It all started at Zeki's house, on an ordinary day that would turn into something unsettling. As he lay in bed, the TV light illuminated his face as he watched the news about an incident at the walls of the city of Fortaleza. The reporter, with a serious expression, reported:
**Female Reporter:** "Today, on this Friday, there was an alarming incident at the city walls. A section was destroyed by an Tiger-level monster, something unexpected since these walls were designed to withstand even Dragon-level monster attacks."
**Male Reporter:** "Local residents had already reported cracks in the walls for weeks, but it seems that the warnings were ignored by municipal authorities. It's a lamentable neglect. Fortunately, five Class A heroes were on site and managed to contain the threat without significant losses."
Zeki watched the TV images attentively, worried about the proximity of the walls to his house.
**Zeki:** "It's a good thing we're moving away from these walls..."
In the kitchen, the aroma of egg noodles filled the air as Zeki's mother, Claudia, finished preparing lunch:
**Mother (Claudia):** "Zeki, lunch is ready! Come quickly before it gets cold."
**Zeki:** "Alright, Mom, I'm coming."
Sitting at the table, Zeki grabbed his cellphone to watch something while he ate. His father, Cleiton, watched with disapproval and couldn't help but comment:
**Father (Cleiton):** "Zeki, how many times have I told you not to use your cellphone at the table?"
**Zeki:** "Ah, what's the problem?"
**Father (Cleiton):** "The problem is that you're glued to that phone! And you don't even eat rice and beans, like a good Brazilian. I don't know how you're still standing..."
**Mother (Claudia):** "Let him be, Cleiton. Since he was a child, I never got him used to rice and beans."
Father Cleiton was not satisfied with the way Claudia pampered Zeki too much and decided to confront her:
**Father (Cleiton):** "You spoil this boy too much. That's why he doesn't eat more substantial food. If I didn't work so hard, he would eat everything. He's only not skinny because of his powers."
**Mother (Claudia):** "If you complain so much about his diet, why aren't you here to do everything you say, dear?"
**Father (Cleiton):** "Don't pretend you don't know."
Zeki, disturbed by his parents' argument, decided to grab his plate and walk to the living room. Before his father could reprimand him, the moving truck arrived and knocked on the house's gate.
His mother shouted urgently:
**Mother (Claudia):** "Zeki, go open the gate for them quickly!"
**Zeki:** "Alright, Mom! I'm going to open the gate now!"
Zeki walked towards the gate to open it for the moving truck. Arriving at the gate, he opened it. The truck driver approached with a question.
**Driver:** "Hello, nice to meet you! Is this house 96?"
Zeki nodded in confirmation.
Before the driver could ask if he could start moving the boxes, Zeki's mother appeared.
From a distance, the mother shouted.
**Mother (Claudia):** "SORRY FOR THE DELAY! You can come in."
**Driver:** "Alright, ma'am. We can start, everyone."
The men began loading the boxes onto the truck while Zeki's mother, Claudia, offered something to eat to the drivers.
**Mother (Claudia):** "Nice to meet you all! Would you like something to drink? I can prepare something for you."
**Driver:** "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. We still have other houses to visit. A lot of people are moving away from the wall."
Meanwhile, one of the movers commented to a colleague about the walls. Claudia, understanding the situation, went inside to grab her purse before heading to the truck.
As the father talked to one of the movers, a huge explosion echoed from the wall. People became frightened and began to leave their homes.
**Baby's Mother:** "Calm down, it's over. Here's your pacifier."
The baby began to calm down as the neighbors came out and started questioning how long the walls would hold up.
**Neighbor (Sousa):** "I almost had a heart attack! The moving truck is coming tomorrow. Even if they paid me, I wouldn't stay here."
The neighbor agreed with her.
