Desperate, he ran to his abuela.
One stormy October night, lightning split the ancient oak at the edge of town. The next morning, the villagers found something strange embedded in the splintered roots: a flawless sphere of obsidian, cool to the touch despite the lingering heat of the strike. Inside it swirled faint lights, like trapped fireflies.
“I wish something exciting would happen,” he’d sigh, chipping away at a block of local limestone. “I wish my work mattered.” Ten cuidado con lo que deseas
But each night, the sculpture changed.
He froze.
Mateo tried to destroy the sculpture. The chisel shattered. The hammer flew from his hand and struck his own reflection in a mirror, spiderwebbing the glass. He tried to flee Valverde, but the mountain roads twisted back to his studio door.
His abuela’s voice drifted through the door, muffled, speaking to a visitor: “He’s not here anymore, señor. But if you’re looking for art… there’s a new piece in his studio. Quite breathtaking. Ten cuidado con lo que deseas.” Desperate, he ran to his abuela
The world went white.