When he woke up, he saw, through a haze, a soft ray of sunlight filtering through the branches of a leafy, ancient tree. The image of his father surged from the depths of his memory, piercing him like a poisoned arrow. He jumped to his feet on the grass, which spread like a magnificent green carpet around him, and shouted for his father.

  He ran through the park, nearly blinded by the light, disoriented. “Dad!” he yelled, his body swaying. “Where are you, Dad?!”

  Passersby stared at him strangely, some moving away, others giving him suspicious, contemptuous looks. But Teo didn’t see them. He was lost in his own anguished, terrified thoughts, walking the sidewalk of his mind. “DAD!!”

  With outstretched hands, he collapsed against the trunk of a lapacho tree. Slowly, the memories fell into place: they were in the attic when those men arrived. Their father had gone downstairs to defend them. He, disobeying orders, had crept to the stair landing to see what was happening, and then, one of them...

  The weight of reality crushed him, leaving him breathless. His father was gone, forever. He had abandoned them. Never in his life had he imagined such pain. He had knelt beside his father’s body and embraced him. He was limp, soaked in his own blood. That was all he remembered. Then, everything went black. He didn’t know how he’d gotten there. He didn’t know what had happened to the scum who had murdered his father in cold blood. How he himself had survived.

  Instinctively, he glanced around, and for the first time since regaining consciousness, he realized he was alone. Steffi! His sister and Noel had been locked in the attic! Had they found them? And if so, what had they done with them?

  He jumped up and ran, directionless. He knew it was pointless, since he didn’t know where he was, but he had to get back to the house to save his sister.

  There were crowds of people and trees everywhere. The sight of the Galileo Galilei Planetarium told him he was back in Palermo. It was reassuring to see it: a small ray of light in the immense darkness that had fallen over him.

  Above him, he heard a meow. Looking up, he saw him on a branch: unmistakable, with his patch of black hair over his left eye and his snow-white fur!

  Noel!

  The boy climbed the tree and hugged him. The kitten licked his face, happy to see him. Teo realized he recognized the tree: it was the same one he’d woken up under! And his cat was there... That meant Steffi couldn’t be far!

  “Where is she, Noel?” he asked the cat, as if expecting an answer. “Where’s Steffi?”

  Noel looked at him, surprised, tilting his head and licking his face again.

  He felt alone, helpless. The world was empty. He looked around and realized everything had lost meaning. Suddenly, he was seized by a powerful desire to stop breathing, to fade away, to finally rest from the pain that crowded his heart. He just wanted to stop suffering, to slowly fade out and disappear forever.

  The sound of her laughter snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned his head in every direction. People came and went, like dancing ghosts—no more real or substantial than he was—but Teo let himself be guided by that vibrant sound of life.

  Steffi!

  She wasn’t far, and she seemed fine. She was riding on the shoulders of a stranger. She seemed comfortable, and he was smiling. Teo didn’t recognize him. He thought maybe this man had saved them.

  He jumped to the ground, cat in arms, and hurried toward her.

  “Teo!” his sister shouted, recognizing him.

  The stranger lowered her to the ground and let her run to him.

  “Steffi!” he stammered, his cry choking his words.

  He held her tightly, an intense sense of unreality paralyzing him. He was happy to see his sister! But... before she appeared, it had all seemed like a nightmare... He had the absurd hope he’d wake up in the attic bed. Then, he’d find his father, and he’d be there. Steffi and Noel were real, though! They were here! He could touch them! But not Dante: he was gone. He was really gone...

  The boy collapsed on the floor, crying.

  “What’s wrong with Teo, Dromegard?” his sister asked, turning to the stranger.

  “He’s sad, Steffi. That’s all. It’s okay to be sad when we lose the ones we love,” he replied kindly.

  Hearing his words, Teo looked up. He was an old man. The deep wrinkles in his eyes and forehead showed his age. But his abundant hair wasn’t silver or gray, or any color Teo had seen on an old man. It was blue! Like the thick beard that reached his navel. His eyes, far from showing weakness, were sharp and fiery, painted with the same gold and red palette as the sun. He wore a long, earth-brown tunic, and in his hand, he carried a cedar staff with a crystal ornament at the top.

  “You got us out of there, didn’t you?” Teo asked, his voice hollow.

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  The old man nodded, a humble, pained smile on his face.

  “What happened to the men who killed my father?”

  “They’re hospitalized in critical condition with third-degree burns. But they’re stable. When they recover, they’ll pay for what they did to your dad, Teo.”

  “Hospitalized? Was it... you?”

  The old man shook his head.

  “It was you, Teo. I barely got there in time to stop you from doing something you’d regret for the rest of your life.”

  “I did?” Teo grumbled, incredulous and upset. “I don’t have time for nonsense! I want to see…” A shadow crossed his mind, silencing him. “I want to see my dad’s body!”

  The old man approached and put a hand on his shoulder.

  “I’m afraid that’s not possible, Teo.”

  “What do you mean it’s not possible?! What did they do with him?!”

  “Let me explain,” the old man said slowly. “It’s not possible for you to see your father’s body, because he’s not dead.”

