"Again," Leo's voice echoed firmly behind her.
"I can't. I don't have powers," Luana muttered, frustrated after yet another failed attempt.
"You forgot that you do," he corrected immediately.
"This is useless," she snapped. "I'm not a Guardian like you. I can't control space and time."
"And what defines a Guardian?" Leo asked, his eyes mysterious and unreadable.
She had no answer. None of the books she read had explained it clearly. From what she understood, a Guardian was a singular being in all the multiverse — someone who paid a high price for a granted wish.
"We're all human. Anyone can learn and improve, given the right knowledge. And what have I been doing since you arrived?" he asked with quiet intensity.
"…Teaching me," she whispered, embarrassed.
She knew she had to try harder — not only for herself but for him too. As Leo returned to his tasks, Luana stayed behind to practice alone.
She closed her eyes and focused on a precise point in space-time: the moment Leo made his wish.
"Please, I'll do anything. Just bring my little sister back."
The desperate voice of a child echoed in her mind — so small, yet so full of pain.
The vision formed: Leonardo, kneeling and crying, until a hooded figure approached.
"Greetings, Leo," the woman said gently, crouching to his level.
He looked up curiously.
"A fairy?" he asked.
She smiled, shaking her head.
"I am Time."
"Time?" he echoed.
She nodded and offered her hand.
"You're special, Leo. If you do something for me, I can bring your sister back."
His eyes lit up.
"Really? What do I have to do?"
She hesitated before replying.
"You'll disappear from this timeline. It'll be as if you were never born. Your sister will return, but no one will remember you. Even your mother."
Leo fell silent.
"Leo?" his mother's voice called from the hallway. "Who's that? What are you doing to my son?"
"I'm sure," he said quietly, looking at the figure with resolve. "I want Mom to be happy… even if she forgets me. It's okay."
The woman's eyes softened with sorrow. She wrapped him in a mantle of light.
"No! Leo! Come back!" his mother screamed. "Give me back my son! Witch!"
The woman cast her a sad glance and then blew — a single breath that scattered the moment like wind.
The universe vanished in white. Everything was erased. Then, time restarted. Seasons began again. Luana was born. And with that,Time was reborn — this time as mortal, destined to stabilize her powers in the human world. The role of Guardian fell to Leonardo.
Alone, Leo took refuge in books and taught himself to master time. In the Observatory, where there was no yesterday or tomorrow, he lived for ages. Sometimes, he visited his family in secret — until his mother started having visions.
"It wasn't madness," Luana realized. Her mother remembered Time. Someone with her face.
The source of all the family's sorrow… was her.
But now, Luana had power — enough to fix it.
"Enough," a sharp voice snapped.
Before she could react, Luana was pulled back into the Observatory.
Leo sat on the couch with a book, eyes avoiding hers.
"You're angry that I saw your past?"
"No."
"Then what is it?"
"Why are you doing this?" he asked, voice tense. "Just return to your life. Everything will fix itself, as it always does."
"Don't you miss them, Leo? Don't you want to see them again?"
He turned his face away.
"They don't need me."
"They do! You saw what happened to Mom after you left. She never recovered."
Leo clenched the book in his hands.
"But what about you?" he snapped. "Have you even thought about what happens to you? About the price you'll pay?"
"I just want our family to be happy. It's okay," she said with a smile, repeating the words he once said as a child.
Leo closed his eyes.
"I said that… but inside, I was terrified. You don't understand."
"I do," she whispered, stepping closer. "But this time, it'll be different. I promise. I understand now — my powers are stronger. This time, you don't have to choose."
He stared at her, confused.
"What do you mean?"
Luana smiled and exhaled softly — a warm, gentle breath that shimmered with light.
"I mean… now you can have both."
Time stopped.
And then, it began again.