Revolution: Genesis (Published)

Chapter 30: Breakdown Twofold

JACK

Empathy: it's what we call it when we understand another person. Be it their delight, their struggle or how their brain works. In just one relatable moment, we can establish this bond which eases their tense mind. That's the beauty of empathy. It doesn't limit you to the people close to you. A person you've never met before can make you feel understood and that understanding is empathy. It's what makes it different from sympathy; you can be sad for another person's sorrow but you won't really apprehend what sort of emotions they have buried inside. For sympathy, it won't really matter at all but for empathy, it will be everything.

*'*'*

The moment Azura had blacked out the blazing flames of the tree died down, making me realize the power of the fire element in her. According to the brief power tale I had heard from my mom, every bright star had an excess of the elemental powers. However, with every star, one of the elements was in excess than others. A star soul could use it without any limit and each element was equally powerful. When I had shot out the electricity at Rigil, I realized that I had triggered my electric power. Noticing what Azura had done, she had triggered her fire power.

In spite all of that, we had to take her to safety. She was cold, she was crying, and she wasn't well at all. We all thought that taking her to the hospital would be the safest option and we had yet to answer questions to the police and the doctors about Max. We all decided to wait until Azura woke up and then we could talk about how to handle the situation.

I wasn't going to leave this time. She was going to need every ounce of support she could get. The moment she would open her eyes she was going to know that we were there for her. Unlike the last time there were a lot of things which were out in the open now. With whatever happened, I was going to make sure not to run away like a coward again. She needed all of us and she was going to get it. I was going to make sure of that.

So, indeed, when she had woken up everyone had surrounded her for a lot of reasons. No one knew how she was going to react and what she would do. But we were also around to strategize before the police and doctors started interrogating her. It wasn't the right time, we all knew that. She had lost her brother and now she had to make up a story of how he died just because of the procedure, fully aware that no one would ever believe her if she told the truth.

When we got Azura to the hospital, the doctor bombarded us with questions which none of us were able to answer. Eventually, Charles gave his vague statement about Azura experiencing trauma and passing out which was the truth, semi-truth.

Once the other doctors realized how Max was Azura's brother, they came to us with a million more questions and again, we were speechless. What could we even tell them? Evil cosmic star possessed another star and waved their wrist which resulted in Max's neck breaking? Yes, quite believable.

But the real test started when I went to the receptionist to ask where Azura's doctor was so I could actually talk to him about her condition and Mrs. Knight came barging in.

"Where is my son?! Where is my Max?!" She cried, frantically grabbing any passing nurse and doctor. She was disheveled, her hair sticking out from places, her eyes puffy and smudged. She hadn't even realized her nose was running. "Where is my baby?!" I couldn't look at her distraught state anymore and hung my head against the desk I was standing at. A feminine hand rubbed my back and I looked up to see my sister standing beside me, vulnerable. I gave her a tired smile which quickly dropped because of the lack of emotions. I heard hurried footsteps getting nearer to me when another feminine but a strong hand grabbed my arm and turned me towards them.

"Jack! Jack, where is he? Where is Max?" It was Mrs. Knight. She gave me a little shove, gripping my arm tightly. Her eyes were clouded with fear as they searched mine. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. "Tell me where he is!" She was getting frustrated at my lack of response but I couldn't help it.