The sweet and lovely melody of the voice drifted down through the freezing void, growing clearer and more resonant with every passing second.
"Soren..."
The sound rippled through the endless dark, instantly halting his slow descent. The fog wrapping around his mind began to clear, and his true consciousness surged violently back to the surface.
It was because he recognized that voice.
'E... Et... Ethea...'
The realization struck him with immense force, instantly burning away the lingering whispers of his past. The fragile, broken identity of his teenage self vanished entirely as his adult frame reclaimed its shape in the dark.
'Urgh...'
She was out there, waiting for him, and she was the one holding his hand so tightly.
The gentle heat radiating through his fingers became a brilliant lifeline, anchoring him to the waking world.
'I... have to wake up. I can't.... stay here.'
'I have to... get back to her.'
