The warehouse reeked of rust and regret. Kai's uncle waited—cold, calculating, the man who'd silenced Lena to protect the family fortune.
"You should have stayed ignorant," he sneered.
The music box activated in Sora's trembling hands. Light fractured. A figure materialized—Lena. Ethereal. Broken. Beautiful.
"Sora," Lena whispered. "I tried to protect you. From him. From the curse. I played the melody to bind our souls... so you'd never be alone."
Tears poured from Sora. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid... you'd hate me for existing."
The uncle lunged. Chaos erupted—Kai bleeding again, Sora screaming, Lena's spirit shielding them with fading light.
In the melee, Sora played the final notes on an old upright piano in the corner. Not perfection. Raw, bleeding emotion. Every key a cry for the family she'd lost, the love she'd almost lost, the self she'd almost lost.
The uncle fell. Police sirens wailed in the distance.
Lena faded, smiling through tears. "Live loudly, little sister. Love loudly."