River.

Chapter 184: Close-Mindedness

Simartè's P.O.V.

I was finishing up my evaluation of one of the new kids that Sidnoyus had brought in and I thought I was alone at the Rift as everyone else went to the Mezzarin for course training....

Until Sehrem came bursting through my office door.

"Whoa..." I said after jumping a bit. "You scared me."

But then I noticed that something was wrong.

His face was burning red as sweat poured down and he struggled to breathe. He fell over into the chair near the door and I jumped up and ran towards him.
"Sehrem! Sehrem whats wrong!? What happened!?!"

"I- I-" He struggled to get the words out as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Sehrem breathe..." I instructed, squatting in front of him as I grabbed his hand. "Breathe brother..."

"I- I can't...." He threw his glasses off in frustration then squeezed tighter onto my hand. "I can't."

His hands began shaking tremendously as he continued to gasp, his face turning even more red.

Suddenly Cassidy ran in.

"What happened!?" I asked.

"We were just looking at River's body and I was talking and everything was fine but then Sehrem started having trouble breathing and then he just took off running!"

"Sehrem you're going to pass out. Come on, breathe with me." I instructed.

"He's dead." He randomly stated. "Apollo's dead."

That's when I knew what was wrong.

I turned my head towards Cassidy to let her know.

"He's having an anxiety attack." I explained. "Sehrem please just calm down..."

"He's dead..." He repeated, still gasping.

"Brother we all knew it was going to happen eventually... You've held yourself together so well. Don't give in now."

"Simartè maybe he needs this." Said Cassidy.

"No he's having a meltdown. This is weakness."

"No its grief.  He's finally breaking. Let him this one time. Its better than holding it in and letting it build up."

"You can grieve without being weak." I retorted.

"Oh my god what is wrong with you people? That's exactly why he's so emotionally isolated now because you guys force him to hide the way he really feels. That's why he's having a damn panic attack now! Because you all have turned him into some kind of robot and as a result all of these emotions he's been holding in are coming out at once!"

I took one look at my younger brother and realized Cassidy was right.

Sehrem had always been the glue of the family. He was far from weak.

I held his hand tighter but didn't say anything more as his breathing gradually began to slow down.

I guess I really was a product of my father's close-mindedness.