The echo's gaze pierced my soul, and memories long buried surfaced. "You could have saved her," the echo whispered, its voice a gentle accusation.
My mind reeled as scenes from my past unfolded that fateful night, my mother's urgent call, begging me to come home early. I ignored her, lost in laughter and music with friends.
The echo's voice cut deep: "You chose to ignore."
I relived the horror of arriving home late, to find a burglar, fleeing the scene. And my mother, lifeless on the floor.
Guilt and regret overwhelmed me. "Why didn't I listen?" I sobbed.
The echo's next words shattered me further. "And Alex, your best friend..."
Memories of Alex's struggles with depression flooded back. His cryptic messages, dismissed as mere vents. His distant behavior, ignored in my own busyness.
The echo's voice, a sorrowful whisper: "You could have saved him."
I recalled Alex's final words, "I'm fine," now haunting me. "If only I had listened," I whispered, tears streaming. Tsv's gentle touch steadied me.
"Your past shapes your present," Tsv said. "Confronting regrets frees you." I faced the echo, and with each passing moment, the pain lessened.
"What now?" I asked, voice shaking.
Tsv's response: "The Realm of Reflection holds one more truth. Are you prepared?"