Julian froze. His eyes widened. The voice sounded exactly like a man hiding in the fog, mocking his misery. Infuriated, Julian stood up on his good leg, leaned over the edge of the cliff, and yelled:
**”YOU ARE A COWARD! SHOW YOURSELF!”*
The canyon didn’t hesitate. The reply shattered the silence, echoing from wall to wall:
***”YOU ARE A COWARD! SHOW YOURSELF!”*
## Chapter 3: The Confrontation with the Void
Julian’s face turned bright red. He looked around wildly, expecting an ambush. He grabbed a heavy stone and threatened the empty air.
“Who is that, Father?” Julian demanded, his voice shaking with a mix of anger and fear.
“Is it a bandit? A curse? Why is he mocking my pain?”
Arthur stopped. He turned around, his calm demeanor a sharp contrast to his son’s chaotic energy.
“The valley is not mocking you, my son.
It is merely being honest. Watch closely.”
Arthur took a deep, steady breath, expanded his chest, and projected his voice across the massive expanse of the canyon with a tone of pure warmth:
**”YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL SOUL!”**
The mountain caught the words, rolling them through the mist,
returning them with absolute clarity:
***”YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL SOUL!”***
Arthur smiled and shouted again, louder this time:
**”SUCCESS AND JOY BELONG TO YOU!”**
The valley sang back, the echo sounding almost triumphant:
***”SUCCESS AND JOY BELONG TO YOU!”***
## Chapter 4: The Law of the Reflection
Julian stood completely still, the stone slipping from his hand and thudding softly into the dirt. The anger in his chest began to evaporate, replaced by a profound, confusing awe.
“I don’t understand,” Julian whispered, looking down into the misty depths of the valley. “Does the man in the mountain change his mind so easily? How can he hate me one second and bless you the next?”
Arthur walked over and placed a firm, warm hand on his son’s shoulder.
> “There is no man in the mountain, Julian,” Arthur explained gently.
