Chapter 4: Mei Kasai

Mei’s eyes stung as tears clouded her vision. Her hand outstretched, grasping at air.

“Stupid dad,” she hissed as her feet pounded on the ice. A sudden wall of the frozen water rose, a cry rang from her lips right before she collided, rain making it impossible to stop. Bang! The exploding ship reverberated and she cowered, covering her ears, eyes wide as the burst shattered the wall and threw her into the air. Her hands spread out, reaching, as she spotted other bodies thrown in the air before they splashed into the sea. Down under, her hands pumped furiously against the waves and currents, propelling her to the surface. As she gasped, her eyes already searched, finding the bright heat of bodies against the chill of the sea. Not missing a heartbeat, she dove and propelled herself to the closest body, Zain’s. That idiot brother still clung to the unconscious girl, keeping her head above water as he struggled to keep afloat.

Mei spotted a piece of debris and punched it over. Zain’s flailing hand grasped it. He pulled himself up, coughing out spats of water as he made sure the girl was safe. Mei rolled her eyes and stiffened. Another body. As she swam, more floating debris began to appear, still warm from the incident. As she situated her rescuee, her eyes searched for Jun. Where was he? Her heart ached. He was one handed. Could he even swim against this storm?

As she looked about, ice shot past her, connecting to Zain while winding around near her. A Kasai member ran across the slick surface, stopping to pull her up. She accepted the help as she dragged her rescuee with her. As she was pulled up onto the ice, her eyes spotted warmth below the water’s surface. A body. Was it Jun’s? She gritted her teeth and dove, the cries of the Kasai drowned out from the pressure. Under the tumult, she caught the sight of Jun’s frame, his signature burns on his right arm bright against the chill. Stupid old man. He couldn’t swim. This was suicide.

As she came to him, their eyes met, his lips clamped shut. He was alive. Mei reached for his hand and he took it, kicking hard to assist.

Their heads broke the surface, gasping and then panicking as a wave collapsed on them. Mei struggled to the surface for more air as Jun vanished down below. Her heart skipped as she dove again, spotting him in a current. She slid in, allowing it to propel her after him. With another attempt, she caught up and pulled him to the surface, his prayer rotating furiously. This time she watched and pulled them up after a wave passed.

Jun’s rapidly coughed and gasped, barely audible above the sounds of the storms. Mei turned about, eyes scanning for the shore, the ice bridge. Where was it? Waves crested again and she clutched Jun’s hand, this time keeping them together. They fought over and over, but Mei could sense the fatigue growing. Jun’s prayer moved into her, keeping her vitalized, but how long could they keep up? Where was that shoreline!

A large wave appeared and Mei gasped, drawing in a large amount of air before it overtook them. Jun broke the surface first this time, his skills improving. A shimmer of deep blue flashed across her sight. It shattered against the waves before returning. Mei realized what it was. Ice. She pushed them towards it, latching on quickly when it got within reach. With a clenched jaw, she hoisted Jun up and then pulled herself on. The heavy wet clothes without the support of the water forced her to crawl on the ice as her lungs protested the workout. In that moment of fatigue, her internal prayer ceased, the world turning blurry as she took in the natural colors. White shimmering ice stood stark against the dark stormy sea. The fuzzy sight made her head hurt and she restored her prayers, shaking her head as she groaned. The infrared sight restored, Jun hoisted her up and the two began to work towards the direction the ice had appeared, shore.

Mei’s feet gave out partway through and Jun dropped beside her, hand holding his limp burned wrist, source of his abilities.

“You idiot.” She grumbled. He paused, eyes wide before continuing forward and touching her shoulder. A flicker of a grin flashed at the corner of his mouth.

“We’re not dead,” he huffed. Mei groaned, stumbling to her feet. A wave crashed against the ice, cracking it.

“Let’s head back. Stupid waves still want us.” Her eyes watched as another large one began to build. But when Jun looked back, he became stone still. Mei hissed a ‘tch’ as she grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. Even without his memories, he still feared the storm tossed waters. It had to be ingrained somehow.

Her insistence kept them moving and only when their feet touched the wet sand, did Mei allow herself to look out at the spectacle.

The ice bridge now resembled a tree, with multiple branches racing out to the unfortunate souls still in the water. Waves crashed, and yet the source of this phenomenon persisted. That source was Elain.

Dangerous. That’s all Mei could see of this individual, the word mother long gone since that altercation with her over a ring, the ring that housed Jun’s memories of their past life on earth. The ice queen quivered as the last Kasai member’s foot touched the sand, her figure slumping in her silvery wheel chair.

Mei’s thoughts were side-railed as Jun stretched beside her, feet carrying him to the injured. She let out a puff, a sigh, and stepped after him, keeping a familiar distance to his pace. Even without his memories, his diligence to his craft was nostalgic, familiar. A healer through and through.

As he reached for the nearest victim, a sudden, sharp voice cut through the chaos: “If you hadn't tried to save that healer, you wouldn't have been injured!”