Eddie Munson always imagined his final scene would be louder.

Instead, he lay in the Upside Down, breath ragged, fingers twitching uselessly against his guitar. The world pulsed around him, wrong and distant. A weak laugh escaped him.

“Hell of a final boss, huh?” He swallowed hard and forced a grin. “Brave, incredibly handsome bard stands his ground against nightmare bats. Very metal.”

The joke faded with his strength.

“Party escapes. Heroic sacrifice stuff.” A pause. “…Guess I finally figured out my class.”

Fear cut through him for a moment, sharp and raw.

“I didn’t run,” he whispered. His grip tightened in the dirt. “I didn’t run this time.”

A thin breath.

“That counts… right?”