As instructed by Sikika, the teens headed for Kuhimolarg, a city on their way to the capital, located in between large mountains. Unlike Bivifera, it did not have many skyscrapers or a large population density.

After landing and leaving the bus terminal, they immediately went in search of a motel to spend the night and leave what little they had with them. They then headed to a tourist center to ask for information about the lúmini. They doubted they knew anything about a mystical being, but it was worth a try.

—Of course, our dear Amilel— replied the tour guide, a skinny, short-horned noni— is one of our most popular tourist spots.

—What? The lúmini is a tourist spot?— wondered Arturo— How do you manage to keep him in place?

—Oh, no. No one could lock up a lúmini. He just stays there.

Arturo's jaw dropped. The tour guide handed them a pamphlet with a simplified map of the city and some of the most popular attractions. Among them was a bald, big-headed little boy with his legs crossed and a name on top: Amilel.

The humans went directly to where the pamphlet indicated. The trip took them half an hour, something strange for a city of that size, but normal when they realized that the lúmini was on the outskirts, where the main river entered Kuhimolarg.

The cab dropped them off at the entrance to a park where motorized vehicles were not allowed. The children got out, entered and found a nice, vast area full of greenery, a dirt floor and little arched bridges over the river.

—What a nice green area— said Liliana.

—But all the plants are blue— remarked Erica.

—So it's a blue area?

Erica and Arturo shrugged their shoulders. Liliana, curious, went to ask one of the guards about it.

She came back after a few seconds.

—Yes, they are blue areas— she confirmed.

—It makes sense— replied Erica.

—Thank you, Lili— Arturo patted her on the head. She smiled at him.

—Hey, you've gotten better at dealing with nonis— Erica observed— before, you could barely get them to pay attention to you.

Liliana sighed.

—I admit I don't really like the way they think, they all like big and strong people more than small and weak girls, but if I act a little rougher at least they deign to talk to me.

Arturo pursed his lips, but said nothing.

—Wow, I hadn't thought of it like that— Erica commented.

—Never mind, where is the lumini?

Arturo pointed to a sign by the road.

—Amilel is over there— he said.

The sign pointed in the only direction of the road with a clear arrow. The children followed the blue park trail, but took their time, enjoying the ambiance and aesthetics of the place. After almost half an hour, they entered a path that bordered the river. The vegetation became denser, the path narrower and the air more humid. They went on for a few more minutes until they came to a very noisy place. Behind a tunnel of trees, they emerged and came upon a waterfall, only about ten meters high. In front of the water, floating in the air was a hairless little person, with luminescent skin and a large head in proportion to his body. It was the lumini: Amilel.

—That's a lumini?— said Erica, a little disappointed.

—What were you expecting?— said Arturo.

—I don't know, some kind of demigod. Something more... tough, I guess.

—Erica, try to be polite. Remember we're here to ask him for help— said Liliana.

—Oh, right. Excuse me, Amilel...— Erica thought for a moment, then turned to Arturo— Can he hear us?

"Loud and clear".

Erica was surprised. For a moment she thought Arturo had answered her, but he hadn't opened his mouth. No, she hadn't heard any voice, rather she had felt a certainty. Puzzled, she turned to the lumini. He was looking at her out of the corner of his eye, specifically at her.

—Oooooooh! Can you read my mind!?— she exclaimed.

"Your mind, your body and your whole being in every dimension there is".

—Fuck me, that's unbelievable!— she exclaimed.

—Is he looking this way?— Liliana guessed.

Arturo noticed that there were more tourists around, five groups in total. By their gestures, they all seemed to be having different conversations with the lumini at the same time, but he was only looking in their direction.

—Or it could be that it is showing us all the illusion that it is looking at us— he ventured.

"No, I'm only looking at you."

Arturo looked up at the lumini. He had turned his head towards them.

—Really, is there something that catches your attention?

—Hey, Amilel, do you know how I can find my dad?— asked Erica— I was told he's in the Core, but that place is supposed to be kind of spiritual.

"You'll find him several times. You won't see him with your eyes. Golden chains, white mask, the challenge of the seven rings. Don't tempt fear" she felt him answer her.

—Did he tell you how?— Liliana asked.

Erica scratched her head.

—He just gave me one of those complicated riddles. Come on, Amilel, just tell me where I have to go. It's not very difficult.

