One bright afternoon, the sun was high in the sky, and the group decided it was the perfect day to go swimming. The air was warm, and the water at the nearby lake promised to be refreshing. Everyone was excited, especially Jay, who was looking forward to a fun, carefree day with his friends and siblings. But as they reached the lake and started splashing around, Jay began to notice a dull ache in his head.

At first, he tried to ignore it, pushing through the discomfort as he dove into the cool water. But every time his head went under, the ache intensified, spreading like a wave of pressure from his temples to the back of his skull. It wasn’t just a minor annoyance; it felt like something was pressing down on his brain, squeezing it tightly whenever he was submerged.

After several dives, Jay couldn’t bear it any longer. He swam to the edge of the lake, his head pounding, and told the others he was going to take a break. They didn’t think much of it, assuming he was just tired from the swimming. But Jay knew something was wrong.

He quietly slipped away from the group and headed back to the house. His headache was getting worse, and he needed to be alone. Once inside, he decided a bath might help ease the pain, so he filled the tub with warm water and slowly lowered himself in. The warmth enveloped him, and for a moment, it seemed to help. But as he leaned back and let his head rest against the edge of the tub, the pain flared up again, sharp and relentless.

Jay gritted his teeth and tried to relax, but nothing seemed to work. The headache refused to fade. It was like a constant throb, a relentless rhythm that pulsed through his skull. Feeling frustrated and exhausted, he finished his bath quickly, wrapped himself in a towel, and headed straight to his bedroom.

Once there, Jay shut the door firmly behind him, locking out the world. He dried off, threw on some comfortable clothes, and then climbed into bed. The soft, familiar comfort of his bed usually helped him feel better, but not today. He grabbed his pillow and pressed it over his head, hoping the pressure might somehow soothe the pain.

But the headache only grew worse. Every heartbeat seemed to echo in his skull, pounding louder and louder. Jay curled up under the covers, trying to block out the pain, but it was relentless. He couldn’t focus on anything else. The sunlight streaming through the window felt too bright, the sounds from outside too loud. He just wanted everything to stop.

Hours passed, and Jay stayed in his room, isolated from everyone else. The headache consumed him, turning his thoughts into a jumbled mess. He couldn’t understand why it hurt so much, or why it wouldn’t go away. All he could do was lie there, his head buried under the pillow, wishing for the pain to end.

As the evening approached, Jay heard faint knocking on his door. He ignored it, unwilling to let anyone in. But the knocking persisted, followed by concerned voices calling his name. Jay squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block it all out, but the voices grew louder.

“Jay? Jay, are you okay?” It was Kai’s voice, full of worry.

Jay didn’t answer. He couldn’t. The headache had taken over completely, leaving him in a state of miserable silence. He just wanted to be left alone, to figure out why his head hurt so much.

Then, he heard a crash from somewhere outside his room, but he didn’t care. The noise barely registered through the throbbing in his head.

“Jay?! Hey, Jay! Are you okay?!” Kai’s voice called out, closer now, filled with alarm as he rushed into the room.

Jay tried to nod in response, but the pain spiked, making it impossible to move without feeling like his skull might split open. He forced himself to speak, though every word was a struggle.

“Y-Yes… I…m… fi…ne,” he managed to say through clenched teeth.

Kai stopped at the edge of the bed, giving Jay a skeptical look. He could see how pale Jay had become, the beads of sweat on his forehead, and the way his hands trembled as he clutched the pillow to his head.

“Jay, you don’t look fine,” Kai said, his voice softening with concern. He knelt beside the bed, trying to catch Jay’s eyes. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”

Jay squeezed his eyes shut, the pain making it hard to think, let alone explain what was happening. “It’s… just a headache,” he whispered, though he knew it was more than that. “Really bad… can’t… make it stop.”

Kai frowned, his worry deepening. He reached out and gently placed a hand on Jay’s shoulder, feeling how tense his brother was, how much he was struggling.

“Jay, this isn’t just a normal headache,” Kai said quietly. “We need to do something about this. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone.”

