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It's quiet.
("I don't really remember them that much anymore. That's okay, though. I don’t need to. I have you.")
Kai's never really liked quiet. He's never really had quiet.
("...Yeah. We have each other. I promise everything's gonna be okay as long as we do.")
Of course, having lived with Jay for the better part of nearly eight years means getting accustomed to the constant chattering. Video games and sparring and petty arguments were pretty regular background noise, too. It's never been quiet here.
("Then everything's just gonna always be okay. 'Cause we're always gonna have each other.")
After Zane's temporary demise, they had all left. After Master Wu's short-term disappearance they had parted ways again. But...in pairs that time. The silence that had weighed on him every night before Zane came back was something he never wanted to experience again.
("Yeah. Because I'm always gonna look out for you.")
But this is almost worse. They're all here. Not all of them. Nobody's left. Yet. And the only sound to be heard is the second hand on the clock, burying Kai deeper into his own thoughts with every agonizingly monotonous tick.
("I'll look out for you too. You need someone to. No offense, but you do a lot of stupid things.")
Zane's meditating. Well. He says he's meditating. Kai's never been particularly good at it, but he's pretty sure it requires a lot less pacing back and fourth for hours. Lloyd's asleep again. Kai isn't exactly sure how, because he definitely hasn't gotten any sleep in the last twenty-four hours, and judging by the dark circles under Jay's eyes, he hasn't either.
("Oh, right, like you never do anything stupid. Like...taking apart a microwave and putting it back together all weird. I mean I guess it still works, but...anyway. We should probably go to bed now. Goodnight, Nya. Love you.")
Jay also has dried tear tracks down his cheeks. Kai's jealous. He's had a lump in his throat all day. All night, too, which was mostly spent sitting up in bed staring at the wall across from him for hours that felt like eternities.
("Goodnight, Kai. Love you too.")
He doesn't even really feel sad, which is undoubtedly the worst part. He should be sad. He should be devastated. But he can't get himself to cry. He can't...he can't feel anything, it's all just...
This wasn't supposed to happen.
We were supposed to always look out for each other.
What am I supposed to do now?
What the hell am I supposed to do?
Nothing.
Kai breathes.
It's the only thing he can do.
He breathes, and he listens.
They're not too far away from the ocean. When he strains his ears he can hear it, crashing against the shore. He watches himself stand up, carefully close the door behind him, and walk down the staircase embedded into the mountain.
He drags his hand across the stone wall as he walks down.
It's quiet.
But not silent.
He stops in front of the water, hands in his pockets, blank look on his face and even blanker feeling in his chest.
Kai takes a deep breath and stares at it for a moment.
"Um," he whispers.
And...there it is.
It's not a flood. It doesn't happen all at once. But eventually, after what feels like hours but is only minutes (or maybe the other way around. He can't really tell.) the numb feeling in his chest is quelled ever so slightly, and there are tears prickling in his eyes. He sits down cross-legged in the sand.
His voice cracks when he finally speaks again.
"H-hey, sis."