"Not really. It wasn't until recently that I understood loss. You haven't even gone yet and already I am keenly aware of the void that will be left behind in your absence," Declan mused, looking at the other man a moment before gazing out at the water and the jungle outcrops on the white stone slabs dotting the shores.

"I am only speaking from the experience I know I'm going to endure; cherish the people in your life, and life fully. I will...survive your distance, Aoba. Because I will do everything in my power to make it so you can come back. But I can't help your life back home. I cannot make guarantees about that place, so all I can do is practice patience."