The Genesis Saga Chapter 215

Adrian and Reya spent another hour with Jyn before leaving him to his own devices in the music room. The couple spotted Eimir in the living room, alert and ready to keep an eye on Jyn. “How’d it go?” Eimir asked.

Reya smiled. “Better than we could’ve hoped. Keep an eye on him while we go talk with other, will you?”

Eimir nodded and the pair went outside to the firepit, where they saw the others all gathered around. They imdiately ceased their discussion when Reya and Adrian pulled up a chair and took a seat. After spending several hours that afternoon with Jyn, it was growing dark. The small fire kept the chill at bay and provided a comforting warmth.

“How is he?” Beor asked. “He didn’t give you too much trouble, did he?” He’d been worried all day about Jyn, especially after learning of what happened while he’d been out on patrol the night before. He’d could’ve lost his friend without ever knowing and the thought tore at him.

“Surprisingly, no,” Reya said. She proceeded to recount how Jyn had behaved. She explained how he gave the lesson his full attention, much to her and Adrian’s surprise. “He wasn’t exactly into the whole thing until the very end,” she continued. “Now, I think he’ll be spending quite a bit of ti in the music room.”

“What did you show him?” Beor asked, intrigued. “He’s always been dismissive of your music.”

“Dissonance,” Adrian said.

“What’s that?” Beor asked.

Adrian grinned. “Jyn can show you himself tomorrow,” he suggested. “Or whenever he feels ready to have an audience. You can always listen through the door, I know it’s not exactly a soundproof room.”

Beor nodded reluctantly. “I can do that. Maybe he’ll open up a bit.”

“Don’t count on that,” Reya chid. “Listen to what he’s saying through his music, because you’re never going to hear it with words.”

Beor frowned but ultimately agreed. The group stayed together a little while longer until it was ti for Beor and Rann to continue their patrol. Dinner that night consisted of the mouthwatering ration bars. Nobody seed to like the taste of dust except for Adrian, who for reasons that escaped everybody, adored them.

The rest of the evening, Jyn remained holed up in the music room, his only interaction having been to retrieve a ration bar to munch on while he continued fiddling around on the piano. It wasn’t long until Reya and Adrian decided to retire to their room for the night.

“I think we did good today,” Reya said as she clicked the door to their room shut. With everybody still awake and active, there was little risk of being overheard. “Who would’ve thought we’d actually get through to him with music?”

Adrian chuckled. “I’m just as surprised as you are. I know he humored us today, and I’m glad we gave him a way to express himself.” He got changed and slipped into bed. All that was missing was Reya and everything would be complete.

Reya joined him not long after. She snuggled up close to Adrian and sighed contentedly. “It’s been too crazy for my liking lately,” she said. “I feel like we’ve hardly had any ti for us.” She snaked an arm around Adrian and held him tightly. “I thought I’d never see you again,” she whispered, the fear of losing him still fresh in her mory.

Adrian wrapped his arms around her and touched his head to hers. “I thought I was going to die and leave you all alone,” he said. “And when I ca back, you were in the hospital. I thought I’d lost you.”

Reya sniffled. “I’m just glad you ca back to ,” she said.

“Always,” Adrian said softly. “You’re stuck with for eternity,” he teased lightly.

“And what a wonderful forever that will be,” Reya replied. She caressed Adrian’s face and kissed him tenderly. Adrian happily returned the kiss and the pair remained in each other’s embrace for the rest of the night, unwilling to let the other one go. After so long, all was right again. They were together once more and would no longer be apart.

For together was where they belonged.

***

Weeks blurred by without anyone even realizing it. Though he hadn’t made a big deal of it, Adrian had still been experinted on again and his entire deanor remained muted as he adjusted to normalcy once again. Reya was there for him, spending every mont she could by his side when they weren’t helping Jyn work through his own trauma.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Jyn completely fell into his music. The three of them spent long hours in the music room advancing his knowledge and skills. Learning two instrunts was ti consuming, but they had nothing but ti. At the safe house, they were sheltered from the reality of the ongoing war. Tucked away in their own little slice of paradise, Jyn and Adrian finally had the ti properly recover without any added pressure.

