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Kai didn’t have a sixth sense like Zane’s.
And yet he knew it was going to happen before it did.
He saw it in the steely glint in her eyes as Benthomaar talked about Nyad merging with the sea. A cold sinking dread had filled him.
There was certainty in those brown eyes, a fire like Kai’s own.
She was going to do it.
And he knew it.
It was funny. Nya used to be nothing like her element.
She used to be nothing like the ocean she’d become.
And yet the sea took her away like a prize.
The Nya that Kai had raised was impatient.
Water took the shape of its container. Nya would probably destroy the container screaming at the top of her lungs…
Or so he’d thought.
Nya was more like her element than he ever knew.
Fluid. Restless. Impossible to hold.
She was gentle enough to comfort the team.
Yet she was fierce enough to bloody the nose of anyone who dared cross her.
The sister who Kai had always thought needed the most protection…
She’d ended up protecting all of them.
Once upon a time, Kai would’ve been furious. He would have fought the sea with his bare hands, yelling at it to give his sister back.
Now Kai knew better.
While Jay screamed at Nya to come back, Kai just watched as his sister drifted away. Something shattered in him. The younger Kai who still lived in his headspace started yelling, urging him to go, call after her damn it, she'll listen, come on she'll listen, please don't leave Nya, please please don't leave me!
The older Kai stayed silent.
Because he knew it. He knew her.
Kai knew that Nya was an unstoppable force who did whatever the hell she wanted. Not even he could stop her from doing what she did.
It would’ve been torture for Nya to see them lose.
She had never liked failure.
Kai knew it. He knew Nya. Better than anyone. And yet…
Jay accused him of not caring about his sister, but he did.
How could he say that? When he raised her?!
He’d tied her hair. Fed her, even at the expense of his own nutrition. Scolded her. Protected her. Watched her grow into the Nya everyone else knew.
The first time he’d cooked since then, he’d made an extra serving of her favourite noodles.
It sat on Nya’s side of the table until dinner ended.
Cole had taken it with a strained smile.
“More noodles for me!” Cole had laughed, but his laugh was wobbly and there were tears in his eyes.
Lloyd had run off then, and Kai could hear his broken sobs.
Zane just sat there, watching them with emotionless blue optics.
Kai cried himself to sleep that night.
Knowing Nya the best didn't make it easier.
It only meant he knew exactly what she'd tell him if she were standing here.
She'd kick his butt if she caught him moping around. She’d tell him to go be useful.
So he did. He trained children to fight in a world of no mercy, preparing them for the real world just as he had done for Nya.
And when the team came together, he tried to be enthusiastic. He tried to become the glue of the team just as Nya had been. Just as she would have desired.
He knew it. He knew her.
And Kai could only hope he did what Nya would’ve wanted.