Day 7: Until the Waves Went Silent

The sound of the sea was the first thing that woke Zick.

It wasn’t the crashing roar of waves breaking, but something more constant—
a murmur that never stopped.
He lay there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling, until voices reached him from outside.

—Zick! —Zai shouted from the hallway—. If you don’t come out now, you’ll miss breakfast!

—I’m coming! —he replied, sitting up.

When he stepped out, the atmosphere felt different from the night before.
Everyone seemed more awake, more relaxed. Backpacks lay scattered near the door, towels half-folded, and the scent of sunscreen hung in the air.

—Today’s a beach day for real, —Fabio said, stretching—. No complicated plans.

—Thank God, —Lucy added—. Just sand and sea.

After a quick breakfast, they walked together toward the beach.
It wasn’t crowded—just a few people spread out, umbrellas planted in the sand, children running near the water.

Zai was the first to kick off her sandals and run toward the sea.

—It’s freezing! —she shouted, laughing.

—You say that every time, —Kori replied, following her.

Zick stayed behind for a moment, watching them.
Then he set his things down with the rest and joined them.

Fabio and Joshep improvised a game with an old ball someone had brought.
Astrid and Lucy sat closer to the water, talking while letting the waves soak their feet.

—Hey, Zick, —Joshep called—. You playing or what?

—Uh… yeah, —he replied, hesitating—. But I’m warning you, I’m bad at this.

—Doesn’t matter, —Fabio laughed—. No one’s here to compete.

Time passed without Zick noticing.

They ran, laughed when someone fell into the sand, the saltwater cooled their skin, and the sun weighed down on their shoulders.
At some point, Zick ended up sitting at the shoreline, pants soaked, breathing hard.

Kori sat beside him.

—You’re having fun, right?

—Yeah, —he said—. More than I thought I would.

She smiled, satisfied, then stood up again to rejoin Zai.

Later, when the sun began to sink, they lay back on their towels.
No one spoke much. The tiredness felt good.

As night fell, some of them returned to the house—but Zick stayed behind a little longer.

He lay directly on the cool sand, hands behind his head.

The moon was high.

He stared at it.

The sound of the sea blended with his breathing.
Everything felt distant, as if the world had paused just for that moment.

For an instant, he thought of nothing.

Not school.
Not the past.
Not even himself.

Then he heard footsteps.

—Here you are, —Zai said, sitting beside him.

—You disappeared on us, —Kori added, settling down on his other side.

Zick turned his head slightly.

—I just… wanted to stay a bit longer.

Zai leaned in and hugged him from the side.

—You always do that, —she said—. You drift away without saying anything.

Kori hesitated for a second—then wrapped her arms around him too.

Zick closed his eyes.

He felt the real weight of their bodies, the warmth, the closeness.

And then—

The sound of the sea faded away.

He opened his eyes.

Everything was gone.

He was sitting in a dark, cluttered room.