Jay wanted to argue, to say he didn’t need help, but the pain was too overwhelming. He didn’t have the strength to fight it, and he hated how helpless he felt.

Kai stood up, his expression firm as he made a decision. “I’m going to get Cole and Nya. We’ll figure this out together, okay?”

Jay didn’t respond, just buried his face deeper into the pillow, trying to escape the relentless pounding in his head. He heard Kai leave the room, his footsteps hurried as he went to find the others.

A few seconds later, Nya came running into the room, her eyes wide with panic. The moment she saw Jay curled up on the bed, clutching his head in pain, something inside her broke. She rushed to his side, her breath hitching as she fought back tears.

“Jay…” Nya whispered, her voice trembling as she knelt beside him. She reached out, her hand shaking as she gently touched his arm. Seeing her Yang like this, so vulnerable and in pain, was too much for her to bear.

Jay didn’t look up, his face still buried in the pillow, but he could feel Nya’s presence beside him, her warmth a small comfort in the midst of his agony.

“Jay, please… talk to me,” Nya pleaded, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back the sobs threatening to escape. “Tell me what’s wrong… I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Jay could hear the desperation in her voice, the way it wavered with each word. It broke his heart to know he was causing her so much worry, but the pain was too intense to speak, to reassure her that he would be okay.

Nya couldn’t stand it anymore. Seeing Jay like this, suffering in silence, made her feel helpless, powerless to do anything to ease his pain. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close as tears finally spilled down her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, Jay,” Nya whispered, her voice choked with emotion. “I should have known something was wrong. I should have been here sooner.”

Jay finally lifted his head, just enough to rest it against Nya’s shoulder. The movement sent another wave of pain through his skull, but he didn’t care. All he wanted was to be close to her, to feel her arms around him, grounding him in the midst of the storm in his head.

Nya held him tighter, her heart aching as she felt him tremble against her. “We’re going to figure this out, okay? You’re not alone. I’m here, and I’m not leaving you.”

Jay closed his eyes, the pain still throbbing, but somehow a little more bearable with Nya by his side. He knew she meant every word, and that gave him the strength to hold on, even as the headache continued to rage on.

Kai and Cole burst into the room, their faces etched with worry. “What happened?!” Cole demanded, his eyes darting between Jay and Nya.

Kai shook his head, still trying to process everything. “I just found him like this. I don’t know what’s going on.”

Jay, his voice barely above a whisper, said something only Nya could hear. She leaned in closer, her brow furrowing in confusion as she caught his words. “What?!”

Kai looked between them, his concern deepening. “What did he say?”

Nya’s eyes widened as she processed what Jay had told her. “It was the lake. When he went into the lake, it made his headache worse.”

Cole’s face twisted in confusion. “How? How could that happen?”

Nya turned back to Jay, gently coaxing him to speak. “Jay, when you went down in the lake… the pressure made your headache worse?”

Jay gave a small, almost imperceptible nod before burying his head under the pillow again, trying to block out the world and the pain that was consuming him.

Nya’s heart broke even more seeing him like this. She brushed a hand through his hair, her voice soft and full of concern. “My poor Jay…”

Cole and Kai exchanged glances, surprised by the tenderness in Nya’s voice. It was rare for her to express such open affection, even for Jay, and it struck them just how much she cared for him.

Kai took a step closer, his own worry evident. “Nya… what do we do?”

Nya didn’t look up, her focus entirely on Jay as she continued to comfort him. “We need to make sure he doesn’t go into the water again until we figure this out. The pressure’s affecting his head. We have to be careful.”

Cole nodded, his expression serious. “We’ll take care of him. We’ll make sure nothing else happens.”

Kai placed a hand on Nya’s shoulder, offering silent support. “We’re here, Nya. We’re not letting anything happen to him.”

Nya just nodded, her gaze never leaving Jay as she held him close, determined to stay by his side no matter what.

Cole glanced around, his eyes scanning the room for anything that might help. “Ice pack? Heat pack? What do we need?”

Kai shook his head, clearly frustrated. “I don’t know, Cole. We need to get all that pressure out somehow!”

