Worth The Shot

Shards of Prophecy

The yawning darkness of the tower swallowed you, and rats scuttled through the shadows like bad omens. You almost made a joke about Camilo shapeshifting into a candle, but one glance at his sullen expression quieted you immediately. Mirabel bravely took the front, feeling her way through the darkness. 

You smiled. She's a natural-born leader.  Mirabel suddenly bent down. 

"Look!" She called, waving a glowing, green crystal above her head. "Part of his vision! Let's start looking. There have to be more!" 

You got down on your knees and started pawing through the loose sand. There. A glint of emerald caught your eye. Sand lodged itself underneath your fingernails, but you didn't stop digging until you unearthed the chunk of the vision. "I found one!" 

You turned it over, feeling its cool weight in your hand like a skipping stone. Mirabel rushed to your side and you handed it to her. She studied it for a second. Shock electrified her features.

 "(Y/n), look," She breathed. 

Your face was etched into the smooth shard. You were a part of his vision. 

You gasped. "Let's keep looking," you said seriously. Synchronized, you both bent down and continued digging. 

"Catch, Maribel." Camilo casually tossed over a vision piece. It clunked Maribel on the head and she gave an exaggerated groan. "Use your hands next time," he joked, projecting false cheerfulness. Trying to pretend like he was okay. 

You took a deep breath and shuffled through the sand on all fours until you were next to where Camilo was digging. "Hey," you whispered. 

"Hey." 

You burrowed your hands through the sand, silently keeping him company. 

"(Y/n). I'm fine," he quietly insisted, finally meeting your eyes. 

"I know." 

Your shoulders brushed. He didn't move away. You watched Camilo's careful hands dig next to yours. You selfishly wondered if he liked the comforting pressure of your arm against his. The skin where the two of you touched felt glowing, alive. 

A low, growling noise cracked through the silence. Maribel's head shot up like a startled deer. 

"Casita! It's breaking again!" She screamed. A new wave of energy possessed the three of you. You plunged your hands into the grainy dust and yanked out two shards. 

Rumble. 

Gravely dirt rained on your head. "The cave is collapsing!" You shouted, handing Mirabel your pieces. A stone shattered on Camilo's arm as he used it to block his face. 

"Run!" Mirabel commanded, holding the ruptured vision. "We have everything. Let's get out of here!" She raced toward the exit. 

You sprinted after her, the sand dragging your legs down like you were running through peanut butter. Almost there. 

Stones crumbled over the entrance. Mirabel dove through, clutching the green pieces to her chest. 

With a roar, chunks of rock crashed between you and Maribel, sealing the exit. The palms of your hands slammed onto the rough rock as you caught yourself from your momentum. Desperately, you clawed at the mountain of stones, trying to break out. 

"(Y/n)!" Camilo pulled you away from the exit as a final boom thundered through the cavern. A massive stone pounded into the ground where you had just been standing. 

You and Camilo exchanged a terrified glance. 

We're trapped.