The hum of the artifact filled the room, growing in intensity as the symbols glowed brighter and brighter. The neighbors watched in awe and fear as the medallion's energy began to interact with the artifact. The light cast dancing shadows on the walls of the room, while the glowing inscriptions seemed to come alive, moving to a rhythm of their own.
Teodora watched the process with her jaw clenched, but the man on the top floor, still held by the neighbors, continued to shout.
"Stop! You're playing with forces you don't understand!"
"Shut up," Don Horacio growled, tightening his grip.
Leo and Lucía, however, couldn't tear their eyes away from the artifact. Something was changing. The sphere began to vibrate slightly, and a new series of symbols emerged from its surface, projecting into the air like a hologram.
"What's it doing now?" Lucía asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Teodora didn't respond immediately. Instead, she took the book with her father's notes and opened it to a page marked with a symbol similar to the one now appearing in the air.
"This is... part of the security protocol," she said, her voice low but full of urgency. "The artifact is verifying the conditions for sealing itself."
"What does that mean?" Leo asked.
"It means we need to complete the sequence before the process stops or... explodes."
The man, hearing those words, began to struggle more intensely.
"That's what I was trying to warn you about! If you don't complete the process correctly, the artifact will release all its energy uncontrollably!"
The neighbors looked at him, alarmed, but Teodora remained firm.
"I know. That's why we need to remain calm."
She turned to Leo and Lucía.
"I need your help. The symbols appearing now indicate a pattern. We have to find the right place in this room where the last components fit."
Lucia nodded quickly, her flashlight sweeping the walls.
"What are we looking for?"
Teodora pointed to the inscriptions on the walls that were now glowing dimly.
"Look for any symbols that match this one," she said, showing a drawing in the book depicting a triangle surrounded by curved lines.
Leo and Lucia began searching the living room, while the neighbors tried to keep the man under control.
"Here!" Lucia shouted after a few minutes, pointing to a section of the wall where the triangle was carved among the inscriptions.
Teodora quickly approached, examining the symbol.
"It's the right place."
She pulled out a second, smaller medallion she had brought with her, one she hadn't mentioned until then.
"This medallion is part of the redundancy system," she explained. "It must fit here to stabilize the process."
Lucia watched as Teodora inserted the medallion into the wall. As she did so, the artifact's vibration slowed slightly, but the hologram continued to project symbols into the air.
"What now?" Leo asked, looking around anxiously.
Teodora consulted the book again.
"The sequence needs to be confirmed. Once again, the three symbols should appear: the triangle, the circle, and the star."
"The same ones as on the medallions!" Lucía exclaimed, remembering the pieces they had found earlier.
Teodora nodded.
"Exactly. If we see them projected together, the process will be complete, and the artifact will be sealed."
The hologram began to change, showing more complex images and rapidly scrolling symbols. The neighbors watched silently, not daring to move, as the tension in the room increased.
Suddenly, the man on the top floor, who until now had been subdued by Don Horacio and the twins, took advantage of a moment of distraction to break free.
"You can't stop me!" he shouted, launching himself toward the artifact.
Leo reacted instinctively, putting himself between the man and the stone table.
"I won't let you!" he said determinedly, though his voice trembled.
The man paused for a moment, surprised by the boy's bravery. But then his face twisted into a sneer.
"You don't understand any of this, kid."
Before he could move forward, a bright light emerged from the artifact, accompanied by a deep, resonant sound. The three symbols appeared projected in the air: the triangle, the circle, and the star, aligning perfectly.
"It's working!" Teodora exclaimed.
But the man didn't stop. With a cry of frustration, he lunged toward the table, trying to pull the artifact out before the sequence ended.
At that instant, an invisible energy struck him, throwing him backward against the wall. He fell to the ground, stunned.
Lucia ran toward Leo, who had also been knocked back by the energy wave.
"Leo! Are you okay?"
He nodded, though his face was pale.
"Yes... but what was that?"
Teodora, her eyes fixed on the artifact, answered firmly.
"It's the protection system. It won't allow