Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-43347423-20200111144721/@comment-43347423-20200123025943

im probably not gonna do any kissing, ig we'll see though. i decided to just incorporate keefe's mind breaking here.

have fun reading!

Chapter Eight

“So…” Keefe said, breaking the silence and releasing Sophie’s hand. “Basically, my mom used even more quintessence than we thought, and this doesn’t help at all.”

“Yup,” Sophie sighed. “Why can’t anything ever help?”

Oralie smiled. “I think you’re both missing the point. Did you hear what Bronte said? Starlight and moonlight were used to make this. Do you know what each type of quintessence does differently?”

“I feel like Mr. Forkle said something about it once,” Sophie said, “but I don’t remember it.”

“Well, Elementine is explosive, like Bronte said in the memory. Candesia makes small changes in things. Phosforien is almost friendly. It’s comfortable and calm. Lucilliant is equal in all ways and is good at containing and saving objects. But I suspect that the form Gisela used was Marquiseire. Marquiseire destroys things and breaks them down to an atom if you let it. That means that it’s possible it could be used to break down an ability. But how are they able to reform?” Oralie mused. “Maybe Lucilliant preserves it…? Or Phosforien brings it back?”

“What about the moonlight? Bronte said it worked like a battery,” Keefe suggested. “Maybe it recharges the ability?”

“That’s a great point,” Oralie said.

Keefe ran a hand through his hair. “But it doesn’t actually help.”

Sophie told herself to be brave and took his hand. “But practicing will.”

She mentally willed her enhancing on, and a shock of energy bounced between them.

“Now what?” she asked Oralie.

“Don’t ask me. You’re the ones with the fancy abilities.”

“It is annoying when Mentors say that, isn’t it?” Keefe asked, stealing the thought right out of her mind.

“Wait, I didn’t even feel you slip into my head!” Sophie complained.

Keefe smirked. “All thanks to your own brilliant, undetectable telepathy.”

Sophie fought down a blush and decided to change the subject. “Okay, let’s see if I can be an Empath, then.”

She focused on her own emotions for a second, hoping they’d teach her how to find others. She felt powerful, and angry, and happy, and frustrated, and hopeful, and loving, and hating, and how was it even possible to feel so many conflicting emotions?

But then she started to feel other, more foreign emotions. Smug, and insecure, and proud, and worried, and loving, and frustrated, and hated, and grateful, and embarrassed, and scared, and…

Guilty.

“Keefe!” she exclaimed, terrified. “WHY DO YOU FEEL GUILTY?”

“I don’t.”

Sophie looked him in the eye. “You can’t lie to an Empath.”

Keefe sighed, and Sophie, still looking into his eyes, saw… were those tears?

She reached out to hug him, and he let her, saying, “It’s just… I wouldn’t have this ability and have been knocked out for three days if I’d listened to you. I worried you for three days while I slept, and it was all because I didn’t even want to wake up, and…” he trailed off, seeming to realize what he’d said.

Sophie pulled back, looking him in the eyes again. “Why didn’t you want to wake up?”

Keefe looked at the floor. “Well, I mean, you already know my family life is less than perfect. And then it felt like I was losing my friends… I mean, take Fitz. We used to be really close, but then… we kind of grew apart.”

Sophie cringed. “Because of me.”

It wasn’t a question.

And Keefe didn’t deny it.

But… he didn’t confirm it either.

“As the adult,” Oralie said, making them both jump back, “I want to tell you, Keefe, that none of this was your fault. You have nothing to feel guilty of.”

“But I do,” Keefe argued. He sounded… defeated, though. He was letting down his mask, showing his scared… broken side. Keefe wasn’t broken, was he? “I didn’t wake up because I was too scared to face reality, and that scared everyone. Even if nothing else was my fault, that was. Plus, my mom is the one doing all of this, and… I don’t know. It just… it’s all my fault.”

“No, it’s not!” Sophie said. “None of this was your fault!”

She was terrified. If Keefe’s mind broke… well, she’d heal him, obviously. But… who did he even have to love?

When she’d done healings in the past, she’d always inflicted love and showed them the people they loved. Their family.

But Keefe’s family was horrible.

All he had was his friends.

And he was just talking about growing apart from them!

Who did he love? She knew she’d felt love when she read his emotions.

And the only people in the room right then were her and Oralie.

So… he loved her friendship.

Yeah, that must have been it.

“Everything is my fault,” Keefe said, and he burst into tears.