Flames of Hope

The portal glowed with an intense light, casting dancing shadows across the laboratory as a faint hum filled the air. Suddenly, with a flash, the portal expelled a small envelope that landed gently in front of the scientist.

Intrigued, he leaned down to pick it up. On the back of the envelope, written in elegant handwriting, were the words: "For Lusto King."

"For me?" he murmured, frowning.

With trembling fingers, he carefully tore one edge of the envelope as though afraid to damage its contents. He pulled out a folded sheet of paper and, as his gaze slid over the handwriting, he instantly recognized the fluid, delicate script. It was from Mery.

Lusto's heart skipped a beat as his eyes scanned the opening lines:

*"Lusto,

I am Mery. I know we've been arguing a lot lately about my decision to move to the big city, but I want you to understand something: this is my dream, my deepest desire. I want to be someone, to find my purpose, to explore the unknown… something you've always inspired me to do. But I also knew that if I told you this face-to-face, you wouldn't let me go. That's why I'm writing you this letter. I know you'll be angry, but I hope, in time, you'll understand.

I wish with all my heart that you achieve everything you set out to do—that you become the legendary scientist of teleportation, the great Lusto. And I will fulfill my dream, as you've always encouraged me to. Thank you for everything, Lusto. I hope our paths cross again someday. This is not goodbye; it's a see-you-later."*

With love,

Mery.

Lusto scratched his head, clearly perplexed. "Mery?" he murmured softly, as if saying her name aloud might help him decipher its meaning.

Faint, blurry images began to form in his mind, like old photographic negatives. At first, they seemed clear, but soon something strange happened: Mery vanished from them. It was like looking at photographs where he stood alone, though a profound feeling persisted, whispering that someone had once been by his side. He recalled laughter, conversations, shared moments… but Mery's face remained out of reach, like a puzzle missing its most vital piece.

His fingers instinctively tightened around the letter, crumpling it slightly as a vague ache filled his chest. Only her name and the feelings she evoked remained. He had forgotten her.

The portal's glow snapped him back to reality. It was slowly closing, its lines of light retracting in spirals and flickers. A desperate urge surged through him, as though that light was his last connection to Mery.

"Wait!" he shouted, and without a second thought, he ran toward the portal, ready to leap. But then his eyes caught something that made him freeze in place.

Zooe was in a corner of the laboratory, still unconscious from the recent battle. His breathing was shallow, and Lusto didn't know what would happen if he left him alone. The broken hatch in one corner emitted an ominous hiss, as if a monster from the lower levels might emerge at any moment.

Lusto clenched his teeth, glaring at the portal in frustration. He knew that if he went through, everything here could collapse. Another dark portal could open; supplies without their portals would run out, leaving them without food. The monsters, hungrier than ever, could seize his absence to attack. There were too many possibilities, too many risks.

With a growl of despair, he stopped in front of the portal, watching helplessly as the last spark of light vanished into the air.

He fell to his knees, his gaze fixed on the empty space where the portal had been. His shoulders slumped, and a strange, almost hysterical laugh began to escape his throat. He pressed his hands to his face, his fingers digging in so hard they slightly distorted his features.

"What am I thinking?" he muttered between laughs and sobs as tears began to stream down his cheeks. He looked at the letter still clutched in his hand and, on impulse, crumpled it into a ball and threw it into a corner.

"I have to report the dark portal to the government," he suddenly said, as if clinging to a task might help him maintain what he called sanity.

He staggered to his feet, his legs heavy and his body sore from the battle. The tears kept falling, but he wiped them away with the sleeve of his lab coat. He took a few steps toward his desk, but then a strong dizziness hit him without warning.

The hum of the battle, the adrenaline that had sustained him until now, had completely disappeared, leaving his body at the mercy of exhaustion. His head, still throbbing from hitting the wall during the fight, began to pound with a sharp, penetrating pain.

His knees buckled, and his body collapsed to the floor with a dull thud. Darkness enveloped him, taking with it his worries about the portal.

In the laboratory, only the faint flicker of the lights and the soft whisper of the broken hatch remained, providing an eerie atmosphere.

Time moved slowly and silently. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours. Finally, the scientist Lusto opened his eyes, his mind still caught between fatigue and confusion. As he focused his gaze, he saw a figure wrapped in flames on the other side of the room. It was the knight's body, now reduced to an improvised campfire that warmed the laboratory.

On the other side of the fire, Solería played with Foot, the little gigamonkey, who laughed softly while tugging at Solería's hair, which changed color in a cascading effect.

Lusto suddenly sat up, his frantic gaze scanning the room for Zooe. His abrupt movements prevented him from noticing that Zooe was right beneath him, acting as an improvised bed.

"Zooe!" he exclaimed, startled upon realizing where he was.

He quickly moved aside, seeing how the gigamonkey was wrapped in Solería's cloak, which served as makeshift bandages. He carefully observed the wounds on Zooe's chest, head, and limbs, where the fabric seemed to have stopped the bleeding and contained the worst of the damage.

Hurrying, Lusto made his way to a corner of the laboratory. He opened a dusty drawer and pulled out an old first aid kit. Inside, he found syringes, a jar of ointment, and a set of real bandages, all slightly worn but still functional.

Returning to Zooe, he knelt down and, with careful movements, began treating his wounds. He injected a liquid that would help ease the pain, reduce swelling, and promote faster recovery. Then he applied the ointment to the most injured areas, massaging firmly but without causing further harm to the furry body.

After finishing with Zooe, Lusto turned his attention to himself. His own body was in bad shape too—dark bruises covered his skin, and a sharp pain in his chest reminded him of the blows he had taken in the battle. He administered a shot and applied ointment to the most visible bruises, feeling a slight relief spreading through his body.

When he was done, he focused on Solería. With some difficulty, he stood and approached her with bandages in one hand and ointment in the other. However, as he took a step forward, she backed away, her glowing red eyes watching him warily as she let out a low, warning growl.

"Easy," Lusto murmured, raising his hands to show he meant no harm. He slowly lowered the syringes and extended the bandages toward her, making it clear he only wanted to help.

Solería stopped growling and cautiously approached on all fours. She extended a bruised hand toward him, finally allowing him to apply the ointment gently and bandage her wounds.

When he finished, Lusto let out a sigh of relief. He stood up and returned to Zooe, sitting heavily on his furry companion, whose warm body was comforting in the cold laboratory.

Relaxed now, Solería tore off a piece of meat from the fire with a quick motion and offered it to Lusto. He took it, brought it to his nose, and a tempting aroma filled his senses.

"Smells like roasted pork," he thought as he began to eat.

The warm, juicy flavor reminded him that, despite everything that had happened, they were still alive. When he finished, he leaned back against Zooe, closing his eyes as exhaustion dragged him into sleep once more. For the first time in a long time, his breathing was calm, and a faint hope kindled within him.