The rain struck like whispers from a forgotten past, each drop a fleeting echo of something Ili couldn't grasp. He stood at the edge of the city square, the pendant in his hand heavier than it had ever felt. The world blurred—lights smeared across the wet pavement, voices drowned by the storm's relentless roar.

Through the veil of rain, a shadow moved. Her shadow. He didn't need to see her face to know. His breath caught, a plea tangled in his throat.

'Wait... please.'

For a brief moment in time, his figure stopped, his breath catching in his throat and his eyes widening.

'Is that you... I finally found y---'

He stopped himself, and before he could move, the shadow dissolved into the storm. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't keep chasing shadows, hoping for a miracle that would never come.