The mission was simple.
Kael had received the directive straight from the mission hall — and, as always, the resources would come through the narrow opening in the League's Resource Room, that ancient chamber where only he received what was needed.
From the crack in the stone wall, a small aged iron case emerged, etched with the inverted triangle of the League.
Inside: a compact device — discreet, lightweight, wrapped in thick linen cloth.
No weapon. No additional instructions.
Only a single phrase engraved inside the lid:
> "Structural implant at key point: Ilha dos Moleques – 1972."
---
Kael didn't question it.
He already knew that place.
Florianópolis.
Brazil.
His birthplace.
The year: 1972.
The jump was made from the central core of the base, as always — the only location capable of aligning his essence precisely enough to enter such a specific dimension.
---
As he emerged, the wind hit him full on.
The scent of salt in the air, the dampness on the stones, the dense coastal warmth —
Exactly as his memory had preserved it.
And yet, somehow... new.
Or maybe... eternal.
He walked the sandy trails toward Ilha dos Moleques, small, surrounded by calm waters and rounded rocks.
That was where the device had to be placed.
Kael waited until sunset.
With the long shadows of the forest covering the shoreline, he found a wide, hidden rock, dug with his hands, and inserted the device.
Simple. Precise.
Mission accomplished.
---
But he didn't return.
Not right away.
Kael wandered the old streets of the city center, quiet.
Sat on park benches. Ate street food.
Invisible among the profane.
On the second day, he went to the island's southern edge.
Caieira da Barra do Sul.
There, his memories came in waves.
Childhood.
Adolescence.
The laughter of friends.
Saltwater on his face.
Rough sand beneath his feet.
The silent peace of sunset.
Kael walked to the edge of the beach, took off his shoes, and stepped into the sand.
He closed his eyes.
Breathed deep.
For a moment, he wasn't the Stone.
Wasn't an agent.
Wasn't immortal.
He was just someone who came home.