Excerpt:

**The Fifth Seal – Chapter VI

THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

The Revelation of Saint Michael**

The Institute of Saint Michael stood on the outskirts of the town, surrounded by vast stretches of land used for wheat cultivation, bordered by long rows of leafy oak trees, in a rural area with few nearby homes. Endless plains adorned the horizon beneath the sky. The school itself occupied what had once been a three-story hacienda, decorated with tall pillars and a massive front door reached by long stone steps worn smooth by time.

In one of the rooms on the second floor, Malena stood watching Julián and several companions gather near the garden that framed the main entrance.

After studying them carefully, Malena realized something. Her eyes widened as she moved toward the window, barely managing to mouth the words:

—Not today… please, not yet —she said, her voice heavy with concern.

—What’s happening? —I asked, while she continued to stare outside.

—They’re all gathering already. I have to go stop it.

She hurried out toward the courtyard, and I decided to follow her. I still don’t know what plans these people have, I thought, but whatever is happening has me intrigued.

Along the way, Malena spoke with several sympathizers, telling them not to go outside. They responded only with confused glances, continuing to follow the instructions that had already been assigned to them. Resigned, she pressed on toward the exit.

When we reached the courtyard, we found Julián there. He wore a white robe, accompanied by four others who appeared to be his guards. Malena approached him and shouted:

—Julián! Don’t do this—not yet! We still don’t know what’s really going on!

Her voice trembled, on the verge of tears.

—Malena, have faith. You’ve seen it yourself. We are the chosen ones. We are part of those sealed by God!

As he spoke, Julián removed the scarf covering his head, revealing a symbol carved into his forehead: the ichthys.

Malena’s Memory

The Congregation of Saint George met in an unassuming building, more civic than religious in appearance—a large hall that had been expanded over the years, surrounded by carefully tended gardens and trees. After the previous priest had fled the country following a scandal involving misappropriated funds, a replacement was found. In Father Manuel, the congregation believed they had found their salvation.

Julián was a member of the choir. He played guitar, and Malena—his fiancée—was the lead singer. They had met there a couple of years earlier.

—Hurry up, Julián! We’re going to be late for rehearsal!

—Relax, we’ve got time… we haven’t even loaded all the instruments into the truck yet —he replied as he lifted a guitar into the back.

—Father Manuel has been waiting for ten minutes already, and the weather isn’t helping. It looks like it’s going to rain.

They hurried and climbed into the truck. Julián drove fast, pressing the accelerator whenever he could. The rain caught up with them. They stopped at a traffic light, where a sign on the pole read Km 22.

—We could try letting Luisa take the lead vocals. She’s not perfectly in tune, but she’s got lungs strong enough for the high notes.

—Maybe. I don’t mind giving her a chance. I just hope it’s her voice you want her for—and not the looks she keeps giving you every rehearsal.

—What are you talking about? That’s completely out of context, she just—

Julián froze, staring at the street to his right.

—W-what… what is that?

Malena turned quickly in the same direction. On the corner lay a person on the ground, face down, dragging himself forward with his elbows. The man struggled to his feet and, upon seeing Julián’s truck, raised a trembling hand for help. Then something grabbed him, pulling him violently back to the ground.

Something began dragging him by the legs.

For a few seconds, Julián and Malena stood frozen, trying to process what they were seeing—until Malena reacted.

—We have to help him! —she shouted as she jumped out of the vehicle.

—Wait! —Julián yelled as he watched her run off.

She headed down the perpendicular street. There were no other cars nearby. The rain had stopped abruptly.

Julián got out and ran after her. When they reached the corner, Malena screamed.

In the darkness of what looked like an abandoned storefront lurked a monster. It resembled an octopus—hundreds of eyes covering its body, skin dark and oily. One of its tentacles held the man’s leg.

The creature continued pulling its victim, wrapping him with another limb. As it did, its countless eyes turned toward Malena. She froze, suddenly grasping the creature’s true size—it was far larger than she had first realized.

She snapped out of her trance and scanned her surroundings until she spotted a large stone.

—Let him go! —she screamed, hurling the rock.

The monster caught the stone midair and split it in two with one of its limbs, never taking its eyes off Malena. With its tentacles, it crushed the man. His screams were unbearable; the sound of bones snapping echoed through the street.

The creature pulled him toward the lower part of its head, where fang-like protrusions emerged from its mouth. It pierced the body and began to suck out what lay inside.

Malena could only watch in horror as the man deteriorated, his body emptied in seconds, until nothing remained but a pile of clothes wrapped around a slab of skin.

Realizing she could do nothing, she turned to flee—but a tentacle that had slipped away unnoticed wrapped around her foot. She fell, desperately grabbing onto a table just as Julián arrived.

—What the—? —Julián said, stunned at the sight of the monster.

He stared at the creature, trying to make sense of it. Strangely, he didn’t seem afraid. Then he noticed Malena and rushed to help her.

—Let her go! —he shouted, trying to tear the tentacle from her leg.

The monster pulled her harder as she screamed and clung desperately. Julián gathered his courage and charged the beast, dodging several whipping strikes from tentacles that had just released the skin-bag that minutes earlier had been a man.

When he reached it, he punched the creature, shouting:

—Let her go!

The beast recoiled, shrinking slightly as it stared at the young man with its thousand eyes.

Releasing Malena, it retreated farther, using its limbs like propellers against the ground. It sped away, disappearing among the distant houses.

It wasn’t the punch that drove it off—it was something else it sensed upon touching Julián.

The couple stood there, stunned.

—Well… I guess I scared it —Julián muttered, staring at the hand he’d struck it with—. We should leave before it comes back.

—What was that thing? What did you do to it? —Malena asked as she stood.

—You think I know? We’re alive—that’s what matters. I told you not to get out of the truck.

—We had to do something. We couldn’t just leave him there.

—Yeah, and look how that turned out. We didn’t help much. Let’s get out of here.

She shot him an angry look but said nothing as they returned to the truck.

—Wait… shouldn’t we call the police? Or someone? We just watched a man die—by something that looked like some kind of octopus or squid.

—It definitely wasn’t either. Nothing like that gets that big—or has that many eyes. Let’s head to the congregation and figure out what to do there. This place isn’t safe, and there’s no one around —Julián said as he started the engine…

… "

–Continue reading in its original Castilian language at fictograma.com–