Cole, ever the improviser, blurted out, “Swing him like a rope?”

Kai shot him a cross look, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. “No, Cole.”

Cole held up his hands in mock surrender. “I was joking! Kind of.”

Nya, still clinging tightly to Jay, said, “Try a heat pack. It might help.”

Without hesitation, Kai focused his energy, summoning a small flame to his hands. He carefully sat next to Jay and gently placed the warmth near Jay’s head. The heat seemed to work its magic, easing the tension in Jay’s temples.

Jay let out a soft sigh of relief, the pain ebbing just enough for him to speak. “Thanks… Kai… Nya…”

Kai gave him a small, relieved smile. “Don’t mention it, buddy. Just stay still, okay?”

Jay could barely move, his body still stiff with lingering pain, but at least now he could talk. Nya didn’t loosen her hold on him, her worry still palpable as she kept him close, unwilling to let go.

Kai watched them both, a mix of concern and determination in his eyes. “We’ll get through this, Jay. Just hang in there.”

Cole spotted a book lying on the table and grabbed it, flipping through the pages quickly. “Uh, guys? I don’t understand any of this,” he admitted, frowning as he tried to make sense of the confusing medical jargon.

Kai leaned over his shoulder to take a look, squinting at the tiny text. “Yeah, me neither. This is no good.” He handed the book to Nya, who scanned the pages, but she also shook her head in frustration.

“This isn’t helping,” Nya sighed, placing the book down. “We need someone who actually understands this stuff.”

Without hesitation, they called Mia. When she arrived and took one look at the book, her eyes widened in realization. “I should have guessed!” she exclaimed, quickly turning to Jay. “Jay, close your mouth and let out the air through your nose—use this big paper bag.”

Jay tried following her instructions, but when it didn’t seem to work, Mia shook the paper bag in exasperation. “Oh, come on! Your 'Caring for Jay' book has to have something, Mom!” she muttered, flipping through the pages again.

Jay, still struggling with the headache, managed a weak chuckle. “You have one too?”

Mia shot him a quick glance and nodded. “Obviously. What about you?”

Jay pointed weakly to a corner. “Yep, it’s over there.”

Mia gave a small, amused smile despite the situation. “Of course you do. We’ll figure this out, Jay. Just hang tight.” She continued flipping through the book, determined to find a solution. The tension in the room lightened just a bit as the siblings shared a brief moment of connection, but the urgency of Jay’s condition remained.

Mia continued flipping through the pages of the "Caring for Jay" book, her brow furrowing deeper with every page. When she found nothing helpful, she sighed and switched over to her own "Caring for Mia" book. Skimming through it quickly, she rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, "I do not need anyone to help me blow my nose. Or eat."

Then, suddenly, her eyes widened as she stumbled upon something under the headache section. "Okay, Jay," she said, her voice filled with cautious optimism. "I need you to... What?! Nope, scratch that."

Cole, who had been watching her intently, couldn’t hold back his curiosity. "What did it say?"

Mia looked up, trying to suppress a grin. "Mom said if I have a headache, I have to... click my feet twice and sing loudly."

Cole blinked, then let out a snort of laughter. "Yeah, let’s definitely not do that."

Mia shook her head with a smirk. "Never mind that. Just rest, Jay."

Jay, still lying on the bed with his head buried under the pillow, managed a small, amused groan. "Thanks, Mia... I’ll skip the singing."

Kai chuckled softly, relieved to see the mood lightening a little. “Good call, Mia. Just rest up, Jay. We’ll figure this out.”

* A few hours later*

A few hours later, Mia was still engrossed in her books, flipping through the pages with an intensity that blocked out everything else around her. The dinner bell rang, but she didn't even flinch. Her focus was entirely on finding something—anything—that could help Jay.

Nya paced the room, glancing at Jay, who was resting but still not fully himself. She sighed in frustration and muttered, "This is a disaster. Both of them are busy, and no one’s eating dinner!"

Kai, who had been trying to keep things calm, nodded in agreement. "Mia’s been at this for hours. She hasn’t moved, and she’s getting more frustrated by the minute."

