El libro rojo, 1520-1867, Tomo I

At the heart of the Aztec capital, midnight cloaks the city in silence while the stars shimmer over its canals. A young temple guardian, Izocoztli, witnesses a sudden, blazing red comet streak across the eastern sky, its luminous tail briefly swallowing the heavens before vanishing at sunrise. The eerie sight spreads unease through the sacred precincts, prompting whispered speculation among the priests and nobles.

When the emperor Moctezuma learns of the celestial omen, his mind turns dark with dread. He summons his court’s seers, only to find them helpless and silent, and in a fit of fury orders their imprisonment and the destruction of their houses. The streets fill with the grim procession of captured diviners, while the city’s atmosphere grows thick with fear and superstition. As ominous clouds gather over the lake and strange storms lash the capital, Moctezuma seeks counsel from the wise ruler of Texcoco, hoping the ancient signs might reveal what the red star foretells.