𝙂𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙇 // 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗼 𝘅 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟵

"Camilo. Get away from her. Right. Now!"

I was frozen. I was so close to at least making it out of here, but instead we were stopped by the Madrigals.

They know.

There were faces of anger, hurt, and betrayal all on us. I wanted to break down and shrivel up into nothing. I've let papá down. I've let everyone down. I made them feel like a puppet in the palm of my hands.

"Mamá please, just let us explain..."

"Camilo." A thunder cloud started to form in the house as the weather outside started changing with it. Her gift sometimes scared me, but Camilo held my hand tighter and protected me not once backing down.

"I'm sorry. But no. I can't let you do anything to her." He spoke leaving Pepa in visible shock he confronted her. "Just give her a chance to explain herself."

"What is there to explain? Everything she's done explains it all." Abuela said.

I shrunk down in guilt as Camilo turned to me. "Please, explain everything."

Everything....for years now, that's all I've wanted. I didn't want to be swarm to secrecy. I didn't want to hide. There were many days where I wanted to break down and let everything spill. Now, is my opportunity. The only chance I'll get. It's now or never.

I took a deep breath and started.

"Everyone calls it ghoul, I guess it's just something the kids made up." I started. "I doesn't make me magical, but it doesn't make me human anymore either."

"So, it's like a gift?" Camilo asked.

You're all just so naïve.

"Not a gift, a curse." Now it was time to go back a few decades.

How will Abuela react, I could only wonder until now.

"Long ago, my ancestors attacked and raided a village beyond the mountains and not too far from here. They cause total war, chasing everyone out of their home in which they ended up dead, or far out, who knows where?" I could already feels their expressions start to change. "I can't tell you why they did it, but they were almost successful in achieving their goal. That was until, they were whisked away by magic."

I glanced at Camilo as he nodded, encouraging me to continue.

"Before we came to live here, the newcomers to that village raided my home for revenge of their ancestors. My mother left one day to get dinner, and she never came back. We had to leave everything and run, and that's when we found the Encanto. And that's, when the curse fell on us. All because of what my ancestors did so long ago. We were being punished for it. We had to learn to live with it."

"What does it do?" Camilo asked. "The curse."

Here we go.

"After we were cursed, we discovered that we only had one source of food to survive." I knew Camilo knew what I was going to say next. "Humans."

"If we were to eat anything normal, it'll weaken our bodies the same way under eating would. We wouldn't have the same satisfaction from it either, nor the same taste. While you guys get all the flavor, we get it bland. Eating this food soul only make our craving human meat stronger." I explained.

"We didn't have a choice."

"The more we hold off, the stronger it'll get until our ghoul will act for us. The curse also happens to increase our strength to help satisfy our needs. But it's never good if it takes control. Once it starts, it's nearly impossible to stop."

Suddenly, Mirabel slowly walks towards us with a look of sympathy. I knew she was the nicest person I've ever met, too nice. But I wasn't complaining.

"There has got to be a way to get rid of this. Maybe one of us can do it." She said asking for an answer.

It's pointless. But what have I got to loose anymore.

"There is one way. But it's quite pointless." I said.

"What is it!?" Camilo asked urgently. I swallowed.

"I would have to be consumed."

They all froze and stared at me with a look of disbelief.

"What?" Camilo asked.

"Eaten. Killed. Cannibalism, whatever you wanna call it. That's the only way, and it doesn't even get rid of the curse. It only passes it on to whoever eats me." I said.

"You're joking, right? That can't be the only way!" Mirabel said not wanting to believe it.

"We've had suspicions that, maybe if we leave the curse will go away. But then again, it's only a suspicion. If it's false, however, option 1 is our last option." I said. "We'll be testing that suspicion really soon."

"You're leaving?!" Camilo basically yelled.

"I won't put you in danger anymore. This is the best thing to do now." I explained to Camilo, shocked by the sudden news.

"Are you sure?"

"Huh?" I asked.

"Are you sure, doing that is the only way to get rid of it. At least from you." He asked. I nodded in response. He seemed stuck in thought for a moment, until I was swept off my feet and carried back into the room. He blocked the door so the others couldn't get in. I could hear them calling for him as he walked over towards me.

"Y/N, I want you to live a life without hiding anything from me. I want to get rid of this curse, but, I don't want to loose you." Camilo said.

"What are you gonna do?" I asked hesitantly.

Is he...going to eat me?

I felt his soft lips press against my forehead as he leaned into my ear. "Please forgive me."

"W-What?"

Suddenly, I yelped feeling a really sharp pain in my shoulder. My grip tightened on him from the pain before he pulled away. I grabbed my shoulder in agony, all while hearing coughs and gagging. I gazed over, and to my utter horror a part of my shoulder was missing.

He bit me!

Aside from all the blood and pain, I hurried over to Camilo who was face first in the ground.

"Camilo! Say something, are you okay??" I asked shaking him.

My thoughts were sidetracked again. But, I noticed how less hungry I felt. Less controlled. And more in control of my own body. I felt lighter. A realization struck within me as I hurried to the stream. Only one of my eyes had changed. The other was completely normal. I ran back over to Camilo and lifted his face to make him look at me.

My suspicions were confirmed. His right eye remained human, but his left? A ghoul. He had split the curse between them. I started crying in his shoulder, knowing it was my fault he now obtained something so evil. I felt his embrace and his stroking on my back.

"I meant what I said, I'll do anything to make sure you're okay."

His words comforted me. I now knew this love was real.

"Please don't go." He begged. I could only hug him and kiss his cheek.

"I won't."