Work Text:
Who would have thought that Bruno could be so still? When he was around his family or when he would get nervous, he would be talking with his hands to make a point. Every single time. Gestures bigger than life, weird rituals, the constant fidgeting of his fingers that is what’s made him so lively to onlookers. All of those gestures have meaning behind them that most people couldn’t understand and have not even a vague idea why they were there. However, the stillness was something entirely different. Not even Bruno was aware he could be still for longer periods.
Even to him, at this point, the fidgety part of him seemed to be a fixed part of his personality and just another way of expressing himself without the need for words. But what not many could understand was the fact that his gift required immense focus. He could not simply create a prophecy just like that. Normal visions, sure, these happened involuntarily, even in his sleep. But prophecies took an insane amount of concentration.
As one could imagine, Casita was not the ideal place to keep one’s mind on one particular task, as there was always something to do or somebody that was talking your ear off. Bruno’s room did provide him with a sense of seclusion and room to breathe, but he couldn’t find his inner peace there. Too many thoughts were going through his head in that space; too many what-ifs. Not to mention, the fantastical aspect of the room always reminded him of his gift that felt more like a curse. Too many painful moments took place there to feel safe.
Which is why nobody had to know what it actually took to control his gift; it’s not like they would understand. Nobody had to know what he goes through.
Every hour is filled with visions, and every time he lays down in bed, wishing for a sweet relief of sleep, he still gets woken up drenched in sweat from vision-stricken sleep. His eyes suddenly opened, searching for something he couldn’t see, breathing elevated, on the verge of panic, it felt like his chest was collapsing in on itself.
‘Why it always has to be something horrifying, why can’t I see something good for once?’ he questioned while desperately trying to get his breathing under control. He already could feel his headache coming.
Nobody had to know he was sneaking away almost every night. This particular evening took him to the forest.
Moon illuminating the green of the grass he stepped on, the softest breeze that ruffled his curls, the smell of the trees, the sound of his breath. There was nobody there, not a person, not an animal in sight, only the sound, light, and the feel of the forest at night. Everything bathed in the soft shades of the moonlight. The only presence he felt was his own. Not being used to the silence of his own mind was as much freeing as it was terrifying.
Bruno closed his eyes, letting his inner self decide on the destination. Depriving yourself of such an important sense in these circumstances might not have been the best of his ideas; however, he never stumbled, not even once. That was odd. Bruno was known for being clumsy. Not paying it any mind, he took another deep breath. He could feel his chest expanding, shoulders relaxing, arms loosely swinging by his sides, feet carrying him with ease. At one point, he turned his face upwards, painting his face in the moonlight.
After what felt like millennia, he stopped walking, as it felt like the right place to be. Slowly opening his eyes, at first, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary about this spot. Trees all around him, few thick bushes, no path in sight, only grass and flowers. His eyes seemed to focus on one spot in the middle of the grass. Not paying it any more mind, he walked towards it and sat down. Sited, he took another deep breath and looked around himself once more. From this perspective, trees felt bigger than life; not only trees, everything seemed so much bigger, terrifyingly so; but to Bruno, it felt calm, quiet. His mind was not racing to understand a vision; he didn’t even feel like any involuntary visions were knocking at his consciousness. Finally, quiet. Everything around him slowed down, it felt like he was watching everything unfold in slow-motion right before his eyes.
On their own accord, his eyelids closed; it felt so peaceful being here. No thoughts, only sensations. The most prominent one was the soft, warm breeze on his skin, which gave him a sense of security like a cosy blanket. From time to time, he was aware of the fleeting sound of wings beating through the air. Adding to the harmony of sounds was a rustling of leaves from above him. But underneath it all, the softest sound of water rang. Slowly, methodically adding new sensation to the peaceful symphony that was playing in his mind.
‘What, a river?’ he thought, suddenly snapping his eyes open and frantically looking around himself, turning his body in every direction.
Nothing.
‘There is a river here?’ he thought to himself as he closed his eyes again. This time focusing on the sound that surprised him rather than the feel of the breeze. Soon enough, he heard it again, quietly, softly, the sound of water rushing over rocks. At first, he couldn’t grasp where the sound was coming from; it felt like it was just swimming faintly in the back of his head. However, he decided not to stress over it and let it be. It sounded pleasant to his ears, like a balm on sore skin. It felt so much better to hear the soothing sound of water rather than the everyday clamour he was used to. He could almost feel his worries get washed away.
Not focusing on the sound and just letting it wash over him was the best decision he could make, as it seemed to amplify on its own over time. Now, he could clearly hear water rushing over rocks, the occasional splash created by fish jumping out, maybe even a deer slowly crossing the river to the other side. The water illuminated by the moonlight had the most beautiful shade of turquoise Bruno had ever seen. He didn’t even notice that it felt so realistic, almost like he was right there, standing by the riverside, observing, absorbing the peace.
When he opened his eyes, he could see fireflies rising from the flowers surrounding him. They looked like they were sparkling, and there were hundreds of them, illuminating the whole clearing and Bruno with it. Their sight was entrancing, magical. You can’t come across things like that when you are in a hurry or at war with yourself.
He sat there spectating the surrounding beauty. Bruno never felt so much at peace with himself and his gift than at that moment. Maybe now he could actually sleep.
As he moved, he was unaware that his eyes kept glowing the softest shade of green.