The weight of the vision pressed against Kai's chest as he steadied himself. The Celestial Echo still hummed faintly in his hands, the note he had plucked lingering in the air like an unspoken promise. His pulse raced. He had seen her again. Heard his own name on her lips.
And yet, she was still out of reach.
Kai swallowed hard, his gaze snapping back to the old man. "Who is she?" His voice was hoarse, desperate. "I saw her again. I know I did."
The old man gave a slow, knowing nod, as if this moment had played out countless times before. "Then you're already closer to the truth than you were a moment ago."
Kai's frustration spiked. "That's not an answer."
The old man simply gestured toward the Celestial Echo. "What else did you see?"
Kai closed his eyes, replaying the fleeting vision. The night sky, endless and vast. The woman in silver, her presence both foreign and familiar. The way her eyes had softened when she spoke his name.
Then he remembered.
"There were stars," he murmured. "A sky full of them." His brows furrowed. "And… a name. A word written in the constellations."
The old man's expression sharpened. "What name?"
Kai's heart pounded as the letters burned into his memory. He parted his lips, but hesitation gripped him. Saying it aloud felt like unlocking a door he couldn't close.
Finally, he whispered, "Aerin."
The shop seemed to exhale, the air growing heavier, charged. The old man's gaze darkened, his amusement vanishing. "Then the echoes truly have awakened."
Kai frowned. "Who is she?"
The old man let out a slow breath. "A soul that waits for you. A story left unfinished." He studied Kai carefully. "But the past is not always kind, young man. Are you willing to remember all of it?"
A chill traced Kai's spine. He didn't know what awaited him beyond the visions, but one thing was certain he couldn't walk away now.
His fingers tightened around the instrument. "I have to find her."
The old man's lips curled into a small, sad smile. "Then play again, Kai. And listen to what the stars have to say."