The Unsettling Echoes      

[Your companion, Grey Smoke, has DIED!]

Xin's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the notification, his mind struggling to comprehend the words that had appeared on his screen. 

The lines blurred before him, the letters dancing in a chaotic manner as if mocking his inability to grasp their meaning. 

He blinked repeatedly, hoping that the words would rearrange themselves into something less ominous, something that didn't imply the loss of a companion.

His heart pounded in his chest, the thudding reverberating in his ears as if trying to drown out the harsh reality of the message. 

Slowly, a cold realization crept over him, sending shivers down his spine. Grey Smoke was gone.

Unable to accept the truth, Xin read the notification over and over again, as if expecting the words to change upon each repetition. 

Each time he read it, the weight of the loss bore down on him, pressing against his chest until it felt hard to breathe.