Sound.
Had power.
Ling An turned away, leaving September and his wife their final moments together.
Up in the sky, Sorrowful Cry and its mate entwined their necks in a tender embrace.
Some regrets could be made right, while others could not.
The world had never been fair. That was what made it real.
Ten months and thirteen days.
It was far too short a time, so short that September had counted every day yet still could not forget.
And it was far too long, so long that the frequencies making up the ghostly figure were now terribly weak.
They had already begun to slowly dissipate.
Every farewell had to end.
September wiped away his tears and straightened his clothes.
"Thank you, Patroller Ling An." He gave Ling An a heartfelt bow.
Ling An said nothing. He had merely acted on a whim, doing what he thought was right.
"I've come to terms with it now. There's no point in staying so stubborn. A Hui certainly wouldn't want to see me like this. If she knew I'd been stuck here because of her, she wouldn't be happy either, would she?"
September spoke quietly, a light rekindling in his eyes.
"I'm already so happy that I could see her one last time. I've decided to live well and devote myself to my research. I can't let A Hui down!"
In the sky, Sorrowful Cry and its mate had circled the entire Wailing Wastes and returned.
The two enormous avian Tacet Discords landed before Ling An.
Sorrowful Cry looked at Ling An, its gaze seeming to convey its gratitude.
The resurrected avian Tacet Discord nestled against its side, gently rubbing its neck in an expression of love and reluctance to part.
Then it gently flapped its wings and landed behind Ling An.