After passing through Himmelsburg, I finally began my journey back towards Africa; it was going to be a very long trip. I passed through the forests and meadows of France, finally arriving in Spain.

I only had to swim across the Strait of Gibraltar to cross into Morocco and continue across the entire African continent, but just when I thought things were going smoothly, I felt a stab throughout my body, a stab that suddenly turned into unbearable pain, and there I saw them.

"The Volturi..."

This time they appeared before me, all the heavyweights, and I could recognize them as they stood before me.

"Felix, Demetri, Alec, Jane, Chelsea, Renata, Caius, Marcus, and Aro."

I slowly stood up and could see the group. There were mixed looks, from curiosity to anger, fascination, and fear. The only one who had a look of indifference was Marcus.

Chelsea looked at me with a deep anger on her face:

"Of course, you had murdered her boyfriend, Afton." I deliberated and realized that I had really messed up.

Not only had I killed her boyfriend, but also several of her guards, and slightly wounded her great gladiator, Felix, who was looking at me with fascination and a kind of "Respect?" I thought.

Aro had a slight smile and began to speak:

"Well, well, my esteemed hunter. You have no idea the amount of trouble you've brought us."

Caius looked anxious, while Aro shook his index finger at me in a kind of denial, feigning an ironic sad face.

Chelsea looked at me, seeming to focus on something. Anxious, Caius tapped his right foot and crossed his arms. Finally, Aro looked at Chelsea, and she finally shook her head, signaling denial.

"Is it because of you or because of him?" She asked.

Everyone looked at her, and she, with a bit of embarrassment, said:

"Both."

Caius, without wasting a second, exploded: "Then what are we waiting for! This scoundrel has violated our sacred laws and plunged our society into chaos. He deserves to be executed immediately!" His voice resonated with the urgency of someone who delights in order and punishment.

Aro became pensive, and looking at Felix, he asked me, "Why have you acted this way? What led you to unleash such disorder? Is it something personal? Look at the distress you have caused; even the robust Felix has been affected by your recklessness," he gestured theatrically towards Felix.

I didn't know what to say, and Aro looked at Jane, who, with a smile, left me defenseless, writhing in pain without being able to do anything at all.

"It's not that bad, just a nuisance," Felix replied, a little annoyed. The dagger had left a permanent mark on his leg.

"No more delays! He must be executed immediately! I'll take care of it myself!" Caius insisted, moving towards me, but Aro calmly said to him, "Not so fast, Caius. There is still so much we can discover about our... guest. I have waited a long time for this moment."

And as I continued to wriggle in agony, Aro simply laughed, everyone laughed, except Marcus, who just seemed to want to go home.

At that moment, I was sure I would die. I had my cards, but Jane had completely immobilized me, filled with pain; it was as if thousands of hot needles were pricking me all over my body. I had never felt this way before.

But Aro had to know, he had to know that I knew his secret. I am close, I am close, then I heard the voice:

"You have been through this before, pain has always been a part of you. Your friends are waiting for you, come on. Get up, Gonzalo! Get up as you always did when you were human! Remember it!"

I put one hand, then the other. One knee on the floor.

"I can't, I can't... Yes... yes, you can."

I remembered how similar the pain was every time I broke my bones, when I had a serious accident because of my osteogenesis, and all the casts I had to wear. But what I remembered the most were my parents, Marie, my daughter, my parents... and all the people who helped me... I can't now... I can't give up."

Step by step, I walked like a zombie, crippled by the pain. Jane opened her eyes, and the pain intensified. Caius once more, and gritting my teeth, I kept crawling like a baby.

"A diamond is forged through pressure, just as I was forged through pain..." I whispered, remembering dad.

Slowly, I finally reached the feet of Aro, and with my last efforts, I touched his foot and begged him:

"One... Last... wish... please..."

There were different reactions; Jane was offended, while Aro greatly enjoyed the situation. The rest had a mix of surprise and frustration. Marcus simply looked away, cold and distant.

"Interesting, very interesting... You have moved me, boy, so I will grant your wish. Jane, please stop," exclaimed Aro.

Jane finally stops, and I can exhale the air I didn't know I was holding. I try to compose myself and, with the firmest voice I can muster, I request:

"Sir, as a last wish, I would like you to read my thoughts..."

The onlookers frown, puzzled. Aro, with a slight nod and a look that denotes both surprise and interest, inquires:

"Curious, very curious. Most beg for an end without pain, others wish to send a message to a loved one... And you, my dear, only wish for me to delve into the recesses of your mind? My friend, that is a courtesy I would have taken the liberty of offering anyway."

With the conclusion of his words, a wave of laughter rises among the guard, everyone except Marcus, who remains distant. The request seems absurd in the eyes of the immortals.

