Luz, the Salvation

The Uncles

Ávida and Brilho, Luz's uncles, were enigmatic figures who seemed to carry an invisible weight on their shoulders. Always quiet, as if they were constantly under watch, they exuded an aura of fear and anxiety that hung heavily over the house. Although they were not cruel to Luz, their relationship with him was marked by a disconcerting coldness, lacking the warmth of familial love he so longed for.

"But things weren't always this way," Luz whispered, his gaze wandering through the dark atmosphere of the house. His uncles, Ávida and Brilho, once vibrant and full of life, now seemed like shadows of their former selves. The lines etched by time on their faces told a story of silent struggles and disillusionment. Ávida, normally so spirited and full of energy, now carried an aura of melancholy, her once-bright eyes now dull, reflecting the sorrow that consumed her soul. Brilho, in turn, appeared to be submerged in a sea of dark thoughts, his expression heavy with worry and fatigue. Something had happened to steal the vitality from them both, leaving behind only resignation and a slow-draining will to live. It was as if a veil of despair had fallen over them, obscuring the light that once defined them.

Brilho was his father's brother, though Luz had no memories of his father; in the small photo he kept, he could see features resembling his uncle's, particularly the large, golden eyes that almost shone like gold, his few strands of copper-colored hair, and his long, braided red beard.

His aunt Ávida was as beautiful as dawn, with blonde hair that reflected the sunlight. Luz was always intrigued by his aunt's eyes; one shone like gold, just like his own and his uncle's, but the other was black as the depths of the ocean.

The mystery surrounding his biological parents was a taboo in the house. Whenever Luz tried to mention them, his uncles quickly changed the subject, as if hiding something dark and unmentionable. The only tangible memory Luz had of his parents was a photograph, somewhat crumpled by time, showing them holding him in their arms when he was just a baby. In the image, they stood in a strange place, surrounded by colorful rocks that seemed to emit a gentle, comforting light, but the setting was so different from Clarear that it always left him puzzled.

Behind the façade of normalcy that his uncles tried to maintain, Luz sensed that there were dark secrets hidden, secrets he was determined to uncover. As time went on, Luz's curiosity grew, fed by the lack of answers and the persistent feeling that his true place was not there, in that silent house.