Amelia PoV
Palatine's gaze softened as the ground shifted once more. I gasped as mounds of stone moved across the ceiling and across the walls.
The mounds opened up to show the faces of my parents and Gregorio's mommy.
"Mama," Gregorio cooed, his innocent voice filled with a mixture of hope and confusion. But as I looked at the faces of my parents and Auntie, still and unresponsive, an overwhelming wave of deep sadness washed over me.
"Gregorio, I'm so sorry," I whispered, my heart aching for him. "I wish they could be here with us. I wish they could see how brave you are." The sight of their faces, so peaceful yet so lifeless, brought tears streaming down my cheeks. I felt an unbearable weight pressing against my chest, a grief that was both personal and collective, enveloping me and my cousin in its darkness.
