Paltio was living a dream come true. Surrounded by friends who admired him, a present and happy family, and a life that seemed plucked from his deepest desires, he began to forget everything he had fought for before. He allowed himself to be carried away by the calm and joy, thinking he had finally found his place in the world.
On the other hand, Toco-Toco was also enjoying this new reality. He spent time with Zaril, went on walks with friends, and shared heartwarming moments with his parents. Everything seemed perfect. The fight against Urugas, the sacrifices, and the dangers faced faded like a distant memory.
However, in the shadows, something dark began to stir.
"It's time to change everything," echoed a sinister voice, laden with power and malice. That same voice whispered orders directly into Godar's ear, who until now had been content for the prince and dedicated to cooperating in the kingdom. Upon hearing the words of the voice, Godar remembered and muttered with determination: "I must do what I came here to do for Master Urugas."
With stealthy steps, Godar made his way toward one of the most protected sectors of the kingdom. Soldiers guarded every entrance, but he managed to slip through undetected. Repeating like a mantra, "I must do it for Master Urugas," he reached a hidden control panel and, with trembling but determined hands, deactivated a crucial system. A small section of the kingdom was left exposed, creating a vulnerable gap.
From the darkness outside the kingdom, a massive shadow began to take shape. It was Tejod, accompanied by his army of red shadows, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Hail, Lord Urugas," Godar said, bowing deeply before the imposing figure emerging from the shadows. It was Tejod, the enormous badger serving Lord Urugas, flanked by his army of red shadows, their eyes glowing like embers in the darkness. Each of them emanated an oppressive energy, as if the night itself had solidified into their forms.
Tejod advanced with heavy steps, his body covered in scars from past battles and his dark medallion pulsing with a sinister glow. Behind him, the red shadows moved in perfect formation, patiently awaiting the order to attack. The surrounding air seemed to vibrate with almost palpable tension, as if the world itself knew that something catastrophic was about to happen.
"Well done, Godar," Tejod said in a deep, resonant voice, filled with authority. "The path is clear, just as Lord Urugas commanded."
Godar bowed his head again, his expression Stoic but brimming with absolute loyalty. "I live to serve Lord Urugas," he replied, stepping back to let Tejod take the lead.
Tejod surveyed the exposed kingdom before him, his lips curling into a cold, calculating smile. "It's time to change everything," he murmured, almost to himself, as he raised a claw toward the sky. As if responding to his call, the red shadows began to move, slithering like living smoke toward the heart of the kingdom.
Chaos soon arrived in Avocadolia. The red shadows invaded the kingdom with devastating force. The soldiers tried to defend themselves, but they were outnumbered. One by one, they were overwhelmed and turned into red jade under the power of Tejod's medallion. No one could escape its influence. The kingdom that had once been a place of peace and happiness quickly succumbed to pure darkness.
Just moments ago, Paltio had been the center of attention at school. Everyone admired him, congratulated him, and treated him as if he were someone special. But suddenly, everything changed. A sinister voice began whispering into the ears of everyone present, manipulating their thoughts and emotions. As if under a spell, the once-friendly faces transformed into masks of disdain.
"Are you useless, prince? Do you know anything?" one of his classmates sneered with a mocking smile. "You thought you were the best here, but you're the most pathetic person in this place," another added, his tone dripping with venom.
Even Alita and Ron, who had always been his closest friends, looked at him with contempt. Their eyes, once filled with warmth, now reflected coldness and rejection. Every word they spoke felt like a dagger straight to Paltio's heart.
"What is going on?" he thought, feeling the world around him crumble. His mind struggled to comprehend what had changed so abruptly, but no answers came. Everything he had once considered safe and real now seemed like a cruel lie.
In the school hallways, every person he encountered hurled insults and scorn. "You're worthless," they said. "I hope you never become king." Each word was like a stab that pushed him further into the abyss.
Desperate, Paltio ran out of the school, feeling how each step he took struck another blow to his heart. The cruel words echoed endlessly in his ears: "Coward," "Useless," "Hide in your palace like the despicable coward you are." The streets he ran through were crowded with people pointing at him in disdain, throwing insults and jeers.
But what hurt him most wasn't the words—it was the disbelief. How did something so precious and joyful turn into a living nightmare? He thought as tears continued to stream from his eyes. His mind fought to understand what had changed, but everything around him seemed to be falling apart. Finally, he reached the palace, a place that had once been his safe haven, but now it only felt like a prison where he could hide from the world.
Meanwhile, Toco-Toco was enjoying what seemed to be a perfect day. He had arranged to meet Zaril, the gray cat he had always liked. However, before he could say anything, the same dark voice that had disturbed Paltio began whispering in Zaril's ear. Her eyes darkened, and her expression completely shifted.
"Don't come near me," Zaril said coldly, her voice laced with contempt. "I don't care about your friendship. You're weak, a coward for abandoning us. You disgust me."