Mia sat right next to Jay, her brow furrowed deeply as she poured over the "Caring for Jay" book and a few others she had pulled from the shelves. Her frustration was palpable, and it only grew the longer she searched without finding anything helpful. She clenched her fists, feeling the anger bubbling up inside her.

Jay, sensing Mia’s agitation even in his groggy state, turned his head slightly to look at her. "Mia," he murmured weakly, "you don't have to keep looking... Just rest."

Mia barely heard him, her eyes still scanning the pages. "No, Jay. There has to be something here. I’m not giving up until I find it."

But despite her determination, her frustration was reaching a boiling point. Her fingers trembled as she flipped another page, and a low growl of anger escaped her lips. She was angry—angry at the books, angry at the situation, and angry that she couldn’t immediately find a solution for her brother.

Unable to hold back her frustration any longer, Mia stormed outside, her emotions swirling inside her like a storm. She needed to let it out, and there was only one way she knew how.

With a deep breath, Mia unleashed her elemental power, channeling it into a powerful display that resembled a mini Wojira—swirling wind and water clashed together, creating a chaotic tempest around her. The storm she created was fierce, reflecting the intensity of her emotions.

Kai, who had been watching from a window, widened his eyes in alarm. "That's bad, right? Like, really bad?"

Nya, standing beside him, shook her head, though she didn’t look entirely sure herself. "This is normal... I think. Mia gets like this when she’s really upset. It’s her way of dealing with things."

They watched as Mia continued her display of power outside, the storm gradually calming as she worked through her frustration. It was a sight to behold, but it also reminded them of just how much pressure Mia put on herself, especially when it came to her family.

Eventually, Mia’s storm began to die down. The wind and water dissipated, leaving her standing there, breathing heavily but looking more at peace. She had let out her anger and frustration, but now she was left with the exhaustion that always followed such an outburst.

Nya turned to Kai. "Give her a minute. She’ll be back to herself soon enough."

Kai nodded, though he still looked concerned. "She’s really something else, isn’t she?"

"Yeah," Nya replied softly. "She’s just like that. But it means she cares. A lot."

Mia stormed back into the house, her face flushed with frustration. She didn’t stop until she reached Jay’s room, where she threw herself onto the floor with a heavy thud, her books scattering around her.

“These books are meaningless! Absolutely meaningless!” she shouted, her voice filled with anger and despair.

Jay, still lying in bed with his head propped on a pillow, winced at the loud outburst but tried to remain calm. “Mia, relax,” he said gently, though his own voice was strained from the lingering headache.

But Mia was too worked up to calm down. She snapped at the books scattered around her, kicking one of them away in frustration. “You don’t get it, Jay! I’ve been reading these stupid books for hours, and they don’t tell me anything useful. I’m supposed to know how to help you, but I feel so helpless! Like if I don’t do something, you’ll end up like our parents did—gone, just like that!”

Jay’s expression softened at her words. He could see the fear and pain in her eyes, the same fear he had been battling with himself. “Mia…” he began, his voice gentle, “I’m not going anywhere, okay? I promise.”

Mia shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “But what if you do, Jay? What if something happens and I can’t stop it? I couldn’t live with myself if I lost you too.”

Jay managed a weak smile, reaching out to take her hand. “You won’t lose me. I’m tougher than I look, remember? And I’ve got you, and everyone else looking out for me. We’ll get through this together, okay?”

Mia squeezed his hand tightly, her anger slowly ebbing away as she looked at her brother. “I just… I can’t lose you, Jay. Not like them.”

“You won’t,” Jay reassured her, his voice stronger now. “And if I ever feel like I’m slipping, I know you’ll be there to pull me back. Just like you always are.”

Mia nodded, her tears spilling over as she hugged him, careful not to hurt him. “I’m sorry, Jay. I just get so scared sometimes.”

“I know, Mia. I know,” Jay whispered, holding her close. “But we’ll be okay. We’ve got each other.”

