Before entering that unknown world, I was a university student about to graduate. My life had been full of hardships, but I always believed that my efforts would bear fruit. Everything changed in an instant.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself surrounded by strangers. A woman with a kind face and a man with a calm expression looked at me with soothing smiles. I didn't understand anything, and confusion enveloped me like a thick fog.
Memories came like gusts of wind, disordered and overwhelming.
I saw myself running through the hospital corridors, heart in hand, trying to reach my grandmother. She was all I had after losing my parents in a plane crash when I was a child. Despite her frailty, she always welcomed me with a smile that lit up even my darkest days. But that light also went out.
A call changed everything. —We regret to inform you that your grandmother couldn't hold on...
The rest of the words faded into the air. I ran to the hospital without thinking, the cold night biting my skin. Each step was a silent plea, a desperate attempt to defy the inevitable. But then, the world stopped me.
A car appeared out of nowhere. I felt the impact, a searing pain that pierced every fiber of my being, followed by absolute emptiness. Blood stained the pavement beneath me as my vision blurred. I thought about everything I had done so far, everything I hadn't achieved. Would my life end in such an absurd way?
"It can't end like this."
In the midst of darkness, a light appeared. It was warm and bright, as if embracing me. A gentle voice broke the silence: —If that's what you wish, you will live.
That light enveloped me, dragging me to an unknown place. Around me, memories of my life unfolded like a distant echo. The images of my grandmother were the clearest, her smile, her voice... her unconditional love.
And then, she appeared.
—You just have to look behind you —said a voice, calm yet powerful.
With a racing heart, I turned slowly. My breath caught upon seeing her. It was her. My grandmother.
Her eyes, full of warmth, looked at me with a tenderness that would disarm even the strongest of souls. Her smile illuminated the space around us, as it had always brightened my life.
—My dear Victor, you're here —she said, with a voice as soft as I always remembered.
Tears began to fall uncontrollably. All the pain, guilt, loss... everything surfaced in an unstoppable torrent.
—Grandma... I'm so sorry... It's my fault you're here. I was always a problem for you —I managed to say between sobs, unable to look at her directly.
She shook her head, approaching to cup my face in her warm hands. —Victor, you have never been a problem. Never. You were my greatest blessing —her words wrapped around me like a balm—. You gave me a reason to get up every day, to smile.
I tried to reply, but the words stuck in my throat. I looked at her, searching for something to justify my fears, but all I found was pure love.
—I didn't deserve so much from you... You gave everything, and I was never able to give you anything in return —I murmured, feeling the weight of my own guilt.
She smiled, that smile that could calm even the most violent storm. —You gave me everything I needed: love, companionship, happiness. What more could I ask for? —she said, gently stroking my hair—. If in your next life you ever feel sadness or pain, I wish to be the one to dry your tears.
I hugged her tightly. My heart ached, but I also felt a peace I hadn't known in years. —Thank you, Grandma. For being everything to me. My mother, my friend, my family... Everything good in my life I owe to you.
She returned the embrace, her soft hands running over my back. —From the first time I saw you, I knew my life had a purpose. I am satisfied with everything I lived because I shared it with you.
Her body began to fade, transforming into a soft glow that slipped through my arms. —No, wait... Don't go! —I begged, desperate, trying to hold onto the impossible.
She looked at me one last time, with an expression full of love. —I will always be with you, Victor. Always —she whispered before disappearing.
I fell to my knees, unable to contain my sobs. But this time, the tears were not only of sadness; they were also of gratitude. I had said goodbye, but I knew she would always live in my heart.
A hand passed over his shoulders; it was the man who had appeared out of nowhere. He patted his head silently, offering wordless comfort.
Suddenly, a tremor shook the ground forcefully, creating cracks in the sky, and a thunderous noise resounded around him.
—There's no time, this space is collapsing. I brought you here to talk to you. —You are the chosen one... you must retrieve a lost treasure. If you do, a wish will be granted to you —said the man, while Victor could barely articulate words, immersed in confusion.
A wish... That idea spun in his mind.
—A wish? —he asked, surprised and with a glimmer of hope