°•.˜"*°•𝓞𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓭 •°*"˜.•° (C. Madrigal X Reader)

Chapter sixty three: The centre of it all

Mirabel began the ceremonial pledge, which sounded almost exactly like the one that mi abuelo would use when he was hosting gift ceremonies.

"Will you use your gift to honour your miracle?" Mirabel asked, softly.

"I will," Marcos replied, barely over a whisper.

"Will you serve this community and strengthen our home?" Mirabel asked, more seriously this time.

"I promise," Marcos answered.

Everyone watched as Marcos cups his small hands underneath the petals of the glowing, golden flower. He closed his eyes and both he and Mirabel stayed like that for a moment. I saw his chest rise and fall as he breathed deeply. I knew that deep down, he was praying to the universe that nothing would go wrong.

Marcos opened his eyes with a harsh exhale and turned towards the door. I gripped Camilo's hand tighter in anticipation. Camilo shot a soft smile in my direction. It comforted me. I untensed my shoulders and unclenched my jaw. I didn't even realize that I was so tense.

Marcos walked up to the door with slow, unsure steps. Marcos reached for the doorknob but he stopped, hesitating just before he could hold it. Mirabel put her hand on Marcos' shoulder. He looked up at her with a confused look, withdrawing his hand away from the doorknob. I couldn't see it from the angle that I was at but I knew that Mirabel was giving him a soft smile. Marcos nodded back at her.

Then, he took a deep breath in. He stepped forward and reached for the doorknob, more sure of himself this time. His hand grasped the doorknob. A flash of light enveloped both Marcos and Mirabel, the light was blinding and...When it disappeared, there it was.

Marcos' door...

The wooden carving was of Marcos holding both of his arms out to the side with a glowing light coming from his chest and hearts surrounding him. Marcos gasped. Everyone was silent for a moment, all of us were wide-eyed, waiting for Marcos to reveal what his gift was.

Marcos looked around, his eyes wide. Then a warm, soothing light was emanating out from Marcos' chest, just like in the door's carving. Everyone gasped as we saw the light.

"I...I can see something!" Marcos exclaimed, looking at Mirabel.

He pointed at where her heart was.

"You have a lot of love inside you" Marcos told her "I can see it in your heart."

"You can see that?" Mirabel asked "The love?"

"I can see the love that you have for your family, for the Encanto and..." Marcos said "The love for yourself!"

Marcos raised his right hand and pointed it at Mama and Papa.

"I think I can..." Marcos mumbled to himself.

Then he flicked his wrist and Mama pulled Papa into a passionate kiss.

"Oh god, gross..." Miguel said as he shuddered.

The kiss between Mama and Papa stopped. Papa was left dazed and very, VERY confused. Mama gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

"Why did I just do that?" Mama asked herself "Marcos, what did you do?"

"Yes!" Marcos exclaimed "I just...I tried to concentrate the love that I saw and...I tried to make you show it?"

There was silence. Everyone was probably taking in or trying to process and understand what Marcos' gift was.

"We...We have a new gift!" Mirabel exclaimed, breaking the silence.

The crowd erupted into loud cheers. I heard people whistling, clapping and some kids just flat out screaming. Camilo cheered and raised our hands up together. Everyone was smiling and happy for Marcos, which made my heart swell with pride in him.

Marcos opened the door and he and Mirabel walked inside. Mama, Papa, Miguel and I followed close after them. The magical room formed around Marcos and he was taking everything in, awe clear on his face. Once the room was fully formed, everyone tried to squeeze inside.

The room had a high ceiling that was covered in hundreds of colourful, dangling chandeliers. The chandeliers as well as other light sources such as lamps lit up the room in a warm glow of many colours that were rotating as if they were coming from a disco ball. There were bean bags in every colour scattered across the floor and one extra large bean bag at the very back of the room that worked as a bed.

Luisa brought in a piano and Augustin started playing it as soon as Luisa set it down. Tio Ario used his gift to make the bean bags levitate and moved them to the side of the room.

"Everyone, dance!" Marcos exclaimed as he began to dance himself.

Almost everyone joined in, Camilo and I included. Marcos was in the centre of it all, the light from his chest still glowing bright.