The sky sobbed inconsolably. The thunder rumbled furiously, making everyone feel stressed. Every drop of water slid down the window of my room, as if it were a giant face crying for the world. That day on the news there was nothing else to talk about, it seemed like the end of the world, well, it was the end of the world. Rodri's house was crumbling like a house of cards, but what did he expect? I had warned him long ago about the renovation his home needed. I tried calling Rodri on the walkie talkie, but all I heard was static. Would he be okay? Had he escaped in time? I wished he had listened to me when I told him to fix his house. I couldn't believe what was happening. How could the world end like this? What had we done to deserve this?"

—What glitter... —I kept repeating to myself every time I looked out of the window. 

For many that day was a torment, but the sky shone with a supernatural light...as if it wanted to reveal a secret. That day was unique and unrepeatable.

—Noah, are you still awake? —said my mother sweetly as she came into my room—. Tomorrow you start school, so don't sleep too late, okay? I know things have become very difficult, but the world will be a better place.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

—Of course, mother —I replied gently.

She kissed me goodbye as usual, right on the forehead. As he closed that door I simply could not understand what was happening, but at that moment through that window that glow took shape. It was no longer that glow, it became a path of light.

I decided to go out of my room through the window and venture through that incessant storm. It was no longer an idea or hallucination, it was a feeling. After all, what would we lose that we hadn't already lost? The world itself was already being devastated.

.

.

I felt a burning in my legs. It had been a long time since I had run like that, but I think it was worth it.

I reached a forest, or what was left of it, but it was a quiet place. It was surrounded by a few trees that were still hanging on, struggling to survive with every drop of dew on their leaves.

The view was breathtaking, but what caught my attention the most was a cave hidden in the vegetation. It was so hard to see that if I hadn't been aware of my surroundings, I would have missed it. As I needed a break and it was the end of the road, I decided to take refuge there.

—Uff, some light wouldn't go amiss. It wouldn't be bad if they implemented it here. —I said jokingly.

I didn't notice it at the time, but something extraordinary was happening in the depths of the cave. A cluster of energy had condensed into a tiny, mysterious sphere. It emitted a faint light that gradually grew brighter and more powerful, as if it wanted to reveal its secret to the world. I was drawn to this luminescence, like a moth to a flame, and I approached it without hesitation.

I was overcome with the suspicion that someone had arrived before me, but it was impossible. A moment ago there was nothing there. I felt only an overwhelming confusion that paralysed me.

—But...where am I?