[ Her gaze shifts to him as he speaks, listening carefully. ]
My life is not my own, either. It is not mine to give away. I would not hesitate to sacrifice my life to save the lives of many, but I am not allowed to die. If I die, so too does what hope remains in this war of Light and Darkness. If I die, what Shards remain will inevitably be destroyed.
I have a companion who came from a future in which I died. Much of the world was destroyed by aetherochemical warfare, a poison in the atmosphere that destroyed what it touched. When I was killed so too was what hope was left in those that survived.
It was the memory of my life that spurred them to band together and create a way to travel through time and space to prevent their future from occurring.
[ She presses a hand to her heart; overwhelmed. ]
I am scared to die because of what will happen to my worlds when I do.
But... sometimes I wish that I could. I would love to see those I have lost. I would love to be free of this weight. This burden is so heavy, Ardyn. [ Her breath catches in her throat, lodged by emotion. ] Even when sharing it with others, in the end it will fall upon my shoulders.
This is why... It's so hard to accept that I am a person, because being a weapon is so much easier. If all I am is a sword and shield, there is no mortal woman with her mortal failings. If all I am is my duty, I cannot be crushed by the weight of seven worlds.
no subject
My life is not my own, either. It is not mine to give away. I would not hesitate to sacrifice my life to save the lives of many, but I am not allowed to die. If I die, so too does what hope remains in this war of Light and Darkness. If I die, what Shards remain will inevitably be destroyed.
I have a companion who came from a future in which I died. Much of the world was destroyed by aetherochemical warfare, a poison in the atmosphere that destroyed what it touched. When I was killed so too was what hope was left in those that survived.
It was the memory of my life that spurred them to band together and create a way to travel through time and space to prevent their future from occurring.
[ She presses a hand to her heart; overwhelmed. ]
I am scared to die because of what will happen to my worlds when I do.
But... sometimes I wish that I could. I would love to see those I have lost. I would love to be free of this weight. This burden is so heavy, Ardyn. [ Her breath catches in her throat, lodged by emotion. ] Even when sharing it with others, in the end it will fall upon my shoulders.
This is why... It's so hard to accept that I am a person, because being a weapon is so much easier. If all I am is a sword and shield, there is no mortal woman with her mortal failings. If all I am is my duty, I cannot be crushed by the weight of seven worlds.