The Seventh Element

Chapter Fourteen

It had been a month.

I had reached Fletch, the village at the edge of the Peninsula. I was careful to bypass it as best I could, unwilling to risk hurting anyone else, especially a non-mage. I successfully got past the village without interacting with anyone. There was nothing to stop me. I entered the forest.

Ending it all had proven more difficult than expected.

I had no weapons or poison. I had briefly considered throwing myself off a tall building but there were none around in the forest. So, I had settled for starving to death. I had no survival skills, at least in this environment. It seemed like the natural, easy option.

Hunger had quickly become my constant companion. I got used to the pain but somehow, I was still alive. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't even die on my own terms. I had given up completely but that still wasn't enough.

Oddly, my powers had become dormant.

Had I not known better by then, I would have tricked myself into believing they were gone. Of course, it wasn't that easy. I had simply stopped trying to be normal or an elemental. There was nothing for my powers to fight. So, they stayed quiet.

I turned my head sluggishly as I heard someone approach. I had learned enough about the local wildlife to know it wasn't an animal. I stepped back behind the nearest tree, unwilling to interact with anyone.

"If you're going to hide in the shadows, you'll never hide alone."

I turned my head to see Vic looking up at me.

I stumbled back and would have fallen had he not reached out to steady me. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Vic asked back. "When you didn't come back, we assumed you'd gone home to the mountain but then we got a report three days ago that a strange boy was living in the forest near Fletch so I came to find you. Why didn't you go home, Tor?"

I looked away from him. "I'm too dangerous."

"Oh, Tor, is that was this is about?"

"How is Camillo?"

"Alive and well, other than a scar across his cheek. He was stitched up by a Fletch doctor and fainted at the sight of his own blood. He sure milked his injuries for all they were worth and then some. The girls ate it up and of course the Lux spread the story of what happened but its not like you did all that on purpose. It was an accident."

"That's just the point!" I finally looked back at him, my powers awakened by my sudden response as a chill wind rustled the nearby trees. "I can't control these powers and I'm terrified that I'll hurt someone else and worse, someone that I actually care about."

"That's what the Academy is for to help you learn how to control your powers."

I scoffed. "But the Academy hasn't helped me at all."

"Because you haven't let us!" Vic exclaimed. His eyes flashed wit guilt and he took a deep breath before continuing. "You don't think an Ignis has never burned a love one, a Nox given someone nightmares or an Aqua almost drowned someone? Every element is dangerous and incites fear in non-mages. But that doesn't mean we have to be. We can control our abilities and minimize the risk. We can lead good lives and have families and communities. But that future comes from the Academy and being willing to work towards making that possible."

I sighed, gaze dropping to the ground. "But it's so hard."

Vic laughed. "You don't think its easy for the rest of us, do you? We all have our own struggles: with our elements, our families, our fellow students, being a teenager, the list goes on. I still struggle to form shadows or keep them up, especially in direct sunlight and I still haven't told Violet that I've got a crush on her because she's my tutor and I don't want things to get weird, you know? And I still want to be there for my best friend even though I feel like I constantly fail to really be there for him-"

"You're not a failure," I blurted out, my gaze darting back up to meet Vic's.

"Then why did you end up here, alone instead of back at the Academy or at home?" Vic asked softly, dark eyes imploring.

"Because you were upset and I was afraid that I'd hurt the one person at the Academy that I could truly count on and I couldn't bear the thought of losing my best friend."

"Yes, I was upset. Lux have hated Nox for time immemorial. One of the first things every Nox nova learns is how to protect themselves from Lux animosity. I wasn't in any danger but of course you didn't know that. I know you didn't do that on purpose but we've never really seen a display of your power like that before so of course it caught us all off guard. I was upset that it came down to that and I blamed myself for the whole thing and that I had missed the chance to talk to you about it." Vic heaved a sigh of his own, relieved of his burden.

We stared at each other for a moment.

"Say something, please," Vic said at last.

"Do you really want me to come back?" I asked slowly.

"Yes, I've missed you, Tor. It just isn't the same without you."

"Alright, I'll come back."

"You're willing to try again?"

I nodded. All the fight left me at once and I collapsed against the tree. My month of no food on top of all this sudden exertion overwhelmed me.

"Tor!" Vic was at my side at once. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

I weakly shook my head, the motion making me dizzy. "Just hungry."

"Here, sit down." My best friend helped lever me to the ground. He quickly drew some cold sausages and sliced bread from the pack I hadn't noticed him carrying. "Eat something. We'll take it slow. There's no rush to get back to the Academy."

I devoured the sandwich and I felt a little better but still weak.

"Tor-" Vic began before stopping. He gave me a concerned look but didn't say anything else.

Again, I knew I should reassure my best friend but the lie wouldn't come. He deserved my honesty but I didn't have the strength to explain things, either.

We focused on walking instead of talking. It was a relief to reach Fletch. Once we got on the train and settled in our seats, I knew the time had come to tell Vic everything.

"You don't owe me anything," Vic said.

"I know but I want to tell you," I said.

"I'm always here to listen."

And he did. His eyes never left my face and, having bared all, he didn't judge me. He slipped into the seat next to me and hugged me tight.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone," Vic said. "But I'm glad you're still here."

"Me too."

Vic released me and I sank gratefully into my chair, closed my eyes and got the first decent rest in months.