The rest of the team remained on high alert at all tis, knowing that the gru’ul might find Adrian and co for him at any mont. Sobody was on the ship at all tis, monitoring their surroundings while the others were permanently combat ready. The undercurrent of tension left everyone coiled tighter than a spring, ready to jump into action at a mont’s notice.

Reya and Kell ensured they kept abreast of any developnts on the news. Day after day, a new city was razed and its inhabitants slaughtered. The army was doing their best and the populace had noticed the drop in their presence globally. So blad them for not doing more, but even their staunchest adversaries recognized that every resource they had was spread thin. Expecting more was but a pipe dream.

Jyn’s newfound obsession found him in the music room late one night at an hour no sensible person would be up. He was at the desk, sheet music scattered around him as he scribbled away the finishing touches to what he’d been working on so intensely. He hadn’t believed Adrian when he’d claid Jyn would be able to express through music that which words failed him. But here he was, finalizing his very own project for sothing he’d scoffed at so long ago.

The hypocrisy wasn’t lost on him.

A soft knock on the door snapped him out of his trance. “Co in,” Jyn called out just loud enough to be heard and not wake anybody sleeping. The door creaked open, and Ava slipped into the room, softly shutting it behind her. A knot imdiately ford in Jyn’s chest. He’d been avoiding Ava since he began his work, unsure how to face her after the words he’d said that fateful night.

“You stopped playing, so I figured now was a good ti,” Ava said hesitantly. Jyn nodded and she continued. “I wanted to check in on you. I know you’ve been avoiding .”

Jyn flushed with sha but forced himself to look Ava in the eyes and confront the choices he’d made. “I didn’t know how to face you after what happened,” he confessed quietly. He gestured towards his work. “You deserve more than my work as an excuse. I’m sorry for what I said and how I treated you that night. You were trying to help and I tore you down.”

Ava regarded Jyn silently. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting out of this confrontation, but to be readily apologized to so quickly left her surprised. “Thank you,” Ava said simply. Her gaze turned distant. “All people see as is a tool. My creators, your military, the others. I think you’re the first one to apologize to for sothing you did.”

“Because the more I look at you the more I see a person and not so soulless machine,” Jyn said. “I’ve heard the stories about you and the way you acted that night don’t match any of them. I don’t think sothing that can’t feel would’ve cried for or told they value living.”

“I’m still learning what being alive ans,” Ava replied, embarrassed. “I thought I’d have it figured out by now.”

Jyn chuckled. “Then you’re just like everyone else. Nobody ever truly figures it out,” he said. “You stopped from making my last mistake. Those thoughts haunt every ti I close my eyes. When all is quiet, I hear them whisper oblivion. They try to convince how sweet it would be.” He closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath.

Ava’s eyes dropped. She was hoping to have made more of a difference. “Please don’t give in,” she said. “Fight for the privilege you have.”

Jyn nodded. “I don’t know who I’ll beco,” he said solemnly, “or whether that man will be a better .”

Ava smiled. “It doesn’t matter,” she said gently. “I can’t wait to et him.”

“Thank you,” Jyn said, relieved.

“What is it you’ve been working on?” Ava asked as she moved towards the desk, eager to change the topic.

Jyn scratched his head, embarrassed to have sobody besides Reya or Adrian see his work. “Adrian showed a musical technique. Dissonance, he called it. He showed the beauty of being flawed when everything around you is perfect.”

“And this is a song you’ve been working on?” Ava asked. “Are you the only musician or are the other two part of included?”

“It’s intended for all of us to play together. I composed the whole thing with their help and I think I’m finally done,” Jyn said.

“Will you play it for everybody?” Ava asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Jyn said sheepishly. “What if it’s not good?” he asked. “What if they others hate it? I’m still not very good at my instrunts yet.”

“I’d like to hear it,” Ava said. “Even if I’m the only one who gets to. I know the rest of your team is imnsely curious about what you’ve been working on the past several weeks.”

A ghost of a smile flickered on Jyn’s lips, the first one to have any modicum of warmth since the mission. “Then we’ll play it for everybody tomorrow,” he declared.

Perhaps he could finally show his pain to the others.

