The return from the mountain was completely different from the climb. No one talked much. Everyone was lost in their thoughts.
They held the diary carefully, as if it were something sacred.
"I can't believe we went through all this," Rania said.
"Neither can I," Christina replied. "And I thought it would just be a boring walk."
Kostas smiled.
"Okay, I admit it was worth it."
Elpida walked a little further ahead, thoughtful.
She felt that this day had changed something inside her. It was no longer just a school assignment. It was an experience she would remember forever.
When they arrived back in the city, the sun had begun to set.
"So? What are we going to do with the diary?" Christina asked.
Elpida thought for a moment.
"We'll give it to the school. It belongs to everyone."
Her friends agreed.
As they said goodbye, they knew that this adventure had brought them closer than ever.
And that, as the diary wrote,
the true treasure was their friendship.