The Time It Takes To Fall

To Live and Suffer Endlessly

USA, 2019 A.D.

The car was silent as Kai pulled off the freeway and into Seattle. Most of the car ride had been devoid of noise, and while Kai was quite used to a world of quiet, he found it uncomfortable under the circumstances.

He wanted Cinder to talk to him— to explain what was going on. Because while he knew her better than any other person in the world, he couldn't read her mind. He had held her as she had died on multiple occasions, calmed her in the midst of a world of chaos, and been there for her when no one else had. But he didn't know what was going on this time.

Throughout Selene's many reincarnations, Kai had found her to remain much the same— save for one thing. She grew more frightened. With time, and each new life, she seemed to fear more, and experience less and less comfort. Perhaps it was the changing world, or her increasingly terrifying life circumstances, but Selene was not as brave as she had once been.

Kai blamed himself for this: it wasn't her fault that she'd had to live eleven different lives. Life was exhausting enough when you only had to live it once. Selene had never had any say in whether or not she wanted to be reincarnated. Kai had made the choice for her— the choice to live and live and suffer endlessly until her life ended on his terms or the Blue Koi's.

For years Kai had lived with an endless amount of guilt, knowing that his only means of relief would be her. His dearest love, and most brutal torturer. She had destroyed him time and time again, only to build him back up.

Kai turned into the hospital's parking garage, the fading light of the evening sky disappearing inside the underground passage. He wished more than ever in that moment that his car could play music.

He pulled the car into a spot, turning off the ignition with a near-silent sigh. He could feel Cinder's tension without even looking at her, and it made him anxious. She had never gone into detail where her family was concerned, but he figured that it was something bad— it was never good where Selene was concerned.

"Hey," Kai said, his voice soft. He turned his body so that he was facing Cinder, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I am here with you, no matter the consequence of this visit. I will be with you through the entirety of the meeting if you wish me there."

Cinder said nothing, but she nodded in response, her eyes round and glistening in the dim lighting.

They got out of the car and left the garage in silence. Echoes sounded around them, everything from cries, to people whispering on their phones, to happy exclamations. It was such an odd assortment of people in the simplest space: people who had seen babies being born, and others who had just lost parents, or even some coming to pick up their friends who had broken their legs after falling down the stairs. An odd assortment of people indeed.

A car backfired loudly, like the sound of a gunshot— frightening Kai. He grabbed hold of Cinder's hand instinctively, then realized what he had done and tried to let go, but Cinder held on. Her cold fingers intertwined with his warm ones, squeezing them tight. Kai squeezed back.

He opened the door that led into the sterile white walls of the hospital floor unit. Immediately Kai felt ill just entering the place. He hadn't been inside a hospital since 1945, when he had last tried to get Zhen professional help before the doctors declared her a hopeless case.

"Excuse me, madame," Kai said to the lady at the information desk. Cinder stayed slightly behind him, still grasping his hand as if it were a life line. "We are in search of the Lady by the name of Linh."

The woman stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. Kai felt a twinge in his stomach, and turned towards Cinder. Her face was still pale, but she had a slight smile on her face, and her eyes had lost the hollow look they had held moments before.