CHAPTER 7

–– WHY ARE WE RUNNING SO MUCH, Rico? – Said Ana already out of breath after running almost three kilometers without interruption.

–– It doesn't smell all right, you know? – Said Henrique trying to recover his breath because of the race – My grandfather always said not to trust anyone if something like that happened to him.

–– Why, Rico?

Henrique Cardeñas leaned against the wall trying again to catch his breath, he felt his lungs on his back from running so much.

He hugged Ana with affection.

Ana always felt welcomed in those long and strong arms, even though she was somewhat short for him – she was 1.62m tall and a mere fifty kilos well distributed – she loved his hug that way, she called it "bear hug", even when he was all sweaty – as was the case in particular.

–– I know I never told you about my past, in fact, I don't even like to remember, my childhood was showered with a lot of pain and suffering, everything in my life revolves around great secrets and mysteries that I don't understand much myself , and I don't even know if I'll ever understand.

Ana looked at him without fully understanding anything he was talking about, her look brought a lot of pain for remembering what happened in the past, she knew nothing of what she had been through with her lover, but at that moment she realized that if she found out, she would share a pain that she was ready to endure. He was a boyfriend, a friend, a confidant, a companion, and yet they had never had such deep intimacy.

Pain has a much stronger power than we imagine, it separates people, but it can unite desperate souls...

–– Don't look at me like that – he said smiling and pretending to be all right – I'm also confused by everything that is happening, I just couldn't stay there waiting for something worse, this police we have is as bad as the bad guys that are chasing.

She pretended to smile.

–– Why don't you explain what you know? Perhaps together we can solve at least part of the whole mystery. Carrying the world on your own is too much of a burden, I know I can help in some way, even if it's just a little.

Henrique hugged her again, he didn't know how to explain, but just the fact that she was at his side already made him more confident to believe that everything would work out in the end.

As they walked, Henrique began to tell about his childhood.

HENRIQUE WAS BORN in Madrid on the 16th of November 1988, into an extremely wealthy and influential family.

At first, his name was not Henrique Cardeñas – that name he received when he came to live here in Brazil, running away from someone that his grandfather never wanted to tell him who he was.

His Christian name was Andrius Colmenaghes de Rillencourt IV.

HENRIQUE WAS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD and had an experience that few adult people could endure. There was a serious accident with his parents' car, and the only one who survived was the little boy, given express orders to stay away from the car.

Little Andrius was about fifty feet away and the car just exploded with his whole family inside.

When the rescue arrived, the boy was in complete shock and it took several days and many hypnosis therapies for him to return to normal and have no more nightmares with the explosion of the car and his father's screams.

FOR MANY YEARS, Henrique had not remembered that accident, until he found a front page note about the accident between things in his grandfather's office.

Henrique discovered that it had been the last newspaper his grandfather had bought in his life. After that, Carlos Cardeñas never stayed informed about the present, he sank more and more into the dark past of his cursed family.

Her grandfather discovered in the week following the accident that it was not a mere accident what happened to his family, but that they had murdered their only son, daughter–in–law and granddaughter, and that luckily – or blessing of God – their grandson Andrius IV managed to escape alive from that tragedy. Being too small, he managed to pass through the window of the car, and ended up watching everything.

ANDRIUS COLMENAGHES de Rillencourt II – Carlos Cardeñas – decided to change his name and take refuge in Brazil, where he was able to give his grandson the best life he could dream of, even without the love and affection of the deceased parents.

Carlos decided to teach at the University of São Paulo (USP), thanks to the help of a childhood friend – André Cavalares – who also belonged to a Brazilian Masonic community.

His grandfather, since he was a child, loved mysticism and the fantastic stories about the Knights of the Order and everything that revolved around it, but Henrique already liked video games, some sports, girls and everything that was frivolous – according to his archaic understanding, it was like he liked to talk.

Despite a tragic childhood, Henrique liked to come and live in Brazil, after all, Portuguese was not so difficult to learn and another, here, he even had some freedom, because of the status his family carried, because they were descendants of the Knights Templar, according to what your grandfather always proudly told you.

His family, for generations, were considered to be the most notable architects in Europe, building Gothic cathedrals, the talent of the Rillencourt family spanned centuries until reaching him, from which he discovered he had no talent at all.

ANA IN TURN WAS MASSAGED because she knew about her boyfriend's past, she knew he was a foreigner, but she never imagined that he was so rich and of such a formidable origin.

–– What a story, huh! – She said fascinated with the story told by her boyfriend.

Henrique smiled in agreement.

–– But does not stop there.

She was as attentive as a dog watching a chicken roasting in a bakery on Sundays.

–– Yes, there is much more.

He realized that Ana was really paying attention and continued.