Chapter 14: I found my way

  The scene opens in silence. A light wind blows between the open fields of the planet Zaxba. Elizabeth sits by a dim fire, her gaze lost on the horizon. Trisha, Mimi and Alesha wait in silence, respecting the moment.

  Elizabeth: (hispering, with a slight tremor in her voice) "I come from the poorest region of Zaxba. We were never rich, but we had what we needed... my mom, my dad, my brother and I. We lived from the harvest of Zaxbarian wheat. It was the best wheat in the sector... but no one wanted it, because it came from our region."

  He pauses for a long time. The wind blows a little stronger.

  Elizabeth: "I dreamed of going to art school. But I knew it was impossible. However, on my eighth birthday... my parents gave me a sword. It wasn't real. Just a wooden stick... no edge, no shape..."

  Mimi: (trying to comfort her) "Elizabeth..."

  Elizabeth: "No, Mimi, it's okay. I was happy. For many, it would have been an insult. For me, it was the best gift in the universe. Because they gave it with love. I practiced with that sword as if it were real. Sunrise, sunset, under the rain, under the stars..."

  The image changes to the memory. We see a little Elizabeth training alone, with determination and energy, in the golden wheat fields.

  Elizabeth: "One day, while I was practicing, I met the boys from the art school. They made fun of me. They told me that they took that stick out of a tree, that my parents could never buy me a real sword. One of them said... 'All your life you will be a nobody.'"

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  Elizabeth's face stiffens. Memories are painful.

  Elizabeth: "That day... I threw my sword into the river. Crying, screaming... crusing everything. I cursed my luck, my family, my life. I shouted: 'I didn't ask to be born so miserable!'"

  A silence. No one says anything. The fire sizzles. We return to the memory.

  Elizabeth: "But as soon as I turned around... I heard an explosion. I ran. My legs were shaking. I was only thinking about one thing: my family. When I arrived, everything... everything was in ruins. Fire. Ashes. There were no houses. There were no screams. Just silence... and fire."

  His voice trembles. A tear escapes him.

  Elizabeth: "The fire moved. And from him, a figure came out. High. Dark. With green eyes like the forest. I froze. I went to take my sword... but I remembered that I had thrown it away. I ran. I ran home... and... they were there."

  Trisha: (in a low voice) "Your parents..."

  Elizabeth: (nodding, with a broken voice) "Lying on the floor. I... I don't know how, but I threw myself next to them. And I cried. I said... that everything would end. Please, everything will be over. Then I heard a sound. A sword. Another. Another one. A voice... powerful, firm... peaceful. The door opened. I didn't want to open my eyes... I thought it was the end. But what I saw..."

  He pauses.

  Mimi: (with her heart in her throat) "What did you see?"

  Elizabeth: (smiling, with a tear running down her cheek) "I saw the savior of the bi-universe. I saw Juan... his clothes were burned... but he had a smile. He extended his hand and told me... 'Are you okay? Don't worry... you'll be fine now, I promise.'"

  The chapter closes with the four in silence. The fire remains firm, illuminating their faces. Elizabeth, now with a determined look, clenches her fist. He has found his way.

  End of chapter 14.