A day then passed, and all of our heroes slept for a good amount of time. Protected by the fact that the generals did not know in which space and time they were located. As time went by, the groups slowly began to awaken, let's start with Helena's group, shall we?

Helena slowly awoke, Pedro was by her side, staring at her intently, a huge smile on his face as he noticed she was regaining consciousness.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!" The young man shouted with all his joy, almost bursting the eardrums of the half-redhead; she would have hit him if she wasn't still sleepy. "SHE'S ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!"

"Stop yelling, Pedro." Helena scolded, then she noticed the mark on his neck, still purple and probably painful. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, about that? I guess I had a ridiculous attitude during the fight, didn't I? Sorry, I didn't mean to be a hindrance."

"It's okay, I didn't do much either."

"No? Then who..."

"Oh, right." Interrupting Pedro's question, the half-redhead jumped to her feet. "Where are Emily and Clark? Are they okay?"

In response, Pedro just pointed to a redhead sleeping near Helena, the man seemed to be wrapped in tree leaves.

"The trees stopped his injuries; there are plants like cashew trees, wormwood, among others, that are good for healing. As for Emily... well, she's not okay." Noticing the confused look on the half-redhead, Pedro explained how Emily had woken up depressed; she hadn't said a word since waking up and was just sitting in the corner, deep in thought. "If what she went through was similar to what we went through, then I think she must have been quite scared. She's just... spaced out, there but not really present."

"Yeah... that thing really did a number on us. What did you dream about?"

"What do you mean? You were there, you saw."

"Hm? What are you talking about? You were in mine."

"I was? I don't remember that..."

"And you won't remember." To their surprise, Clark sat up with painful movements. "It was my power that put you there, my power connects hearts, not minds; you won't remember because your consciousness wasn't there. Anyway, Helena, you managed to defeat that creature, apparently, only you could."

"Actually, no. It trapped me in some kind of clay; I couldn't do anything but think..."

"If it wasn't you, then who was it?"

"I... don't know." You do know, Helena, your mind just refuses to remember. You don't want to remember, you don't want to think, you don't want to know. Funny, you were so eager to know the truth, but now that you know and don't like it, your mind tries to ignore it.

But you can't ignore it; that was what you wanted to find out. So your mind sends you flashes, visions of your doppelganger who took control, who can take control, and your heart began to race.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." Helena quickly got up and began to bite her nails, thinking. She couldn't think as deeply as the others, but she was thinking desperately, anxiously, and nervously. Afraid, angry, confused. Who was that woman who looked like her? What happened?

Clark gradually calmed Helena while Pedro just looked on confused. Due to all the commotion, even Emily came over, looking tired and worn out, but still showing concern.

"Warrior..." Then the being appeared, as always, at the worst time, out of nowhere. Why wouldn't he just leave them alone? The monk walked toward them before they could say anything. Helena, unable to look at the man's face any longer, marched like an ogre toward him, grabbing a piece of his robe and confronting him.

"WHO IS SHE? COME ON! SAY IT ALREADY!" The monk sighed, raised one of his hands, and when the girl came to her senses, she was back beside Clark and Pedro, sitting on the ground. "Oh, you..."

"Her name is Criara. That's exactly why I came here. Now that she's back, it's fair that you know about her."

"Who is she anyway?" The monk's presence was absent. He was there, in front of them, but it was as if he could leave at any moment, even as he was always there.

"Remember what I told you about your ancestor? That she had been severely injured and the Mother healed her through her powers? Well... What she did went far beyond that. What she used to heal your ancestor was a liquid of life, full of death. She used something superior in an inferior body, a contradiction in another contradiction. Life and Death together, in a human body, a blunder. Since then, that woman and one from each generation of her descendants have become bitter and angry because their souls were disturbed by what was living in their metabolism. That is Criara, another abomination that should not exist, but again, because of that woman, it did."

"Again?" Clark realized. "She had created others like Criara before?"

"No... she created worse. In any case, when Lily used her powers to create the monsters that plagued the Earth, the wave of power she produced stimulated the contradiction that resided within you, which is why Criara awakened."

"B-But that doesn't make sense, why only that time and never again? Why did she come back now?" The monk raised one of his hands, and there was an empty bottle of sedatives. The very thing Helena kept in her pocket.

"That helped keep her calm, and when it ran out, was when you met the angel." He said, pointing at Clark. The group looked at him confused, and he also didn't seem to understand what the celestial being was talking about. "You kept her calm during all the time you were together, which was quite a while. Even if involuntarily, you held Criara."

