Two people were standing on the Oyogue Path. Whoever saw them would say that they were taking a break on a path in which the fog was treacherous. In itself, the lack of vision would cause a stumble, and with an elderly person one had to be much more careful when walking.

However, that was the situation until recently.

The motivation of a person with a cane was evident in the distance.

"Listen to me, young man. It's not easy for me to talk about the Trivalence, let alone explain its importance in such a short time. That's not to mention the impact of hearing its revelation. I don't blame you if you think there are too many emotions given the recent circumstances. I'm sure given this, it's hard for you to make a deal."

"No, no. I've calmed down. Seriously, I'm calmer now."

Although this was supposed to be a trip with some risk involved, Saulo didn't expect the scale of what he had recently faced.

He saw a threat against an elderly man, he got involved with a theft group, and fought against a former army commander.

All those crimes most likely to occur in the cities, and which in his sixteen years of life he had almost never experienced due in part to how far away his community was from the big settlements, had happened here in about half an hour.

"That's good for both of us."

However, all of these incidents were forgotten for a greater cause. One that they both shared in thought about what they wanted to talk about next.

"As you can see, my health is too deteriorated for me to use the Trivalence. I am too old to move great distances. You have already noticed from my appearance that my state of health is delicate. But I cannot accept that I am dying. I take walks to lie to myself that my health will improve and I'll be able to be a carrier of Trivalence once again. That's how I've lived with that false hope for the past three years."

The elderly man walking by his side pointed to his hand as proof of his words. To Saulo's surprise, there was almost no presence of flesh that could observe more than the mandatory layer of skin that in itself covered the bones of the hand very thinly.

Three years with that suffering.

The elderly man's suffering honestly moved him.

"In this state of health, my body wouldn't withstand the Trivalence. And if I did it by some miracle, it would be insignificant the advances that I could achieve. I hate to admit it, but age weights."

The cough he heard coming from the elderly man just minutes ago came back in an uncontrollable reaction. There was no blood this time, but Saulo couldn't help but worry.

"You must have thought of it before, but wouldn't it be better if you sold it? Certainly, with care to find a suitable buyer."

"Yes, I already thought of that possibility and immediately discarded it. This responsibility can't be bought with money. If Trivalence falls into the wrong hands, it would wreak havoc on our future as a species and also that of creatures."

However, among the wrinkles of the elderly man's face, the motivation reflected in his features didn't match with the ravages of age. The reactions that the pain of his illness did not allow him to manifest in parts of his body such as his legs or in a normal breathing rate; were reflected, instead, in the satisfaction of being liberated from the emotions that he had been holding for so many years.

"Before we move on to the agreement, I want you to answer me one question if you allow me."Saulo said, to which he immediately received a forceful gesture that there was no problem with talking. "How do you have something like this? I mean, it's not like you can find something like this in a store."

Saulo expressed the question that most intrigued him. Something so peculiar and of divine origin shouldn't be in the hands of a mortal.

"Let's say it was something unexpected. Circumstances made it happen. Similar to you appearing here and helping me."

He didn't go into more detail, so Saulo avoided asking more about "those circumstances". His question for now wouldn't have a clear answer.

"This is my proposal,"said the elderly man, stopping suddenly. "I'll lend you the Trivalence and after five years, you return it to me."

Saulo thought for a few moments and nodded in accordance with the expectations placed on him. However, the gesture wasn't reciprocated. This was because Saulo's expression had been deformed with concern.

"I have one last question to ask you."

"It's the least I can do. Yes, ask what you want to know."

Saulo was grateful for the man's disposition. His delay in asking the question let the elderly person know that it was an important question.

"... why did those thieves want to talk to you so insistently?"

There was a sudden silence.

"I mean. I don't know if they wanted to take away the Trivalence, but I got the impression that it wasn't so. Apparently, they didn't even know what you possessed. But I think that man who was a commander really wanted to talk to you."

The elderly man looked straight at Saulo, with no change in his expressions, but the young man, before the eye contact, stood firm.

Silence became uncertainty.

This question had nothing to do with Trivalence, so the elderly man couldn't help but feel that he was taken unawares.

