They fell for what felt like forever.
The air screamed past them—then came the crash.
A deafening splash swallowed everything as they plunged into the waterfall's basin. The cold struck like stone, knocking the breath from their lungs as the shattered remains of the obsidian Xoloitzcuintli scattered into the depths.
Axochi strained to move, his pink light dim and flickering. With what little strength remained, he gathered Marisol's fading energy—gentle, like a heartbeat in sleep—and shaped it around them. A soft rose-colored current spiraled outward, forming a cocoon that held back the crushing weight of the water.
When the impact settled, Jaime was the first to move. His limbs burned, his lungs ached, but he forced himself upward—kicking hard until he broke the surface with a gasp.
He dragged Jimena first, then Marisol, out of the dark pool. Obsidian armor still clung to him, its golden inlays glowing faintly beneath the water. Cimi perched inside the towered helm, chittering nervously, wings tucked tight to stay dry.
Four golden orbs shimmered, scanning the mist-shrouded shore. The world around him was silent—eerily so. The roar of the waterfall behind him faded to a distant pulse.
He pulled both girls onto the smooth, dark sand at the edge of the basin.
Moments later, Xolo surfaced. The dog paddled easily through the water, violet embers still flickering in his eyes. Jaime couldn't help but smile faintly at the sight—against all odds, the guardian still burned bright.
Xolo padded to shore and lay beside Jimena, his warmth steaming faintly in the cool air.
Marisol and Jimena both seemed unharmed, their breaths slow but steady. He could see the rhythm of their hearts—violet, and rose light pulsing faintly within their chests.
Axochi reappeared soon after, curled within the small obsidian dome on Marisol's chest, his glow steady but weak.
Seeing that neither girl would wake soon, Jaime let himself sink beside them. His armor loosened and crumbled away, the black plates dissolving into sand that melted into the shore.
Cimi fluttered down to perch gently on his brow, wings folding like soft leaves.
And for the first time in what felt like an age—
they rested.
Jimena awoke with a start.
A fire blazed in her chest—alive, restless, and growing stronger with each heartbeat. She could feel it: the trial was nearing its end.
Her eyes darted about the mist-veiled shore until she found him.
Xolo.
He sat faithfully by her side, tail wagging the moment her gaze met his. With a joyful bark, he leaned forward and licked her palm—warm, steady, grounding.
Jimena smiled, the exhaustion of their journey melting away beneath the dog's boundless energy. "Should we explore?" she whispered.
If Jaime or Marisol had been awake, they would have seen the look the two shared—mischievous, radiant, full of life. A pair of devils conspiring for a small adventure.
Jimena hadn't felt this free in what seemed like a lifetime. The joy bubbled up inside her, wild and bright, barely contained. She almost laughed aloud—almost shouted—had the others not been sleeping nearby.
Xolo bounded ahead, tail a blur of motion, his paws kicking up sprays of fine dark sand. Jimena followed, racing him now and then, their laughter and barks echoing faintly through the fog.
The air here was strange—thick and heavy with the scent of wet stone and something sweetly metallic. Shapes loomed in the distance: shadowy forms that shifted whenever she tried to focus on them.
Once, she thought she saw a drowned farmer wading through the mist. Another time, the outline of a tall figure with a lantern of bone. But when she ran toward them, the path bent upon itself, and she found she'd returned to the same place she'd begun.
No matter how far she walked, she always circled back.
The mist rippled gently, almost playfully, as if the trial itself were watching her wander in circles.
Jimena placed her hands on her hips, pouting.
"Well," she muttered to Xolo, "that's new."
The dog tilted his head, as if amused, and barked once in agreement.
Jimena and Xolo wandered on, keeping to the narrow trail untouched by mist. Strange shapes moved now and then in the fog beyond, but she ignored them, choosing instead to focus on their play.
What began as lighthearted fun slowly grew wilder—races that nearly sent them tumbling, playful shoves that made her laugh out loud. Each burst of joy carried them farther from where Jaime and Marisol slept.
When she finally glanced back, they were nowhere in sight.
"They must still be asleep," she murmured.
Xolo barked once, tail wagging, then bounded ahead as if urging her onward.
"Alright, alright," Jimena said with a grin, following after him.
She began to conjure small orbs of violet flame—her Tletl pulsing softly in her palms. They flared and danced as she tossed them into the air. Xolo leapt to snatch them, his teeth closing on harmless light before they vanished in tiny bursts of smoke.
It became a game of catch—safer than their earlier rough play, yet still full of laughter.
Every so often, Jimena looked back toward the cliff hidden by mist. She thought she saw movement there—shadows shifting far below, like something waiting in the fog. The sight sent a shiver crawling up her spine.
She threw another flame to chase the feeling away. Xolo caught it midair, tail thumping, eyes bright with delight. His joy was infectious, and she couldn't help but smile.
They followed the trail until it split into three narrow paths. The mist here was thicker, curling low around the stone.
Jimena hesitated.
"Which way do you think?" she asked.
Before she could decide, Xolo darted down the right-hand path, snapping playfully at the ball of fire she had just tossed ahead of him.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
Laughing, Jimena chased after him, thinking nothing of the choice.