Crest froze.
The soft glow of the Starling Mirror trembled in his hands, but his whole body had turned cold.
Will's sobs on the other end of the mirror were the only sound in the room, a wet, broken rhythm that cut into Crest's mind.
He opened his mouth, his voice barely leaving his throat.
"Elysia... What are you saying, Will?" he asked, but it wasn't a question. It was a plea.
Will kept crying. His sobs hit harder now, like he could barely hold himself together. And then, finally, through the broken gasps, he choked out the words.
"Why didn't you tell me...? Why didn't you say anything, Crest? Why didn't you warn me it would be like this...?"
Crest blinked, stunned. The words made no sense. He gripped the Starling Mirror tightly, his breath caught halfway in his throat.
"What...? Will, what are you talking about?" he whispered. "She's alive. Elysia—she's alive. She was just with me. Yesterday. This morning. I saw her, I talked to her. She's with us."
