Chapter Twenty-One

Brother Sharpens Brother Part II

Jay blinked at Zane's words.

"Are you-" he sniffed, "Are you sure?".

Zane nodded. Great. Now, Jay thought, not only was he looking like a big, sniveling baby, but now he was going to pour his heart out and look even more ridiculous!

Well, Jay thought, I might as well get it off my chest.

"It's like I can't stop thinking about them," he began. "I knew it wasn't gonna be easy, but-".

Zane remained silent. He kept his eyes fixed on the starry sky. Jay could only tell out of the corner of his eyes, as he continued to avoid eye contact. The front of his shirt continued to soak with each splash of tears.

He choked, "I wanted to help them so badly, Zane, but I couldn't! They were suffering and I just- God, it was awful!".

Streams of tears poured out from him; it seemed like this was a recurring thing that was not going to end. Zane scooted closer and did something Jay was not expecting. Zane extended his hand out and rested it on Jay's shoulder. Jay flinched at his touch, switching his thoughts between feeling humiliated and shivering with discomfort.

"Like, how am I supposed to respond to that?!" Jay sputtered.

Zane sighed. His hand never left Jay's shoulder, and as Jay sobbed and choked, Zane moved closer to him and pulled him into his embrace. Jay fell weak into his arms and was now staining his brother's shirt. Everything that he had bottled up inside of him, tormenting his rest, was coming out of him like a downpour. Not even the hooting of the owls nor the chirp of the crickets overpowered his sobs. The breeze of the night air blew through in reply and carried his sadness away with them into the night.

Jay pulled away from Zane, "What were you doing out here in the first place?"

He had been curious as to why no one was in the room when he left but hadn't expected to run into Zane or anyone for the matter. In the struggle with his emotions, he had forgotten to ask.

"I have been keeping watch," Zane replied. "I have been experiencing the same distress since we returned, and I wanted to calm my nerves by making sure everyone was safe tonight".

"What about the rest of the guys?" Jay asked.

Zane scooted away from Jay and shrugged his shoulders, "They were not in the room when I left".

"My brain's been in such a mess-" Jay shook his head, ashamed that he hadn't been able to recollect his thoughts. "I can't even remember if they ever were ever in the room with me in the first place or if they were gone before I even tried to go to sleep".

Zane reassured him in the best way he could, "I am certain that they, too, are finding their way to be at peace. They will return soon".

"I guess so".

The air blew through, and the two returned to silence. Zane looked straight ahead at the winding path leading up to the monastery. The big wooden doors behind them creaked with the wind.

"Zane," Jay croaked.

Zane turned to Jay.

"Thanks," Jay whispered.

#

On the other side of the mountain, a young man walks alone. The tall grass whips at his legs, wrapping around his ankles with every step he takes. He is barefoot and dressed in a white T-shirt with loose-legged red pants. It's quiet around him, apart from the sound of the grass bending low as he treads through. It had only been a few minutes into the darkness of the night when he lost his footing and slipped into the moist earth. He landed with a grunt and felt his left leg splash into the water.

He turned and pressed his palms into the mud, hoisting his leg back onto the grass. His knees dug into the earth. Now his pants were stained with mud.

"Sorry, Misako," he sighed.

If it weren't for the fact that he had needed some fresh air, it would have been easier to deal with his thoughts and this mess. Ever since the trip to 'The Unknown', Kai and the rest of his teammates had been in a state of disarray. He had ventured out on his own because he just couldn't stand the thoughts that plagued his mind, but despite this, he got a sudden calming sense of peace. The moon shone upon the water he landed in and revealed the current babbling through. Kai turned and slowly stuck his hands into the water: cold, and pulsing through his fingers. He could feel the slight tug of the current and the calming sensation beat in him again. There was only one place he ever felt that, and it was with one person.

His eyes glistened as he breathed, "Blaire".