"Sit down and look at me," Jolie ordered, as Keefe slid into the empty seat across from her.
"Good. You might find this exercise hard for you. So just keep an open mind okay?"
"Yes. Fine."
Keefe was sick of waiting. He had an agenda.
"Let's start. You have two abilities now right?"
"Right."
"I know what they are but for this test start out by describing each ability to me. It can be brief."
Keefe just stared. "I thought we were going to do something actually important!"
"I told you to keep an open mind!" Jolie accused.
"Uhhh. Yes. Okay. Umm... my Empathy allows me to feel what other people are feeling."
Jolie nodded approvingly. "Great! And how do you feel about Empathy?"
"I... feel like it just changed the way I thought. After I got used to it I felt like I understood people on a whole other level. It was crazy!" Keefe's heart lightened with the statement.
"That's a very common reaction that most Empaths face," Jolie replied. "Now can you describe your new ability for me?"
That was so... much... worse. But he gave it a shot anyway. "Um... My new ability gives me the power to command other people to do things they don't want to do. I feel like it's morphing though and I keep learning about new things I keep doing. Like empowering you to do whatever you did to me on our last exercise."
Jolie just smiled. "That was good. Now same as before, tell me how you feel about it."
"I hate it. I've never wanted this ability and now that I have it, I feel changed somehow. Like I will never be the same again," Keefe said quietly.
"I understand." She nodded and stared at Keefe again, right in the eye.
"That was the easy part. Now comes the hard part. I need you to describe Empathy for me in two words. The first words that come to your mind."
Keefe looked around wishing the test would be done already. His palms were getting sweaty!
"I... honestly... maybe eye-opening?"
"Good! That works. Now for the other word?"
"Well while I feel like it helps me understand people on a whole other level it also can get... overwhelming? Like so many emotions at once and I sometimes feel... overwhelmed."
Saying the word again helped.
A little.
Keefe still felt like after he had said it, he had uncovered something raw underneath. And the raw spot hurt.
"That makes perfect sense! So you've got eye-opening and overwhelming. Now I think you know what comes next."
"Yes," Keefe groaned.
"Ok, so give me this time one word for your new ability. Don't censor it. Just tell me honestly how you feel."
"As I said before, I hate it. I wish I never had it. This might sound weird but...I feel like I was always meant to use my new ability. Like it's... instinctual."
There.
With the last word, it felt like the raw spot had healed.
Everything shifted back into place.
And Keefe felt.... calm. Like this was how he was meant to be.
Jolie sucked in a breath. "Did that work? How do you feel?"
"I feel amazing. Like I'm finally free." Keefe closed his eyes.
Then he realized.
"Wait. This might be risky but I feel way better about it. I'm... going to pressure myself so that I'll be forced to command. Except... I think I can stop it. I think I can control my ability."
"Okay," Jolie nodded.
Keefe shut out everything else.
Jolie's breath, the ticking in his ears, even the quiet tapping of the rain against the roof.
He just focused on his thoughts.
Letting the images of Sophie grow larger and larger.
Until she was the only one.
Then he started the reaction.
Started with his emotions.
Let it all go.
Watching Fitz and Sophie cling to each other.
Alden telling him to let them be together.
Ro pressuring him to confess.
Everything.
And just before he said it,
Before he used his ability,
The ability to be able to wipe everything clean,
He paused.
Let everything slowly shift around him.
He was one star among millions.
A drop of water within an ocean.
A speck of dust, flitting around the universe.
Keefe pulled from his head the silent command.
And threw it among countless others.
It didn't matter.
Keefe was stronger than they all believed.
He was in charge.
He was the commander.
And using everything he knew, he stopped the word from even forming.
Keefe had mastered his ability.
YOU ARE READING
Unknown - A KOTLC Fanfic
Fanfiction"This will be the downfall of the goblins." Sophie Foster is definitely dealing with too much. Trying to be a good leader, dealing with angsty boys...oh, and worrying about the war she accidentally started is just a few of her many problems. As Soph...
