[ Maybe it's hard for Ernesto to fully understand and appreciate the weight that Rand is carrying. In his mind destiny, prophecies, chosen ones? Those are things of stories, and not the reality that anyone actually has to live through. There was nothing particularly special about him, other than he had a very ambitious father with lofty goals. The success for the group he worked for might have in part been riding on his ability to deliver on a plan, but at the end of the day their failure wasn't ultimately his sole responsibility either.

He's another cog in the machine, and in some ways there's a strange amount of relief in that. It's not that he doesn't feel responsible for things, or that he doesn't feel guilt for how his actions or inaction has made a difference.

But the weight of a literal world isn't sitting squarely on his shoulders, and while he might still feel guilt about being told that someone was targeted because of him, he'd also have a lot easier a time acknowledging the culpability of the person doing the targeting in the first place.

He's not entirely certain Rand can.

Ernesto watches those nervous hands twist over themselves, realizing that even though Rand is sitting still, he's bursting with anxious energy, and wondering what the right words are to relieve some of that, even for a moment. ]

Right... so the person who attacked her had a bad reason for doing so.

[ It's overly simple, and Ernesto realizes that, but it's still true. ]

What exactly have you done to any of the Kenoma that would lead to them attacking you or someone close to you? Because just existing and believing something they don't doesn't count, but that's the justification they're trying to use.

[ His gaze moves from Rand's hands back up to his face. ]

So I'm saying it again... you know it's not your fault, right?