Todays fanart is by Amanda132sanchez!! She made Camilo SO CUTE in it ahhh She drew the scene where Camilo is trying to convince y/n to let him come from two chapters ago. This picture makes me feel less and more single at the same time LOL
BACK TO THE STORY
"Don't scream." A low voice warned from behind you. You stiffened, tiny needles of sweat pricking on your forehead. Is that a threat? Do they have a weapon?
"W-wait. Don't kill me," You nervously stammered, the slosh of the river rushing steadily like blood. Every drip from the ceiling stalactites felt as if it vibrated the adrenaline-buzzing ground with a frigid ping. "My father is the Head Candella. I- don't kill me." You pathetically ended, holding your breath.
"I wasn't going to, don't worry," the quiet voice admitted, but a menacing tone still gripped the silence. "Hands above your head. I have a knife."
"W-who is this? What do you want?" you weakly demanded, your heartbeat throbbing. Bruno's prophecy. I'm gonna die. It's me who's gonna die.
"Sebastian," he softly, dangerously said. "I'm taking you to your father. He'll help you remember. Start walking."
"No, Sebastian," you futilely begged, dragging your feet forward. "I don't want him to do anything to me. Doesn't it seem wrong to you that he can rewrite entire lives to his own liking?" Sebastian's response surprised you.
"Yes. It is wrong."
You shuffled through the pitch-black nothingness, your hands untrustingly suspended in front of you and brushing against the walls. With the scratch of a match, Sebastian lit a candle, casting soft orange vision against the packed dirt walls.
"Sebastian." A calm command echoed through the tunnel. Father? Oh, no. He's here to change my memory.
"(Y/n). I wish you had come to help our Encanto, but I know that's not the case." The candlelit illuminated your father's sad smile. "It doesn't matter. When you remember, you'll willingly help us. Sebastian, thank you for finding her. You may go."
"Really? Are you sure? You don't need help-"
"I don't need help to use my own gift, Sebastian," your father condescendingly sighed. "Now go. I'd like to deal with this alone." Sebastian hesitatingly nodded, his light disappearing down the tunnel. The empty, colorless void consumed you and your father.
"Now. Let's fix your memories, shall we?" your father pleasantly offered, pressing two fingers into your forehead.
"No," you whimpered, backing into the wall. "No!" Your chest heaved, terrified. There was nowhere to go. "Stop. You can't make me forget! Get away from me!"
"Woah, relax," the voice chuckled, warping into a deeper, familiar tone. "It's just me."
Camilo?!
"You idiot! You complete idiot!" You hissed, dismayed.
"Shh, Mariposa. I know you're glad to see me, but not so loud."
"I can't believe you followed me! How could you be so reckless?"
"I just saved you. You're welcome. Now keep it down, he could come back."
"No! Don't say you're welcome!" You glowered, upset. "You saw what almost happened! This is dangerous, Camilo! We're not just sneaking to Bruno's tower this time!"
"Alright, stop talking." Camilo's eyes narrowed and uneasily darted around. "Seriously."
"I will not stop talking! We're lost. My father's gonna find us or we'll die in here. And do you think he'll throw us a dainty little tea party when he finds us? Do you know what he'll do?"
"Hey. I get it. But they're gonna hear us."
"He's going to kill you, Camilo!" You heatedly cried, your voice raising with panic. It was stupid to keep talking. You knew it. But your chagrined words tumbled out like apples from an overturned basket. "I'll lose my memories, and then he'll kill you. Maybe he'll even make me do it, because I won't remember that I ever loved you! Camilo, you're such a terrible-"
"Shut up." Camilo's hands suddenly gathered around the back of your neck. He forcefully pressed his lips to yours to keep you quiet. Your hands curled up to your chest, caught off guard.
His steady kiss conveyed unspoken words. We're gonna be okay. I won't let them hurt you.
But that's where you're wrong, Camilo. You miserably thought. Desperately, you kissed him back, seizing his curls between your fingers as if clinging to a ghost.
Camilo pulled back and tilted his chin down, holding your gaze. "I knew the risk. I still came. That's on me."
"If you lose your life for this-"
"There's no way I would have let you go alone. It's dangerous for you, too. I told Dolores where we are and to come help if we're not out in 2 days. Let's stick together and focus on getting this done."
"Okay, fine," you numbly agreed, rubbing your eyes. You didn't even remember how to navigate back through the twisted series of tunnels. The only way was forward.
Camilo's hand found yours in the blackness. As you wordlessly crept forward, its gentle pressure was the only sign that you weren't utterly alone.
"You said that you loved me?" Camilo cheekily prodded, raising an eyebrow.
"When did I say that?" You protested, your face heating up.
"You said," Camilo dramatically morphed into your form and, with a squeaky voice, mimicked, "I won't remember that I ever loved you!"
"Ugh," you glared at Camilo, embarrassed. You shoved his head. "I hate you."
"Don't worry. I love you, too." Camilo chuckled, acceptingly rolling his head to the side as you pushed it over.
Abruptly, your laugh pulverized to dust in your throat. A flickering light glowed from around the tunnel. Brighter and stronger than the light of a single candle.
Camilo cautiously pressed forward, guiding your hand. He suddenly stumbled downward, and with a muffled gasp you clung to his hand.
Camilo dangled over a massive, lit cavern. Your hand was all that kept him from tumbling down to slam into the distant ground.
Terrified, Camilo widened his eyes at you. But not because if you let go his bones would crunch like paper.
Because the flickering walls of the yawning cavern were lined with heavy coils of chains, filled by the missing Madrigals.