Chapter 98: The Mirror of the Soul

As the light faded, Rodrigo found himself in a familiar place, but distant in time. He was no longer in the cave, but in an open field, under a gray sky. The trees around him were tall and leafless, their silhouettes casting dark shadows on the ground. The air was cold and damp, carrying with it the smell of earth and wet leaves.

Rodrigo looked around, confused, until his eyes fell on a solitary figure in the distance. It was a young man, sitting on a rock, staring at the horizon. Rodrigo recognized the figure immediately. It was him, many years ago, in a moment he had tried to bury deep in his memory.

Slowly approaching, Rodrigo observed the young man, remembering the pain and doubts that had tormented him at that time. The young Rodrigo held a crumpled piece of paper in his hands, a letter he had never had the courage to read to the end. The same letter that led him to make difficult choices, shaping the man he would become.

"Why did you come back here?" the young man asked, without taking his eyes off the horizon.

Rodrigo hesitated, the voice from the past sounding strangely distant. "I... I don't know. Maybe to understand what I left behind."

The young man finally turned his face to him, and Rodrigo saw the reflection of his own eyes, full of uncertainty. "Did you think you could run away? Forget?"

Rodrigo shook his head, feeling a weight on his chest. "No... I thought that by burying these memories, I could move on. But they were always with me, haunting my steps."

The young man stood up, holding the letter tightly. "So, what are you going to do now? Keep running away, or finally face what you left behind?"

Rodrigo knew that this was the question he needed to answer, not only for himself, but to move forward on the journey he had chosen. The memories he had suppressed for so long were now coming back with full force, demanding he confront them. Taking a deep breath, he held out his hand to the young man. "It's time to read this letter. Together." The young man hesitated, but then handed the letter to Rodrigo. As he unwrapped it, he felt his heart race. The words he read were a reminder of what he had lost, of the choices that had shaped his life. But at the same time, they were a warning that there was more to live, more to learn and achieve. When he finished reading, Rodrigo looked at the young man, and for the first time in years, he felt at peace. The young man smiled, as if he had finally found the answer he had been searching for. And as the figure began to disappear, Rodrigo knew he was ready for the next step of his journey. Back in the cave, the green light still pulsed, but now it seemed less threatening. Rodrigo realized that what he had faced was not an external enemy, but his own fears and regrets. Looking at his companions, he saw that they were all equally immersed in their own visions, each facing their own personal demons.

Alfonso, who had been watching in silence, approached Rodrigo. "You have passed the test. But the path ahead is still long and full of challenges."

Rodrigo nodded, feeling stronger, more resolute. "We are ready. What comes next?"

Alfonso looked at the light in the center of the chamber. "Now, we must discover what this cave truly hides. What you have found here is only the beginning. The true test is yet to come."

With a final look at his companions, Rodrigo followed Alfonso toward the light, determined to discover the secrets the cave held and to face the fate that awaited them.