Reversal (The Dark Triangle #2) [ON HOLD]

Care?

Sorry I haven't updated for, like, five days! I've been trying to figure out how to do this chapter without giving too much away!

I'll tell you now, major foreshadowing approaching...

Third Person POV

"I don't have much time. I have to get back to Nya."

This was the first thing Jay said when he closed the door.

He hadn't changed his shirt, Sensei noticed. The watered-down blood had dried on the light blue.

Sensei had changed the tablecloth. Unlike Jay, he had a reputation of order.

"What is so urgent that you must get back to Nya?" Sensei said. He was already sitting down, waiting for Jay to join him.

"There's something...wrong...with her. She hasn't eaten for Spinjitzu Master knows how long, and whatever she did to save us was really draining, and she can't even hear about Cole without going into some sort of primal panic mode. Pixal's doing tests, I just...I'm worried. Last time I was separated from Nya, I-"

Jay's voice caught.

"It didn't end well. I gotta get back. Even if Kai gets..." Jay trailed off again. He was thinking out loud, still standing next to Sensei's door with his fingers tapping on the frame. "I don't care what Kai says, I'm not staying away from her." Sensei took a closer look at the jittery boy's left hand, the one with the missing finger. It was like his hand had forgotten there was supposed to be something past that knuckle.

"Sorry, I got distracted." Jay snapped back to reality, his bright blue eyes focusing again. "The point is, make it quick."

Sensei studied Jay. He hadn't changed as much as Cole had since the last time Wu had seen him, but Jay was different. There was no trace of a smile on his usually lively features, and his healthy, seemingly perpetual blush was gone. The serious expression on Jay's face was a far cry from the silliness Sensei had known. Wu could guess there would be no bad puns or giggling from the master of lightning today. Jay's spark had dimmed.

"What is this about Kai?"

"He's still fuming. Hurt his hand punching the wall, and he needs someone to take all his rage out on, and I was the last person left with Nya besides Cole so..." Jay shrugged. "Kai blames me for not keeping Nya safe, no matter how much I tell him that Nya doesn't need someone to protect her. If anything, she's the one protecting me..."

His sentence ended indefinitely again, as if his brain had switched trains of thought but his mouth was still wandering befuddled at the station.

"Sit." Sensei gestured to the pillow.

"Oh...right...that's probably a good thing to do, isn't it? Silly me, heh." The sound emanated from Jay's mouth like he was trying to apologize. In a constant state of doubting himself, Sensei thought. Jay had never had enough confidence to do things unapologetically.

Jay walked over to where Sensei sat, tripping a little before awkwardly folding his long legs underneath him. The fingers that had tapped the doorframe now drummed on his thigh, along the outer seam of his jeans.

Sensei was opening his mouth to speak again, but before he could, Jay burst out in a flurry of words, so fast-paced that the bearded man could barely distinguish them.

"Look, I don't know what Cole said to you, and I don't know what role you think I played in all of this, but whatever it is I have to tell you that Nya did everything. I didn't help, not one bit, so if you're questioning me as to how everyone is alive, I can't tell you. Because I don't know. And Nya won't tell me, no matter how much I try to convince her that she can trust me. Also, I'm not going to tell you how everyone died, and before you ask, no, I will not give you the day-to-day narrative. And-"