Stellarlune - KOTLC Book 8.5 Fanfic

Chapter 9

"Sophie, we're sorry - " Grady started, when Sophie trudged down to eat breakfast.

Or lunch.

Or maybe dinner again.

He put a hand on Sophie's shoulder, but she shoved it away.

"Sophie, please, just listen - "

"I need to get to Foxfire," Sophie stated, ignoring Edaline's worried glances.

"At least eat some -"

"I need to get to Foxfire!" Sophie repeated, her heart sinking. She didn't know why she felt this bad. Grady and Edaline only wanted the best for her. But...

"Can you guys please leave me alone?" Her parents recoiled. Edaline's eyes were full of tears, and Grady's were full of regret.

Sophie's eyes stung.

The silence was awkward and full of tension as Sophie walked, shoulders heaving, to the Leapmaster.

She reached the Leapmaster, but didn't have any strength to yell Foxfire. But when she saw Grady and Edaline walking after her, she quickly recited the word. The last thing she saw before being whisked away by the light was Grady's hand reaching out towards her, and Edaline's face scrunched up with sorrow.

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"Hey Foster!" Keefe yelled. Sophie turned the opposite direction, into a quiet corner.

She had been feeling miserable. The bulge of guilt in her chest had gotten bigger, and she wasn't sure how long she could hold out.

"FOSTER!" Keefe yelled again.

Sophie ignored him. She had ignored all of her friends in the morning and had barely completed her assignments. She couldn't stand knowing that her friends knew what had happened to Oralie and had sobbed. Sobbed because of something Sophie didn't do. What Sophie had failed to do.

Then thumping footsteps began to follow her.

She really didn't want to deal with this right now.

Sophie turned, to find Keefe running after her.

"Hi Keefe." She said, giving a small smile. She turned back again and started walking to her next class.

"Hey Foster, wait up!" Keefe reprimanded.

No such luck.

She turned again. "Look, Keefe, I really don't have time to have a long talk with y -"

"Sure. That explains some of it. But why are you sending huge wafts of guilt towards me?! And I know that's not all of it! Just a fraction!" Keefe asked. "I mean, it almost wants me to apologize to Alina for my pranks on her!" Then he closed his eyes. "Nah, nothing will make me sorry for the Great Gulon Incident."

The fact that Sophie didn't even ask about it was truly depressing.

Then Sophie recoiled from shock.

Alina.

Councillor Alina.

The Council.

What was Sophie going to tell them?! She didn't care if they would find a solution sooner or later, the growing bulge of guilt was rising by the second.

"Agh!" Keefe jerked away from Sophie. "That's a really huge batch of guilt and misery flowing at me."

"Sorry," Sophie said halfheartedly.

Keefe stepped closer and winced. He took another step closer to Sophie and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You know..." Keefe smiled sadly. "You have to let go of your guilt Sophie. It'll break you. It'll break everyone."

Sophie sighed.

"You're right," Sophie forced a smile. "I should. It wasn't my fault."

Fault.

The word dragged her down into the darkest pits of her mind, as the bulge of guilt in her stomach grew rapidly. It was taking over her.

She should've stopped Oralie from opening the cache.

She could have saved Oralie.

Her parents were disappointed in her.

Everyone was.

They would all get exiled because of her.

Because. Of. Her.

Soon the guilt became crushing.

Then it broke her into a million pieces, and Sophie fell to the ground as a searing pain exploded in her chest, where the bulge of guilt had been.