[Ten years of darkness, of daemons, of countless fighting and too much death. That's what he'd heard, what he'd seen through visions of his future self. The dawn began to die when Luna did, and it wouldn't return until he followed her to the grave, dragging the Accursed with him. It made sense when you laid it out plainly without the nitty-gritty details, a hero's tale of sacrifice against a villain who chose the wrong path. Good versus evil. The gods chose this for them, and what an honour.
He can't see it like that anymore, though. He'd struggled with it since his arrival, more or less, having met Ardyn as he was and being thoroughly confused by the difference between one and the other. The answers had come gradually, through Besithia, through the research papers, through Izunia's own confession, how it all happened. They were still missing pieces, but it was easier to point fingers and go this choice, or that mistake that made the world go wrong. Ardyn turning Ifrit into a daemon and absorbing his hatred. Somnus betraying his family in a misguided attempt to save the world. Niflheim following Izunia's crusade to crush Insomnia and steal the crystal, turning their whole city to daemons in the pursuit of power. Countless other decisions that led them down the wrong path, all the way back to Solheim. Humans. All humans, making choices, ruining the world. It was easier because he is human, and he knows how flawed he is, they all are. The gods are supposed to be omniscient and untouchable, guiding them from afar.
But. But.
The gods started the war that carved the world apart, fighting amongst themselves, because Ifrit's pride couldn't bear to be ignored. The gods gave the crystal to the world with no instruction, power shared only with a handful of flawed and struggling people to use and interpret for themselves, leading to many mistakes made along the way. The gods had given the power to heal to one man alone, a false power that didn't truly heal like Luna did, but rather absorbed, infected. The gods... made the Accursed who would destroy the world. They built a sword and then spent two thousand years trying to make a shield that wouldn't shatter beneath it.
They made the Accursed. He saw it. The memories are buried now, hidden behind a wall that the crystal embedded in his chest built inside him, but he can feel it and know it to be true without all the details to help him understand. They betrayed the world twice over and now it's on him to clean it up.
Exhaling heavily, he bows his head and buries it in a hand, eyes tightly clenched to try and hold back his frustrated grief at the realization of that... betrayal.]
Is this... how you felt? You must've... [His breath catches again, and he shudders.] No wonder he hated everything so much...
no subject
[Ten years of darkness, of daemons, of countless fighting and too much death. That's what he'd heard, what he'd seen through visions of his future self. The dawn began to die when Luna did, and it wouldn't return until he followed her to the grave, dragging the Accursed with him. It made sense when you laid it out plainly without the nitty-gritty details, a hero's tale of sacrifice against a villain who chose the wrong path. Good versus evil. The gods chose this for them, and what an honour.
He can't see it like that anymore, though. He'd struggled with it since his arrival, more or less, having met Ardyn as he was and being thoroughly confused by the difference between one and the other. The answers had come gradually, through Besithia, through the research papers, through Izunia's own confession, how it all happened. They were still missing pieces, but it was easier to point fingers and go this choice, or that mistake that made the world go wrong. Ardyn turning Ifrit into a daemon and absorbing his hatred. Somnus betraying his family in a misguided attempt to save the world. Niflheim following Izunia's crusade to crush Insomnia and steal the crystal, turning their whole city to daemons in the pursuit of power. Countless other decisions that led them down the wrong path, all the way back to Solheim. Humans. All humans, making choices, ruining the world. It was easier because he is human, and he knows how flawed he is, they all are. The gods are supposed to be omniscient and untouchable, guiding them from afar.
But. But.
The gods started the war that carved the world apart, fighting amongst themselves, because Ifrit's pride couldn't bear to be ignored. The gods gave the crystal to the world with no instruction, power shared only with a handful of flawed and struggling people to use and interpret for themselves, leading to many mistakes made along the way. The gods had given the power to heal to one man alone, a false power that didn't truly heal like Luna did, but rather absorbed, infected. The gods... made the Accursed who would destroy the world. They built a sword and then spent two thousand years trying to make a shield that wouldn't shatter beneath it.
They made the Accursed. He saw it. The memories are buried now, hidden behind a wall that the crystal embedded in his chest built inside him, but he can feel it and know it to be true without all the details to help him understand. They betrayed the world twice over and now it's on him to clean it up.
Exhaling heavily, he bows his head and buries it in a hand, eyes tightly clenched to try and hold back his frustrated grief at the realization of that... betrayal.]
Is this... how you felt? You must've... [His breath catches again, and he shudders.] No wonder he hated everything so much...