Trygve has regained control.
“Stop resisting me,”Trygve shouts.“Useless boy.”
Gritting my teeth, I take one step toward Nils. Another.
My brother is still in there. I won’t give up on him.
“I know you, Nils,” I say through gritted teeth, “and this isn’t you.”
Nils clutches his head, nails finding flesh.
I don’t know who is in control anymore. Ifanyoneis.
“No!” my brother screams.
Light explodes from his mouth, filling the room, until Nils collapses. Another blast of energy follows, sending cracks splitting through the walls.
“Nils!”
I can’t tell if he’s unconscious or worse.
Finally, I reach him—
And throw my arms around him, pulling him against me.
As I embrace him, my world is swallowed by light.
Suddenly, I’m standing in a bright hospital. My mother holds a tiny wiggling baby, all bundled in blankets, against her chest.This is your brother, Nils,she says, offering him to me with a smile. As I accept him into my arms, he seems so impossibly small. Fragile. I didn’t want to have a brother. But as soon as I hold him, I love him.I will protect you, I promise him as I plant a kiss on his soft forehead.
I blink, and the memory clears, but I still hold Nils in my arms. Fresh tears fill my eyes as I’m overcome by emotion. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you.”
Arms wrap around me. “A-Amund?”
“Nils!” I crush him against me.
He’s no longer illuminated.
He’s in control of his body again.
As my brother hugs me, I don’t let go of Nils. I’ll never let him go again. We cry in each other’s arms. Debris rains from the ceiling, crashing to the ground around us.
“What am I supposed to do now?” Nils whispers.
“We’re going to get you the help you need,” I tell him, climbing to my feet. “But first you need to take accountability for your actions.”
Nils searches my face slowly. “I can’t, Amund.”
“You can.” I offer him my hand. “We both can choose differently this time.”
Nils hesitates.
After a long moment, he grabs my hand. I help him onto his feet as rubble rains down around us.
Chunks of stone fall from the ceiling, crashing around where our father lies on the ground. He must have regained consciousness while I was distracted. Father tries to rise but cannot.
His legs are broken.
“Help me, Amund,” Father calls out.
