Chapter 22: what the people saw

Umbra's world was collapsing once again, his consciousness slowly slipping from one reality to the next, a constant cycle of torment and rebirth. Just as the familiar pull of reincarnation began to take hold of him, something unexpected happened.

A voice.

It was soft at first, like a whisper carried on the wind. "Please… don't give up. I need you to stay alive." The words were laced with such pain, such desperation, that Umbra's mind snapped to attention despite the overwhelming exhaustion and the numbness that had started to settle in his soul.

It grew louder, clearer, until it cut through the darkness of his mind like a beacon. "Please… I need you to beat this. I need you to save me."

The voice sounded unfamiliar to him at first, but something about the warmth in it-the tone-he knew sent his heart racing. His eyes snapped open and scanned the surrounding void. There she stood, right in front of him.

Akari.