"Well,"Saulo said after a few seconds. "I'm not who to get into other people's business. I'm sorry if my question was inappropriate."

The warmth that the atmosphere retained returned to the way it was.

"Then..."

"Yes, we have a deal."

With arms outstretched, a strong handshake sealed the deal.

His hand is as cold as winter.

That was the first thing Saulo thought when he touched the elderly man's skin.

It certainly wasn't hot, but it wasn't the season for the body temperature to drop so much. Feeling the flaccidity of his phalanges, almost as if he was directly touching bones where there should be fingers, saddened him somewhat.

However, apart from the burning sensation at his fingertips, between both an expression of decision appeared with respectful eyes.

The time had come.

With the hand that held the bottle, the elderly man extended forward what the young man had agreed to drink.

Extending his arm, Saulo slowly moved his fingers to carefully take what the elderly man was holding.

It was a bottle made of plastic, so if it fell, there would be no danger of it breaking. Saulo's concern about what would happen if the bottle broke was interrupted by a dull sound.

It wasn't due to the bottle breaking as it fell.

This sensation that reached his ears was simply due to the person who tried to give the small bottle to him dropped his cane in an oversight.

"I'll pick it up."

Before Saulo bent down to pick up the cane, he was stopped by the unthinkable.

The Trivalence had disappeared from sight.

As such.

What he had said he would do remained in words when he verified that the substance he had to take was no longer there.

"So that's how it feels to drink the Trivalence again. Hmm... Just like that time, almost nothing happened just by drinking it. I must write this down."

More murmurs stopped Saulo from asking for explanations.

In that atmosphere of surprise, no explanation for the time being would get him out of this confusion.

The elderly man had drunk the Trivalence.

"Why did you...?!"

"Oh, excuse me. I got lost in my thoughts."

Saulo felt that he was lost with nothing more to say.

"With this I have confirmed and demonstrated to you that the Trivalence isn't dangerous even for an elderly body like mine."

What initially Saulo didn't understand at all, it became a relief by knowing that nothing happened to the elderly man and, therefore, nothing unpleasant should happen to him either after drinking the Trivalence, like the explosion of his body.

But the reality was that everything remained absolutely the same as before, with no change in the elderly man.

There was no coughing nor loss of blood from the one who now had the Trivalence. His physical appearance didn't change either. Saulo couldn't say that this person possessed any strange ability that made him stand out more than by his almost transparent blue eyes.

The truth that he witnessed made the Trivalence seem like a simple thing to drink; but the attitude with which the elderly man looked at him, made him also to get serious.

"However, the danger comes when the Trivalence is used."

Because that information exceeded his expectations, Saulo was slightly bewildered.

With a youthful face reflecting the thought "it does no harm to possess it, but it does harm to use it,"the elderly man nodded deeply with a determined expression.

"And the best way you can understand what this ability is all about is by the example."

Saulo nodded at the honest explanation. He had no idea what he was about to witness, but the only answer he could give was in the affirmative.

"Please, don't push yourself too hard."

"I know. But it's a pain I'm willing to feel if it can help you make it clearer how you can develop the capacities of the Trivalence."

There were no more reasons to reject that statement. He had to accept the elderly man's will and carefully observe his resolve.

"Can you go to that place, please? You'd better step back a little."

Feeling expectant of what would happen, Saulo walked to where he was instructed.

Between the fog and the occasional sound of birds flying, only the two of them were on the path.

"Since we don't have time, I'll train you here quickly."

"Yes, I'm ready."

"I don't want you to be afraid, but you must engrave in your mind every sensation you experience from now on."

"I'll."

"Very well. So, get ready."

Saulo left his backpack on the side of the path and assumed a firm position, with a straight back and clenched fists.

And the second that followed...

The fog around the elderly man swirled from the center of power that he was.

Saulo felt it as a squeaking sound that passed over his chest and back.

And immediately, that wave of power that gave him a slight shiver caused a change in the atmosphere.

"How is this possible!?"

Not only had an irregular power wave originated from the elderly man.

The fog had been dispersed because of it.

That same fog with which Saulo had trouble guiding himself and fighting, was now being driven away by a man who from his position stood calmly.

