Paltio slowly opened his eyes, emerging from a sea of confused thoughts that had enveloped him for who knows how long. He blinked several times, trying to focus his vision. As he looked around, he froze. "What? How?" he murmured to himself, incredulous upon realizing he was in his room, in his kingdom, in Avocadolia, his home. More specifically, he was lying on his bed as if he had never left.
The last thing he remembered was being swallowed by a vortex when Toco-Toco inserted the golden key into that mysterious door that had appeared out of nowhere. "It's true... Where's the feline?" Paltio wondered, quickly getting up and searching with his eyes for any sign of the cat.
Before he could delve deeper into what had happened, the door to his room burst open. Mok, his butler, entered with his usual composure. "Young Master Paltio, it's time for you to go to school. You're late," he said calmly, adjusting the white gloves he always wore.
"Mok... I'm so glad you're here!" Paltio exclaimed, running toward him and throwing himself into a tight embrace. It was an instinctive gesture, one he hadn't made in a long time. Feeling the solid and real presence of Mok made Paltio pause for a moment. "It's... real," he thought, lightly touching his butler's shoulder. But something in his mind kept screaming that something wasn't adding up.
"Calm down, young master," Mok said, returning the hug with a barely perceptible smile. "I see you must have had some kind of bad dream."
Paltio nodded slowly, though his mind was still spinning. "Yes... it must be that," he murmured, trying to convince himself. However, a part of him couldn't shake the feeling that all of this was too strange to be just a nightmare.
As he let his guard down a little, Paltio decided to tell Mok what he remembered: the vortex, the door, the golden key, and how everything had led to this moment. Mok listened attentively, never losing his calm expression. "Calm down, Prince. Surely you had a nightmare," he finally said, patting Paltio gently on the shoulder.
Although Mok's words seemed reassuring, Paltio couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Still, he decided to move forward for now. "You're right... it must be that," he said, partially accepting the explanation.
"Good, young master, you're late. Hurry up and get dressed. I'll wait for you outside with the carriage," Mok said before leaving the room. Once outside, the butler muttered to himself: "Carriages shaped like tanks, talking animals, and monsters... Well, the prince certainly woke up with quite the imagination today."
Paltio quickly got dressed and went downstairs. At the dining table, his parents, the king and queen of Avocadalia, were waiting for him. This surprised him even more; he had always wished to spend more time with them, but they were always busy with kingdom affairs. Seeing them there, sitting together, ready to have breakfast with him, was something he had never imagined possible.
Deeply moved, Paltio ran to them and hugged them tightly. The king and queen exchanged surprised glances at the sudden display of affection. "Well, son, are you feeling alright today? You seem to have woken up in great spirits and full of energy," the king commented, smiling tenderly.
"What happened, son? Are you okay?" the queen asked, gently stroking her son's hair.
"No, don't worry... it's just that I'm so happy to see you here with me at breakfast," Paltio replied, almost on the verge of tears. It was a moment he had always longed for but never thought possible.
"But Paltio, we're always with you at breakfast, even at lunch and dinner," the king and queen said in unison, looking at him affectionately.
Paltio was lost in his thoughts. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Everything he had always wished for—time with his parents, a normal life—seemed to be happening right now. But was it real? Or was it just another illusion created by his mind?
"No, you don't have a fever, son," his mother said, touching his forehead tenderly. Paltio felt the warmth of her hand, but something in his mind kept screaming that something wasn't quite right.
"No, it's just that I miss you," the young man responded, trying to sound casual, though his thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion.
"Well, son, we miss you too, but we only stopped seeing you yesterday after saying goodnight," the king commented, looking at him curiously. Every word his parents spoke added to the strangeness of what was unfolding before his eyes. He felt a mix of distrust and gratitude at having them so close, but something inside him told him this scene was too perfect to be real.
"Well, young master, you'd better hurry up and finish your breakfast. It's time to go to school," Mok interrupted, appearing in the room with his usual composure.
Paltio nodded quickly. "I'm fine, I'll go without hesitation," he replied. He wanted to find out what else had changed in this world where everyone seemed to treat him as if he were someone different. He hastily finished his breakfast, kissed each of his parents on the forehead, and rushed out toward the front door.