The lumini exhaled through his nose. It was the first time any of the three of them had heard anything so close to his voice. It was as if he was getting tired of Erica.

"Ask the First" he inserted in her mind.

Erica folded her arms.

—Why don't you tell me how to get there, why do you have to complicate things?— she asked.

"You have no feet. Names will have to suffice".

—I have TWO feet— Erica pleaded.

—I think it was a metaphor— said Arturo— they gave me one too when they made me a mage. It must mean you can't move forward.

—But I can!— she argued.

—No, you can't just go, there must be some sort of requirement to get into the Core— Arturo explained— It makes sense that it wouldn't be that easy. Any detail can be important.

Erica repeated her entire conversation with Amilel to them.

—So the First is good for us!— exclaimed Liliana.

—It seems so— grunted Erica, disappointed— I expected him to be more direct.

—Something is something— said Arturo.

Erica sighed, then smiled.

—You're right, it's one more step! That's what matters— she then turned to the luminous being— Thank you, big head.

"After the black skull, extend your arms" Amilel added.

—What?

But the lumini had already returned to his meditative pose and closed his eyes. No matter how much Erica asked again, she received no answer. In the end the teens left the park, back towards the inn they were staying.

—Why did he have to be so cryptic?— the brika asked.

—The one who made you a mage was also like that?— Liliana asked Arturo.

—You could say so. I'm not sure, but the reason they communicate that way may be because of their intelligence.

—What do you mean?— asked Erica.

—When they communicate with us, I see it like when we try to communicate with dogs and birds, have you tried?

—Talking to animals?— Erica pleaded.

—He means paraverbal and nonverbal communication— Liliana said— opening your arms, raising your voice, pointing in a direction, things like that.

Erica turned to Liliana. She was not used to hearing her talk about technicalities, but after a moment's thought it seemed normal for her to know about such things.

—But they don't move much— said Erica.

—I mean that when you talk to animals, words are of little use to you— explained Arturo— you must limit yourself to gestures and tones of voice, because they can't understand you. The same thing happens with the luminis and us; they have to limit themselves to make us understand. Big unknowns to us can be obvious things to them.

—Eeeehhh... wow. How complicated— mused Erica.

They were walking out of the park and back into the street. They didn't walk far when something ahead caught their attention; a noni had a stall on the ground where he was selling all kinds of clothes. He was animatedly inviting people passing by to take a look at what he had. At that moment he was holding up a white t-shirt with a black skull with horns; a noni skull. Erica paused for a moment. She knew she had been waiting for that moment, but she couldn't remember what for. Then, out of nowhere, the lumini's words echoed in her head: "raise your arms."

Not knowing what would happen, she did as she was told. In that moment something soft fell on her hands. She didn't catch it right away and it continued to the ground, but Erica reacted quickly and grabbed it with one hand.

Then she lifted it up. Between the three of them looked: it was a newborn bird. They had no idea what its species name was, since it was from Nudo, but it acted like any other bird: it chirped like there was no tomorrow, blind and helpless. Erica looked up, where the branches of a tree in the park towered over the retaining wall and covered part of the sidewalk.

—He fell out of his nest— Arturo guessed.

Erica jumped over the wall and then climbed the tree. It didn't take her long to find the nest from which it had fallen. Carefully, she set the bird down in its home and arranged it so it wouldn't fall again. Then she returned to her friends.

—Nice catch— said Liliana.

—Heh, thank you. Amilel told me to do it— said Erica— I didn't think it was to save a bird.

—Amilel told you to do it?— repeated Arturo, surprised.

—Oh, he's a good guy— said Liliana— Don't you think so, Arturo?

But when they turned to him, the girls saw him with his intense gaze fixed on the floor and his mouth closed behind a fist. He was completely absorbed.

—Hey, Arturo— Erica called to him.

—We'd better give him a while— said Liliana.

They waited for about ten seconds, after which Arturo moved and looked at them, happy.

—Isn't it fascinating?! Why did Amilel tell you to save that bird?! Do the luminis have morals?! Or maybe something more complex? Let's ask him!

But Erica stopped him.

—First we have to eat— she reminded him— and then we have to look for a job fast, Fir's money won't last forever.

—Let's come back another day to talk to Amilel— Liliana told him.

Arturo sighed.

—All right.