"Silence, please," Aro intervenes with a raised hand, demanding respect for the involuntary guest. "The gentleman has shown admirable tenacity. It would be rude of us not to grant his last wish. So, dear hunter, is there anything else you long for before the curtain falls on your final act?" He finally asks.

I began to make a comparative analysis between Aro and Edward, both telepaths. During the cyber espionage I conducted on Aro, I learned about his telepathic powers, which were used by touch and were much more instantaneous and profound than Edward's. At that time, I realized that Edward had difficulty reading my thoughts clearly, and I used the opportunity to send a clear message, the Volturi's weakest point, the death of Didyme, at the hands of Aro, his own brother.

Now that I knew that, having a strong and clear thought, I was able to transmit it immediately to a telepath, and Aro must know that the moment they eliminate me, I would ensure that all dirty operations, and above all, Didyme's death, would come to light. And if he could cover it up in any way, although I don't believe it, I would have the Cullens as plan B, who already knew about Aro's dirty secret and wouldn't stand idly by.

"Sir, my current situation makes it emotionally difficult for me to answer you. Would it be okay if I tell you after you have read my thoughts?" I asked.

Everyone looked and laughed, Caius remained impatient. Marcus finally said very calmly, with a weary tone:

"Just do what the kid says and let's get out of here, this whole melodrama stresses me out."

Finally, I stretched out my hand and concentrated intensely on Didyme, the Volturi's network to obtain food, and the multiple instantaneous ways I had to expose them in case I died.

Aro eagerly entwined his hands with mine and began to enter a sort of trance, like someone watching a movie at the cinema.

I could see how his eyes and hands trembled slightly, and when he let go of me, it was as if he was trying to shake off the dirt of our connection.

He glanced sideways at Marcus and swallowed hard. Marcus, in turn, returned his gaze, now looking somewhat more intrigued. Everyone awaited Aro's decision.

With a look that mixed anger and fear, Aro seemed to struggle with what to do with me. At that moment, I knew he had understood the message, that my memories had embedded themselves in his mind like stakes.

"Fascinating, my dear hunter... I have never seen such a perceptive and complex mind," Aro finally said, his voice regaining that tone of admiration. "I wonder how you manage to filter so many thoughts simultaneously. You're like a conductor directing a multitude of sophisticated instruments at once. I think it will take me quite some time to decipher the complex corners and passages of your great mental labyrinth, and sincerely, I would love to unravel that brilliant mind you possess. Would you honor me with another occasion? We have all eternity from now on."

Everyone was dumbfounded. Caius exclaimed in fury:

"How can you even consider sparing the life of this traitor? He is killing our own kind! It's an inexcusable affront!"

Aro raised his hand and said, with a smile:

"Caius, our esteemed companion not only possesses an exceptional mind but has also been blessed with a unique ability. He is the first vampire in our eternal history capable of mastering the most formidable weapons humans have against us: technology."

He waved his hands and began to laugh in a kind of jubilation, while looking with a big smile at Chelsea. Then he continued, now with his hands clasped behind his back:

"Furthermore, I noticed that you desire to return home, to your own. Caius, our little friend no longer wishes to continue in the sport of hunting; he only wants to have peace and tranquility again, and above all, with the woman he loves. What was her name? Ah yes! Anastasia, your own sire. Isn't that right, my friend?"

I opened my eyes and feared for Anastasia, and the rest of my friends. Aro continued.

"Anastasia," he sighed. "I have never seen such a beautiful vampire for centuries, she is one of the very few, my dear friend, you are a very lucky one. The vampire who turned her must have been very clever, indeed, a wise choice to have kept her hidden for so many years! She truly seems like an angel. Well, my friend, let's make a deal. Shall we?"

I didn't hesitate much and replied, "What would the deal be?"

"The thing is simple, you must hang up your boots from such a nefarious sport you've found, and we will drop all charges against you, my friend, so you can finally reunite with your own. Ah! I forgot, I would love a visit someday; I am eager to solve that mental puzzle you have. I love puzzles!" Aro said with enthusiasm.

As Marcus looked at Aro, after having been partially intrigued and returning to his usual monotony, he asked, "What about our friend's weapons here present?"

I quickly added, "I only use them in self-defense."

Felix, Caius, and Chelsea were startled, and just as they were about to protest, Aro raised his hand again and concluded firmly, "We must look towards the horizon, my friends. Haven't we ourselves evolved with the times? How could we subsist if we did not take advantage of the benefits of modern technology?" With a gesture of courtesy, he bid farewell: "Arrivederci, esteemed ally. I trust we will keep in touch."

And with a tense farewell, the Volturi vanished, and I finally looked freely towards Gibraltar, sighed, and murmured, "Now, back to Africa..."