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The room was quiet in the way only their room ever was—lived-in, familiar, filled with the soft hum of the ship’s engines beneath everything like a heartbeat.
Three beds, though only two were properly used. One was neatly made, corners sharp and precise. Another was occupied, sheets half-tangled around a broad-shouldered figure. The third… existed mostly as a place where things were tossed and occasionally slept on.
Halilintar sat at the desk by the wall, posture straight despite the hours, fingers moving with quick, precise taps across his console. The glow of the screen reflected faintly in his eyes, focused and intent.
Gempa lay on his back across his bed, one arm tucked behind his head, the other holding a book just above his face. He turned a page slowly, expression calm, relaxed in a way he never was outside this room.
Taufan hovered upside-down a few feet off the floor, spinning slightly in place, staring at absolutely nothing.
“…I’m bored,” he announced.
Neither of his brothers responded.
Taufan rotated midair, now right-side up, then sideways, then upside-down again. “I said I’m bored.”
“Tragic,” Gempa said, not looking up.
Halilintar clicked something, unfazed. “Find something to do.”
“I am trying,” Taufan insisted. “You’re just not appreciating the process.”
“Your process is complaining.”
“It’s a vital step.”
Gempa hummed absently, flipping another page.
There was a pause.
Then—
“Would you still love me if I was a worm?”
Gempa’s page stopped mid-turn.
Halilintar didn’t look away from his screen. “No.”
Taufan gasped, dropping abruptly onto the floor. “You answered that too fast. How heartless of you, Li!” He wailed, hands clutching dramatically at his chest. "Didn't even hesitate..." He sniffed.
“I’m playing ranked,” Halilintar said. “Ask me again in five minutes.”
“That’s not how love works!”
Gempa snorted quietly, lowering his book just enough to glance over. “You’d get stepped on.”
“I would not get stepped on!”
“You’re small. You’d forget to move.”
“I would adapt.”
Halilintar clicked again. “You struggle to adapt to schedules.”
“That’s different!”
Gempa finally sighed, closing his book and setting it aside on his chest. “Yeah, I’d still love you.”
Taufan perked up immediately. “See? See, this is why you’re my favorite sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” Halilintar echoed dryly.
“You just said you wouldn’t love me!”
“I said ask me later.”
“That’s worse!”
Gempa smirked faintly. “I’d keep you in a container.”
“…A container.”
“With dirt.”
“That’s slightly better.” Taufan said with false cheer.
“Air holes,” Gempa added.
“Okay, now we’re talking.”
Halilintar exhaled through his nose, then—without looking away from his screen (as if it could hide the sentimentality he was about to unleash) —muttered, “Yes.”
Taufan froze. “Yes?”
“Yes, I would still love you if you were a worm.”
Taufan grinned, rolling onto his back. “You do care.”
“I'd also say you’d be annoying.”
“I’d be a charming worm.”
“You’d be loud somehow.”
“What can I say," Hair toss. A light breeze coming in to discreetly enhance the action. "Its a talent.”
Taufan rolled onto his stomach, chin propped in his hands. “Okay, next question.”
Gempa groaned softly. “There’s more?”
Halilintar muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like regret.
Taufan, the handsome, loving, and atttentive brother he was, promptly ignored his brothers.
“Would you still love me if I was a cloud?” He asked.
Gempa blinked. “A cloud.”
“Yeah. Big, fluffy, majestic. Drifting in the sky for everyone to see.” His arms stretched wide like Rose in Titanic and he floated just a bit higher—his hair just barely brushing the ceiling.
“You’d block the sun,” Gempa said.
“That’s my purpose.” Taufan laughed, doing a backflip in the air. He let himself fall a bit midway then caught himself around the height he was floating in previously.
“I’d still love you,” Gempa admitted. “But I’d complain.”
“That’s fair.”
Halilintar tilted his head slightly, still focused on his game. “Knowing you, you’d get blown away.”
"I wouldn't!"
"You would."
“Then I’d just come back stronger!”
“That’s not how clouds work.” Halilintar briefly looked away from his game to shoot him a level gaze.
“Not with that attitude!” Taufan shot back, doubling down with a defiant sniff. He caught their other brother’s snort of amusement and flashed a sharp, toothy grin.
Outnumbered and out-voted, Halilintar let out a long, weary exhale. “The answer is still yes,” he muttered, his voice thick with the regret of a thousand lifetimes.
Taufan beamed.
“Okay, okay—what about… if I was a rock?”
Gempa raised an eyebrow. “You’re downgrading.”
“Hey, rocks are cool.”
“You’d be a very talkative rock,” Gempa said.
“I’d be 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦.”
Halilintar huffed faintly. “Yes.”
Gempa nodded. “Yeah.”
Taufan squinted at them. “That was too easy. You guys answered too fast.”
“You asked if we’d love you as a worm,” Gempa said. “Standards are low now.”
“Rude.”
Taufan floated up again, drifting lazily toward the ceiling. “Would you still love me if I was… a villain?”
That made Halilintar pause.
Just for a second.
Gempa, on the other hand, had no visible reaction—except for his eyes. His gaze shifted, more attentive now.
“…Depends,” Gempa said slowly. “Are you actually evil, or just being dramatic?”
