"Wake up…"
The voice was a whisper in the vast cosmos—gentle, almost lost in the emptiness. And yet, it thundered through the void, undeniable.
"Wake up… WAKE UP, KAEL'DRI."
A single eye opened—white as the core of a dying star. Then two more followed, burning with radiant gold. The light spilled outward, searing through the abyss.
A form began to coalesce—first flickers of energy, then strands of long golden hair streaked with silver and blue, like sunlight passing through celestial rivers.
The figure took shape.
Ethan.
"Where…?" His voice was hoarse, distant, like it hadn't been used in centuries.
"You've slept too long, son. It's time you came back."
"I… don't understand."
"You made a promise. Do you intend to break it?"
"Harley… I feel her. She's… asleep too?"
"She couldn't carry the weight of waiting. So she chose to join you in silence."
"How do I return?"
"There are many ways… but the real question is: how do you want to return?"
"I… I'm confused."