January 5, 10:00 p.m. Rafael's home.

Rafael examined himself in the bathroom mirror. He looked very elegant in his new suit, mature and mysterious. It gave him a James Bond edge which could only allure girls. However, he would have preferred to remain in his tracksuit for the rest of the vacations, loafing in front of the TV with his uncle… and daydreaming about magic rather than living in a world where it had become real, and threatened his loved one.

Beware of what you wish for, the saying goes, it may come true! Rafael had never understood this as well as he did today. He felt responsible for his uncle's death, both for wishing that magic existed and for not being prudent enough with the priest. He could have told the police that Leonard needed protection in the hospital. The presence of an officer outside the room would have been a deterrent, and surely would have prevented the murder. He could have saved his uncle!

Rafael shook his head. There was no point in dwelling on the past, he had to focus on the future. On revenge. His hand went up to his chest and grabbed the amulet he wore under his clothes. He had spent two days with Alek carving the shamanic runes that gave it its power. It had taken him a while to get used to handling the engraving pen, he even had had to throw away several pieces of wood on which the lines weren't sharp enough, but he had finally made it.

In addition to the holly wood amulet, he also had a bamboo stick about a meter long, the size of a cane. It was in the garage, tied to his motorcycle. He hadn't really been able to test its effectiveness, but the amulet was so powerful that he had no reason to doubt Alek on the matter. The old man had always been more than reliable about shamanic magic.

Rafael had been afraid that the bond he shared with the plant spirit would be permanently weakened because of the trauma of cutting the enchanted wood. And indeed, the supernatural being had seemed to keep his distance... either out of resentment or to heal his wounds. At least, until Rafael put his magic amulet around his neck.

The plant spirit had immediately reappeared, and fluttered around him like a bee that had just discovered a field of flowers filled with nectar. Their connection was stronger than ever now. The abundance of spiritual energy flowing through his meridians made him feel incredibly powerful, and he handled it with much more ease than before. His plan had been perfected to the last detail, he was ready!

He tied his tie, buttoned his jacket, and with a determined look on his face, he walked out of the bathroom. His parents and Tiffany were in the living room, also dressed for the occasion. The beauty of their clothes, combined with the stern expression on their faces, created a solemn and sad atmosphere that underlined the pain they all felt. Leonard was dead. They would never see him again.

Rafael's mother came over to check his tie, then put a hand on his shoulder.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, almost whispering.

"I'm fine, mom," he said, pulling away.

It wasn't true, but he had to stay focused, keep his emotions in check.

"Do you still want to give the final speech at the ceremony?" his father asked. "You don't have to you know, I can handle it."

Rafael shook his head. "I have to do this. Don't worry, I've something prepared."

Alfred nodded. "We should go," he continued. "We need to get to the cemetery early to greet the guests.

"I'm not going with you," Rafael said, "I have something to do, I'll join you afterwards."

His parents didn't insist, they had a lot to think about with the organization of the funeral, which didn't leave them time to stick their noses into Rafael's business. This suited him very well. His parents had prepared a proper ceremony to honor his uncle's memory, it had to be done, but Rafael had planned another way to say goodbye.

Tiffany came to take him in her arms before leaving. Her eyes were still red from all the tears she had shed in the last few days, and the strength of her embrace also showed her sadness. She didn't say anything to him, but, when their eyes met, Rafael had the impression that she understood him more than anyone else. He nodded, and she went to put on her coat in silence.

It was strange to think that no one would see the beautiful black dress she wore underneath it.

Once alone, Rafael took off his jacket, shoes, and socks. He then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, and walked towards the back garden where a beautiful sun was illuminating the sky. He was lucky with the weather, it was rare to have such a blue sky in January. They were lucky as there was nothing sadder than a funeral in the rain.

Outside, he stood facing the sun, his arms raised like the branches of a tree, and his feet firmly planted in the earth. He could feel the amulet whirring on his chest. The plant spirit appeared at his side as his spiritual energy surged through his meridians. Roots emerged from the soles of his feet, tiny at first, then larger and larger until they reached several meters deep.

Rafael began to pump, and the movement of the sap that rose in him made him shiver with pleasure, so much so that he felt ready to explode. The cells on the surface of his skin changed color to dark green as he absorbed sunlight. The transformation had began. The torrent of sap rushed into his subcutaneous meridians and started its refinement process. Each drop of the precious liquid became more concentrated, more nourishing, and the spiritual energy in Rafael's core more dense than ever.

