Forbidden, Unrequited ( C. Madrigal )

Can't feel my face

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[ This chapter contains profanities, mentions of blood, and forms of physical harm. Please, do skip if you're not comfortable and soft to heart. ]

Carlos, infuriated and peeved, grabbed him by the collar. Camilo's feet already are swinging in the air, and his breathing is becoming crept and shallow as a result of his uncomfortable position. " You good for nothing Madrigal. " he slapped him.

" Is that supposed to be an insult, hermano? " Camilo teased. Carlos threw him from the second to the ground floor. Startling the Madrigals that were left awake. Casita's tiles clapping. Laying flat on the ground, Camilo groaned.

Isabela attempted to help him up but Carlos was quick to straddle his waist, grabbing him again by the collar. Forcing half of his body up. " Is that it? Come on, you can do better. " Camilo stuttered, struggling to talk. He didn't seem to care, that maddening smile never left his lips, no regardless of how bad his physical state was.

And that was it. Punch by punch, Carlos didn't stop. With every punch he landed were profanities or the things he wanted to call his brother. The things Camilo heard almost every day when he was himself and not as someone else.

He let his emotions fully take over him and Camilo just let him. Not even fighting back he just laid there, letting him abuse his body. His clothes ripped, face scraped and bruised, legs limp, arms numb, and his breathing became so weak that he was gasping for air.

" Mijo, stop! " Felix attempted to approach him but Dolores pulled him back. Afraid he might get hurt trying to stop him. Heartbroken, he had no choice but to step back and watch. Asking himself what could have gone wrong. He thought he raised them right. Did I fail? he thought.

Agustin and Luisa just came out from their rooms after Mirabel barged in, telling them what was happening. Luisa felt a burning pain on her palms when she grasped Carlos' arm, which was now pure crystalline, in an attempt to pull him off.

" We can't pull him off, not with our bare hands. " she says in defeat, looking tensely at them. " That armor, it's burning. He's enraged. " she explains further. When Carlos encounters intense emotion, his body and power adapt.

" Poppies... Isabela! grow poppies! " Mirabel shouts, forming a plan. Isabela did, stiffly. Mirabel reached for her father's handkerchief after getting the flower. She ran towards her cousins, rubbing the poppy and the chief together.

She covered Carlos' mouth and nose with the handkerchief as Luisa held his hands in place, forcing him to inhale the poppy. He started to feel drowsy and limp. " I'm sorry. " Mirabel says and Luisa lets go of his hands after he calmed down, groaning from the burning sensation.

He slumped down on the ground, attempting to fight his sleepiness. He turned to face Camilo's nearly lifeless body beside him, he was coughing off blood. " Of all people, Camilo. Of all people. " he breathed out, eyelids heavy.

" Of all people indeed, and she still chose me. "