I woke up in Tariel’s tight embrace. She was sleeping deeply.

  “Is she alright?” Anastácia asked, sitting beside me and gently stroking Tariel’s hair, whose face still bore traces of anguish. “I wish I could do more.”

  “Your presence is everything she needs.”

  “Good morning. Time to wake up,” Jazzia announced.

  I woke Tariel with a kiss. The suffering that had once marked her face dissolved the moment she opened her eyes.

  “Good morning…” she said, stretching.

  “Come eat. Soyo has already arrived. Be careful when you go out—she’s practically glued to me.”

  I got dressed first and helped Ana get ready. She ran off laughing toward the dining room, and soon I could hear her chatting excitedly with Jazzia.

  I sat on the bed, simply watching the silent dynamic between Anastácia and Tariel as they chose what to wear. The contrast between them was magnetic: the delicate nudity of one, the daring nudity of the other. Beautiful, vivid faces, filled with something that held my attention and seemed to suspend time itself.

  “I love you too,” Anastácia said, noticing my gaze.

  Before I could answer, Tariel threw herself on me, pushing me onto the mattress, laughing.

  “Me too!” she said between kisses. “This feels so good…”

  “It does…” Anastácia whispered, wrapping us in a tight embrace, as if she wanted to keep us there—intact—for one more moment.

  At the table, while we waited for Ana to finish eating, I realized that this moment of happiness would repeat itself many times—perhaps forever. But that didn’t mean everything was fine. My eyes lingered on Tariel’s smile.

  “AX,” I called, “the Seliums were cheerful yesterday, like Tariel always is. But… how did they spend the night?”

  “You are correct, Willian. They follow the same pattern as Tariel. The weight of their trauma manifests during sleep. It seems that, when they wish, they can push the past away while awake.”

  “It’s an interesting adaptation,” I concluded, “but it also hides the pain that still consumes them. Have you taken any measures?”

  “More of us arrived today. One for each of you,” he informed me. “We are already caring for them—administering medication and maintaining constant contact, so they know they are safe and accompanied.”

  A chill ran through my stomach. AX hadn’t said them. He had said you.

  “Thank you, AX. Your efficiency is extraordinary.”

  “Naturally,” he agreed.

  “So modest,” Anastácia teased, making everyone laugh.

  As we left Jazzia, I came across Soyo’s entrance. I passed between them and found Aluram outside, staring in awe at the ships.

  “This is huge,” he commented.

  “Getting ready to leave?”

  “I’ll go on the first trip, return on the second, and finally leave on the third.”

  “I’ll be waiting for you there. I’m going to take care of Mila and her mother.”

  “Take care?” He frowned.

  “There’s a lot of suffering there. Mila is happy, but distressed by being near her mother in that condition.”

  “Mutilated?”

  “And very thin. She was sick.”

  “How do you know what Mila feels? Maybe she’s just happy to see her mother.”

  “I… I just know.” I took a moment to organize my thoughts. “I’m sure of it. And that scares me.”

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  “You’re strange,” he said, laughing.

  Some Xerantos came out of Soyo. Among them was Delleu. He approached, forcing us to look up. Even for a Xeranto, he was tall.

  “May your day be productive,” he greeted us. “We have an invitation for you, Aluram.”

  “Of course…” He couldn’t hide his nervousness.

  “It is clear that your people pose no threat. The Village of Donna is being built on the other side of the ocean, more than a thousand kilometers from here. That is where we intend to take you.”

  He paused as a bird flew past us.

  “If you wish, you may build your village permanently on that other continent. Humans have no way of reaching it.”

  “Another continent? Beyond the ocean?”

  Delleu nodded.

  “I didn’t know there was another continent.”

  “Your people will be able to live in peace. We will be neighbors,” I added.

  “We have brought machines and personnel to assist with the relocation. You may take everything you wish,” the Xeranto explained. “We will provide what is necessary while you build your homes.”

  “We have no way to refuse,” Aluram said. “Our village would end like the others—burned. Your support is more than welcome.”

  Delleu walked away.

  “It doesn’t seem like they’re afraid of anything,” Aluram commented.

  “The danger he referred to is negative emotions capable of affecting us.”

  “I sent two men to check on the humans… They’re close. They attack with flaming arrows, forcing us into the forest, where we are hunted.” He kicked the grass at his feet. “They burn our supplies, our homes… Doing that on the eve of winter would condemn us all to hunger and cold.”

