Land of Graces | Encanto

🕯ꕥ ║ Chapter XX : Return

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The siblings crowded into the kitchen for some refreshments. Elíos and (Y/N) took a seat at the table, cooling down from the game, while Victor cleaned up the purple glitter scattered on the floor with care, making sure not a speck was left behind. He didn't want their mother to spot any trace of the mess, giving him determination to scrub the floor harder than before. He groans, still seeing some glitter stuck in the cement, outlining the cracks in bright lilac.

Matéo immediately headed towards the cabinets where the glasses were kept, grabbing one in each hand. Lulu grabbed a pitcher of water, raising an eyebrow when Matéo approached with only two cups. Matéo grinned and shrugged, "you know? less dishes."

Lulu deadpanned and gestured for him to put the cups down, then poured water into them until they were nearly full. Matéo eagerly grabbed the first filled glass and eased his thirst, while Elíos nudged the second one towards their youngest sister, (Y/N).

As they were drinking, Victor spoke up, "Do you... feel that?" He looked at his two older siblings, seeking assurance that he wasn't imagining things. Matéo glanced around the room warily, checking the cabinets and furniture above them.

It was silent, eerily so.

Now alert, Elíos slid down from his chair, and (Y/N) followed suit with his support. Lulu and Matéo exchanged worried glances as they felt the surroundings tilting. The ground rumbles, aggressively tipping off anything that stands above it.

(Y/N) grabbed onto the back of a wooden chair, shuddering as she felt the mysterious rocking motion beneath her feet. Matéo quickly lifted her into his arms, while Lulu held Elíos by her side as the shaking intensified.

Victor gripped the broom tightly as his head swayed and his vision blurred. "My head hurts," he murmured, his legs wobbling.

"What's going on?" Lulu tried to balance herself as Elíos wrapped his arms around her waist. Her eyes darted worriedly at the swaying water in the cups and the flickering candles on the table.

"The ground is shaking a lot – maybe it's an earthquake!" Matéo whispered under his breath. "We need to leave fast!"

The disaster, like a ghost whose presence was known, only intensified. There was no more reason to hide. The wooden cupboards and table creaked, the tiles shook, and the house emitted an uncanny groan of warning that it was about to collapse. In a trippy dance, a pot rattled its way to the edge of a shelf before toppling over. Matéo raised his head and quickly put (Y/N) down before grabbing Victor's arm. "Watch out!"

They both fell to the ground with a thud, narrowly avoiding the pot that smashed just in front of them, spreading water and flowers on the floor. Matéo exhaled a sigh of relief before leaping to his feet, while Victor widened his eyes in shock, frozen in place.

"We have to go now!" Matéo threw Victor's arm over his neck and took (Y/N)'s arm, leading the way out of the kitchen and toward outside of their house. Lulu followed after him, carrying Elíos.

On their way, they bumped into their father, Lucas. "Papa!" They called out, and Lulu hastily walk up to him. "The house is going to fall—!" Lucas placed a finger to his lips, hushing them. Once they were silent, they heard another creak and eerie groan from above. Their hearts continued to race in their ears, on the verge of exploding. The blood heatedly surging adrenaline through their veins.

"I know," Lucas breathes in. "here's what you're going to do..." he calmly ushers.

. . .