**Neighbor:** "This is the seventh time. The government needs to fix these walls. What are heroes for, after all?"
**Father:** "It really seems like we can't even rely on them."
As the men continued loading the boxes onto the truck, another explosion resonated, sending a rock the size of a tree flying toward a nearby house. The people around instinctively ducked, fearing the worst.
But Zeki, noticing the rock heading towards the house, used his psychic powers to hold it in the air and carefully redirect it. A sigh of relief passed among those present when they saw that the danger had passed.
Mrs. Sousa was visibly irritated with the situation.
The father took advantage of the situation.
**Father:** "Well done, son! That's how it's done. Show these petty heroes."
Zeki turned and looked at his father, thinking.
**Zeki:** "It's not like I did anything grand. After all, it wouldn't have hit the house."
**Sousa:** "I'm too old for this kind of worry. I'll talk to the moving truck to come tonight."
**Neighbor:** "I agree with you. I won't wait for a rock to fall on my house too."
Meanwhile, Zeki and his father walked toward the truck, but the father noticed that Claudia was still not present.
**Father:** "Claudia, why the delay? We don't have all day."
**Mother (Claudia):** "Calm down, I was fixing my hair."
**Father:** "Alright, but let's hurry."
Finally, they got on the truck and headed towards São Paulo, leaving behind the commotion and dangers of the walls.
Of course, these incidents with the walls would not go unnoticed at the headquarters of one of the guilds, the Wolf Guild, located in the city of Fortaleza. They would discuss what had happened.
*At the Fortaleza guild, the agency director, Roberto, was sitting in a chair facing his employee, who was discussing the damage caused.*
**Director (Roberto):** "To start with, how did an A-rank monster manage to breach the defenses?"
**Employee:** "Sir, it seems that this monster was repeatedly hitting the wall and—"
**Roberto, confused, interrupts her.**
**Director (Roberto):** "Are you telling me that these noises were happening for days and our hunters did nothing?"
**Employee:** "Yes, sir. The reason, according to them, is that they were busy or had more important things to do."
**Director (Roberto):** "This is unacceptable. We are talking about the safety of the entire guild! These hunters need to understand their priorities, and besides that, repairs are costly."
**Employee:** "I agree, sir. We need to review our response protocols and ensure that this doesn't happen again. I will issue a notice to the population to calm the citizens."
**Director (Roberto):** "Certainly. And we will need a meeting with the S-class to reinforce the importance of constant vigilance. Schedule it as soon as possible."
**Employee:** "Yes, sir. I will arrange it immediately."
**Director (Roberto):** "And what about the repairs to the defenses? Do we have enough resources to fix the damage?"
**Employee:** "We will need reinforcements and additional materials, but I am already in contact with suppliers. We can start the repairs today."
**Director (Roberto):** "Great. I want constant updates on the progress. We can't afford another failure; that would be disappointing for this guild."
**Employee:** "Understood, sir. I will keep you informed."
**Director (Roberto):** "Very well. You may leave."
**In the truck heading to São Paulo, Zeki was sitting in the back seat with his family, fiddling with his cellphone and watching the news.**
**Mother:** "Zeki, why don't you look at the scenery? It's so beautiful. You should stop staring at your phone for a while!"
**Zeki:** "Later, Mom. I'm watching the news."
**Father:** "Zeki, I know you like staying informed, but this is getting a bit excessive, don't you think?"
**Zeki:** "If that's what you say, Dad."
**Mother:** "Will there ever be a day when you and your father can have a conversation without arguing?"
**Father:** "Dear, don't exaggerate."
**Zeki saw a news story about an S-class hunter from São Paulo named Paulo Corta. He was being interviewed, surrounded by fans, about having defeated five A-rank monsters outside the walls.**
**Paulo Corta:** (in an arrogant and playful tone) "Oh, it was a piece of cake! Five little monsters? I can do that before breakfast. And I haven't even warmed up yet!"
