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- Stillness.
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xxxxThose were the words that echoed in Kai's ears. In addition, to the sounds of a young child that felt all too familiar, then he couldn't hear anything. The sound was both audible and silent at the same time. Finally, however, it was heard. Then there was darkness. It yanked and clawed at him like a crazed beast. Then it all became clear. And all that was left was a hazy vision of Hadrien. Then it dawned on him. That's what he heard. His older brother's gentle and joyful laughter resembled the ocean waves that extended in front of him. as if to say, 'hello.' Then he turned to face Kai, who was taken aback by the brilliance of it all. His brother was smiling as he raced to his frère. As the wind smacked at his young cheeks and the pattern of his bare feet vanished into the sand, he raced with outstretched arms. But when Ren came closer to Kai, the light faded, and he was drowning, drowning, drowning.
xxxThen there was silence...x
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The only thing left was the sound of... water splashing? Malachai blinked his eyes open, his gaze fixated on the present. Water was overflowing from the sink, which Kai held on with both hands on the opposite side of the porcelain sink.
xxxx“Merde!” he swore in foreign words as he pivoted his oxfords from the puddle of water. He looked down at his hands and shook them dry in unison. He had lost control of his abilities yet again. Water manipulation, it irritated him like a fish out of water since it made him feel imprisoned in the power that had taken his brother away. He gave himself a long, thoughtful look in the mirror. He had the same appearance as Ren. The same blue-green eyes ridiculed his emotions. They looked at the drowning child, leaving Kai to fend for himself as a killer. Kai, like everyone else, was terrified by those identical eyes. It conjured images of his sibling drowning and people gazing at him. In some respects, he believed them; perhaps he was the murderer and didn't realize it. Perhaps that wasn't an accident. Stop. The sounds. They were eating his existence until he quickly drew the Xanax bottle from his jacket, twisting the lid, and consuming in 2-3 tablets.
xxxxThen there was silence again. Finally, he was okay.
He glanced in the mirror one more time, and the soulless countenance that glared back in disdain, as if to mock him as an abomination, and he felt they were right. He looked down, nervously running his fingers through his hair, attempting to comb back the long strands that had fallen into his eyes. He straightened, his bowtie brushed at his shoulders. He wore a royal blue, floral-printed tuxedo in honor of his element of past proteges. Desiree, his foster mother, was a big fan of making a good impression. And she tends to it all to ensure that her boy was recognized. So she insisted on him wearing the royal blue polyester suit and matching metallic gold oxfords. But, of course, it wasn't his decision. None of it is true. Not even his powers, which had wrecked his life, could save him.
xxxx“And without water, we would not be able to nourish the wood, congratulations to -” the headmaster of The Academy, Ethel Maud Genes announced from the stage, “-Malachai Bernard.”
xxxxShit. He just got nominated as the new water protege to represent the order. He didn’t actually believe that this day would come that he would eventually lead the water element. On the other hand, Desiree was hopeful, which annoyed him because it worked in miraculous ways that he had no control over. After securing the mask to his face, he threw open the men’s bathroom door, and of course, there stood the damn former voodoo witch.
xxxx"Congratulations,” she consoled him. She always knew how much he hated being a witch. But being in the Order was much worse. It brought on new remembrance of him being a killer because Ren would still be here if he didn't have those powers. But now, he has to represent the entire faction of others. He willingly pried his arm away from Desiree’s hands and walked past through the curtains and into the exuberant festivities. Everything slowed as people turned their heads in his direction, some clapping, and some left faint whispering about the commoner of witch descent orphaned because of the incident with his brother, leaving him in the care of a voodoo witch. The whole thing was fabricated to separate the dogs from the pack. He kept his head hung low to avoid the eyes, and his fists shoved inside his pockets until he eventually found himself on stage with his friends. He waited still until the ceremonial "Choosing" was over, and everyone could return to their festivities. He stepped off the stage as the group dispersed. He needed a drink, elegantly maneuvering his way through the crowd. At the bar table, he ordered a gin and tonic on the rocks and waited. In the crowd, he met eyes with his roommate / best friend waving in his direction. Kai smiled, calling him over. Eden Thomas was handsome, it was obvious. The earth witch dressed down in a red silk suit imprinted with exquisite hand-knitted embroidery patterns did its trick striking him as a God. However, the flowered mask he wore red did not veil his identity because of his bleached hair that proudly stood out from the rest. Eden proceeded through the animated crowds with the largest grin on his face until he greeted Kai by gently squeezing him into one of those awkward side hugs. Eden groaned, rolling his eyes, and Malachai listened as he ordered himself a drink. Then, he sighed, leaning his back against the counter with elbows propped on top of the laminated surface. Eden matched Kai’s stance and saw out the corner of his eye Eden side-glancing as he said,
xxxx“Thank god, that’s over.” He elbowed at Kai’s arm, “Time to go get shit-faced drunk, right? Yes?” Eden's remark elicited a quiet giggle from Kai. He looked up with his eyes to scan the crowd that found both Shiloh and Jupiter together, toasting their initiation with alcohol. They both looked stunning in their different colored gowns with designs that Kai couldn't make out from a distance. But he didn't need a sign to know they were both gorgeous women. They were his girls, or as he should say, they were The Powerpuff Girls. The group name that came off shits and giggles.
xxxx“You have no idea,” He shook his head remembering the great times that were shared by the three of them, including Eden. Kai used a hand to beckoned for the girls. Waiting for their arrival. “What trouble are you trying to get into now, copain?” His french words naturally rolling off his tongue, he raised an eyebrow in amusement towards Eden’s direction.