[center][i]Meanwhile in the city of Gothenburg, on the coast of Kattegat...[/i][/center]

It was a balmy afternoon. William was clutching the collars of his coat, bracing against the coastal wind. The smell of the sea, the tiny mists of water that came from waves crashing against wave breakers, the cawing of seagulls. All of it was so foreign yet so familiar to him. 

This was where his ancestors once lived. Scandinavia. 

Without disclosing this trip to his parent, to Brie, to anyone really. William just got up and left. He didn't as much as leave a note of absence to Powers either. Surely there would be hell to pay once he returned. Oh well. Such is the consequence of his actions. No matter. William needed to get away. From nothing in particular. It was just him, needing to find his sense of self again.

Standing on a small pier, William watched the ebb and flow of the sea current, feeling naturally drawn to them. Jumping in for a swim would be foolish, but not out of the question. He was more worried about his clothing and belongings disappearing as soon as he dove into the frigid sea. Perhaps another time, he thought, when it was more appropriate. 

The life in Castelburg can get monotonous. Sure, the fighting offered by the random criminals and monsters keeps one on their toes. But, for William, it was becoming a drag. He loved hanging out with his friends at HERO. Sure. He loved hanging out with Brie. But towards the end there, it felt like he was living his life around those two things. His friends and Brie. He glanced at his phone. No messages. No calls. It was to be expected after all. In that moment, he had half a mind to just throw his phone into the sea and disconnect from the world entirely.

Breathing steadily, he concentrated connecting the timing of his breathing to the flow of the sea. Breathing in when the sea flowed towards him and exhaling when it inevitably ebbed. His eyes slowly closed and he could feel his powers, something he has not used in a long while, welling up inside him. 

Sounds of crashing waves and the repetitive calls from seagulls as they searched for more food could be heard. William, in his semi-meditative state, seems to slowly fade out, and figuratively become one with the sea...