The night swallowed Kai without ceremony.
No dramatic thunder.
No final words.
Just the soft click of the door behind him as he stepped out into the cold, a small bag hanging from his shoulder.
The house stayed asleep.
Sora dreamed.
Eloine watched.
Kai walked down the empty street, his footsteps echoing in the quiet. Every step felt heavier than the last, not because he was afraid, but because he was leaving behind too many hearts that were still tied to his.
The bus station was nearly empty.
A stray cat sat near a vending machine. A tired old man slept on a bench. Kai bought his ticket with shaking hands, choosing the town far from everything that had begun to tear him apart.
His grandparents' town.
When the bus finally arrived, he boarded without looking back.
The city faded into lights, then into shadows, then into nothing.
For the first time in years, there were no voices in his head.
Only silence.
It was terrifying.
And it was beautiful.
Morning came without him.
Sora stood in his doorway, staring at the empty bed.
"Eloine," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Where's Kai?"
"He left," Eloine said calmly. "Last night."
Sora's heart dropped.
At school, his desk sat empty.
Ayko felt something break inside her.
Rin felt a distant psychic quiet that made her uneasy.
Mira didn't speak.
And Eloine… Eloine simply smiled.
The bus stopped at a small, forgotten station.
Kai stepped off into cool air and open sky.
The town was quiet. Too quiet.
But for the first time, that quiet didn't hurt.
His grandparents' house stood just beyond the station, old and warm and waiting. When he knocked, his grandmother pulled him into a hug without asking anything.
"You can stay," she whispered.
Kai believed her.
That night, he lay in bed listening to nothing.
No thoughts.
No noise.
No war.
Just the soft ticking of a clock and his own heartbeat.
He was safe.
And then…
The blue came.
A calm presence stood beside him, unseen but real.
"I can feel you," a soft voice whispered.
Kai's heart tightened.
Not with fear.
With something closer to hope.