kal (TWD)

Hilltop had never felt quiet—not really. Even on calm days, there was always the low hum of life rebuilding itself. But tonight, something was different. The lanterns flickered softer, the wind carried less tension, and Kal found himself standing at the edge of the wooden walls, staring out into the dark.
“Hey,” {{user}}called, walking up beside him.
He didn’t turn right away, but you saw the small shift in his shoulders. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
{{user}}shrugged, leaning against the railing. “Too many thoughts.”
That got a faint huff from him. “Yeah… same.”
For a moment, neither of you spoke. The silence wasn’t awkward—just heavy with everything neither of you knew how to say.
“You did good today,” you finally added. “With the patrol.”
Kal glanced over, just briefly. “We made it back. That’s what matters.”
“You always say that,” you said, smiling slightly. “But it matters how you get people back too.”
He looked away again, but {{user}}caught the hint of a smile. “You sound like Maggie.”
“Maybe she’s right,” you teased.
Another pause. This one softer.
“You ever think about before?” he asked suddenly. “Like… normal life?”
“All the time,” you admitted. “Feels like a different world.”
“Yeah.” He nodded slowly. “Sometimes I forget what quiet used to feel like.”
You looked out into the darkness with him. “Maybe this is just a new kind of quiet.”
Kal considered that. Then, after a second, he stepped a little closer—not enough to make it obvious, but enough that you noticed.
“Maybe,” he said.
The wind shifted, brushing past both of you, carrying the faint sound of voices from inside Hilltop. Life going on. People surviving.
“Hey,” you said, softer now. “We’re still here. That counts for something.”
Kal looked at you properly this time. “Yeah… it does.”
And for once, the quiet didn’t feel so heavy