Toco-Toco stepped back, incredulous. "What's happening? This can't be real," he murmured, closing his eyes tightly, hoping to wake up from some nightmare. But when he opened them, the situation was even worse. Zaril was no longer the same. Her skin had turned pale and putrid, her eyes empty and glassy, as if she were a living corpse. Still, she kept speaking, her words like daggers piercing the little feline's heart.
"It's all your fault," Zaril whispered, her voice hoarse and guttural.
Horrified, Toco-Toco tried to move away, but when he looked at his other companions, he realized they too had changed. Their faces were distorted, their bodies transformed into walking corpses who began pointing at him with bony paws, now resembling accusing fingers that seemed to pierce his soul. "You're a coward," they said. "You abandoned us—you shouldn't have left."
The feline ran, his body trembling with fear and confusion. As he moved at full speed, the world around him began to crumble. The beautiful city he had been in just moments ago transformed into a desolate wasteland, filled with rubble and ruins. The air was heavy with an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of his own footsteps and the wind that moaned as if mourning the devastation.
"Meow... What's happening?" Toco-Toco murmured, watching as everything he knew turned into a graveyard. Where there had once been laughter and life, now only desolation remained. Buildings collapsed, streets were covered in ashes, and the sky darkened into a starless black shroud.
Finally, he arrived home, seeking refuge in the one place he believed to be safe. But what he found there left him paralyzed. On the ground before him lay his mother, Siri. Her body was cold and stiff, her skin putrid, and her eyes empty. "It's all your fault, Toco-Toco," she whispered in a voice that wasn't hers.
Toco-Toco fell to his knees, sobbing. "Mom! No, please!" he cried, extending a paw toward her, but he knew there was nothing he could do.
Before he could react, someone else appeared before him. It was Ged, his father, covered in wounds and blood. "I'm sorry, son... I couldn't defeat the enemy," he said in a broken voice before collapsing dead at his feet.
Suddenly, everything around him transformed into a battlefield. Fallen soldiers lay everywhere, their bodies lifeless and their gazes vacant. The wind itself seemed to speak to him, whispering directly into his mind: You're weak. Because of you, we're dead. You didn't arrive on time.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Toco-Toco screamed, collapsing to the ground as tears flooded his cheeks. Everything he loved, everything that had once been his home, was destroyed. His friends, his family, his world… all were lost. And he hadn't been able to do anything to stop it.
In the midst of his despair, Toco-Toco saw something that froze his blood. Before him, Golden was fighting against a group of horrifying creatures: the Tropogax, beasts with claws as sharp as blades and glowing red eyes that seemed to pierce the soul. Despite his injuries and the clear numerical superiority of his enemies, Golden continued to fight bravely, defending what remained of his legacy.
"I must go to my lord; he needs me," Toco-Toco murmured, wiping away his tears with a trembling paw. He tried to move toward Golden, but before he could take a single step, he felt cold, bony hands gripping him tightly. They belonged to the skeletons of his fallen comrades, who had returned to stop him.
"No, you can't do anything," whispered the hollow voices of the skeletons, their words echoing like distant echoes from beyond. "It's better if you stay here with us… forever."
"No! Let me go! I must help the boss; he needs me!" Toco-Toco shouted, struggling with all his might. But the skeletal paws of his comrades were relentless. They held him firmly, forcing him to keep his eyes wide open so he couldn't look away from what was happening before him.
Golden, exhausted and covered in wounds, finally succumbed to the attacks of the Tropogax. One of the beasts raised its blood-soaked claw and plunged it directly into the golden leader's chest. Golden's agonized scream echoed through the air, filling Toco-Toco's heart with pain and horror.
"No, my lord, no!" cried the little feline, his voice breaking as he watched Golden's body fall lifelessly to the ground. Tears streamed once again from his eyes, but the skeletal paws held him firmly, not allowing him to move even an inch.
"Come with us," the skeletons chorused, their voices laden with chilling coldness. "This is where you belong." Without giving him time to react, all the bones began to spin around Toco-Toco, forming a dark, oppressive sphere that completely enveloped him. Inside this prison of sorrow and melancholy, Toco-Toco felt his heart sink into an abyss of despair.
From the shadows, that terrifying voice observed everything with malicious satisfaction. "Such sadness... Such pain... Such pity," it said, dragging out each word in a mocking and cruel tone. Then, it let out an evil laugh that echoed sinisterly through the air. "Let's see how the other brat fares," it continued, referring to Paltio with a dark glint in its invisible eyes.
The scene shifted abruptly. While Toco-Toco remained trapped in his sphere of hopelessness, the focus returned to Paltio, who was still facing his own nightmare. The dark voice was not willing to let them escape so easily; it wanted to ensure that both protagonists suffered to their limits.