  The boy hadn’t expected those words. Hearing them and believing them was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.

  “He’s not dead?” He heard his own words echo, seconds later. “I need... I mean, I want…” A flood of anguish, fear, and happiness washed over him. “I need to see him! Where is he?! Take me to him!”

  “I’d love to, but it’s not that easy, Teo,” the old man said thoughtfully.

  “What do you mean it’s not easy?! Where’s my dad?! I demand you tell me!”

  “Your father is in Ardoras. Only there can you meet him again.”

  “Ardoras? I’ve never heard of that place... Is it far? How do I get there?”

  The old man was silent, lost in thought.

  “Come with me. I’ll show you,” he said.

  The man started walking, and Steffi ran after him. Teo didn’t know what the old man was up to, but he had no choice but to trust him. So, he held Noel tightly and followed him, like his sister.

  Many people stared at them because of the old man’s striking outfit, curious and smiling. Most, however, thought they were part of a circus or just cosplayers.

  They stopped in front of an octagonal gazebo on the edge of a lagoon, surrounded by trees. No one was within three hundred feet. Everything was calm, and the smell of the grass was strong and alive.

  “It’s here,” the old man said, stopping abruptly. “Through the octagonal gazebo.”

  “Through the octagonal gazebo?” Teo repeated, confused. “What do you mean?”

  “On the other side of the octagonal gazebo is Ardoras. Your father is there.”

  Teo’s heart sank, and his spirit collapsed. The hope of seeing Dante again was gone. The poor old man was crazy!

  The old man, sensing Teo’s thoughts, added:

  “Once, Mr. Piero told you: ‘It would be beautiful if there was a place where we could find our dead again.’ He was thinking of his friend Paolo, of course…” Teo’s eyes widened. “In Ardoras, anything is possible, Teo! Ardoras is that place!”

  “No!” the boy cried, tears welling up. “You’re lying! You must be friends with Marco Della Francesca, and you both just want to see us suffer! On the other side of that gazebo, there’s only water, and my dad is dead!”

  “Daddy’s not dead!” Steffi protested. “Daddy’s in Ardoras, and I’m going to see him!”

  Teo grabbed her arm.

  “You’re not going anywhere! This man’s tricking us! He’s getting his kicks watching us suffer!”

  “No!” his sister wailed, kicking him. “Dromegard’s good, and he’s telling the truth! I want to go to Ardoras and see Daddy!”

  The girl wrenched her arm away and bolted toward the gazebo. Teo chased after her, but he stumbled, and she pulled further ahead. By the time he righted himself, Steffi was already climbing the first steps. He barely grazed the hem of her dress as she reached the center of the gazebo and vanished before his eyes.

  He couldn’t believe what had just happened. Steffi had disappeared like smoke through his fingers. She hadn’t fallen into the water or gone anywhere—she’d simply vanished, as if through an invisible curtain.

  Teo stormed toward the old man, furious.

  “Where’s my sister?! What did you do to her?!” he yelled, shaking the old man’s tunic violently.

  Blinded by desperation, he nearly stepped on Noel, who had jumped from his arms during the argument and was now cowering at the old man’s feet.

  “Calm down, Teo,” the old man said, pulling him into a protective hug. “It’s normal to be scared, but she’s fine. You’re not alone; I’m here to take care of both of you! I didn’t lie when I said Ardoras exists and your dad’s there. Or when I said it wouldn’t be easy to find. But there’s always hope, and that’s what keeps us going! Steffi’s there now; this old gazebo is a gateway to what’s possible!”

  “If that’s true, why didn’t I go with her?”

  “The journey to Ardoras is a matter of faith; only those who believe it exists can reach it. Just like Steffi did! She didn’t doubt for a second that it was possible! That made Ardoras real for her!”

  “I can’t,” Teo said, his voice heavy with sadness. “I’ve lost my faith in good things. I’ve lived long enough to know that hope’s just an illusion, a shield against pain. There’s nothing there for me.”

  The old man’s eyes flared like burning flames.

  “Sometimes, son, you just have to believe for it to come true,” Dante’s voice echoed through Dromegard. “A person without dreams is just an empty shell. What you want is hidden in the shadows; you just have to go look for it.”

  Teo was breathless. An electric warmth surged through his frozen heart, dispelling the darkness.

  “Trust me,” his father’s voice concluded through the old man.

  Teo looked into his eyes and felt a surge of confidence and renewed energy. He scooped Noel into his arms and nodded to the old man, signaling he was ready.

  “There’s one thing I haven’t told you yet, and you need to know it before you decide, since Steffi already has.”

  “What is it?” Teo asked.

  “Once you choose the path to Ardoras, there’s no turning back. If you go through that gazebo, you can never return.”

  Teo considered this, then said, “Everything I want is in Ardoras.”

  The old man smiled and put an arm around his shoulders.

  “Then I’ll be your guide on this journey, Teo Sacks,” he said as they walked together toward the gazebo.

  Teo realized he wasn’t afraid anymore. He could now believe that every step brought him closer to his father.

  As they climbed the first steps, the crystal ornament on the old man’s staff glowed with an intense white light.

  A few seconds later, they were gone.

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