For a second, Dante didn't breathe.
Not because he was shocked.
Because shock would've been easier.
This
This was recognition.
Slow.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
The girl's voice came out tight. "…You know him."
Dante didn't answer.
Because he did.
Too well.
The man standing in the doorway looked exactly the same.
Same height.
Same posture.
Same stillness that always made people uneasy without knowing why.
Time hadn't touched him.
Or maybe
Time had been waiting for him.
"Hello, Dante."
The voice didn't echo.
Didn't distort.
It existed in the room like it belonged there.
Like it had always been there.
Dante finally spoke.
"…You're dead."
A faint smile touched the man's lips.
Not warm.
Not mocking.
Just… aware.
"That's what you were told."
The girl's pulse spiked.
"Told?" she repeated. "Wait who is that?"
Dante didn't look at her.
His eyes stayed locked forward.
"…Victor."
Silence dropped like a weight.
The name meant something.
