Once upon a distant time upon a far-reaching land, a young man named Cato lived in a prosperous village. The clustered cottages were tucked away far from a large forest and rolling hills. The villagers were content in their rural lives, enjoying the nature around them and local celebrations, but Cato was restless. All those around him had love, but Cato yearned for something else even he did not understand.
One day, when Cato set out for his usual morning hunting, an old man -wearing an exotic cloak and long white beard- appeared to Cato in the woods. The old sage handed Cato two ancient manuscripts, each fragile and full of delicate parchment. The old man said these manuscripts told cryptic stories of love, its origin and its importance. He said that if Cato wished to complete his quest, these manuscripts were the only way to proceed.
Cato returned to the village empty-handed and blinked away visions of the old man. Everyone looked at Cato's hands with bewilderment and suspicion, but they were relieved to hear that his quests had been successful and was happy to receive his generous gifts. Cato noticed the looks of envy and tried hard to maintain the tranquility of the moment.
The villagers wondered about the mysterious scripts, some believed it could unearth secrets about the gods themselves, so Cato showed them the first document to read.
He told the story of a giant named Aldo, who ascended from the underworld on a mission of love. Alarmed by this world’s mortal suffering, Aldo begged the gods to grant mortals a chance to join two hearts as one by offering a rare gift. If a man and woman accepted this precious present, they will be bound together till eternity.
The villagers gasped in ovation and quickly demanded Cato to reveal the second script. He shared a tale of two great men named Jacen and Vannaux, the best of both worlds and of friends since childhood. Vannaux was of humble beginnings while Jacen had a vast fortune and boisterous reputation. Both were madly in love with the same woman, Ismena. Jacen proposed to her, yet it was Vannaux who won her hand.
These stories puzzled the villagers. It soon became clear to them that fate was giving Cato a choice between being with his best friend or finding love, and it wasn’t until many days passed that Cato made his decision.
He chose to remain loyal to his friend and remember her not as a potential lover, but as a woman who deserved respect and admiration brought about by true friendship. Cato understood that the only way to sustain peace was to honor his best friend, thus he chose not to sacrifice his long-term relationship in dreams of a passionate romance and instead treasured the balance of friendships and lovers.
The old man appeared once more, thanked Cato for his wise decision and challenged that true love went beyond physical attraction and worldly riches, but rather it was found at the heart of a budding friendship. The old man vanished soon after, thanking Cato in a way nature itself could never do.
Cato returned to the village determined to enjoy companionship with his friends while also taking time to appreciate the beauty of the unknown and celebrate life’s wonders. Although the villagers still wondered what became of the mysterious manuscripts, Cato kept his secret close and never opened them again for fear of forgetting the wisdom of his choice.
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