Igneous watched the waves come and go on the beach's edge. The waves mesmerized him, as well as the sound of the wind. He looked up and saw the multicolored sky. And on the horizon, where the sea met the sky, he could see a line of black mist.
Justan's boat was close to shore, rocking with the rhythm of the waves. Waiting for the Marked Ones.
'Eider...,' he wailed inside.
Igneous dug his fingers into the soft sand and squeezed hard.
'Eider... why?'
He was so, so close… after so much searching. He was SO close… and in the end…his brother slipped away, like wet sand between fingers.
Alya sat down next to Igneous and looked out over the horizon. She remained silent, accompanying the loneliness of her friend.
"You must have been terrified," Igneous said, still looking at the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves.
"The truth is that... it was terrifying."
"Sorry. I'm so sorry for what you had to endure."
