āWhat are you doing here, Unukalhai?ā Elidibus expands the sphere of his influence, a shielding of aether to push away the swell of the darkness. This child should not be here; though Unukalhai had been brought through into the rift, surrendered his mortality as surely as any of the other souls here, he remained but a shard and there was no telling how the aether here might affect him.
āIs everywhere like this?ā Unukalhaiās voice is quiet, and he tucks himself in close. Perhaps he is aware that he should not venture far from Elidibusā protective aether.
āIf you are hoping to find a part of the star unaffected by this calamity, then you will be disappointed.ā There is no kindness in fostering false hope, and Unukalhai has already been made aware of the truth.Ā
āNot even a little bit?ā His voice cracks with the pain of losing his home, a pain Elidibus still feels all too keenly. Centuries have yet to dull its edge, and even the slightest graze of it against his mind sets it bleeding all over again. The pain of such a loss⦠it resonates so powerfully with the souls that comprise Him it chokes the breath from Elidibusā lungs.Ā
āSuch is what happens when the balance is shattered,ā he finally answers on the edge of his breath. Unukalhaiās grip upon his robes tightens. āThere is no enduring it, nor escaping it. Any souls that remained after the flood would have eventually been corrupted by its influence.ā
āBut what about me?āĀ
āYou endure because you no longer dwell in this place. Even the rift maintains its own balance that prevents such corruption. If you remain here too long, then you too will succumb to the same fate as these people.ā
āIs there really no way to save them?āĀ
āI cannot say.ā Perhaps there was, perhaps there was not. He has not exhausted every possibility, every avenue, but further action seems unwise. Elidibus has already lost too much in his ignorance of Hydaelynās curse upon the star and with Zodiark still dormant, his own ability to act was severely limited.Ā
For all his efforts, he could only save a single child.Ā