To begin with, it was abnormal for fog to act this way just because someone proposed to move it. No matter how much effort someone put in, that shouldn't be possible. Of course, with a very strong blow or an ability it would be possible to move some of the fog away, but not on this scale.

"All this and without his weapon."

Nevertheless, this event had been accomplished without the need for a weapon. That, in other words, meant that the elderly man from the beginning didn't have all the means at his disposal to accomplish that feat.

However, the reality that Saulo observed astonished was different from that assumption.

And the next moment, that wave of power that Saulo felt advanced behind him, stopped.

If he hadn't had the urge to look over his shoulder, he wouldn't have believed it.

"H-how is this possible?"

The fog that had been dispersed wasn't returning to its natural position. As if an invisible force were pushing it out of the reach of the elderly man, the fog was kept out of a circle around both of them.

Saulo's heartbeats became stronger.

This was beyond all reasonable that a man could do even with the power of his trinity. Even with 'sacred equipment' or 'relics' it was unreasonable.

Unable to move due to astonishment, he tries to collect as much information as he can.

It was clear that the movement of the fog was unnatural. However nearby his community the fog didn't tend to form too much.

Just because I've never seen this kind of power, doesn't mean it cannot be achieved. Perhaps even with a trinity it will be possible to keep the fog at bay. The surprises that await me in this world that I don't know are probably going to continue... As well as the decisions I'll have to make from now on.

But even as he witnessed this improbable change in the environment, his attention wasn't directed towards the surroundings.

Within the circle of visibility cleared by the contained fog, a man's atmosphere remained serene as the cause of this separation of the light and darkness.

Confidence was in his eyes.

Keeping his hands on his back above his waist, there was nothing to distract him from his task. Neither the need to hold his staff nor the perplexed expression of the young man. The urgencies and curiosities that stopped or diminished concentration were annulled by a firm consciousness.

This is how Saulo felt this unstoppable conviction.

"Look up."

"Ah?"

Suddenly hearing the elderly man's voice caused Saulo to let out a strange noise. But as he lifted his head, he was taken by the surprise of what was moving away through the sky. The Oyogue Path was a dirt road located a few meters from the sea, so it was natural the presence of seagulls flying near the coast.

What was illogical, on the other hand, was that those same birds that flew over their heads returned from where they came.

Whether they came from or headed for the sea, the seagulls avoided approaching with erratic flights the clear space in the fog. It was too sudden a change in behavior and extremely unusual to see.

I'm so weak that I can't feel what such helpless animals can

However, what worried him was that these birds were fleeing from a sensation he couldn't feel.

Bloodlust.

It was common for peaceful animals to possess a more developed sense of danger than the average creature. Because these creatures didn't have the means to defend themselves, intuition was their best weapon to avoid danger. In Saulo's case, he didn't notice any significant change. The fear of the birds was as a result of the danger that man transmitted, but he couldn't feel that bloodlust that should also make him fear.

The only thing I can feel is his great conviction.

And suddenly, a loud cough distracted Saulo from all attention and thought.

"Are you all right!?"

Saulo didn’t manage to take more than a step toward the elderly man who was spitting blood.

¿?

He had to stop.

"Why I can't...?

His attempts to come to the aid of the older person without further explanation had been cut off because his body refused to move forward.

Suddenly, Saulo felt bad.

Very bad.

From whom kept wiping the blood from his lips with a handkerchief that Saulo had previously reached him, now emitted a vortex of death that didn't coincide with the fragile state of health that his bones and posture showed.

But why now?! A few seconds ago I couldn't…!

Saulo yelled inside him again and again.

The presence of the man who was on his knees moved further and further away from the domain of what ordinary people like him could comprehend.

His vision felt weak.

His consciousness was abandoning him.

Faced with a pressure so strong that it oppressed him, that same density that stopped him from speaking had spread until it had devoured the very darkness of the fog.

For Saulo, the cold of the air was colder than ever.

Materialized in a black and red vortex, the young man understood that this was what he felt directed towards him.

This was bloodlust.

One directed specifically at him.

Before he knew it, the day turned into a night of red and black knives.