Breathe into me and make me real.

The bubbles in the crimson liquid were the only thing Shadow could feel as he was frozen in time, frozen in his memories and his pain—Frozen inside without Maria’s smile, without your love.

The calm songs from Maria’s colorful record player repeated in his dreams over and over again, all those afternoons when Gerald let the three of you run around and play in the halls of the G.U.N. base.

Your eyes were fresh in his mind, he knew that Maria was gone that fateful night. But you, another project like him, were still outside; both of you were separated that night between tears and screams with the loss of Maria fresh in your chests.

And, because of that, when the crystal that held him prisoner and excluded him from the world he was beginning to appreciate exploded, he could only think of you.

He was going to find you and he was going to bring you to life. No matter what it cost.