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The crevice eventually widened into a pocket of space, large enough for only a small temporary shelter. Beneath layers of dust, the team uncovered remnants of what appeared to be a makeshift camp: a thermal blanket, an empty container, short lengths of rope, and in the corner, a second notebook.
Much of the writing had faded, but a few lines remained readable. Words like “waiting,” “can’t climb,” and “we hear voices” seemed to point to an effort to stay calm and hopeful in difficult conditions.
On the stone wall, rescuers spotted groups of three small scratches repeated more than thirty times. The marks suggested careful tracking of days—possibly a full month.
As investigators pieced together what little they had, an unexpected detail emerged: a length of modern rope anchored near the top of the crevice. It didn’t match any equipment used by the rescue team or by the hikers who’d reported the backpack. Someone else had visited the site.
The following day brought even more surprising findings. Far above the sheltered space, searchers examined a steep passage and detected faint footprints. They looked recent—far too recent to belong to anyone from the original event—and they appeared lighter than those of a full-grown adult. A short while later, under loose stones, the team discovered a small star-shaped pendant known to belong to Clara. It was the one she often wore, a keepsake that held deep sentimental value for her family.
Then, tucked away on a dry ledge, searchers uncovered an old metal first-aid kit. Rust clung to its edges, but it had been placed carefully, not dropped. Inside were bandages, a few medical supplies, and a folded note protected in plastic. The handwriting, though uneven, matched earlier samples from Julián.
It was a message asking anyone who found it to look after Clara if she had managed to leave the area. The note mentioned that someone had returned to them and behaved in an unsettling manner, making it difficult for the father and daughter to travel safely together. The message ended by urging whoever discovered it to provide care for his daughter if she was still somewhere in the mountains above.
The question lingered heavily: who had returned?
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