  “But they will fail,” I said, touching his shoulder.

  “Will you help them too?”

  “Only the children and three families who respect the Seliums. This winter, I will provide food to all humans, because I was the one who took the Reborn from them. After that, I want to forget them. The path they chose will lead them to self-destruction.”

  “You came from another world to save us. Thank you.”

  “No. The one who saved you was Tariel. Even after everything she suffered, she was able to love a human.”

  He smiled and walked away.

  “I’ll help with the relocation!” he announced loudly.

  On our return to the Village of Donna—the name Delleu had used, and which remained—we found the Sekvens lying on padded mats beneath the shade of a tree.

  “Isn’t the oxygen thin for you here?” I asked, as Tariel, Ana, and Anastácia sat beside them.

  “We’re using an enhancer,” Sacha explained, showing the bracelet on her arm. “Now we can keep up with you.”

  “Melissa, touch me,” Anastácia asked. “Just a little…”

  “I want it too!” Tariel moved so close she almost brushed against her.

  “May I give you a kiss?” Melissa teased, biting her lip. “But you’ll pass out.”

  The satisfied smiles on their faces only confirmed what they wanted.

  “Lie down,” Melissa said. “We’ll focus on transmitting only a fraction of our feelings, extending the kiss.”

  Anastácia and Tariel lay side by side. Melissa knelt beside Anastácia; Sacha beside Tariel. The contact happened through their lips.

  I could feel their excitement, their bodies frozen, the astonishment in their eyes…

  Two seconds.

  Four.

  Seven.

  Their bodies relaxed, their eyes closed. They smiled. They fell asleep.

  “How cute their love is,” Sacha commented.

  “I want more,” Melissa declared.

  I swallowed hard. The kiss had lasted too long; I knew they had reached the limit of what they could endure.

  “Don’t worry, Willian,” Melissa read my thoughts. “Not now, but in the future, we’ll have much more of you. Would you like a kiss too?”

  “I’d love to, but today I can’t afford to pass out for hours.”

  “Then go,” Kane said. “We’ll stay here with them. They must have already transferred four more regenerative capsules to Jazzia.”

  I bowed slightly and headed toward the buildings.

  The activity was intense. There were more Xerantos than Seliums, and some houses were already standing, arranged in a circle, like in the Selium village. Certainly their idea.

  I found Mila and her mother having a snack with other teenagers. They were calm, but worn down.

  “I didn’t ask your name yesterday,” I said to the girl’s mother, who hadn’t noticed me yet.

  “Mala,” she replied, kneeling before me. “Thank you.”

  I crouched and gently lifted her by the shoulders. She was a very beautiful woman, marked by a hard and painful life. Without realizing it, I touched a strand of her hair.

  “Come with me, Mala. Mila, and you three as well,” I gestured. “Tell me your names.”

  I took them to Jazzia, where Julis was waiting. Quietly, I asked her to administer a sedative and perform the tooth-removal procedure while they were unconscious.

  They lay down in the capsules without complaint, even though they disliked the needle.

  “It’s just a little pinch,” I joked. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “What’s going to happen to us?” Liria asked.

  “We’re going to improve that smile,” I replied. “Jazzia will prepare a cake that Tariel loved for you to eat afterward.”

  “Soyo is approaching,” Jazzia informed me.

  “Already?”

  The tents were being set up just a few minutes’ walk away, on the lakeshore, where the land was more open. Soyo had left the materials during the night before going after the Seliums; now the Xerantos were finishing the assembly, also in a circle.

  I arrived with them and helped unload. Anxiety, fear, and tension were palpable. I began to think about what I could do to make them feel better.

  “Delleu,” I called, “I’d like to set up a bonfire in the center, so they’ll feel more at ease.”

  “We have flame heaters,” he explained. “They produce the same sensation. We brought one for each tent. We can connect them into a single unit. We’ll bring more later.”

  “Great,” I said gratefully, looking up. “Another ship?”

  “It’s the Resit, a small vessel. It will serve as a dining hall. Call the Seliums. The meal is ready.”

  A stronger gust of wind knocked over a few objects and brought the soft scent of wet vegetation.

  “Thinking about what to do?” Aluram approached.

  “Thinking about the Xerantos’ efficiency,” I smiled. “Call your people. The food has arrived.”

  “I thought we wouldn’t eat today. I asked them to bring whatever they could.”

  “We’ll eat with them. Then I’ll show you the Reborn.”