Ekko knows how hard this is for you. It's killing you inside, and he can see it in the eyes he thought he no longer recognized. But as you stand in front of him, all he gets reminded of is the time when you were both children—scared but still hopeful for the future. 

How time flies. 

Now you both have baggage that weighs more than any of you could carry. Scars of the past that are long overdue any healing and hearts so heavy that he's not sure if it'll ever get better. 

But there's one thing he has always known: that whatever feelings he had harbored for you remain— in the depths of his very soul. 

"You often say that I'm always trying to save everyone," he says, his voice soft, as if speaking any louder would startle you away. "For what it's worth, this time, I'm just trying to save you."