Rod was startled; the voice came from somewhere unknown, but it was clearly the voice of the Starry Queen.
Her spirit has dissipated, so how could she speak?
Most importantly, the phrase "Is that you?" almost completely confirmed that the Starry Queen recognized the previous Master of Dreams.
At the very least, she was aware of the Dream Realm's existence.
How should I respond?
Time began to pass, yet still very slowly. That sense of transcending time vanished from Rod, and he couldn't utter a complete sound, only attempt to reply within his mind.
"Are you the Starry Queen? What do you mean?"
There was no answer, and the voice seemed to disappear.
After a moment, just as Rod almost thought it was an illusion, a soft sigh reached his ears — immense loss, melancholy, and sadness, as if icy water chilling to the core.