“Hey!” Taufan crossed his arms and pouted.
Halilintar’s voice was quieter this time. “I’d stop you.”
Taufan blinked.
“I’d still love you,” Halilintar continued, his gaze firmly set on his screen. “but I wouldn’t let you hurt people.”
Gempa nodded. “Yeah. Same.” Then smiled, a light tease on his voice as he said, "couldn't say it better, Li."
Halilintar's cheeks a slight redness to them now. "..." He slightly rotated the swivel chair away from them as if that could help him hide.
Taufan stared at them for a moment… then smiled, softer this time. “Okay. Good answer.”
For a long moment, the room fell into a rare, comfortable silence, the three of them steeping in the quiet warmth of each other’s presence.
Until Taufan—of course—had to break it.
“Would you still love me if I was a fish?”
Gempa groaned. “We were having a moment.”
“I can be a meaningful fish.” Taufan continued as if he never spoke.
“You’d drown,” Gempa deadpanned.
“I'm a fish! I wouldn't drown!”
“You’d find a way.”
Halilintar snorted under his breath.
“Yes,” he said, the answer rolling off easy on him now—unlike at the beginning. “We’d still love you.”
Taufan grinned. “Knew it.”
He rolled midair, pointing dramatically at Gempa. “Your turn. Ask something.”
Gempa frowned. “Why me?”
“Because you’re participating now. No backing out.”
Gempa sighed, rubbing his temple. “…Fine.”
He thought for a moment.
“…Would you still love me if I couldn’t use my powers anymore?”
Taufan didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Halilintar answered just as quickly. “Of course.”
Gempa studied them, searching—then nodded once. “Alright.”
Taufan leaned forward eagerly. “Another one.”
“You’re enjoying this far too much.”
“Pot, meet kettle. Admit it! You guys are enjoying it exactly as much as I am!”
Halilintar shrugged, his eyes fixed on the screen in a desperate attempt at feigned indifference.
While Gempa merely rolled his eyes, letting out a soft huff that was more fond than annoyed. He was silent for a moment—thinking—then asked,
“…Would you still love me if I was… weaker than you?”
Taufan blinked. “You’re already weaker than me.”
Gempa grabbed his pillow and threw it. It hit Taufan midair with a whump.
“Hey!”
Halilintar didn’t even look up. “Should have done a few minutes ago.”
Gempa snorted.
“Okay, okay,” Taufan laughed. “Seriously—yes. Obviously.”
Halilintar nodded faintly. “That wouldn’t change anything.”
Gempa relaxed slightly, picking his book back up—but not opening it.
“…Your turn,” he said, glancing toward Halilintar.
Halilintar didn’t respond immediately. His fingers slowed on the console.
“…Would you still love me,” he said after a moment, “if I lost my powers?”
Taufan propped himself up on his elbows. “Yes.”
Gempa nodded. “Obviously.”
Halilintar’s gaze stayed fixed on the screen, but his shoulders eased just slightly.
“Why wouldn’t we?” Taufan added. “You’d still be you.”
“Maybe less annoying,” Gempa said.
“I am not—”
“You absolutely are.”
Halilintar exhaled softly.
Silence settled again—but this time, it stayed.
The hum of the ship filled the space.
His game continued running.
But his hands stilled.
“…Would you still love me,” Halilintar asked quietly, “if I were a stone?”
Taufan blinked, then laughed. “I think I’ve finally corrupted him, Gem.”
Gempa smirked. “I didn't expect 𝘺𝘰𝘶 to be asking those type of questions.'"
“I’m serious,” Halilintar said.
Taufan waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah. Of course we would. You’d be a very cool stone.”
Gempa nodded. “And deadly.”
“I’d carry you around,” Taufan added. “Keep you in my pocket. Talk to you all the time.”
“You already do that,” Gempa said.
“Yeah, but now he can’t interrupt me.”
“I don’t interrupt.”
“You do.”
“Only when necessary.”
“Which is always.”
Gempa chuckled. “I’d put you somewhere safe.”
Taufan grinned. “See? You’re stuck with us. Stone or not.”
Halilintar looked at them.
Really looked.
And for a brief moment, something unreadable flickered across his expression—
then softened.
“…Good,” he said.
Gempa tilted his head. “Why stone, though?”
Halilintar opened his mouth—
“Wait!” Taufan gasp, as if a genius-level idea came to him. He turned to them, leveling the with a serious look and asked, “Would you still love me if I was a chair—”
Gempa groaned, throwing the pillow again.
Halilintar’s answer never came.
The moment dissolved into laughter.
—
The wind was quieter here.
Taufan knelt in the grass, fingers trembling as they brushed against the carved name in the stone.
He let out a shaky breath.
“…Remember that question I asked?” he whispered. “The worm one…”
A hollow laugh slipped out.
“You answered so 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵. Didn't you?”
His hand pressed flat against the grave.
“You asked yours too.”
His voice cracked.
“…Stone.”
Silence.
“…Maybe if we didn’t laugh,” he murmured. “Maybe if we didn’t say we’d love you even then…”
His fingers curled.
“Maybe you wouldn’t have been so ready to become it.”
The wind passed gently over the hill.
And the stone did not answer.