Chapter Text
she had heard whispers of soldiers coming for her little town, but y/n had shaken them off with little trouble, for it had next-to-nothing of value from an economic standpoint. the best part of the town came from the people, like her neighbor mateo and his wife, maria.
the elderly couple had many stories to tell, all that the preteen girl, and her younger brother lucas, enjoyed no matter how many times it was told.
lucas's favorite story was one of a miracle family, where every member had a gift of sorts, a magical power that ran through their veins, as naturally as something unnatural could.
y/n passed it off as some silly story, a legend to inspire or awe some kids. there was no way it was true. that a family was declared special enough for a miracle to save villagers that had been torn from their homes.
"mija! can you come over hear and help me with breakfast!" y/n's mother, rosalyn calls from the little patio, where the twelve-year-old had been watching the stream that ran throughout the village.
breaking from her thoughts, y/n looked over too her mother and back at the stream. furrowing her eyebrows, she stood up from her hunched sitting position and wiped off excess dirt from her long f/c skirt, and headed inside.
"watcha making, mama?" y/n popped into the kitchen, startling her mother, who had turned around to face her.
"we're making caldo de costilla, mija," rosalyn gave her daughter a look, just asking her to deny her.
"okay, okay, mama," y/n put her hands up in a mock-pleading manner. "where are papa and lucas?"
"my good-for-nothing husband is still asleep," her mother fumed at the thought of y/n's papa. "lucas was getting changed,"
y/n had stiffled her giggles at rosalyn's frustration with her father. "papa has been working hard for the past few days, mama. you can't blame him for needing sleep,"
just then, she felt something, or rather someone, cling onto her leg. y/n grinned down at the little figure of her brother, his curly ginger hair bouncing freely due to lucas being out of breath and panting.
"mijo, you've finally came from upstairs," y/n's mother gives him a smile, and ruffles his soft hair.
rosalyn then gestures to the peeler, and tells y/n to start peeling the carrots. obeying, y/n methodically starts peeling at a fast rate.
"ugh!" y/n hissed as she accidentally nicks her finger with the peeler.
her mother stops what she was doing and looks at y/n, stopping at her cut and goes to grab her a wet rag to press onto the cut.
"you've got to be more careful, mija! how are you going to find a suitable husband if you cannot cook!"
y/n grumbles when the topic of marriage comes up. she knows her mother only wants the best for her, but marriage was not one of the tops things she worries about. or cares about.
plus, all the boys in the village were pretty annoying, her only friends being her elderly neighbors.
y/n hears her father stomp down the stairs, and lets out a small gasp at his face. his normally tanned complexion had looked pale with -was it grief? anger? maybe a combination of both, and a few more.
"papa, what's wrong?" lucas babbles, walking over with shaky legs.
"lucas, how about you stay with your sister for the time being?" y/n's father, hugo, gently pushes towards her and grabs her mother's arm with a grave look in his eyes.
her mother becomes ashy pale in the face like her husband when she notices the look in his eyes. pulling hugo into a separate room, rosalyn grasps onto his arm desperately. out of curiosity, y/n quietly follows them, her back pressed against the wall that divided them.
"how much longer do we have?" she questions, her e/c eyes slowly filling with tears over the anxiety.
"they're already at the gates, i'm afraid," y/n's father kisses her forehead and heads out the room.
y/n rushes out to see lucas, who was on the the verge of crying.
"wha- wha's going on? n/n i'm scared!" he sobs with tears flowing town his face.
y/n pulls her little brother into a hug, falling onto her knees to hold him against her whole body.
"mija, mijo, pack lightly," rosalyn's dead tone causes the siblings to pull away from each other.
y/n nods and pulls lucas into their shared room. she slowly put together the pieces of what was happening.
the rumors, her parents, and now having to pack with no warning, it had appeared that the soldiers had invaded.
what a fool she was, y/n scoffed at herself. assuming that she'd be safe.
that everyone would be safe.