"Can we try again?" Kai asked eagerly. "When Nova's rested?"
Thalia's expression turned regretful. "Such connections cannot be forced or scheduled. They require a convergence of conditions on both sides of the veil. That we achieved even this brief contact is remarkable."
"But it's possible," Marcus insisted. "That's what matters. We're not chasing ghosts or false hope. Some part of him is still... somewhere."
"Indeed," Thalia acknowledged. "And now you have something concrete to sustain you—not just memory or wishful thinking, but tangible evidence of continued existence in some form."
Samantha felt tears welling in her eyes, but they weren't entirely tears of grief. There was hope mixed in now, and a profound gratitude. "Thank you," she said to Thalia. "For making this possible."
