Part 24

As soon as we both stepped across the threshold of the tunnel, the door to the entrance slid back into place and sealed itself. I could hear Alex banging against the rock, but it didn't seem like it was going to move. His breathing was heavy, and he seemed drained. I reached to place my hand on his shoulder and realized that I could see him. I looked to my left and saw that the whole place was bathed in candlelight. The candles were placed into golden holders, all with intricately woven patterns, and they seemed like they were part of the wall. The tunnel itself was long but high. There was easily a good 5 to 7-foot space above my head. The whole tunnel had an arch shape to it, and somehow it felt homey. I turned to Alex and saw him still leaning his head against the rock. He seemed frustrated like he was blaming himself. So to distract him, I did something I never do: I asked a question about his life. "Do you have any siblings?"

I saw Alex turn his head without pulling from the rock. He gave a small chuckle and closed his eyes for a few seconds before turning around and sliding down the rock while asking, "Why do you want to know?"

I debated lying to him, but I knew that he would be able to know if I was lying or not, so I just told him the truth. "You seemed like you could use a distraction from our current predicament. And for the first time ever, I want to know about someone. So..." I trailed off uncertainly, as I had no idea how to do this. Luckily, Alex started talking.

"I have the world's biggest family. I'm sure history can claim otherwise, but right now my family feels like the biggest. I have eight siblings, four older, four younger."

"Wow!!" I exclaimed. That's a big family! "Wait, does this mean that you're the exact middle child?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. My oldest sibling is starting a family. The second just got married, and the other two are in college. All the younger ones are in school, granted, they're at different levels, but still." Alex sighed. He seemed tired, like talking about his family took all of his energy. He didn't seem hateful toward his family, but there was something else...

"You're the only one in your family without abilities, aren't you?" I didn't even register asking the question until Alex's eyes went wide. He looked up at me, a shocked expression burned on his face.

"How did you know?"

"You seemed tired when talking about your family. Like there was something separating you from the rest of them. And it's something that you've been carrying around with you for some time now, haven't you?"

Alex looked devastated. It was like I had discovered his most valued secret, and was going to discover the fact that he wasn't the man I had come to believe he was. "My parents are most likely dead because of me."

"Why would you say that?!" I was shocked that Alex would say this. No matter what the situation was, he shouldn't blame himself for what happened.

"We lived in a section of the city closer to where Parliament is. There, they do random checks to make sure that no one is hiding anyone with powers. One day, an appointed official burst into our house, grabbing people and checking them. Everyone who has an ability has a colored mark somewhere visible on their body unless they wear long shirts and long pants all the time. I made it out of their sight before I saw them round up my siblings and force them into a truck or van. It was a large vehicle. My parents saw me wanting to go after them, but they shook their heads. This little action was met by them receiving a harsh blow to the temple. They both crumpled to the floor, and the officials looked around, trying to see if they missed anyone. They didn't see me, so I was able to make it out of there. That was 5 years ago. I went to live with my aunt, who lived 10 minutes away. She taught me how to read situations and take crazy guesses that often ended up being true." At this point, Alex began to cry. I didn't realize that this would be so hard on him. I walked over to where he was sitting and leaning against the rock, sat down beside him, and hugged him. I stroked his hair and rubbed small circles into his back. I could feel him trying to stifle his crying, but I finally realized how long he has had to hold all of this back. So I gave him the same thing he gave me: a place to let everything out.

"It's ok. Let it out. Let it all out. You've had to keep this with you for so long. I can't imagine what that must've felt like. But I know how much a secret can weigh you down. So just let it all out." I could feel him shaking, as his sobs racked his whole body. He hugged me back, and we sat there for a few moments, while he cried.

After he was done crying, I pulled away. He didn't want me to go too far. So I sat down next to him. But to my surprise, he put his head on my lap! I was about to ask what he was doing, but he looked so lost. So tired, so done with everything, that I couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. So instead, I rubbed my hand through his hair, gently. He seemed to calm down while I rubbed his head. Slowly, I realized that I was starting to care for him. I started to panic because I'd never cared for anyone this way before. But, I knew that he'd answer any question I have, so I decided to ask him another question. "How did you feel toward your older siblings?"

"They were not afraid to tease me. Everything I said or did, they would find some way to make fun of me. It was often frustrating. But as soon as I walked into the house with a frown on my face, or tears in my eyes, they were ready to go to war. Every time I had to stand my ground against someone, they were there, guiding me in what to say. This is how I knew that even though they made fun of me, they still loved me." I let Alex's words sink in. He had teased me at times and wasn't afraid to make me feel embarrassed. But he had also protected me, and had given me a space to share the things that scared, excited, and made me curious. In all ways, he was like an older brother. One I never had.

I looked down at him and declared, "From right now onward, you are my older brother."