The Sixevenians

Hidden behind the thick moss-covered stone wall, Willity, Sixsevenin, and little Deri hardly dared to breathe. In front of them, at the top of the great stepped pyramid, the mysterious blue light continued to pierce the night sky of S7, illuminating a group of figures repeating that strange yet familiar greeting: palms facing upward, gently moving up and down to the rhythm of the words "Six Seven." —Should we go up? —whispered Willity, his eyes shining with excitement. Sixsevenin nodded silently, adjusting his orange robe. But before either of them could take a step, Deri let out a soft "Miiiauu!" and dashed upward, gliding over the broken steps with the help of his membranes. There was no turning back. When they reached the upper platform, the blue light surrounded them completely. It did not burn. Instead, it gave off a warm vibration, almost as if it were examining them. The figures turned toward them all at once. To the newcomers' surprise, the group consist...

Little by little, the three of them left behind the elevated terraces of the Lost City. The blue light still shone between the mountains, growing a little closer each day. Willity and Sixsevenin resumed their journey the following morning, shortly after breakfast, while the small creature accompanied them, jumping between the rocks and occasionally disappearing into the vegetation, only to reappear in front of them a short time later. They had left the highest part of the mysterious city behind, and before them stretched an immense plain covered with grass, roots, and the remains of ancient buildings, of which only the first foundations still survived. Over the years, vegetation had covered the old ruins so completely that they seemed to be just another part of nature. As they walked, they began to hear something strange. Whenever the wind passed through certain stones scattered across the plain, soft and deep sounds could be heard. They were not voices. Nor did they seem to come from ...

The morning after their encounter with the Guardian of the Mist began peacefully. The fog that had filled the jungle during the night slowly drifted away between the giant trees, revealing paths covered with shining leaves and enormous roots that seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon. Willity and Sixsevenin continued their journey shortly after breakfasting on some glowing fruits that grew beside a small stream. The blue light was still there, shining between the distant mountains. Every day it seemed a little closer, and although it was still impossible to know what it really was, both of them felt certain that something important awaited them on this journey. —One day we'll reach it —said Willity as he looked toward the horizon. —I hope so —replied Sixsevenin with a smile beneath his hood. They continued walking for hours. The jungle became denser and quieter, but little by little they began to notice strange things. First, they found a column completely covered in moss. L...

After crossing the moving cracks in the mountains of the north, Willity and Sixsevenin continued toward the strange blue light that appeared every night among the distant mists of S7. Now it seemed closer. Not much closer. But enough for both of them to feel that they might really reach it one day. The mountains began to change little by little. The bare rock paths disappeared beneath enormous moss-covered roots, and the mist slowly descended until it covered almost the entire landscape. Great trees with twisted trunks grew along the slopes, and glowing plants pushed their way through the shadows like tiny green stars. There were no more suspended bridges or ancient platforms. This area felt much wilder. And much older. The northern mountains slowly disappeared beneath the mist and the giant roots of the jungle . Sometimes they walked for hours hearing nothing except the wind moving through the giant leaves of the mist jungle. Other times they could hear distant roars that made the gro...

Since the night when both of them saw that strange blue light between the mountains, the young Sixevenian began returning more and more often to the elevated paths of the north. He did not really know why. Maybe because he wanted to see that light again, or maybe because he wanted to find the small Nimbi again. And somehow, it always happened. Sometimes he saw the Nimbi waiting beside the ancient suspended bridges. Other times it appeared sitting on a high rock, watching the mist that covered the farthest mountains of S7. It seemed to know those paths better than anyone else. Adults usually avoided those routes. They said that some paths changed when the seven moons appeared together above the mountains. They also spoke about moving cracks, forgotten bridges, and enormous creatures living far away from the cities. Maybe many of those stories were only legends, but even so, almost nobody dared to go too far. That was exactly why the young Sixevenian could not stop thinking about them. O...

On S7, there were places that almost nobody went near. Not because they were exactly forbidden, but because the wind changed up there. The ancient bridges hanging between the mountains were narrow and silent, and many times they became covered by glowing mist that appeared without warning. Still, when the sky was clear, they could be seen from the cities. Great elevated paths crossed the sky between the living mountains of the north. Some ended at ancient observatories. Others seemed to disappear among the clouds and the lights of the horizon. The younger Sixevenians often stopped to look at them from the high platforms of the domes. Some places on S7 seemed to be built between the sky and the clouds. And of course, some Nimbis did too. In fact, the bravest ones could disappear for hours and return covered in small shining particles that nobody could explain. They never seemed afraid. On the contrary. It was as if those places felt familiar to them. That is why many adults advised othe...

On S7, looking at the sky was always different. Our days were not lit by a single sun. Six suns moved around the planet, and each one covered the world with a different light. Some were soft and bluish. Others painted the mountains with golden or reddish colors. Sometimes all of them could be seen at the same time, and other times they appeared alone. At certain moments, two suns stood above the cities, and the domes cast double shadows over the gardens. On S7, the light did not always come from the same place. That is why the landscapes were always changing. There were forests that only shone under certain lights, and seas that seemed to wake up when one of the suns disappeared behind the living mountains of the northern hemisphere. But the nights were even stranger. When darkness arrived, the seven moons slowly began to appear in the sky of S7. The seven moons of S7 seemed like sisters. None of them was exactly the same, but all shared the same calm light, as if they had been born fr...