Arcane User

Bonding

A few days after returning to the Firelights, Vi settled down and was spending time with Jinx and Ekko. The trio would spend a majority of the day together, catching up and just being siblings.

There was one day when Ekko decided to teach Vi how to ride a hoverboard. Vi stepped onto the hoverboard as Ekko instructed her. Jinx and Alexander were sitting on a bench, watching the whole thing.

"Okay, now, I'm going to turn it on. Put the straps on your feet," Ekko instructed. Vi put the straps on, and Ekko double-checked them to make sure they were secure. He then turned on the hoverboard, and it rose up off the ground a couple of feet.

Vi almost tilted backward but was able to regain her balance. "You good?" Ekko asked. Vi nodded.

"Okay, to go forward, lean forward. To go backward, lean backward. The more you lean, the faster you go."

"How do I go up and down?"

"We'll get to that when you're able to move back and forth."

"Okay." Vi leaned forward, and she shot forward much faster than she expected. She ended up crashing into the wall, and she and hoverboard fell to the ground. Ekko, Jinx, and Alexander rushed over to her.

"Vi, are you okay?" Alexander asked. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Good. In that case..." Jinx trailed off and burst out laughing. Ekko couldn't help but chuckle as Alexander playfully rolled his eyes. Vi then stuck her middle finger up at Jinx, and Jinx kept laughing and flicked her off, too.

After a few moments, Jinx calmed down as Alexander helped Vi get up and undid the straps. He took the hoverboard and said, "We should wait until later before Vi tries again."

"Probably a good idea," Ekko replied. Alexander then walked off with the hoverboard. Later that day, Vi was up on the balcony, watching Jinx and Ekko joking around. A part of her wanted to go down there and mingle, but...

"Because you're a jinx! Do you hear me?! Mylo was right!" Her own voice echoed in her mind as the memories of that night flooded her mind. Tears pricked her eyes as guilt washed over her. Even after all these years, the pain felt fresh.

"Vi?" She turned and saw Alexander, who had a concerned expression. "Oh...hey." She turned back and continued to watch her two siblings. Alexander joined her by the railing and said, "It wasn't your fault, you know?"

"What?"

"That night... the only person at fault is Silco."

"Silco..." She huffed. "When I get my hands on him, I'll fucking kill him." Alexander swallowed hard as to not say anything. Vi, however, noticed and asked, "What? You don't agree?"

"Not particularly no. I just didn't want to say anything that would piss you off."

"You wouldn't piss me off."

"Are you sure?" Vi nodded, and he sighed. "Well, I don't think you should kill him."

"Why? I mean, he's ruined so many lives and killed Vander. He deserves to die."

"That may be true, but that's not what the Firelights are about. We're about bringing hope and preserving life. We don't kill. Besides, if we did kill Silco, there would be a power vacuum, and tons of people would be fighting for his position. People who are far worse than Silco."

Vi sighed, knowing he had a point. Silence fell over them until Alexander said, "You know, Jinx and Ekko... they forgive you."

"What?"

"They forgive you, so try and forgive yourself. That guilt...it'll eat you up inside. Trust me... I know."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll admit, I've been struggling with guilt myself. The road to healing and getting of the guilt is long and hard. What's important is that you try. If not for yourself, then for them."

He gestured with his head toward Jinx and Ekko, and Vi sighed. Alexander turned to leave, but Vi asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"What exactly happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what caused the guilt you're dealing with?" Alexander hesitated and ran his hand through his hair. "Let's just say that... I let my two older brothers down. One went down a dark path, and the other...he died before I could reconcile with him."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. Besides, it was a long time ago."

"Still, I'm betting it still hurts."

"It does, but I'm working through it. You should, too, and if you ever need to talk, you can talk to me, okay?"

Vi smiled and nodded. With that, Alexander walked away, leaving Vi alone.

......................................................................

In the shadows on the outer wall of the Firelight hideout, a figure sensed Arcane surrounding the area. The figure then smirked. "Looks like I found you."