Perhaps finally he’d be understood.

Jyn could hardly wait.

***

True to his word, the following day found the living room transford into an impromptu concert venue. The couches and chairs were moved aside to give Jyn, Adrian, and Reya the space to set up their instrunts. Jyn had already confird with Reya and Adrian if they were fine with the sudden performance.

When he saw them light up at the ntion he knew he had nothing to worry about.

It made for a rare mont where everybody was gathered in one place at the sa ti since returning to the safe house weeks ago. They’d even managed to move the piano out of the music room for Adrian’s part.

In what felt like no ti at all, Jyn suddenly found himself facing a group of expectant faces. He gulped hard, suddenly very parched. “Thank you all for making ti for us today,” he said awkwardly. “I haven’t been easy to be around lately,” he said, finding his voice. “You all know about what happened on the ship. That day was horrible for . I never thought I’d ever be in such a state, but I won’t deny it happened.

“The orange chemical is a pain like no other,” he continued. “No word in any language will ever capture such agony. Adrian and Reya showed one that might co close, though. For all that I berated their music in the past, I find myself imnsely grateful for their patience with as I work through what happened.

Jyn looked around and saw tears welling in Beor’s eyes. “I’m sorry for the way I was before. In a way, that man died that day in the facility. Today, I feel like nothing more than an echo of who I once was. I don’t know if I’ll ever be whole again, but I hope I can start making ands. It’s a bit late, I know,” he said, “but I’d rather start now than never. Today I’d like to share with you all sothing I composed, so that maybe you’ll understand who I am now.”

Jyn went to the cello, his instrunt of choice for his song, while Adrian and Reya readied themselves on the piano and bass. Nobody interrupted them and remained utterly silent when Jyn gave a quiet countdown to start.

Jyn played the first note. It was a deep, strong, beautiful note whose sound filled the room with a pleasant hum. He strung it along the second and third notes, teasing out a slow lody alone. Reya’s bass filled the room several seconds later with deep, reverberating notes that wrapped Jyn’s music in a warm hug. Before the others knew it, Adrian joined in and together they joined in harmony.

The piece continued until Jyn shattered the beautiful song with a single out of place note. The harsh dissonance clashed with what filled the room but monts before. Jyn continued, and soon he played completely at odds with Reya and Adrian, standing out amongst the three of them as sothing that didn’t belong.

Without warning, Reya changed her lody to match Jyn’s and the two turned a pleasant mont into sothing sadder, more haunted. Adrian shifted his fingers on the piano and shattered the remaining happiness the song had to offer.

The three of them played in tandem, their instrunts screaming out their pain. The eerie lody had the potential to be among one of the best songs the group had heard yet, but instead it sounded broken. Hollow. Empty.

Through his music, Jyn told his story. A man once proud and whole reduced to nothing more than an echo of his forr glory. The song brimd with potential. It could’ve been sothing more. Sothing greater. But instead it remained broken as seconds turned into minutes.

With yet another slight shift in his fingers, Adrian once again returned back to his forr glory, but now playing a different song. It was once again at odds with what Jyn and Reya were playing, until Reya seamlessly changed her lody from one note to the next, suddenly fitting in with Adrian’s new beat.

Jyn was once again the odd one out — the missing piece to a new harmony. And then, he fit. As though he’d always belonged with the other two. Jyn’s cello sang alongside Reya and Adrian and together they were beautiful once more but undeniably different than who they’d been at the beginning.

Before the others knew it, the song was over.

Jyn snapped out of his trance, forcing himself to look towards the rest. Each person had a different reaction and he couldn’t decide whether they’d liked the song or not. He scanned the room, his gaze stopping on Beor, who was crying without sha, tears streaming down his face.

“We never knew,” Beor said, completely choked up. He could hardly get another word out and instead got up and made for Jyn. Unsure what to expect, Jyn stood up as well, only to find himself in a crushing hug from Beor. “Please,” Beor said, “don’t leave us. We love you, and we’ll never be ready to lose you.”

“I won’t,” Jyn said, feeling accepted for who he was becoming rather than being judged against who he once was. It was strange. It was alien.

And for a mont, Jyn felt complete.