His comeback era

As Emma and Alex approached the school gates the next day, their shoulders slumped and faces etched with a grief.

Their usual vibrant chatter had been replaced by a heavy silence, punctuated only by the occasional sigh that escaped their lips like wisps of smoke. Their eyes, usually brimming with mischief and laughter, were now clouded with a deep sadness, a reflection of the storm raging within them. Kael's absence had taken a toll on them and they couldn't deny the fact that they miss him.

Emma, unable to bear the silence any longer, turned to Alex.

"Do you think he's okay?" she asked, her eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall.

Alex, his own face etched with concern, offered a shaky smile.

"He has to be." he said, more to himself than to her.