A new day begins. Light appears, the breeze of the morning caress my hair, birds, and insects are having a celebration, and the vegetation seems to be reborn. It happens every day. I rub my eyes, wash my face, brush my teeth and take a bath. This is my routine before breakfast. The forest offers neither advantages nor options. I am not accustomed to this. My mother spoiled me to the point of serving me my coffee. I eat my breakfast in silence, but something weighs on my mind. What will the third and final challenge be? What will happen to me in the cave? There are so many questions without answers, it makes me dizzy. The morning progresses and with it so do my palpitations, fears, and chills. Who was I now? Certainly, not the same. I went up a sacred mountain looking for a destiny that not even I knew about. I found the guardian and discovered new values and a world larger than I ever imagined existed before. Furthermore, I won two challenges and now only had to face the third. A chilling third challenge that was distant and unknown. The leaves around the hut move ever-so-slightly. I have learned to understand nature and its signals. Someone is approaching.
"Hello! Are you there?
I jumped, changed the direction of my gaze and contemplated the mysterious figure of the guardian. She seems happier and even rosy despite her apparent age.
"I am here, as you can see. What news have you brought for me?
"As you know, today, I come to announce your third and final challenge. It will be held on your seventh day here on the mountain because that is the maximum time that a mortal can remain here. It is simple and consists of the following: Kill the first man or beast that you encounter upon leaving your hut on the very same day. Otherwise, you will not be entitled to enter into the cave which grants you your deepest desires. What do you say? Isn't that easy?
"How so? Kill? Do I look like an assassin?
"It's the only way for you to enter into the cave. Prepare yourself because there are only two days and…
An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.7 on the Richter scale shakes the entire top of the mountain. The tremor leaves me dizzy, and I think that I am going to faint. More and more thoughts come to mind. I feel my strength depleting and feel handcuffs that forcefully secure my hands and my feet. Quickly, I see myself as a slave, working in fields dominated by masters. I see the shackles, the blood and hear the cries of my companions. I see the richness, pride, and treachery of the colonels. Furthermore, I also see the cry of freedom and justice for the oppressed. Oh, how the world is unfair! While some win, others are left to rot, forgotten. The handcuffs break. I am partially free. I'm still discriminated against, hated and wronged. Furthermore, I still see the evil of the white men who call me "nigger." I still feel inferior. Again, I hear the cries of clamor, but now the voice is clear, sharp, and known. The tremor disappears and little by little I regain consciousness. Someone lifts me up. Still a little woozy, I exclaim:
"What happened?
The guardian, in tears, can't seem to find an answer.
"My son, the cave has just destroyed another soul. Please win the third challenge and defeat this curse. The universe is conspiring for your victory.
"I do not know how to win. Only the creator's light can illuminate my thoughts and my actions. I guarantee: I'm not going to give up on my dreams easily.
"I trust in you and in the education that you have received. Good luck, Child of God! See you soon!
Having said that, the strange lady departed and was dissolved in a puff of smoke. Now I was alone and needed to prepare for the final challenge.