For a moment, they stayed like that, finding comfort in each other’s presence. The fear and frustration hadn’t entirely vanished, but together, they felt a little more manageable.

Mia, still trying to be helpful, returned to her books, flipping through the pages with determination. “Okay, uh… Pressure from the water might have done it,” she muttered, trying to find an explanation for Jay’s pain.

Jay, still struggling with the lingering effects of his headache, groaned. “Seriously? Now my jaw’s hurting too,” he said, rubbing his temples in frustration.

Mia, feeling like she was failing yet again, let out a sigh and then leaned forward, pressing her face against the wall in despair. “I’m useless,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with emotion.

Before she could continue berating herself, Jay pulled her into a tight hug. “Hey, come here,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around her. Mia couldn’t hold back the tears anymore; she buried her face in Jay’s shoulder and cried, her emotions spilling out after holding them in for so long.

A few moments later, Kai walked in, concern written all over his face. “What happened now?” he asked, taking in the scene before him.

Jay looked up at Kai, his expression a mix of sadness and understanding. “A thing called ‘my little sister thinks she’s useless,’” Jay explained, still holding Mia close.

Mia, her voice muffled against Jay’s shoulder, said through her tears, “Because it’s true. Have you ever read my mind? Because that’s in every part of it. I just keep thinking that I’m not good enough, that I can’t do anything right.”

Kai knelt beside them, placing a reassuring hand on Mia’s back. “Mia, that’s not true at all. You’re one of the strongest, most capable people I know. You care so much, and that’s what makes you amazing. Just because things are tough right now doesn’t mean you’re useless.”

Jay nodded in agreement, rubbing her back gently. “He’s right, Mia. You’re doing everything you can, and that means more than you know. You’re not alone in this, okay? We’re all here to figure it out together.”

Mia sniffled, trying to calm down, but the weight of her self-doubt still hung heavy in her mind. “But what if I can’t help you? What if I just make things worse?”

Jay shook his head, pulling back slightly to look her in the eyes. “You’re not making anything worse, Mia. Just knowing you’re here, trying to help, makes it better. I’m so lucky to have you as my sister.”

Kai smiled softly, adding, “And I’m lucky to have you as a little sister too. We’ll get through this, Mia. We always do.”

Mia finally managed a small, shaky smile through her tears. “Thanks, you guys. I just… I want to help.”

“You are helping,” Jay reassured her. “Just by being here.”

Kai nodded in agreement. “We’re a team, remember? None of us can do this alone.”

Mia took a deep breath, feeling a bit of the weight lift from her shoulders. “Okay,” she said quietly, her voice steadier now. “I’ll keep trying.”

“That’s all we need,” Jay said, giving her one more comforting squeeze.

Mia, feeling a renewed sense of determination, picked up the book again and flipped through it until she found something that might help. "Kai, we need another heat session," she announced with more confidence this time.

Kai nodded. "Sure thing," he said, lighting a small flame on his hands as he prepared to help Jay once more. He carefully placed his warm hands near Jay's head, letting the gentle heat do its work.

After a few moments, Jay's pain started to ease, and soon enough, he felt much better. "Whoa, that actually worked!" Jay exclaimed, sitting up straighter as the tension in his body melted away.

Suddenly filled with energy, Jay jumped up, ran over to Mia, and hugged her tightly. He even twirled her around in excitement. "You did it! You actually did it!" he cheered, his happiness contagious.

Mia, caught off guard by the sudden spinning, laughed and held onto him. "I did, I did!" she echoed, her laughter bubbling up. "But now I’m getting dizzy!"

Jay quickly set her back down, still grinning from ear to ear. "Sorry about that," he said, still holding her hands. "But you were amazing, Mia. You really helped me."

Mia smiled up at him, a little breathless but happy. "I’m just glad you’re feeling better," she said, her previous worries fading away. "That’s all that matters."

Kai, watching the two of them, couldn’t help but smile as well. "Looks like you’ve got the magic touch, Mia," he said warmly.

Mia laughed again, feeling lighter than she had in days. "Maybe I do," she agreed, squeezing Jay’s hands before letting go. "Maybe I do."