The young defender left Philip in a hotel, so that he could rest. She paid for the night, and then they took the elevator together; they still needed to decide together the strategy for his defense.

"If you want, I can exchange your gold coins for current money. I know some antique dealers that could pay a good money for them."

"I'd appreciate that. It's very nice of you to think about it."

"Since I was paid my salary today, I can give you some cash in advance. You also need to buy new clothes and get a job. That's the way normal people live through these days. Think about something that you do well and I'll see what I can do for you. Being a lawyer makes you know a lot of different people."

"I can speak many languages. And I'm trained at sword and shield fighting."

"I thing you'll be better out as an idiom teacher. Sword and shield are out of fashion. It's going to be hard to find students interested in this modality. Here's my address. I live close to the hotel. On this street there's a hotel for families and students from all over the world. It costs a fair price for someone who needs a start and I know the owners; they're good people. As soon as I get you some currency, I'll buy you a smartphone; you definitely need it. Tomorrow, I will show you how the device works. It's pure magic, believe me!"

They smiled and then said good-bye. Then Alexia went home to get some rest. It had been an intense day.

Next morning, Philip had some coffee and then went for a walk to get acquainted with the city. He was struck by the language spoken, the vehicles, and the modern fashion. Women wore tight pants, miniskirts, and round dresses, while men wore pants, Bermuda shorts, shirts and sometimes suits with ties. He compared his clothes with each person that he looked at.

He entered a shop to buy some new clothes to check if they would fit him better.

When he stepped out, he heard a deafening sound that got him scared. It was an airplane crossing the sky. Philip was amazed to see it, and even more with the modern technology.

"A mechanical bird! Quite amazing!"

"What type of person has never seen a plane?" A young woman that was passing by asked her friend after she heard Philip's words.

Later, he learned that that flying object transported people from one place to another. Who knows if he wouldn't fly in an airplane like that someday? He would not need to cross any magical portal at all, which meant that he would be able to hide his true wizard identity properly. It was a whole new world, and he would have to learn a great deal to live in it.

As he thought about it, he walked and looked at everything that crossed his sight. He was also curious about the cars and motorbikes. He had seen some of those in the books, but nothing compared to seeing them in real life. They were quite different from horses. Suddenly, he was starving. He chose a place to grab something to eat and sit down for some time.

Philip sat on a table placed at the sidewalk. An elder couple was close to him. He opened the menu that the waiter had placed in front of him. He was trying to figure out what to do with that. In addition to his German accent, his shyness made it difficult to communicate with the waiter.

The old woman that was talking to her husband tried to help him.

"They serve a wonderful dish with sausage and potatoes here. You'll love it."

"Thank you, madam!" Philip smiled to the couple.

Philip was starving so much, that he would even eat stone gladly.

"Are you here on business or vacations?" Asked the lady's husband.

"I'm touristing around."

"So are we," said the old man. "I see that you want to eat everything that is served to you. Go ahead, the treat is ours."

Philip's faces resembled their son's, who had died from a heart attack a few years back.

"He looks like our Alessandro, doesn't he, honey?"

"The similarity is incredible, darling. Now I understand why you're being so nice to him. He reminds you of our son."

She began to cry while Philip devoured the dish that tasted like the food he used to eat at his homeland. But as soon as he noticed that the old lady was crying, he stopped at once feeling a presence by his side that wanted to say something.

Alessandro's spirit had the same look that he had when he was flesh and bone. But there was a thin membrane of light that surrounded him. When he noticed that Philip was able to see him, he came closer.

"Can you see me?" He asked. There was anguish in his voice.

"Of course, I can. What can I do for you?"

The reddish eyes even during daylight denounced that there was something different happening. The bridge between the spiritual and the material worlds had been opened.

"Please, tell my mother that I'm fine. She's been crying almost every day because she feels like it's her fault that I've died. She thinks she should have taken me to run some exams for prevention. I used to smoke and to drink a lot. My arteries became clogged, so she's sad for not having convinced me in time. She punishes herself daily for not having saved my life by preventing the heart attack. My father does his best to comfort her, but it's useless. I want them to know how much I love them both, but as much as I try, I just can't do it. Please, talk to her. Her name is Milena, and my father is Assis. Oh, God! How I wish to be with them now."

