## 1. Rebirth on the Shore
The first sense to return was the cold. A heavy, damp cold that contrasted with the infernal heat of the cave. Hiroshi opened his eyes, his vision blurred. He was lying on the edge of the Black Lake, his body lazily floating between the dark sand and the still water. The energy of the environment was heavy, almost palpable, like a lead blanket.
The memory hit him like lightning: the Dragon, the conversation, the open mouth, the darkness. He had been swallowed. He knew he was going to die. So why was he alive? And how had he reached the lake shore? His mind was confused, trying to reconcile the certainty of death with the reality of his shallow breathing.
He tried to stand up, feeling his body heavy and sore. As he supported himself, he looked at the dark water. His reflection stared back: black hair, now voluminous and reaching his shoulders, dark eyes, deeper than before. It was him, no doubt. It was not a dream.
## 2. The Cosmic Sign
Around the lake, the landscape was one of savage and oppressive beauty, as always. Gigantic trees, twenty to thirty meters high, stood like sentinels, and steep mountains surrounded the valley. But there was something fundamentally wrong with the sky.
The weather was strange, bright and dark at the same time. Hiroshi looked up. The sun was there, but it wasn't. A total eclipse swallowed the light, turning the day into a supernatural twilight. The stars shone intensely, in red and blue colors that danced in the daytime darkness. It was a cosmic sensation, an event that seemed to tear the veil of reality. The moon had swallowed the sun, and Hiroshi felt that something of immense significance had occurred while he was in the Dragon's darkness.
He felt his waist. The training sword was gone. He was only wearing his rustic clothes. He tried not to think too much about the Dragon, the eclipse, or the sword. His priority was the information he had obtained and the need to warn Bella.
## 3. Bella's Absence and the Decision
The tense and uncomfortable atmosphere of the eclipse seemed to amplify the silence on the lake shore. Hiroshi searched for Bella, who had promised to wait for him for one day. He scoured the area for almost two hours, calling her name in hoarse whispers. Nothing. Only the oppressive silence and the traces of failed attempts by other adventurers.
With a heavy heart, Hiroshi was certain: Bella was no longer there. He couldn't waste time. He had to go to the village.
## 4. The Increased Oppression
The journey back was quick, driven by urgency. As he approached the village, Hiroshi noticed the change immediately. The number of soldiers had increased dramatically. There were almost thirty silver-armored soldiers throughout the village, patrolling the streets and posted on every corner, armed with swords and spears. It was a clear sign that someone important had arrived, or that the oppression had reached a new level.
The discomfort and fear of the residents were palpable. The soldiers acted with even greater impunity, taking food, medicine, and, most horribly, the women of the local citizens.
Hiroshi went directly to Bella's house, but found a small group of residents gathered around, with looks of despair.
He talked to the residents, asking for Bella, and the information he received was terrifying.
A female resident had been stoned for refusing to have relations with the soldiers' chief, a man named Captain Ghazu. Bella, the only person in the village with the courage to fight, tried to save the woman. Captain Ghazu, in response, ordered all the soldiers to attack Bella. She was captured along with the woman she tried to save and taken to the Valley of Suffering.
"They took her to the Valley of Suffering," said a resident, his voice choked.
The residents begged Hiroshi to save her. They knew Bella was the only one who fought and tried to improve the village. Without her, hope would die completely.
## 5. The Valley of Suffering
Hiroshi didn't know where the Valley of Suffering was, but the resident's description hit him with a cold shock. The Valley of Suffering was the same place where Bella had taken him days ago to see the crucified people: the Hill of Cruelty.
He ran. In a few minutes, he reached the location.
The scene was an amplified nightmare. It was no longer just a few crosses. There were about a hundred people crucified by the soldiers. The image was cruel and inhumane. The smell of death was overwhelming, and crows and vultures circled, ready to feed. Screams of pain and crying echoed in the thin air.
The horror was so intense that it made Hiroshi question his entire existence. He didn't want to be in this world. He remembered his life in Japan, how he complained that people didn't value his studies and that archaeology was useless. His family was ashamed of his choice, wanting him to be a doctor. All his past pain was nothing compared to what he saw now.
The total eclipse hung over the human corpses and the cruel soldiers. And in the background, on a higher cross, was **Bella, crucified**.
***
**END OF CHAPTER 4**