The air grew colder, more humid once I stepped into the mouth of the cave despite the sweltering heat outside. Water spilling from the high opening above, its stream blazing gold beneath the summer son. Light fractured through the mist, scattering into shifting prisms that painted the stone walls in hues of amber and rose.
It was colder here, the air heavy with the scent of wet earth. The water's roar filled the cave, steady and rhythmic, like a heartbeat echoing against the rock. Beneath the cascade, the pool shimmered with sunlight, alive and liquid, reflecting the gold dust of afternoon.
Angelo trailed behind me, his footsteps soft, almost hesitant, like he was afraid to disturb the air around us.
"How did you find this place?" I asked, unable to hide the awe in my voice. The cave glowed with a kind of quiet magic, with the way sunlight spilling through the cracks above, turning the falling water into threads of gold. It was...breathtaking.
