Jesus smiled as he looked upon his followers, clad in their angelic armor. The golden light of the sky reflected on their shining breastplates, giving them a celestial aura. The breeze was warm and gentle, caressing their faces with the peace of the divine realm.
"I think you'll need some teachers," he said, opening a radiant door with a wide smile before vanishing among the clouds.
The chosen ones gazed at the scene in awe. Behind the door, a warm and enveloping light revealed two familiar figures: Liz, Kutichay's aunt, and César, an old friend of the family. They stood on the threshold, their faces reflecting wisdom and a hidden sorrow from years of struggle.
Jesus introduced them in a solemn voice:"They will help you in your mission," he explained.
Liz stepped forward first. Her white robe fluttered softly, and her eyes, full of tenderness, rested on Kutichay. She approached and wrapped him in a warm embrace, filled with maternal love."I always knew you would be special," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
But before the moment could be overtaken by sentiment, César, with his serious expression and firm bearing, placed a hand on Liz's shoulder. His dark cape, torn from battles, shifted slightly as he spoke."Liz, we need to speak with Kutichay alone," he said gravely.
Without protest, they guided Kutichay toward his room. As they crossed the doorway, the atmosphere changed. The warm light of the living room was left behind, and the air inside the room felt heavier, charged with memories and secrets about to be revealed. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting elongated shadows across the bed where Kutichay sat, feeling unease grow in his chest.
"What's going on? Why are you so serious?" he asked, his voice carrying a slight tremor.
César leaned closer to him, his gaze grave as a stormy sky."Kutichay, what I am about to tell you is important. In your parents' time, they were sent, just like you and your friends. I fought by their side, we were brothers-in-arms. But… one of my old friends fell into darkness. Ishnofel… he was the one who murdered your father and mother," he paused, closing his eyes as if reliving a nightmare.
The air seemed to freeze. Kutichay felt as though the ground beneath him had collapsed. His chest tightened as his mind processed the truth.
"They tried to protect you. I fought him and managed to wound him, but he escaped my grasp. It was Liz who protected you when I could not," César continued, his voice as heavy as iron.
Tears rolled down Kutichay's cheeks. All his life he had believed his parents died in an accident, but the truth was far more painful. Liz, seeing his suffering, held him in a warm embrace, letting her love try to ease his pain."My dear, I know this is hard, but you needed to know," she whispered, gently caressing his back.
Through tears and with a new determination growing in his heart, Kutichay hugged them tightly."Thank you for telling me. At least I know they died defending what they loved. I'm proud of them," he said firmly.
With renewed conviction, he stood up and went to find his friends. In the living room, the fireplace cast dancing shadows on the stone walls. Daniel and Rosenda were trying to comfort Camila, who, wrapped in a blanket, was quietly sobbing.
Kutichay approached and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder."Camila, I'm sure they would be proud of you for the mission we are going to fulfill," he said softly, stroking her hair.
Daniel offered a sincere smile, hugging Camila."We're here to support you, friend," Daniel said, rubbing her back.
"You'll never be alone!" Rosenda exclaimed energetically, trying to lift the group's spirits.
The three friends embraced tightly, sharing their pain, but also their promise to move forward together. From a distance, Liz and César watched the new chosen ones. Liz had tears in her eyes, but they shone with pride, while César, arms crossed and his gaze hard, felt, for the first time in a long while, part of something again.
He, along with Liz, Eliana, and Sumaq, had once been the chosen ones. But the death of the couple had left César with a wound that had never healed. He had distanced himself from Liz, unable to face his failure. Now, however, Jesus had given him another chance.
Yet while hope grew in Kutichay's house, far away, in a dark corner of the spiritual realm, Ishnofel moved among the shadows. His blackened wings spread with macabre elegance, and his eyes, like burning embers, gleamed with a sinister expectation.
From the top of a hill, he watched Kutichay's house."Soon we will meet again," he whispered with a twisted smile, before fading into the gloom.