"So... was that what killed my parents? A monster that lives in my family generation after generation? All because of that woman? Because of Lily? THE FAULT WAS YOURS TOO, IF YOU KNEW WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING? WHY DO YOU NEVER DO ANYTHING?"

"It's not my job to solve the problems caused by others. I can help, but the one who started it is the one who must finish it."

"WE DIDN'T CAUSE THIS EITHER!"

"But the actions of others brought you into this. You might not have any direct involvement, but often, the actions of one affect all of humanity."

"NO, I'M NOT GETTING INVOLVED ANYMORE. ENOUGH!"

"Warrior, you have a choice; if you want to leave, leave. There's no obligation for you to be here. But there are still 10 generals, tell me, how do you plan to live in a world where so many virtues are out of place?"

"So... we really have no choice?" Pedro asked, receiving a head shake from the monk. "And these 10? Can we defeat them?"

"If fate wills it, then yes. You can defeat them, but not if you continue as you are now."

"As we are now?"

"You four lost to that man, all because you're still holding back. Priest, why do you only fight with plants? You still have another side to your power that you simply don't use. If you did, you would have torn that thread apart with ease. Angel, why did you deactivate your power when you felt you were going to become your colleague? As long as your consciousness remains and you have control over your existence, it doesn't matter if you transform into her, just return to normal afterward. If you had stopped worrying about your safety for a moment and taken a risk, you might have fought that man. Child, why so dejected now? You knew very well how dangerous these beings are, but without the intelligence you received, you felt it acutely. Know that the intelligence was given to you, but you still have a power that is yours. When you understand who you are, you'll understand what you can do. And as for you..." The monk's eyes fell on Helena with great calm; she looked like she might faint again at any moment. "... Do whatever you want with this information about Criara."

"What does this mean..." Too late, he had already disappeared. Four temporal rifts opened in front of the group. "This guy... who does he think he is?"

Meanwhile.

Stuart was standing beside the ruins of the palace, watching Lindsay and all her beauty. The ghost looked at him, intrigued and a bit embarrassed.

"What's wrong?"

"I... just like to watch you. Is that a crime now?" He laughed, but she just looked at him seriously.

"No, but it's strange to observe someone who is already dead." Again, she had to spoil the moment. Why couldn't she just forget about it, even if just for a moment? What she was thinking must have been written all over her face, as Lindsay continued. "I'm telling the truth, Stuart. I knew it would be a problem for me to be here. I'm not coming back to life, and you can't keep loving me, not the way you want to. You need to move on."

"I don't want to talk about it. When are Carlos and Cyntia coming back?"

"Carlos and Cyntia? In a few hours, I believe. And I'm not letting you change the subject. It's time for you to accept that I'm dead."

"How? You're right here in front of me."

"Then send me away. It's your power, I can't leave until you allow me to, but you want me to go, you can't accept it."

"And why should I..."

"Stuart?" Lysa interrupted, looking confused. To her, the man seemed to be shouting at the air. She knew he talked to ghosts, but it was still strange. "Are you... okay?"

"Yes, what do you want?" His tone suggested she should leave, but... the girl felt bad about leaving him alone. He was sad, and it didn't take supernatural powers to understand that. "Come on, Lysa."

"Stuart!" Yell the ghost in defense of the child.

"Lindsay, don't interfere. You're dead, aren't you? So, shut up."

"You..."

"Well... I... I'm worried about you. Is there anything I can do?"

"If there was, I'd ask. Now please leave me alone." Oh, Lysa, still don't you understand? Opening up to others is so immature. A real adult knows how to suffer in silence without showing anything to anyone. You still need to grow to understand that, girl... at least, that's how you feel, right? Oh, poor Lysa, the world of adults is so confusing and sad.

"Okay... I'll... but when you see Carlos again, can you tell him I said thank you?"

"yeah, okay." The girl left, trembling with anxiety and a bit of panic. Always feeling like a burden, she irritated everyone all the time... she must be so annoying and so stupid... why couldn't she do anything right?

"Don't worry." John replied as he adjusted the string of his bow while the child ran past him.

"Huh?"

"If you waste time letting every little thing upset you, you'll just be a hindrance. Stuart is a boring and stubborn guy, plain and simple. Ignore that he's there and it'll be fine. That's exactly what I do. I don't talk to him because I know he'll attack me at those times, so I wait for him to come to me."

"And does it work?"

"He and I barely talk, and yet, I'm the one who gets along best with him. I think something works, but let me tell you something, Lysa. Feelings can be important, but in our situation, they can be a big problem. Enemies might use them against you. Don't show weakness in front of them. Don't cry, don't scream, be composed."

