After the tests were over, Alex looked around, confused. Everyone was rushing in their own directions, lost in their duties.
Suddenly, a man approached and grabbed Alex's hand.
"Thank you for saving my girl!" he said, eyes filled with gratitude.
Alex nodded, smiling faintly.
"No need to thank me, sir. We just did what we could. Actually—never mind us."
The man laughed heartily.
"Well, Mandora and I will personally look after you from now on!"
"Of course," Alex replied, a bit awkwardly. "I did ask for caring attention…"
Two men rolled over separate wheelchairs for Alex and Ben. Alex stared at the buttons and asked,
"Can we drive these things?"
The man chuckled.
"Well, actually… Mandora mentioned some of your naughty stunts with James, so I added a speed limit."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"How fast are we talking?"
"About as fast as a fifty-year-old man jogging," the man replied with a grin.
As they wheeled down a corridor, the man's tone shifted.
"Alex, you probably don't even know why you were brought to this advanced, confidential military base… do you?"
They stopped in front of a large conference table. The man sat down. A moment later, Mandora rushed in and dropped into a chair.
"Alex," she said firmly, "I need you to listen very carefully from this moment on. Got it?"
He nodded.
"For centuries—no, millennia—many myths were considered just that: myths. But they were true. Olympus, Norse legends, Indian deities, and more… they all existed. Some became known as Supreme Gods based on their power."
She looked directly at him.
"Zeus—you know him. Odin—your other grandfather from your mother's side. Poseidon… same Olympian blood."
She paused. "Some gods chose not to get involved. Shiva, Buddha… they preferred peace, solitude."
"I'll explain your family tree. Don't get overwhelmed, alright?" Alex nodded again.
"Let's start with your mother."
"To fulfill the prophecy, your grandfather—Perseus—fell in love with the most beautiful daughter of a great evil king. That king, full of pride, cast them into a sealed box and threw them to the sea. But by Poseidon's grace, the child survived. Raised by sailors, he grew up and fulfilled his destiny."
"He became a legendary adventurer and bathed in the River of Immortality, transforming into the most powerful demigod."
"He hated his father for abandoning his mother, yet became one of the most feared warriors across all myths. Zeus always tried to cherish him, but Perseus rejected the heavens and became the God of Adventures. Even Hermes' legacy trembled in comparison."
Mandora's voice softened. "That man… is your mother's father. Your grandfather."
"Then came your grandmother. A Valkyrie—third daughter of Odin. A legendary healer of Asgard. A child deeply loved."
"Together, they had a daughter: Princess Anna Cane. My mentor. My godmother."
Mandora turned serious again.
"Now your father's side…"
"The universe was born from stars. From them came light and darkness—a cosmic balance. From this balance rose the Brave Lights. Eternal beings tasked with maintaining harmony."
"Their founder was the Eternal King—The Brave Light Author—the most powerful being in existence. His son was Xander Brave Light Author."
The man stood.
"When Xander's child was born, no powers were detected in him. The council demanded the child be abandoned. But Xander and his wife refused. They left the realm of the Brave Lights with their knights."
Alex's voice broke the silence.
"What happened to Xander's wife?"
Mandora tried to rise, but Alex's glare froze her in place.
"Please," he said quietly, "I need to hear this."
The man nodded.
"The world later learned that she had taken on the highest role in the universe—protector of the stars from both light and dark forces. She held power equal to that of creation itself."
He hesitated.
"But… she died. A war hero. Her death drove Xander mad with grief. He slaughtered half the dark forces in revenge. He fought monsters to protect Earth and you."
He looked at Alex with sorrow.
"You disappeared for a century after that. When the dark forces returned, Perseus—your grandfather—went insane and destroyed 75% of them. The Brave Lights tried to stop him. They failed. He became a Supreme God in his own right. From that day, even the Brave Lights feared him."
Mandora stood, her voice trembling.
"Xander refused to give up on you. And when you were missing, he realized Zeus had been watching over you. When you came to Earth and fought those last two battles… he warned us not to let you get hurt. He asked us to train you carefully."
"But you… you fought anyway. You revealed your existence to the universe. And now your grandfather is coming to train you."
Alex looked at her.
"What's wrong with that? Why can't he train me?"
Mandora's voice cracked.
"If he trains you… we may never see you again. Your name will spread. You'll become an adventurer. Both Brave Light and dark forces will chase you."
Alex saw his mother's name etched into the wall. He silently walked out of the discussion chamber. James followed.
