The afternoon wind was blowing with unusual force when Efraín arrived at the base
of theHill. He had left his house barely an hour earlier, driven by a mixture of
unease and certainty. He didn't know why he had felt the need to return to that
place, but ever since he had received the message "You will soon understand," he
had the feeling that something important awaited him up there.
The sun was descending, tinting the sky a deep orange, when it beganThe climb.
The path, surrounded by dry scrub and loose stones, seemed steeper than before.
Each step required effort, but Efraín moved forward as if guided by an invisible
force. With every meter gained, his heart beat faster.
Halfway along the trail, something caught his attention. A light, warm scent, like
burning wood, wafted through the air. He stopped and looked around. There were no
campfires orHouses nearby. The smell came from above, from the summit.
"Sir..." she whispered. "What do you want to show me now?"
He continued climbing, faster and faster, until he finally reached the summit.
AndThen he saw it.
In the center of the hill, right where he had found the first letter, a small fire was
burning. It wasn't an ordinary campfire: it was a still, steady, almost perfect flame.It didn't move with the wind. There were no logs or fuel remains around it. It
simply burned on the ground, as if it had sprung from it.
Efraín felt a shudder run through his body.
"Who turned this on?" he asked aloud, even though he knew no one would answer
him.
He took a step toward the flame, and as he drew closer, he felt the air around him
grow warmer. However, one detail took his breath away: the flame was changing
color. It shifted from yellow to white, then to blue, as if each shade contained
something new.a hidden meaning.
Then, to one side of the fire, he
saw it.Another envelope.
Same as the first. Same as the second. Same as the others.
Placed carefully at the edge of the flame, intact, without burning even a little.
Efraín knelt. His breathing was heavy, not from physical exertion, but from the
solemnity of the moment. He was about to extend his hand when a gust of icy wind
made him stumble back. He looked around. There was no one there. But the feeling
ofHis presence was undeniable.
He carefully took the envelope. The flame seemed to lean toward him, as if it
recognized him. He sat down on a nearby rock and opened it with trembling hands.
He took out the sheet of paper and read.
"When the light comes on, you must not hide.
What I've given you isn't just for you.
Soon those who need what you have learned will come.
Get ready."
Efraín reread those words over and over, trying to understand them. Come? Who?
Why?What now? What should she prepare for? Her thoughts crowded in, but the
feeling that dominated her chest was not fear, but a deep determination.He stood up again, staring at the flame that continued to burn without moving
orconsume nothing.
"Is this a sign for the group?" he asked. "Is it for them too?"
In response, the flame leaped up suddenly. Not much, perhaps a foot or two. But
the movement was so clear, so direct, that Efraín took a step back in surprise. The
fire had reacted. To him. To his words.
At that moment he understood:
The messages weren't just to guide him... but to prepare him for something bigger.
that he himself.
A sound made him turn around.
A few meters away, right where the path back began, there was a figure. Standing
motionless. Dressed in simple clothes, a white shirt and dark trousers. The face,
however, was partially covered by the shadow of the setting sun.
Efraín narrowed his eyes.
—Who… who's there?
The figure did not respond. It remained still for a moment, and then took a step
toward
Backwards. Not forwards. Backwards… as if it were about to vanish.
Efraín felt an irresistible impulse.
"Wait!" he shouted as he advanced.
But when he had covered the few meters that separated him from the stranger,
the latter was no longer there.It was there. There were no footprints. There was
no movement. Nothing. Only wind.
Efraín turned back to the flame, uneasy. The figure reminded him of the man he had
seen from the church window. The silhouette was very similar. Was it the same man?
Had I been following him?
Or worse:
Was he guiding him?
As I thought this, the flame returned to its original yellow color… and slowly
beganto diminish. In less than a minute, it disappeared, without leaving a single
trace of smoke, ash, or heat.
The hill fell silent.Efraín put the envelope in his pocket and looked down at the valley, where he could
see the town lights coming on one by one. It took him a moment to realize whatthat
I was feeling.
Trust.
A deep, inexplicable, but firm trust.
If people came—whoever they were—he would be
ready. Not because he was strong.
Not because he was special.
But because he wasn't
alone.
He took a deep breath and began the descent.
As he descended, the sky finished darkening and the first star appeared, shining with
unusual intensity. Efraín watched it for a few seconds and smiled. ThatThat night
didn't need any more signs.
I already knew what I had to do.
Upon reaching the end of the path, a small voice could be heard from among the
nearby bushes.
—Efraín?It
stopped.
—Who's there?
—It's me… Tomás.
He was one of the young people in the village's faith circle. He was barely sixteen
years old, butHe had been one of the first to approach the meetings. His eyes
reflected both admiration and fear.
"I was waiting for you," he said, almost
whispering. Efraín frowned.
—Waiting for me? Why? Tomás
swallowed.
—Because… I also received a message.
Efraín felt his heart pounding in his chest.—What message?
The young man took a small, crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. It was
identical to the envelopes heHe had found it himself.
Efraín took it and opened it
slowly.The sentence was short.
"Follow Ephraim."
Efraín closed his eyes for a moment. The wind blew again, but this time it didn't
seem cold to him.
Now he understood
everything. The light
wasn't just for him.
It was the beginning of
something bigger.Something
that connected others.
Something that was just
beginning. He looked at the
boy.
"Let's go," he said with a new conviction in his voice. "We have work to do."
And together, they ventured onto the path illuminated only by the star that shone
above thehill, silent but present, like a promise.