Kyle drifted deeper into the dream, the haze thickening until the figure of Lucia sharpened into view.
Her form was still half-broken, her outline flickering, but this time her lips trembled and parted. A faint, cracking voice reached him.
"I… don't have long. I am going to die soon."
She whispered, her words breaking as if spoken through splintered glass. "
Kyle's jaw tightened, his instinct pushing him forward, but he stopped when he saw the sheer fragility of her state.
She seemed ready to shatter under a single touch. Still, his voice came out steady.
"Then I'll stop it. I'll pull you back before it's too late."
Lucia smiled faintly, a sad, resigned curve of her lips.
"No. You can't save me. I wish… I had more time. Just a little more… before everything ends."
Her eyes softened, glowing faintly in the dark void.
"But if this is the end… then let me say what I never could."
