Tenkai Knights Fanfic!

Chapter 23: From Here on Out

Six and a half days had passed since the Knights' last visit to Quarton. Their core bricks remained dull and lifeless in their pockets, even when Toxsa tried to stare at his with a claim that he was "transferring his energy" in hopes it would light up. To all of them, it felt like an eternity since they were on the other planet. They did not appreciate this dent in their usual routine, and couldn't get the events of their last visit there out of their minds.

To add on to their troubles, there was the fact that Guren still hadn't woken up. Ceylan continued to watch over him, refusing to leave his side for even a second. He stayed home from school, did all his homework in his room, ate his meals there, and even left the door open to his bathroom when he showered. It took a lot of effort from Chooki and Toxsa to convince him to leave his room, and Ceylan finally gave in when his parents offered to alternate their shifts at work to watch over Guren in his absence. Mr. Nash was very much worried, but unfortunately could not get out of work no matter how hard he tried. He did come to check in on Guren at least once a day, and thanked the Jones family for being so hospitable towards his son. Toxsa continued to sleep over at Chooki's house, something Wakamei only agreed to if Toxsa promised to help out at the diner after school, which he reluctantly accepted.

Ceylan, Toxsa, and Chooki did their best to continue on with their lives. Ceylan returned to school, though his heart felt vacant without the presence of his best friend and the girl he loved. He paid attention less than usual, but he did try to put in a little effort only so he wouldn't be stuck at detention, which meant he would be away from Guren. He couldn't let that happen. Toxsa tried to distract himself with video games, but found himself failing levels that he normally would've beat with minimal effort. He ended up rage quitting every time and instead decided to willingly spend more hours helping out at the diner, much to Wakamei's delight. Chooki continued to work hard, keeping up a façade of normalcy by attending more practices, studying longer hours, doing anything to keep his mind off his worries.

Despite their combined efforts to keep their focus on Earth and their daily lives, the three of them attempted to go back to Quarton without being summoned. Mr. White stopped them each time, denying access to the portal no matter how much they begged. He even went as far as barricading the entrance to the portal to ensure they didn't sneak past him when he was preoccupied with other things. Mr. White was very insistent that they needed time away to get their minds off of the other planet, at least until they could clear their heads.

Unfortunately, that proved to be a rather daunting task. None of them could stop thinking about Alex no matter how much they tried to distract themselves. How could they, after all that happened? It wasn't a thought they could just push away or forget about for the time being. 

Trying not to think of her was draining, and it didn't help that her house was on their route to school either.

"You think...she'll ever be back?" Chooki asked one day as they were walking home from school. He subconsciously stopped a few feet away, staring at the quiet house with forlorn eyes.

There was a moment of silence, the weight of the situation heavy on everyone's shoulders. The air was chilly along with the atmosphere, and the silence surrounding the house grew to be eerie. 

"She has to. There's...there's n-no way she wouldn't," Ceylan said with some hesitation, hating the way his voice sounded. 

Toxsa remained silent, trying to look anywhere but in the direction of Alex's house.

"Her mom must be worried sick. How about we-" Chooki paused, noticing the strain in Toxsa's facial features. "-go check in on her?" He saw Toxsa's expression change immediately.

"But, Mr. White told us we need to clear our heads," Toxsa began, his voice cracking. "H-how can we do that if we're... we're in there... and she's not there...?"