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The summer of 1976 was different in the bleak halls of the Black family home. The halls were darker than before, a lack of presence was the cause. One less soul inhabited these walls, the one soul in the family that had seemed to hold any light in it. All the other souls were bitter and black, much like the noble name they carried. No one really seemed to care about the lack of warmth and light in the house. In fact, they seemed to embrace the calm darkness that had taken hold. That presence had only ever been a nuisance since it stepped out of line. Going against everything they had believed in for years, sullying the noble and ancient name he carried by merely existing. He never truly fit, even as a small child he had been out of line but that had only gotten worse with time. The breaking point had been that first day in school when he had been placed into the house that defied their entire blood line. But now that didn’t matter. They didn’t need to deal with him, he was gone, gone for good without ever looking back at the halls that had haunted him for years.
Now, the boy lay in the lawn of a home that had always accepted him yet never really been his until now. He stared up at the starry night, watching stars and constellations twinkle and flicker in the sky. He was searching for a specific star, a star he had known for most of his life. A star he had abandoned, not that he felt all that bad but there was still a small sting. The star was once a close connection, but that had long since burned up like many stars before. When he found it, he just stared at it as it twinkled so far above him. Thinking of its counterpart here on earth and how things between them were now. Harsh, cold, and full of animosity. Much like the star itself, he was miles away, emotionally and physically.
He wonders if things would be different if he had truly rebelled earlier, if he had convinced his brother to share his views. What if they had run away together and his parents had no one left to continue their abusive and horrible ways? What if he had been able to save himself and his brother from their home? But he couldn’t, there was no point wondering really. They had both chosen their ways and were now on their own paths. They’d see each other again at school, but that would be it. He now lived in a warm sunny home, he wouldn’t go back no matter what. The idea of entering the cold lifeless walls was far out of mind.
Regulus was around 79.3 light years away and yet it gained the attention of him tonight as it had many nights before since he left. The star was the closest thing he had to his brother now, he couldn’t bring himself to see him in person now. Not until he had no choice, so this is how he would spend his summers. Staring at the star like it would make any difference down here on earth. That wasn’t how things worked, but nothing could change his mind once he had it set on something. Maybe somehow his brother would get his message, change his mind… That's what he hoped at least.
But soon enough, the star was covered by the dark clouds. He watched it disappear, once it was gone he sighed. Sitting up and finally getting up off the grass, brushing himself off before heading back inside. The warmth enveloped him and he quickly forgot all those emotions for a short time, smiling and laughing with his new family.