Chapter 4: The Burial

The church bells rang long before the funeral Mass began.

Their deep, solemn sound echoed across the morning air as people slowly made their way through the large wooden doors of Saint Michael's Church. The sky was overcast, and the cool breeze carried the faint scent of rain, though none had fallen yet.

Gabriel stood near the entrance, watching mourners arrive.

There were fewer people than had attended his father's funeral all those years ago, but more than he had expected.

Some carried flowers.

Others held rosaries.

A few approached him to offer condolences before moving quietly toward the pews.

The entire scene felt unreal.

Twenty-two years ago, Sofia Reyes had become one of the most hated women in the country. Newspapers had called her a monster. Commentators had spent months discussing the murder trial. People had condemned her long before the verdict was announced.

Yet standing outside the church now, Gabriel saw no hatred.

Only sadness.

The contradiction continued to bother him.

Inside, sunlight filtered through the stained-glass windows, casting colours across the stone floor. Candles burned near the altar, and the scent of incense hung in the air. Sofia's casket rested at the front of the church surrounded by white lilies.

Lucía was already seated in the front row.

She wore a simple black dress and held a rosary tightly in her hands. Her eyes were red from crying, but her expression seemed calmer than it had been the night before.

Mateo sat beside her, though he looked uncomfortable. Daniel occupied the end of the pew, staring silently at the crucifix above the altar.

Gabriel joined them just as the priest began the service.

The congregation rose.

Prayers were spoken.

Hymns filled the church.

Gabriel found himself listening without truly hearing. His attention drifted repeatedly toward the coffin.

The woman inside it had once been the centre of his world.

As a child, he had followed her everywhere.

At least, he thought he had.

The memories felt distant now.

Broken fragments scattered throughout his mind.

He remembered small things.

A hand guiding his across a page as he learned to write.

The smell of bread baking in the kitchen.

A lullaby sung late at night.

Yet every memory seemed to end abruptly, as though someone had torn away the remaining pages.

The priest's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"We gather today not to judge a life, but to remember it."

The words caused something to stir within the congregation.

Gabriel noticed several heads bow.

The priest continued speaking.

He spoke of forgiveness.

Of human weakness.

Of love.

Of mistakes.

He spoke of how every life contained chapters known only to God.

The speech was simple, yet Gabriel found himself paying closer attention than he expected.

Perhaps because it wasn't really about religion.

It was about perspective.

The priest had never once referred to Sofia as a murderer.

Not because he was ignoring the truth.

But because he seemed determined to remind everyone that a person's worst mistake was not the entirety of their existence.

When the mass ended, the congregation slowly filed outside.

The cemetery sat on a small hill overlooking the city.

By the time the procession arrived, dark clouds had gathered overhead.

Rows of gravestones stretched across the landscape like silent witnesses to countless forgotten stories.

Gabriel stood beside his siblings as workers carefully lowered the casket toward the grave.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

The only sound came from the wind rustling through nearby trees.

This was it.

The final goodbye.

The end of Sofia Reyes.

Lucía stepped forward first.

Her hand trembled slightly as she placed a single white rose atop the casket.

Tears filled her eyes once more.

"I hope you found peace," she whispered.

Then she stepped back.

Daniel followed.

He remained silent for several seconds before lowering a flower into the grave.

Mateo hesitated longer than everyone else.

Gabriel watched his brother's expression carefully.

For years, Mateo had carried more anger than any of them.

He blamed Sofia entirely for the destruction of their family.

He blamed her for their father's death.

For Elena's disappearance.

For everything.

Yet now, standing before her grave, even he seemed uncertain.

Eventually, he dropped a flower into the grave and turned away without speaking.

Gabriel remained where he was.

The others waited.

As the eldest, everyone expected him to say something.

He wasn't sure what.

He stared down at the coffin.

A strange realization settled over him.

This was the last time he would ever be near his mother.

The last time, he would ever have the chance to ask questions.

The last time he would ever receive answers.

Whatever truth existed had been buried with her.

The thought should have brought closure.

Instead, it left him feeling strangely unsettled.

Finally, he stepped forward and placed his flower beside the others.

"Goodbye, Mother."

The words felt unfamiliar.

Awkward.

Yet somehow necessary.

By the time the burial ended, a light rain had begun to fall.

Guests gradually departed, leaving only the siblings behind.

For a while, they stood together beneath their umbrellas, watching workers finish covering the grave.

None of them seemed eager to leave.

It was Daniel who finally broke the silence.

"What happens now?"

Gabriel knew exactly what he meant.

The funeral was over.

The obligations had been fulfilled.

Life should return to normal.

Yet something still remained unfinished.

"The estate," Mateo said.

The old Castillo house.

The mention of it immediately brought memories rushing back.

Birthdays.

Arguments.

Christmas celebrations.

Family dinners.

The house had witnessed every chapter of their childhood.

It had also witnessed the collapse of their family.

"We need to clear it out," Gabriel said.

Nobody disagreed.

Lucía looked toward the city below.

"I haven't been there in years."

"Neither have any of us," Daniel replied.

The rain intensified slightly.

Small droplets struck the umbrellas above their heads.

For a moment, Gabriel imagined the house exactly as they had left it.

Dust gathering on forgotten furniture.

Rooms locked and abandoned.

Memories frozen in place.

Waiting.

"We'll go tomorrow," he said.

The others nodded.

One by one, they began walking toward their cars.

Before leaving, Gabriel glanced back at the fresh grave.

Rainwater darkened the soil.

Flowers rested quietly atop the earth.

The sight should have felt final.

Instead, it felt like the beginning of something.

He couldn't explain why.

Perhaps it was the stories he'd heard at the wake.

Perhaps it was the questions that refused to leave his mind.

Or perhaps it was the growing suspicion that there were pieces of his family's history he had never been told.

Whatever the reason, the feeling followed him all the way home.

And somewhere beyond the city, the old Castillo estate waited in silence.

Its doors remained locked.

Its rooms are untouched.

Its secrets undisturbed.

For now.

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