James caught up with him.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Alex smiled faintly, but James noticed the tears.
"Hey, diaper boy—come with me."
He led Alex to a soldier and whispered something. The soldier nodded.
"Follow me, kids."
They were taken outside, where soldiers were watching Rocky III on a giant projector. The soldier gave them a thumbs-up.
As the crowd roared at Rocky's punches, the soldier said softly,
"When your heart is full of tears… you can't smile. Let it go. Then, you can smile from the heart."
Another added,
"If you don't have happiness, search for it. We're stuck here, so we search for it in movies."
"Join us," said another. "Until you heal, come here. Maybe you'll even meet your dream girl, eh?"
Alex chuckled and nodded.
"I'll come."
One of the older soldiers leaned over.
" Sometimes… you lose something you can't replace," the older soldier said. "But if you're lucky, you find something else — someone to laugh with, a reason to keep walking!".
"Like our commander's wife!" another yelled. They all laughed.
The older soldier grinned.
"We're human, kid. Sometimes, you've got to lean on someone's shoulder. Support them. Let them support you. That's how you find life's greatest treasure."
Alex looked puzzled.
"What treasure?"
The soldier stood among his brothers.
"People, kid. The time you spend with them. The moments. You only get them once. Enjoy them."
"I want to have an adventure—see every beautiful place on Earth, learn from others, dance, laugh, fight for what I love. "
Among the weight of grief, as silence wrapped the room like fog, the old soldier stepped forward. His eyes, cracked with time but blazing with spirit, locked onto Alex.
"You think I chose this path by chance, kid?" he said, his voice rough like gravel.
"Nah. I found my soul on the battlefield."
He chuckled, a wistful grin stretching across his weathered face.
"I met my passion for being a soldier out there — in the chaos. In the dust and blood."
He leaned in.
"Now it's your turn. Go. Find your adventure. Find what sets your soul on fire. Find love. Find a reason to live."
The soldiers around him began to smile. Alex saw it — joy, not in loud celebration, but etched softly at the corners of their mouths. Happiness, restrained but real.
Alex tilted his head, curiosity stirring like a child hearing a bedtime story.
"What is a real adventure?"
A soldier pulled up a chair. The old man sat down heavily, as if laying down his history like armor.
"When my journey began, I went through hell," he said quietly.
"Intense training. Shooting drills. Combat technique. Missions that bled into nightmares."
He paused, eyes drifting to the past.
"We killed. We watched our brothers die. My best friend... bled out in my arms. Before deployment, I kissed my lover — long, warm, final. The kind of kiss that makes silence loud."
He smiled bitterly.
"Funny thing? We never knew our destination. Just followed orders. Like sheep."
"Sometimes, our trains were ambushed. We fought tooth and nail. Then one day... I said, 'No more.' I chose my own path."
The room grew still. Every soldier listened.
"I infiltrated the enemy camp. Switched uniforms. Spent days planting explosives, gathering intel. When the moment came—"
He mimed an explosion with his hands. "Boom."
Mouths fell open.
"Then I walked a hundred kilometers through the desert. One bottle of water. Just one."
His voice cracked but held strong.
"I made it back. Gave them every detail — hideouts, bases, codes. What did they do?"
He laughed softly. "Threw me in a cell for four days. Then they made me a lieutenant."
He looked directly at Alex.
"Hard days, kid. But that's when I understood… when a man walks through the darkest storms — pain, loss, fear, love — that's when life finally shows its beauty."
Alex stepped closer, eyes still shimmering from the soldier's tale.
"Can you teach me?" he asked, his voice steady but soft.
The old man smiled — not wide, not loud. Just the kind of smile that knows things.
He reached into his worn jacket, pulled out a faded card, and held it out to Alex.
"Here. Come to my class."
He glanced at James. "You both got any plans?"
Alex and James exchanged a look.
"No plans. None at all," Alex said.
"But… what do you teach?"
The old man laughed, deep and rough like boots on gravel.
"Discipline. Survival. How to live through anything — deserts, wars, heartbreak. I teach you how to stand when the world breaks your knees."
Alex nodded, fire kindling in his chest.
"We'll come, sir. We're in."
The old man locked eyes with him, gaze sharp as a blade.
"Then come tomorrow. And bring your answers."
Alex blinked.
"Answers? To what questions?"
The old man leaned in, lowering his voice like a whisper wrapped in smoke.
"What's your adventure?"
"What do you treasure?"
"And what's your dream?"