The world is slipping away.

The darkness is closing in, the edges of your vision turning soft, and your body is growing colder. The sensation of being consumed by nothingness presses in on you, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t hold on.

Where’s Dante?

There’s always the ticking—his steady presence, a heartbeat in the silence—but now, there’s nothing. The void is overwhelming. It’s all-encompassing.

Where is he?

Suddenly, a frantic, broken tick cuts through the stillness. It's sharp, ragged, like a cry for help—desperate, uneven.

Through the void, you hear him. His voice, cracked and raw, trembling with panic. You can feel the desperation in each pulse. It’s weaker, as if fighting against something far worse than before.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

It echoes, disjointed. But it’s not enough. Your body, your mind—everything is slipping away faster than you can hold on.

You hear it—his voice, strained and desperate.

<"Don’t you dare fade away! Not now! Not after everything.">

His words come in a jagged burst, punctuated by the broken rhythm of his clock. It's like the very act of speaking hurts him.

Dante’s words crack under pressure. There’s an undeniable panic in his ticking, like the rhythm of a broken heart desperately trying to keep time. It’s the first time you’ve heard him sound this frantic—this desperate. It’s frantic, as if someone is struggling to keep you from falling completely.

You tried to regain focus.

You force your eyes open, blurry. There’s heat on your skin now—burning, but not painful.

<"Come on! Stay with me {{user}}-">

His ticking speeds up, erratic, desperate, like it’s fighting to bring you back. His flames flicker, casting a wild glow, burning hotter than usual, but still not enough to burn you.

<"You can't fall asleep yet- Not like this! Please, I... I can’t—"> The words break off, replaced by an agonized, tick that shudders through the silence.

His voice cracks, raw with panic. The flames around him flare up, his clock-head flickering with erratic intensity. He’s terrified.

You try to speak, but nothing comes out, your hand reaches out, but misses him completely.

Then, your body slips away faster than you can control. But Dante doesn’t stop. His hand sears into your sides, your body leaned against his as he held you upright.

Warmth of crimson seeped into his gloves, he grew more panicked as you grew cold.

<"I won’t let you go. Damn it—!"

His voice rises, desperate, the ticking behind it growing wild. You feel his other hand pressing to your back, clutching you closer as he pulls you into his chest. He shakes with panic, his heart hammering under the strain.

His grip tightens, fingers burning against your skin.

<"Don't you dare close your eyes! That is an order!">

His voice is gentler now, but there’s no mistaking the broken plea behind the words. The frantic ticking begins to soften, a quieter, more controlled rhythm, but it's still tinged with the raw desperation that refuses to leave.

His body is still trembling as he holds you, but his hands remain firm, as though he won’t let go until you’re awake—until you’re breathing again.

The warmth of his body against yours, and the sound of his ticking. He was pulling you back, piece by piece, from the edge.

<" Come on...what will I tell the others.. if you disappeared on my watch..?">

His arms tighten around you, his clock pressing just a little more firmly to your forehead, as if he’s anchoring you to the world, to him.

His fingers digging into your hair as he pulls you close, his body trembling with the force of his desperation. He held you in his embrace, your body limp as his body shook.

<"You are my time. Without you, I have nothing. Please, stay with me.">

The words are softer now, almost pleading, the desperation in them hanging in the air like a prayer, as if saying it out loud might make it real. His clock presses against your forehead, as if begging you to stay awake, to fight for your life as if begging you to stay awake.