Woven in Shadows (agatha x rio)

The Journey to the Mirror

Chapter Thirty-one: The Journey to the Mirror

The morning sunlight filtered through the thin motel curtains, casting soft golden streaks across the room. The space was modest and forgettable a bland beige wall, mismatched furniture, and a faint scent of cheap cleaning products but for a fleeting moment, it felt like a haven.

Agatha sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on her boots with practiced efficiency. She glanced up to see Rio perched on the windowsill, gazing out at the street below. Even in the drab setting, Rio looked radiant. Her usually sharp features were softened by the warm light, and her lips curled into a faint, thoughtful smile. Agatha's chest ached as she watched her Rio, who had been her steady anchor through the chaos, and who seemed impossibly serene this morning despite what lay ahead.

"You're unusually quiet" Agatha said softly, tying the last knot on her boots.

Rio turned to her, a glimmer of something unreadable in her eyes. "Just thinking."

Agatha tilted her head, studying her. "About today?"

Rio shrugged lightly, her usual deflection slipping into place. "About a lot of things." She stood and crossed the room, reaching for the map that Lilia had given them the day before. "We should get moving. The sooner we find the mirror, the sooner we can—"

"Yeah," Agatha cut in, not wanting to hear the rest of the sentence. She stood and grabbed her jacket, suddenly finding it harder to breathe.

Nessa stirred in her bed, letting out a groggy groan as she sat up, her messy hair sticking out in every direction. "Morning," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Agatha forced a smile. "Morning, sweetheart. You ready for a long day?"

Nessa groaned again, louder this time, but got to her feet. "Do I have a choice?"

Rio smirked, already halfway to the door. "Not really."

The three of them set out not long after, the map in Rio's hand and determination in their hearts. The day was crisp, the air carrying the faint scent of autumn leaves and distant woodsmoke. The path Lilia had marked wasn't straightforward it twisted and turned through unfamiliar territory, forcing them to double back more than once.

By mid-afternoon, they found themselves trudging through a dense forest. The trees stood tall and ancient, their gnarled branches twisting together to form a canopy that dimmed the sunlight.

"This map is terrible" Nessa muttered, squinting at the page Rio handed her. "Are we even going the right way?"

Rio leaned over her shoulder, her lips twitching into a smirk. "Well, unless the mirror decided to get up and walk somewhere else, I think we're close."

Agatha couldn't help but laugh, the sound lightening the tension in her chest. It was a rare moment of ease, a brief reprieve from the heavy weight of what was to come.

At one point, the group came across a narrow creek that cut across their path. The water bubbled and churned, shallow but swift.

"Looks like we're going to have to cross it" Rio said, stepping forward to test the water.

"You're going to fall in," Agatha called, an amused smile tugging at her lips.

"I'm more graceful than you think" Rio replied, hopping from one stone to the next with surprising agility. She turned to offer her hand to Agatha, her expression daring.

Agatha rolled her eyes but took the offered hand, stepping carefully onto the stones. She nearly slipped, but Rio caught her, steadying her with a firm grip.

"See? I've got you" Rio said softly, her tone teasing but her gaze steady.

For a moment, Agatha didn't move, her breath catching at the intensity in Rio's eyes. "You always do" she murmured, her words barely audible over the creek's bubbling.

When they reached the other side, Rio didn't let go immediately, her hand lingering in Agatha's for just a moment too long.

The hours passed, marked by the crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional sound of wildlife. The journey wasn't physically grueling, but the tension in the air was palpable, an unspoken weight pressing down on all of them.

"How much farther do you think it is?" Nessa asked, breaking the silence.

Rio glanced at the map, her brow furrowing slightly. "Not far now. Maybe another mile or two."

As they continued, Agatha found herself falling into step beside Rio. Their shoulders brushed occasionally, a small, grounding touch amidst the uncertainty.

"You okay?" Rio asked, her voice low so Nessa wouldn't overhear.

Agatha nodded, though her expression said otherwise. "I just...I can't stop thinking about it. What it'll be like."

Rio glanced at her, her expression softening. "We'll handle it. Like we always do."

Agatha wanted to believe her, but the knot in her stomach tightened with every step they took closer to their destination. She didn't say anything else, her thoughts too tangled to put into words.

As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, they finally emerged from the forest, stepping into a clearing that seemed to hum with an otherworldly energy. At its center stood an ancient stone structure, weathered and overgrown with ivy.

Agatha stopped in her tracks, her breath catching as she took it in. "This is it" she whispered.

Rio moved to stand beside her, her expression unreadable. She placed a hand lightly on Agatha's back, a silent gesture of reassurance. "We've made it" she said softly.

Agatha turned to look at her, and for a moment, the rest of the world fell away. Rio's face was calm, but her eyes held a flicker of something deeper something that made Agatha's chest tighten.

"You're ready for this, right?" Agatha asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Rio smiled, that small crooked grin that always held more emotion than she let on. "Always" she replied, her tone steady.

But as Agatha held her gaze, something in Rio's expression shifted a fleeting moment of resolve that passed too quickly for her to fully grasp. It left Agatha with an unshakable feeling that something had already been decided, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

The three of them stood there for a long moment, the ancient structure looming before them, its shadow stretching across the clearing like a silent warning.

to be continued....