[Now Ardyn was definitely losing the finer threads of the matter; time travel was far beyond the realm of his comprehension. He barely understood the timeline as it was, when Cor talked about it. But still, the general idea was enough to get a rough idea--and he wasn't about to distract from such honest admissions by asking foolish questions]

It was easier, sometimes. If Aera didn't know I would inevitably die, then we could have hope of a future together. I would have done anything to preserve that for her. And it was-...it was not that I cared nothing for such dreams. I wanted them as much as she did, truly. But ultimately, as things wore on...the idea of death was preferable. I was so tired, and the more my body broke down the less I saw any other way things would end. If I were lucky I'd live long enough to ascend the throne and see the world at peace, but...I never expected to.

And that was fine. Even if it caused Aera pain, at least she could have lived in a world without fear of the dark. At least I could have done what I thought I was made to do.

That's...how it is to you, isn't it? That if the salvation of the world demanded your life, then that price would be paid in an instant.