Feeling the rejuvenating wave wash over him, Ace had to stifle a growl of frustration. Of course Tear would continue to waste her energy for his sake, it matched the stubborn attitude he had grown so very familiar with… and yet, it was also sign she was alive and breathing, ever wishing to take the matters into her own hands. That was good enough.
Don't ever do that again. Still earned a warning, though.
As he quietly observed the confrontation, his gaze flicked between the Heroes speaking up and back to the woman who had started it all. Not a stranger, as they had all originally thought, but the very figure that had been guiding their actions from behind the scenes. Seeing her again was... unsettling, in a way he could not properly describe.
“Kalki…” He didn't even realise when he'd joined the others, though his was hardly an invitation to a discussion. More of a declaration, really. “It has taken you years to come to this point. Your mind has been made, and we're only wasting our breaths trying to pretend otherwise.”
“I understand.” He sighed, raising his eyes to look at the woman in question. A world without death… each one of them must have at least tried to envision being able to escape the shackles of time. “And now it occurs to me that the Crystals of Orience most likely held onto a similar idea.”
This time, he was, of course, referring to his own world. “They twisted our perception of the world by taking away the memories of death and suffering. Just so we could no longer be hurt. So we could keep pursuing goals greater than our lives. For a long time, we truly thought it was a blessing.”
The sentiment no longer held true, as evident by the cadet’s grim tone that followed. There was no strength to be found in ignorance, while life in Crystallis had been filled with loss just as much as it taught him about happiness. Those fleeting feelings that had escaped his attention before, all the more precious and comforting in moments of fear.
Yes, he was afraid - if not for his own, it was for the safety of the melodist by his side and the companions he'd made along the way. He had to acknowledge that Kalki could easily take away everything he held dear in order to prove her point. His fingers curled protectively over Tear's shoulder, and he had Vanish at the ready, should any suspicious movements take place.
“What you're proposing goes far beyond that, though. Tempting us with promises of godhood… as though us being here isn't a testament to our desire to protect what we already have. Evolution can't be achieved on the basis of forsaking our very identity.”
“I would like to believe in the righteousness of your plan - but knowing where this path leads…” he paused. “I can't.”
no subject
Don't ever do that again. Still earned a warning, though.
As he quietly observed the confrontation, his gaze flicked between the Heroes speaking up and back to the woman who had started it all. Not a stranger, as they had all originally thought, but the very figure that had been guiding their actions from behind the scenes. Seeing her again was... unsettling, in a way he could not properly describe.
“Kalki…” He didn't even realise when he'd joined the others, though his was hardly an invitation to a discussion. More of a declaration, really. “It has taken you years to come to this point. Your mind has been made, and we're only wasting our breaths trying to pretend otherwise.”
“I understand.” He sighed, raising his eyes to look at the woman in question. A world without death… each one of them must have at least tried to envision being able to escape the shackles of time. “And now it occurs to me that the Crystals of Orience most likely held onto a similar idea.”
This time, he was, of course, referring to his own world. “They twisted our perception of the world by taking away the memories of death and suffering. Just so we could no longer be hurt. So we could keep pursuing goals greater than our lives. For a long time, we truly thought it was a blessing.”
The sentiment no longer held true, as evident by the cadet’s grim tone that followed. There was no strength to be found in ignorance, while life in Crystallis had been filled with loss just as much as it taught him about happiness. Those fleeting feelings that had escaped his attention before, all the more precious and comforting in moments of fear.
Yes, he was afraid - if not for his own, it was for the safety of the melodist by his side and the companions he'd made along the way. He had to acknowledge that Kalki could easily take away everything he held dear in order to prove her point. His fingers curled protectively over Tear's shoulder, and he had Vanish at the ready, should any suspicious movements take place.
“What you're proposing goes far beyond that, though. Tempting us with promises of godhood… as though us being here isn't a testament to our desire to protect what we already have. Evolution can't be achieved on the basis of forsaking our very identity.”
“I would like to believe in the righteousness of your plan - but knowing where this path leads…” he paused. “I can't.”