They landed hard in a tangle of limbs in the shallows, catching their breath with heavy pants. Someone grabbed Mira by the back of her coat, dragging her behind a boulder. She blinked; it was Miguel, but his attention was somewhere beyond the rock they were hiding behind. She laid where he left her, unable to muster the will to force her body upright. Within moments, the clatter and clang of plate armor reached the clearing. Cortes and his cohort had arrived. Leather-clad arms wrapped around her, cradling her against a warm body.
Mira blinked slowly. "Braig?" she croaked, twisting in his hold.
"Shh, I'm here."
She slumped against him, lacing her fingers with his. But her reprieve was short-lived. A familiar voice cut through the din of the waterfall.
"You lying heathen. There is nothing here at all."
Mira twisted in Braig's hold, peeking through a gap in the boulders. Her arms trembled from the effort of holding herself up. Tzekel-kan shook his head frantically, wearing an expression other than annoyance or arrogance for the first time since she'd met him. But his abject fear didn't bring her satisfaction. Her mouth pressed into a pensive line. "N-no... wait..." Cortes shoved his armor-clad boot into the priest's chest, kicking him into the shallow water.
"Men, seize him!" Burly soldiers yanked the priest's arms, dragging him away. He let out a terrified gasp. "There is no El Dorado here." Cortes pointed his sword away from where the golden city was hidden and led the soldiers toward the jungle. "Onward, men!"
Tzekel-kan's eyes locked onto Mira's, widening in desperation. "Wait!" he gasped. "No wait! Wait!" he bellowed, but his cries fell on indifferent ears. Cortes didn't have an ounce of pity in his heart. But why wasn't the darkness protecting the priest? She narrowed her eyes. Had it abandoned him in search of a stronger host? Or was he too drained to fight back? Mira had no doubt they were going to kill him, or worse. If he didn't act soon, he might not have the chance later. The thought twisted her insides with guilt and revulsion.
Braig sighed. "What are you thinking?"
"Nothing," she mumbled, still watching the priest.
"We can help him. If you want," he added quietly, after a brief hesitation.
Mira locked eyes with Braig. With his help, she might be able to save the wretched man. If they picked the soldiers off one by one, they had a solid chance of completing the rescue undetected. It wouldn't be easy, especially considering how exhausted she was, but it was doable. She should do it. It was the right thing to do. But instead of an affirmative, she muttered, "No."
Braig stared deep into her eyes, frowning. "Are you sure you're not going to regret this later?"
She probably would. The man was terrified, and rightfully so. But the further away they dragged him, the lighter the burden on her shoulders became. She didn't have it in her to fight against the darkness again. Not for someone who'd tried to harm so many innocents. Mira stared coldly at the shrinking form of the still-struggling priest. "He had it coming. His sacrifice will keep the people of El Dorado safe." Besides, it was only fitting that someone so eager to sacrifice others became one himself. The repercussions of his actions were not her burden to bear.
Yet, even with her firm decision, doubt niggled at the back of her mind. Her master was also shrouded in the darkness and was suffering the consequences of his decisions. What did it say about her if she was willing to fight to save one guilty person but not another? Aqua would have either condemned both or tried saving both; there was no middle ground in her morality. Even the others, laughing quietly amongst themselves, seemingly spared no concern for the priest's fate. She clenched her fists and glared at the ground. She was such a hypocrite-
"Mira - is everything alright?" Miguel kneeled in front of her. "You're not hurt, are you?"
She shook her head. "No. What are you guys going to do now? You have no boat, no gold... Do you have a plan at least?"
"No plan. We're going to see where the wind takes us," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "What about you?"
Mira opened her mouth to respond, but Braig's rumbling baritone beat her to it. "I'm taking her home."
Her cheeks warmed. "Yeah, it's time for us to be getting back."
"I understand, though I'm sad to see us part ways. Don't forget what we talked about," he murmured, glancing meaningfully at Braig. Heat creeped up the back of her neck.
"C'mon boys!" Chel called out, astride Altivo. She waved to Mira, wearing a euphoric grin. "See you around!"
Miguel got up and dusted off his knees. "I'll never forget you, Mira," he said, turning and following after Tulio and Chel, chasing the sunset. It cut through the mist and gloom, blinding in its intensity.
When the blond was far enough away, Braig asked, "What was that about? Did you two have an interesting conversation while I wasn't looking?"
She snorted. "You could say that."
He huffed, shifting so he could stand. "Alright, keep your secrets." Braig held out his hand to her, pulling Mira to her feet. She leaned heavily on him, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Mira took one last gander around the area, marveling at the tropical paradise. The peacefulness of the moment could almost trick her into believing they were relaxing on vacation, if not for the ordeals they'd endured. Though it had only been a handful of days, it felt like it'd been much longer since they first stepped foot on Cortes's ship. And so much had happened in between. But they were finally leaving, closing the chapter on their spontaneous journey. The setting sun cast a warm vermillion glow around them, but the warm light was a lie; this world was unbalanced and dangerous. The people of El Dorado were safe, but for how long? Cortes was still out there... Darkness had a foothold here that could not be shaken, even by her interference. Her shoulders drooped. Had her efforts amounted to anything, or was it all in vain?
"Are we going to stand here all night? I, for one, would like to take a real shower and sleep in my own bed, if you don't mind."
Her eyes slid away from the deceptively beautiful sight. Braig stared down at her with a raised brow and a smirk, but the shadows under his eyes drew her gaze. Mira sighed, looking away. "Right, sorry. Let's go."
It wasn't until she'd been trapped in the dark realm that Mira learned the fate of that world. The city of gold, once bright and shining in the light, had fallen into darkness to shine no more. When she'd passed it by during her aimless wandering, the city had been deserted – much like when Tzekel-kan cleared the streets to be cleansed. At the time, she'd been absorbed in her own pain, and seeing the place where Braig first kissed her had brought a fresh wave of sorrow to her already hurting heart. She hadn't lingered.
Mira closed the journal and laid her cheek against the cool surface of the desk. It shamed her, now, that she hadn't thought of the hundreds of people who'd lost their homes and possibly their lives. It didn't matter how entrenched the world was in darkness; she'd seen the problem and failed to act. If she had done more, stopped Cortes, could the city of gold, and all in it, have been spared?