Charlotte, who was right in front of me, suddenly raised her hand, blocking my next step. I looked at her with a mix of irritation and curiosity but quickly realized the reason. The ground there was slippery, covered by a thin layer of moisture and mineral dust. One wrong step, and I could tumble straight into that endless abyss. Death would be certain.
"Before we descend, we need to check in," Charlotte said calmly, without even looking back. Then she turned and started walking on one of the planks that crossed parts of the ravine as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her steps were firm, and she didn't seem to care about the darkness stretching below, punctuated only by faint, distant lights symbolizing miners far away.
I hesitated for a moment before following her. "Hey, Charlotte," I called, trying to balance my feet on the plank while my eyes avoided looking at the void below. "Why do we have to do this for Miguel?"