**Reporter:** "Paulo, how do you manage to maintain this confidence and strength in such dangerous situations?"
**Paulo Corta:** (laughing) "Well, besides being naturally incredible, I train a lot. But, deep down, it's just pure talent. I was born for this!"
**Zeki:** (commenting quietly) "This guy... he seems so arrogant, but he's really strong."
**Father:** (hearing the comment) "Paulo Corta? He's famous for being like that. Arrogant and full of himself, but no one can deny that he's good at what he does."
**Mother:** (trying to change the subject) "Let's talk about something else. Zeki, when we get to São Paulo, we'll go out for a bit before you register at the guild. How does that sound?"
**Zeki:** (still looking at his phone) "Sounds like a good idea, Mom."
**Father:** (with an ironic smile) "Sure, maybe one day you'll become a Paulo Corta too?"
**Zeki:** (looking at his father) "Don't put me down like that, Dad."
**With the relaxed and expectation-filled conversation, the family continued their trip to São Paulo, each with their own thoughts and goals.**
**In a São Paulo favela, on a soccer field, Bia and Gustavo were playing ball.**
**Bia:** (kicking the ball with force) "Come on, Gustavo! I can't believe you're scared to play seriously just because I'm a girl!"
**Gustavo:** (running after the ball) "It's not that, Bia! I just don't want to hurt you!"
**Bia:** (laughing and challenging) "Oh, stop being such a wimp! I'm not made of glass! If you don't play seriously, there's no point in continuing!"
**Gustavo:** (taking a deep breath) "Alright, alright. I'll play seriously then. But don't complain later, okay?"
**Bia:** (with a sparkle in her eyes) "Bring it on! I can take it!"
**They continued playing, and Gustavo eventually started playing with more intensity. Bia, even though facing difficulties, didn't let herself be discouraged.**
**Gustavo:** (after a successful dribble) "See? It's more fun this way, right?"
**Bia:** (breathless but smiling) "That's what I'm talking about! Now it feels like a real game!"
**Gustavo:** (laughing) "You're really stubborn, aren't you, Bia?"
**Bia:** (with pride) "And not just anyone can take me down! Now it's my turn to show what I can do!"
**When Zeki and his family finally arrived in São Paulo, the sun was already starting to set. The truck stopped in front of a tall, modern building. They got out of the vehicle, stretching their legs after the long trip.**
**Mother:** (looking at the building with excitement) "We finally arrived! This place looks amazing!"
**Father:** (grabbing the bags) "Let's go up. I want to see what the apartment is like."
**Zeki:** (calm but curious) "Alright, I'll put away my phone."
**The family entered the building and took the elevator to the 10th floor. The apartment door opened, revealing a spacious and well-lit area.**
**Mother:** (amazed) "Look at this! It even has a balcony with an incredible view of the city!"
**Father:** (satisfied) "Yes, we made a good choice. Zeki, why don't you pick your room?"
**Zeki:** (looking around) "Okay, I'll see which one is the best."
**He walked down the hallway and chose a room with a large window that overlooked the city. He placed his bags on the floor and returned to the living room, where his parents were unpacking some items.**
**Mother:** (smiling) "Did you like your room, Zeki?"
**Zeki:** (with a bland expression) "Yes, it's pretty nice. And the view is great."
**Father:** (organizing some items) "Let's rest a bit and then go out to explore the city. Maybe find somewhere to eat."
**Mother:** (excited) "Good idea! And tomorrow we can start your registration at the guild, Zeki."
**Zeki:** (with a neutral expression) "Okay."
**Father:** (serious but gentle) "I can feel your excitement from here (being ironic), son. But remember to enjoy it too."
**Zeki:** (nodding) "I'll try, Dad."
**Zeki:** (looking out the window at the distant walls) "As I thought, moving here was a good choice. The walls here seem to be in great condition."
**The family spent the rest of the evening organizing the apartment and preparing for their new life in São Paulo. Expectations were high, and everyone was eager for the new experiences the city had to offer.**