In a faraway and forgotten kingdom, located at the edge of the known world, there stood a magnificent palace, built entirely of glass and mirrors. This palace was inhabited by a solitary king, whose name was Reflection. King Reflection spent his days contemplating his kingdom through the walls of glass and mirrors, which reflected the mountains, forests, and rivers that surrounded it. One day, King Reflection discovered a particular mirror, different from all the others. This mirror was black and deep, and it did not reflect anything. Intrigued, the king ordered his servants to install it in his bedroom, where he could contemplate it each night before falling asleep. This mirror, which the king named "The Mirror of Eternal Silence," quickly became his obsession. He spent hours contemplating it, trying to unravel its mystery. But the more he looked at it, the more he felt drawn to its black depths. One night, as he contemplated the mirror, King Reflection suddenly saw a form appear in the darkness. It was a woman, beautiful and strange, who seemed to float in the obscurity. The woman smiled and extended her hand towards the king. "Who are you?" asked the king, fascinated. "I am the Echo of Silence," replied the woman. "I am the one who dwells in the empty spaces, in the intervals between words and sounds. I am the one who gives meaning to the absurd, who gives shape to the void." King Reflection was captivated by the Echo of Silence's words. He saw her often after that, and soon, he became obsessed with her. He wanted to hear her speak, again and again, to absorb her absurd wisdom. But the Echo of Silence was capricious. She only showed herself when she wanted to, and often, she disappeared for days, even weeks. King Reflection was consumed with grief, and he decided to build a temple dedicated to the Echo of Silence, a temple that would reflect her beauty and mystery. The temple was built entirely of black mirrors, and it was filled with labyrinths and secret rooms. The king spent hours searching for the Echo of Silence, calling out to her in the hope that she would show herself to him. But the Echo of Silence never showed up. King Reflection was consumed with despair, and he began to wander the corridors of the temple, searching for a way out, searching for an answer. One day, he stopped in front of the Mirror of Eternal Silence, and he suddenly saw his own reflection. But it was not the reflection he was used to seeing. It was a different reflection, a reflection that showed him as he truly was, without artifice, without lies. King Reflection suddenly understood that the Echo of Silence was not something external to him. She was in him, in his soul, in his heart. He understood that the absurd and the void were not enemies, but allies, guides towards truth and wisdom. King Reflection left the temple, and he ordered his servants to tear down the walls of glass and mirrors that surrounded his kingdom. He wanted the wind and the rain to enter, to erase the boundaries between inside and outside, between self and world. And from that day on, King Reflection saw the world differently. He saw the absurd and the void as integral parts of life, sources of joy and wisdom. He saw the Echo of Silence in everything, in every person, in every moment. And the Mirror of Eternal Silence is still there, in his bedroom, a constant reminder of the truth and beauty of the absurd.

By Carlos del Puente relatos