Milena stopped crying when she and her husband noticed what was going on with Philip's eyes, and that he was talking to the air.

"Well, I guess we should get going. He doesn't seem normal," she said.

"Agreed, honey," her husband answered.

"Milena, don't go, I need to talk to you, madam."

"What do you want? Why your eyes are so red, like they're burning? And how do you know my name?"

"Your son, Alessandro, asked me to tell you both something. He told me that your names are Milena and Assis."

"Shut up, boy. You don't get to play with people's pain. We thought you were a good fellow, and we even thought that you resembled our son, but you have no right to bring this stuff up. How do you know his name? Are you a con artist or something?" Assis was deeply angry.

"Let's just leave, hon! Waiter!" She raised her hand and asked the check.

"Yes, madam."

"We want to pay. Please include that young man's check as well."

"Right away, ma'am."

As soon as the waiter left their table, the couple became astounded as they heard the words that came out of Philip's mouth, as if he were into a trance. Silently, as they waited the check, they heard the way he pronounced the words that come out of those lips. He seemed to have been possessed by some sort of spirit.

"Tell them I love them deeply, and that I've left an insurance that they don't know about. The reserve is part of my fund. They just must go to the bank and claim the money as my payees. The necklace that she gave and my other things of value are kept safe inside a box in the bottom drawer of the closet in my room. There's a false bottom in it. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to tell them about those things. It all took place so fast."

Philip's eyes were shining as he pronounced one by one the words that the spirit murmured in his ear. He was feeling that usual lightness and goosebumps whenever he crossed the subtle line between the two worlds. His lips kept on reproducing the words addressed to the couple, which increased their attention. That was Alessandro's voice, there was no doubt about it. The man and the women were so astonished that they became frozen like statues, although they were actively listening to each word that trembled at their souls.

"It's not your fault what happened to me. I never paid enough attention to your advices, mom. I didn't do the checkups that you and dad asked me to. All I cared about was partying hard, smoking, and drinking. You have always been amazing parents; I know I regret deeply that I didn't listen to you. Had I listened to your warning, maybe I could still be alive. Who knows? I could've even given you a grandson or a granddaughter. I beg you both to forgive me... More than ever, know that I truly love you. And I'm looking forward to the day that we'll be together again, and I'll embrace you one more time. Let Julie know that I've never stopped loving her, and that she should live her life, find a new love. She's still too young to be chained to what happened between us in the past. This life is a path through which we must learn, and you both were the best parents a child could ever have. If we knew how much it hurts to be apart from those that we love, we would certainly think twice before doing the same mistakes. I love you both very much. Good bye!"

"Please, tell him that we also love him very much!" Milena now believed.

"I don't have to say anything, madam. Alessandro is listening to you right now. He is close to you. But now he must go..."

"Thank you, Philip! You can't realize how much you've helped me," the spirit said good-bye with sad eyes.

"Go in peace, Alessandro. They'll hear you with their hearts, so that they'll never forget you."

They smiled at each other and a tunnel of light opened to the couple's son. Now, he could walk his path in peace.

The Phantom Man's face returned to normal, and then he said good bye to the old couple, who left the restaurant in absolute awe. Alessandro's mother felt like she was free from the weight of the guilt she had been carrying on her shoulders for so long. At the same time, his father was glad to know that his son was safe.

Once again Philip was assured of his mission and his powers. He finished eating and then snapped his fingers. A beautiful bouquet of flowers appeared in Milena's hands as she was entering the car. The old lady screamed in admiration and her hands trembled. She touched some petals and smelled their perfume. She loved the flowers, although she couldn't explain how they had appeared in her hands.

"I believe that boy is a psychic."

"He was the best thing that could've ever happened to us since Alessandro left. I could spend hours talking to our son."

"Who knows, darling, we might meet that young man again and repeat that wonderful experience."

Philip saw as they couple left. Then he remembered that he had also lost loved ones in his life. 

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