"You shouldn't be here," Elara whispered, her hand passing through his chest like smoke, yet leaving a trail of warmth. "The Silt eats the living."

"Come with me," Kael pleaded, reaching out. "My rig... I can find a way to download you into a synthetic frame. We can find a way for you to be real again."

"I am real," she said, tears of pure light falling from her eyes. "But I am a ghost in your machines. If I cross over, I might just be noise."