Leonardo stirred awake, his eyelids feeling as if they were weighed down with lead. A faint light filtered through the curtains, piercing his foggy mind. His vision blurred as he tried to take in his surroundings. The world around him felt strange, like he wasn't fully part of it. He squinted, blinking rapidly until the haze began to clear, revealing a familiar room—his room.
His head throbbed faintly as he sat up, his muscles stiff and sore. A soft sound caught his attention—sobbing. He turned his head slowly and saw his mother sitting by his bedside, her frail frame trembling with every sob. She clutched a piece of cloth in her hand, her face wet with tears.
"Mother?" His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in days. "Why are you crying?"
Her head snapped up, and her red, puffy eyes locked onto his. Relief washed over her face as she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him. Her frailty was evident in the way she clung to him, almost as if she feared he might vanish.
"Oh, God! You woke up!" she cried, her voice cracking with emotion. "Thank you so much, God, thank you for saving my child." She repeated the words like a mantra, her grip tightening around him.
Leonardo hesitated for a moment before gently patting her back. "Mother, don't cry. What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, confused by her reaction.
She pulled away, her tear-streaked cheeks glistening in the dim light. Her hands cupped his face as she studied him, her eyes searching for any sign of harm. "How are you feeling, Leo? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine, Mother," he reassured her, wiping a tear that had escaped down her cheek. "I don't feel any pain. I was just sleeping. Please, don't cry."
Her lips trembled as she tried to steady her voice. "But you… you didn't come home last night! I was so worried. And this morning… Uncle Martin found you unconscious near the forest and brought you home. Oh, Leo, do you know how scared I was?"
Leonardo's brow furrowed. He searched his memory, trying to recall what had happened the previous night, but his mind was blank. "I don't remember anything about last night," he admitted, shaking his head.
His mother sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion. "That's because you were unconscious, Leo. Martin said he found you at the forest entrance, lying there as if you'd just fallen. He carried you all the way back here."
"The forest?" Leonardo repeated, his voice tinged with confusion. "But why would I have been there? And how did I get back without waking up?"
His mother stood and moved to a nearby table, returning with a small leather pouch in her hand. She held it out to him. "Martin found this beside you. He thought it might belong to you, so he gave it to me."
Leonardo took the pouch, studying it carefully. It was small and nondescript, made of worn leather, yet it felt strangely heavy in his hand. "Are you sure he found this near me?" he asked, his fingers tracing the intricate stitching along its edges.
"Yes, son," she replied, her voice firm yet weary. "But I don't know where it came from or why you had it. I've told you so many times not to go into the forest, Leo. It's dangerous. You know I'm not well, and I can't bear the thought of losing you. Please, for my sake, don't do this again." Her voice broke as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.
Leonardo felt a pang of guilt as he watched her cry. He stood and pulled her into a gentle hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I'm sorry, Mother. I didn't mean to worry you. I promise to be more careful. Look at me—I'm fine. Nothing happened to me."
She clung to him for a moment longer before he guided her to her room. He tucked her into bed, pulling the blankets snugly around her frail form. "You need to rest now, Mother. Don't worry about me—I'll be fine. I'll stay close to home today, I promise." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving her room.
Once alone, Leonardo sat by the window with the mysterious pouch in his hands. The leather felt cool and smooth beneath his fingers, yet there was an unsettling weight to it, as if it carried something far more significant than its size suggested. He hesitated before untying the string that sealed it shut.
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What exactly did Leonardo find inside the mysterious leather pouch? —were these clues to what happened that fateful night? And how did he escape the dark cave where he was last seen? The answers remain hidden, waiting to unravel in the upcoming chapters. If you're as curious as Leonardo to uncover the truth, leave a comment below and add this book to your library. Your support means everything, so please help by sharing, liking, and spreading the word!