"Be... composed?" It was strange, everyone said that among the children, Lysa was the most mature and careful. She was constantly praised for it. So, being advised to be that was very odd. "Okay... I'll try to be a little. By the way, where is James?"

"I saw him entering the forest a few minutes ago. He'll be back soon. In the meantime, why don't you help me with the bow?" Obviously, he didn't need it, and to be honest, he didn't really want the girl's help either. But leaving a child alone and careless in the situation they were in would be dangerous, so the best solution was to give something to distract her. Lysa was pleased with the idea, truly believing she was being useful to the man.

But we've checked everyone in the group except the oldest. So why don't we go see him for a bit? Just, please, come with me quietly. We don't want to startle the good man. Moving through the forest, you'll see that he's pacing back and forth, tears in his eyes, while he seems to be talking to himself.

"Please, my Lord, protect my niece. She needs help; she can be so careless sometimes. Father, I believe that regardless of the situation, it's only for You to extend Your hands, and she will be safe. I plead, my God, but at the same time, I place it in Your hands because I know Your will is holy and perfect. I leave the judgment to You; just help me teach my stubborn heart to control itself. Spirit, increase my faith because I feel it's failing; how could it not after everything I've seen? How can I continue believing after everything I've been through?... But even in doubt, I choose to believe. Oh God of justice, God of victory, God of war, and God of peace, may Your Name be exalted now and forever, Lord, and may You give me strength for these trials, for I..."

In the middle of the prayer, the sound of a breaking twig interrupted his personal moment, and the man lifted his gaze to the forest. There he was, the mysterious being who brought them here. The monk was staring at him with an intrigued and somewhat confused expression.

"What are you doing?"

James felt a bit awkward to answer. The one in front of him usually gave answers, albeit half-hearted ones, but still gave them. So being asked a question about something so trivial surprised him.

"Do you care about that?" The monk sighed and prepared to turn his back and leave. James couldn't help but feel bad for his rudeness and called out to him. "Hey, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. What's your name?"

"Name?"

"Yes, what do people call you?" The monk said nothing, just stared at him. It was mysterious and a little terrifying. His eyes seemed to see everything but nothing at the same time. As if the man was insignificant in his presence but was still being noticed. "Okay, no name, got it. To answer your question, I was praying."

"I understand that. You're a Christian, but why are you praying to a being you seem to doubt?"

"Because He exists. Whether I doubt or not. I believe in the faithfulness and truth of my God."

"Hmm... you really are an interesting man, James. I was right to call you here."

"Ha, so I guess even an extra like me can help after all."

"Extra? You see yourself as an extra?"

"Well, wasn't it you who left me out in the nicknames?" Again, the monk sighed, incredulous at what he was hearing.

"You humans are so insecure and naïve. Why does the fact that I didn't give you a name make you less special than the others? In the end, you fought as much as they did, didn't you? You're not an extra; you're as important as them."

"So why didn't I receive a name?"

"Didn't receive? Isn't James a name as good as the others, with its own meaning? James comes from Jacob, he who comes from the heel. You may seem down, but in the end, you have the strength to protect those you need to protect. Why would I name you something when your name already represents what you are? A name carries a lot of power, and that's why it should not be dismissed."

"I apologize if I'm beating the same drum, but is that why you don't tell me your name?"

"Why do you humans name themselves, can you tell me?"

"Because there are many of us; we need names to communicate and distinguish ourselves from one another."

"Exactly. You are many, that's why you name yourselves. I, however, am unique. I don't need a name. You don't need to differentiate me from other beings because there is no other being like me. I am called by what I am, not by what I represent, for I represent what I am. At the end of the day, I am what I am." With such words, James widened his eyes and stared at the being in front of him in disbelief. The being then murmured in front of him what he was. The man couldn't believe it, he would never have guessed the truth behind all these beings, Lily, the monk, the virtues, what they were. It was right there, so obvious, and yet, the man didn't realize it. "In any case, I must go now, James. Do me a favor?"

"Y-Yes?" The monk moved his hand, and a sheathed sword materialized in front of him"I don't use swords..."

- "I know that. I want you to give this to your niece. And James, don't tell anyone the truth about what it's happening on here okay? The other's won't believe you so it's better if you let them notice everything by their own eyes. In the right time, i'll reveal the truth." With such words the being disappear. James' eyes still with tears, completely shocked by what he discovered.

"Thank you... for everything."