Sense of loss

As the train rumbled to a stop, Kenji stepped onto the platform, the salty breeze wrapping around him like a long-lost embrace. It had been years since he last visited the coast of his childhood, where the waves danced playfully on the shore and the sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink. He walked towards the beach, each step stirring memories of laughter and warmth. The familiar sounds of seagulls and crashing waves filled the air, but today they felt muted, echoing a hollow ache in his heart. As he reached the shoreline, he spotted a small shrine, its weathered wood standing resilient against the elements. It was here he had once come with his mother, who would whisper prayers for safe journeys. A pang of loss surged through him, a reminder that she had been gone for years, leaving behind an emptiness that no amount of time could fill. Kenji knelt, tracing the worn stones with his fingers. The desolation around him was bittersweet, a haunting reminder of what once was—a childhood full of joy, now overshadowed by the weight of absence.