At last, it was the weekend.
I felt strangely light, as if my body were only now understanding that it no longer had to run from one place to another. The week had been brutal. Two jobs, barely any sleep, and suddenly… a radio program with mythological beings who could snap my neck if anything went wrong.
It had been exhausting.Too much.
Almost by reflex, I took out my phone and opened my bank app.
There it was.The weekly payment.
I had only worked two days… and yet the money was already there. A smile slowly spread across my face, one of those that appear on their own, without permission.
All the exhaustion, the fear, the constant tension…had been worth it.
I decided to reward myself.
I walked to a café-bookstore inside a park. The place smelled of freshly brewed coffee and old paper. I chose a table by the window. In front of me sat a slice of freshly baked corn cake and a cup of hot chocolate, steam rising softly.
I took a sip.
The warmth slowly slid down my throat, and I sighed without realizing it. Then I took a bite of the cake: soft, sweet, comforting. A simple, honest flavor. For a moment, everything was fine.
I looked outside.
The ducks swam calmly, the water rippling in gentle waves that shimmered in the daylight. And then, without warning, the weight of the week came crashing down on me.
Tears began to fall slowly.
It wasn't loud crying. It was silent, restrained. The kind that comes when you finally allow yourself to stop. I had gone from one thing to another so quickly that I hadn't given myself time to feel anything. Now, sitting there with the warm cup between my hands, all I wanted was to cry.
I wiped my eyes quickly.
I didn't want the other customers to notice.
I didn't know exactly why I was crying.
Maybe it was relief.Maybe fear.Maybe because I had accepted a job where my life was genuinely in danger.Or maybe because of the secrets… because of everything the people I loved had kept from me.
I thought about my mother.
I never truly knew her, but now I understood why she had walked away from that world. In that moment, I missed her like never before.
I took another sip of chocolate to calm my emotions. I had already come this far. There was no turning back.
So I took a deep breath and pulled a notebook out of my backpack.
I needed to organize my thoughts.
What I knew:
I had a job.My boss was Mictlantecuhtli, a god of the underworld.According to legend, he wasn't evil… but he was cold, severe, and cruel when necessary.
I had a guardian spirit.Iztli.The son of my grandmother's best friend.And I had signed a contract… though I still didn't understand when or how.
There was a hidden world.Gods, mythological beings, creatures humans believed were just stories.
I worked as a host on a digital radio station calledFrequencies of the Underworld.To humans, it was just entertainment.To me… it was completely real.
I read the points again.
And then the questions came.
Why did Mictlantecuhtli treat me so well?Why did he sometimes seem to know me from before?Why had I been chosen?Was it really just because of my resistance… or was there something more?
I turned to another page.
Iztli.
When had I signed a contract with him?Why did he seem to know so much about me?What did my grandmother really do?Did it have anything to do with the forbidden door in my house?
I sighed in frustration and leaned back slightly in my chair.
It was uncomfortable.Everyone seemed to know more about me than I knew about myself.
Then someone sat down across from me.
I straightened abruptly, not wanting to talk to anyone… until I saw who it was.
—Mike…?
He wasn't very tall, just a few centimeters taller than me. He had brown hair with bluish highlights and sea-colored eyes that always brought me peace, as if looking at them let me hear the sound of waves.
—Izel, what a coincidence —he said with a gentle smile—. I'm glad to see you.
Purely by reflex, I reached out and touched his cheek.
I needed to know if he was real.
Mike looked surprised, his eyes widening slightly… then he covered my hand with his own, warm and steady.
—Uh… it's okay —he chuckled softly—. But thanks.
When I realized what I had done, I pulled my hand back immediately, completely embarrassed. He didn't say anything and smoothly changed the subject.
—You quit your job as a waitress at the café today, right?
—Yes —I replied—. I found something better. I'll have more free time.
—Congratulations! —he said with genuine enthusiasm—. You were always exhausted juggling two jobs.
Mike was one of my few friends… though sometimes he felt like more. I met him while working at the café. He always sat in the same spot. We started talking, then texting. At night, I'd message him to vent, and he always listened—calm, patient.
And then I remembered.
I hadn't texted him all week.
—I'm sorry —I said—. I've been really busy… I didn't even let you know.
—It's okay —he replied, brushing it off—. I'm curious about what you're planning now.
I stayed quiet.
—I don't know —I admitted—. I've done the same thing for so long that I don't know if I can do something different.
—Of course you can —he said—. You're just overwhelmed.
He took out his phone.
—School applications open in a month —he added, a little nervous—. If I'm not mistaken, you told me a while ago you wanted to study again. I'm free today… how about we check out some schools?
I felt my heart warm slowly.
—Sure.
We spent the afternoon walking around the city. We went in and out of different campuses, flipped through brochures, read study plans posted on walls and display cases. Journalism, marketing, communication… big schools, small schools, some more expensive than others.
Curiously, the cost didn't worry me. With what I was earning now, I could afford any of them.
But that wasn't what mattered.
It was the feeling.
Walking without rushing.Talking about possible futures.Imagining myself in a classroom, sitting, taking notes, like a normal person.
I didn't know if it could be called a date.
But if it was… it would be the first one in a long time.
And it made me happy.
So happy that, for a moment, I forgot everything: the underworld, the contracts, the secrets, the danger.
Only the present existed.
The hours passed without me noticing, until the sky darkened and the city lights began turning on one by one.
—Did you like one more than the others? —Mike asked, genuinely curious.
I thought for a moment.
—I like CENABE —I said—. Their journalism program is really good… though PIRD has better facilities and activities. Honestly… I don't know.
I didn't know how I looked in that moment, but Mike smiled as he watched me talk.
As if seeing me excited made him happy.
—Hey… —he said suddenly.
He stopped in the middle of the street and gently turned me to face him.
We were in a quiet area, with few people around. A few meters away, a small group was playing live music. The melody floated softly through the air, wrapping around us.
—I know we've been friends for a while —he continued—, and I don't want to rush anything.
I opened my eyes in surprise, but before I could say anything, he kept talking:
—I'm not asking you to be my girlfriend. No big promises.I just… I'd like to get to know you better. For real.
The song in the background said:
It wasn't a clash of stars,nor a lightning bolt to the heart,it was a talk without promisesand a laugh without reason.
I learned you the way one learnsthe sound of a voice,without searching for you in the crowd,without calling it love.
I felt my chest tighten.
—There's still a long way to go —he added, smiling a little nervously—, but I'd like to know what your dreams are… and, if you're okay with it, discover them together.
The music continued:
And without realizing it,you stayed right here,in the small silencesI didn't want to run from.
I took a deep breath.
—We can… try —I said at last.
It wasn't a "forever."It wasn't a promise.But it was real.
Because love arrived slowly,like light at dawn,without knocking, without making noise,but it chose to stay on my skin.
It wasn't a "forever" spoken aloud,it was looking at each other and understandingthat getting to know you step by stepwas the right way to love.
I nodded with a smile.
My heart was racing.
We weren't anything yet.There was still a lot ahead.I didn't even know exactly how I felt.
But I wanted to see where this would lead.
From the shadow of a store, a man in a suit watched the scene.
Green eyes.Black hair.A cold gaze… like death itself.
And while I reclaimed a piece of normalcy,something ancient, dark, and patienthad just set its sights on me.
You became a good habit,a morning message,a pause in routine,something simple… something real.