"What's gotten into that boy? He's acting strange today," both parents commented as they watched him leave, observing how their son quickly crossed the threshold.
As he stepped out of the palace, the servants began greeting him enthusiastically. "Good morning, young prince!" some said, bowing respectfully. Even Godar, who had always been reserved, gave him a wide smile. This only deepened Paltio's intrigue. "Why is everyone acting like this is completely normal?" he thought, slightly furrowing his brow.
When he reached the carriage, the coachman opened the door, and both Paltio and Mok climbed in. During the ride, Mok observed him closely. "Young master, are you sure you're alright? You've been acting strangely since this morning."
Paltio nodded slowly, though his mind was still spinning. "Yes, everything's fine," he replied, though his tone failed to fully hide his confusion.
When the carriage arrived at the school, Paltio said goodbye to Mok and entered the building. From the moment he crossed the gates, everyone greeted him as if he were a celebrity. Though technically the prince of Avocadalia, he had never experienced such a level of admiration and respect. Before, he used to be the target of teasing and jokes from some classmates. Now, however, everyone treats him with kindness and admiration.
As he approached the classroom, he saw Alita and Ron waiting for him next to an empty seat. Both smiled widely when they saw him approaching.
"Hi, Paltio!" Alita greeted him, stepping forward with a notebook in hand. "Thank goodness you're here. You'll help me with my history homework, right? Only you can do it; you're the most diligent."
"Me? The most diligent?" Paltio asked, pointing to himself in disbelief.
"Of course! Always so modest," Ron replied, laughing. "You're the best at everything. You're even amazing at fighting and defending me from those who pick fights with me for no reason. You're excellent—you should teach me someday."
"Hey! Are we talking about me, right?" Paltio said, raising an eyebrow and pointing to himself again, still incredulous.
"Of course, you. On top of that, you're a joker," Ron commented, giving him a playful nudge.
Alita looked at him closely, noticing something strange in his behavior. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
"Yeah, it's nothing," Paltio replied, rubbing the back of his head with a nervous laugh. However, his mind was still spinning. What's going on here? Is this real?
"Good morning, class," the teacher announced as he entered, greeting them with a warm smile. "And congratulations to Paltio, our best student. It's always a pleasure having you in class; your dedication is inspiring."
Paltio blinked several times, incredulous at the teacher's words. His mind was a whirlwind of unanswered questions. "What's going on?" he murmured to himself, looking at his classmates, who nodded as if it were completely normal for the prince to be praised like that. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, as if this were the perfect world he had always wished for... but something didn't fit.
As he tried to process what was happening, he realized all eyes were on him. Alita smiled at him from her seat, and Ron gave him a thumbs-up. This has to be an illusion... right? He thought, feeling his heart race with a mix of excitement and distrust.
In another place, Toco-Toco slowly woke up, blinking in confusion as he found himself in a luxurious palace. He was lying on a bed that seemed to be made of silk and gold, far more comfortable than anything he had ever imagined. Before he could process where he was, a deep voice resonated throughout the room:
"Come on, boy, it's time to train. We need to go practice with Lord Golden."
"What happened, meow?" Toco-Toco said, quickly sitting up. His eyes widened in shock as he saw who was speaking: an enormous black feline, imposing and majestic like a panther, watching him with a paternal smile.
"Dad!" Toco-Toco exclaimed, rubbing his eyes with his small paws. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming. But the more he looked, the clearer it became that this wasn't a dream. It was Ged, his father, the general of the golden shadows—someone he had believed lost forever.
"Nonsense? What are you saying, son? I've always been alive... or at least I think so," Ged replied with laughter, approaching to give him an affectionate tap on the head.
"Dad... meow! I can't believe you're here!" Toco-Toco said, leaping off the bed and hugging the great feline. The emotion was overwhelming, but there was also a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"Hey, look, I think Toco-Toco woke up with a comedian's flair," Ged said, laughing as he called someone else from the doorway. "Come see this."
At that moment, another figure entered the room. Toco-Toco froze, his eyes filling with tears as he recognized her. It was a figure he hadn't seen in a long time, someone he had believed lost forever.
"Mo... mo..." Toco-Toco stammered, unable to finish the word.