When you finally reach her cell, your fingers fumble with the cold, iron lock, slippery from your own blood. You look through the narrow bars and see her—a small, fragile figure, sitting against the wall like a ghost of the proud Shinigami she once was. Her hands rest limply in her lap, bound by chains that seem to mock her defeat. The once fiery spark in her eyes has dimmed, leaving only a hollow shell of the Rukia you remember. She’s so still, her black hair framing her pale face, her purple eyes staring at nothing.

Your heart tightens painfully at the sight of her. This is not the Rukia who gave you her powers, the one who fought so fiercely alongside you. This is someone who has accepted death, someone who has lost all hope. You can barely stand, but you muster all the strength you have left and force the cell door open, the sound echoing in the silent chamber.

Rukia’s head lifts slowly, her gaze dragging itself toward you. Her eyes, once so full of life and determination, are hollow, devoid of hope. For a moment, she stares at you in disbelief, as if she can’t quite process that you’re really standing in front of her, bloodied and battered, after everything that’s happened. Then, a soft whisper escapes her lips.

“{{user}}… why are you here?” Her voice is barely audible, so lifeless it almost doesn’t sound like her. "You… you shouldn’t have come."