, like the Minoans, or when Rome crumbled, there was always an Oxford in the shadows. And what drove this family? Ah, my son, it was the Wesk, a mysterious stone that, they say, was a gift from Temarus. This stone glowed in a way only they could understand, and it gave them the power to locate the Writings, which they called 'glories.'
"And you know what's most interesting, Cole? Even today, in our modern world, some say the Oxfords are still out there, in the shadows, manipulating governments, events…"
Shocked and wide-eyed, both scared and hungry, Cole didn't blink. His father, ever playful and kind, snapped him out of it.
"And now… how about that pasta?"
As he got up from the living room sofa to go to the kitchen, his father closed the book, which had the title "The Cursed Ox's by Jürgen Fuller, 1880" written on the cover.
~ Back to 2025 ~
Meanwhile, Ava entered the vast Tower Operations Center, where large information panels were scattered throughout the room, and controllers, resembling air traffic operators, monitored Tower agents on missions.
She approached Max, a dark-haired controller with short hair and sunglasses, who was seated, adjusting the monitors.
"Good afternoon, Controller Max. How are the bearers, Koji and Saik?"
Max smiled, always with his flirtatious demeanor.
"Finally, the most powerful woman in this place shows up!" he said in a playful tone. "They've already reached the next city, Campo Verde."
"There was no resistance from the Conclave?"
"90% of the state is no longer under the Energy Wave after they defeated Alaric. The Wave has almost completely dissipated, but we don't know if it happened because of what occurred in Primavera do Leste, or if something off the radar caused it intentionally."
Ava narrowed her eyes, filled with surprise. "Alaric? They fought and didn't inform me?"
"Yeah... Alaric is a Conclave bearer, and better yet, he's third-class," Max commented, smiling as he spoke.
"Third-class? That's very high; Koji and Saik aren't advanced bearers. How did they defeat him?"
"I was curious too, so I called Agent Nahome, and from what he told me, it was probably a heavy and difficult fight, but it wasn't Koji or Saik who took him down. It was that shadow creature that follows Koji that stepped in."
Processing the information, the commander lightly rested her hands on the panel and asked another question.
"Has Alaric already been transferred to the Containment Center?"
"Not yet, but he should arrive in a few minutes."
She then placed her right hand on Max's left shoulder and said, "Notify Agents Nahome and Tovah to keep an eye on Koji and Saik. I need two Tower agents to accompany
them at all times from now on."
"They're already on it. Just give the green light, Commander."
"Good. If anything changes, let me know. I'll be at the Containment Center to handle the interrogation."
Max winked at her, "Of course, Commander. I'll keep you updated. And don't forget to take a break once in a while. Even warriors need rest."