𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 | 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻. 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥

"𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱"

𝘆/𝗻'𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘃
𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢....

I stared with wide and sad eyes at the remains of the La Casa Madrigal. There was nothing but fractured rubble left, and we all were silent as we stared.

Julieta and Augustín immediately ran towards Mirabel, who sat on her knees in the middle of her wreckage.

Collapsing to the ground, I looked away before any tears could form in my eyes. My legs and arms were pretty banged up from the chaos and my cheek still stung with the memory of Abuela's anger.

Camilo came down to the ground in front of me and gently cupped my chin, examining my reddish-purple cheek and a streak of dirt on my forehead. "Are you alright, mi vida?" he questioned with nothing but concern. I nodded but grabbed his arm, stopping him from looking over my arms as well. He looked up and held my gaze. "Are you okay, Camilo?"

Saying nothing, he only engulfed me in a tight hug, burying his face in my neck. I shut my eyes tight and held on tightly. At least we were both safe and we were together.

"Camilo! Y/N!" Pepa called, making her way over to where we sat on the ground. "Are you both alright?" Félix, Dolores, and Antonio followed behind her, all of them looking with concern.

Camilo stood and lifted me to my feet with him, grabbing ahold of my hand. "We're alright, Mami." I nodded along. "Are you all okay?"

"Could be better." Félix chuckled sadly, scratching his head.

Dolores suddenly hugged me. I was taken aback by this, but I hugged her back warmly. "Don't believe a word my Abuela said." she whispered in my ear. "And remember what I told you about Camilo." she said a bit louder as she pulled away.

As Pepa and Félix talked to their children, I awkwardly stood to the side. Camilo still held my hand, but I still felt like I should be worried about something.

Then it hit me. Oh. My. God.

Bruno!

Panicked, I turned around and started to frantically search for the man. I subtly pulled my hand away from Camilo as he hugged Antonio and looked around.

I let out a sigh of relief when I saw Bruno sitting on the ground beside the ruins, pulling a bucket off his head. He saw me when he looked up and gave me a heartbroken look with a small wave.

Just as I was about to go over and see him, I was jerked to the side and squished into a suffocating hug. "I'm glad you're okay, Y/N." Luisa wailed, nearly killing me with her strong arms. "You too, Luisa...." I croaked out, patting her bicep.

Luisa released me and I fell back to my feet and breathed again. "Careful, Luisa." Isabela laughed, gently hugging me. Her rainbow-dyed hair still flowed elegantly around her.

I turned back to the others.

Pepa was holding Antonio, who cried quietly into her shoulder. Félix had his arm around his wife and a hand on his son's head. Dolores was helping Abuela sit down on a large stone. Julieta and Augustín were checking on Isa and Luisa. And Camilo was desperately trying to shape shift, but couldn't do it.

"My powers, they're gone. I don't....What about Antonio? What is he gonna do?" Camilo spoke, his voice small and breaking. It made my heart stop with pain and sadness. I wrapped my arms around him from the side and hid my face in his shoulder.

Augustín came up and patted my back. "It's gonna be alright, sweetie." My head snapped up when I heard Julieta cry out "Where's Mirabel?!"

I looked around and the girl was nowhere in sight. Everyone else also began to worry as we all called out for her.

After a few minutes of calling for her and only hearing silence, everyone in the family began to speak about where she could've gone. When I noticed Abuela making her way over, giving me an angry and cold look, I slowly backed away from the group.

Camilo looked back at me with confused eyes before he realized. "I'm gonna go but I'll be back later." I told him quietly.

"Mi amor-"

I cut him off. "I'll be okay, Camilo. Stay with your familia. I'll look for Mirabel too." He sighed with hesitation and said "Alright."

"Please come back before dark, cariño." Pepa told me with a sad smile.

Nodding, I walked away in the direction I had seen Bruno. If Abuela was going to kick me out of the family, might as well start hanging with the other outcast.

I found Bruno a little ways away from town, sitting behind some bushes and hugging his knees with a grim expression. His hood was pulled over his head, almost covering his eyes.

"Hey, Hernando."

He looked up in surprise but sighed when he saw it was me. Smiling in the corner of his mouth, he pulled the hood back and revealed his curly hair.

"Oh- uh hey, Y/N. Abuela kick you out?" I took a seat on the ground beside him and mimicked his position, nodding solemnly. He put his arm around my shoulders and spoke sincerely. "You don't deserve it, kid."

"I just wanted to help the family." I mumbled sorrowfully. "I really love them. And I know you do too, so I was gonna help you too. But people like us," I gestured between the two of us. "people who aren't helping the family or contributing to the Encanto....we've got it tough when it comes to Abuela."

"You're right."

We sat in silence for a moment, staring at the grass in the cloudy weather. Then Bruno spoke once again. "Did they ever tell you about Abuelo Pedro?" he asked me. I shook my head with a curious frown.

"Well," Bruno sat up straight. "right after me and my sisters were born, my Mamá and Papá traveled with many others across Columbia to find a safe home to raise us triplets. But along the journey, some conquering men attacked them. My Papá, Pedro, sacrificed his life to save Abuela, Pepa, Julieta, and I. Because of him, we were given our Encanto. And with our Encanto, we were given our home and our gifts. Since then, Abuela has held on so tight to the magic and....and that's why she is so...."

"Pedro died....the same way my parents did...." I muttered, my eyes welling with tears.

As one tears fell onto my cheek, Bruno hesitated before pulling me into a side hug. I leaned on his shoulder while quietly allowing the tears to escape my eyes.

"Your parents would be really proud of you. You're a good kid. I know I would be proud." Bruno said quietly.

I wiped my eyes as the tears slowly began to fade. I looked up at Bruno and said "Maybe I was given a miracle too. Maybe my miracle is you guys."