More, more.

He continued to absorb and refine for another ten minutes. Then he stopped, having reached his limit. He could now recognize the moment when he was about to forget that he was human. Rafael turned his inner gaze to his core and smiled with satisfaction. It was more refined energy than he had managed to accumulate in the previous days.

He could feel his cells vibrating with desire, wanting to devour all that fresh energy. Rafael knew that if he let them, his body would become stronger, and he would gain the resilience of nature. But he couldn't afford to do it, he needed the refined energy for the upcoming confrontation. It made using his powers easier, faster, and most importantly, fiercer.

His spiritual energy swirled in his core more violently than ever, such a density of energy was not meant to remain stagnant. Rafael did his best to circulate it along his meridians to relieve the growing tension, but they were still too narrow for this to be really effective. Another issue was that he couldn't properly control his aura in this state, even with the amulet. Anyway, he should be able to withstand this intensity for a few hours.

He finally lowered his arms, turned back his skin to normal, and retracted the roots that anchored him to the ground. He felt a little queasy, but he had acquired the power he needed. He quickly fixed his outfit, put his shoes back on, and prepared to leave on his motorcycle. The priest would be at the funeral, he was sure of it. He would come to finish the job, to send Rafael to join his uncle in the grave, and maybe also to verify that Leonard was truly dead.

I prepared a little surprise for him.

Rafael checked that the disruption stick was still in its case, put on his helmet, and started his motorcycle. The cemetery was a fifteen-minute ride away, so he would be there soon.

When he arrived, there were already a dozen people gathered at the gate. His family was there, of course, as well as Jay, at Tiffany's side. There also were several of Leonard's colleagues, former students of his, and other people Rafael didn't know. His uncle wasn't very sociable, but he was a true Good Samaritan. He didn't hesitate to give of his time and energy to help those in need. If most of them had quickly forgotten the help he had given them, others still remembered, and came to show their gratitude.

With his staff in hand, and his aura tightened, Rafael joined the group. He nodded to Jay, then quickly began to survey the area. He wasn't in the mood for conversation. He had to be ready for the priest's arrival.

However, his thoughts shouldn't be shown on his face, because a man in his fifties approached him. He had a long beard and a bald spot.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Rafael. Dr. Boas, we spoke on the phone."

Rafael shook the ethnologist's hand. "Thank you for coming," he said. "I'm sure Leonard would have appreciated it."

"It's the least I could do," Dr. Boas replied, "We knew each other for years!"

Then, after a time of silence, he asked:

"Do you know what happened? First Leonard disappears, I heard he was kidnapped, and then this horrible murder in the hospital... it's all so inconceivable. Do the police have a suspect?"

"They arrested Paulina," Rafael replied bitterly. "She's probably going to be convicted."

"What?" exclaimed Dr. Boas, "Paulina? But that's impossible! She is incapable of such a thing..."

"That's what I told them, not to mention that she has no motive, but they need a scapegoat. I wish I could think of something to help her."

Dr. Boas wrinkled his brow. "We could organize a support committee to go to the hearings, and a fund to help her pay for a good lawyer. I'll see about setting that up with the university."

"That's a good thing," Rafael said, nodding his head. He was glad someone was taking care of it on. He knew something had to be done to help Paulina, but he hadn't had the time to deal with her issue, and lacked experience in legal matters.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Dr. Boas assured him.

Before Rafael could respond, Alfred began to wave the guests into the cemetery. The funeral director was ready for the ceremony. Obviously, their homage was going to be secular. Even though Leonard was religious, Rafael and his parents had decided that holding a funeral mass would have been too awkward under the circumstances.

The procession slowly made its way down the gravel path to the family vault. This was where Grandpa Louis and the others lay. Rafael had come with his father to tend the grave before, but this was the first time he had seen it open. The gaping pit was ready to receive a new coffin.

When I died, it would swallow me too.

It was gloomy. The wait was getting more and more agonizing, and he wanted the ceremony to start right away, but not all the guests were there yet.

Rafael closed his eyes. He connected with the surrounding plants, and tried to feel the sources of spiritual energy in the cemetery. There was something there... but his plant spirit didn't recognize it as light, and the sensation was coming from the group of guests. Rafael turned in the direction it was coming from, then opened his eyes.

He was looking at Jay who was whispering something in Tiffany's ear. Of course, he had gotten a blessing, how could he have forget this? He was about to start his search again when he noticed his cousin and Jay were holding hands. It made him smile. It was like a small victory for life in this day dedicated to death.

He closed his eyes again and widened the area of his spiritual search. The priest would show up, he was sure of it. He had to show up! He couldn't just disappear and get away with killing Leonard. Rafael frowned and widened his search even more. It would be easier without his shoes, they hindered his connection to the earth, but walking around barefoot at a funeral was really not possible.

Suddenly, a hand came to rest on Rafael's shoulder, startling him.

"Everything okay, Rafe?" asked Ilona in a worried voice.

She came!

He was really starting to believe that he still mattered to her, and it disturbed him. A part of him was happy for her presence, but another part felt like he was being fooled...

"Yes," Rafael answered, keeping his distance. "I'm getting ready for my speech, that's all."

Ilona removed her hand and whispered, "I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks, I'll be fine."

Ilona didn't insist, but stayed by his side. Rafael was acutely aware of her presence, and he didn't dare resume his spiritual search for fear she would interrupt him again. In any case, the priest would not act in front of so many people, he would wait for Rafael to be alone.

The ceremony finally began. The employees lowered the coffin into the vault, then the funeral director said a few words, and it was Alfred's turn. Rafael's father spoke about his childhood memories with Leonard, and how they had remained close until the end of his life. It was very moving, but Rafael only heard half of it, caught up in the stress of soon having to speak.

It was his turn. Doing his best not to tremble, Rafael walked to the front of the pit, and faced the guests. He looked at them all. Jay gave him a little nod of encouragement, and Rafael noticed Detective Diego Martinez behind him. He was wearing the same trench coat as the day they met. This gave Rafael the impression that he was there for business reasons rather than to attend the funeral.

He clutched his bamboo stick in his hand, and began his speech:

"I am Rafael Duprat, Leonard's nephew. My uncle was... well, he was a little crazy. That's what I thought all my life. Every year he would go on a trip to distant countries, to remote places that modern society had not yet reached, and he would come back loaded with extraordinary objects and stories. He made me dream all my childhood.

If he was crazy, then I am too, because we're the same. I want to travel to meet other people, I want to learn from others, and to teach others. I want to take on new challenges as he did all his life. And I want to share this crazyness with people everywhere, so that they can learn that they can live happily, and that magic is already in their lives.

I thought for a long time that he was looking for something in his travels. A discovery that would make him famous, magic, or even love... I finally realized that I was wrong. He was not looking for anything. On the contrary, he was running away, he was running away from our western society. He was running away from the continuous exploitation in which we live. He was running away from our selfishness and hypocrisy.

My uncle was better than all of us.

It turns out he wasn't crazy. He just saw further than we did, further into hearts, and further into the future. He was a visionary, as well as the greatest of humanists. To have lost him is painful, for me, for our family, and for the whole world.

Uncle Leonard, I will never forget you."

Farewell.

I will keep my promise.

Rafael walked away from the pit and joined the others. His father looked on proudly, one arm around his mother's shoulders. Alice had a touching smile, and her eyes were red. Rafael continued on his way. Ilona wanted to say something when he passed by her, but she changed her mind. As for Inspector Martinez, he just looked at him with inexpressive eyes.

"That was a nice speech, buddy," Jay patted him on the back. "I'm sure your uncle would have loved it."

Tiffany nodded and gave him a shy smile. Rafael could tell she was embarrassed to hold Jay's hand in front of so many people.

"Thanks," he replied. "I think I need some time alone now."

Rafael retreated a bit to the side while the guests reflected in communion. Soon they would disperse, and the undertakers would close the vault. The conclusion of a lifetime in one hour of ceremony.

He looked around. Apart from them, there was no one else in the cemetery. Rafael sniffed disdainfully, and then closed his eyes again. Spiritual energy surged through his meridians and connected him to plants nearby. He felt it immediately. It was like an immaterial sun standing there, about ten meters from the gathering. He had just looked in that direction without seeing anyone.

Rafael held back a fierce smile.

I got you.