Aether folded his three fingers, leaving only two raised as his gaze drifted somewhere far beyond the screen. His tone softened, and the world seemed to hold its breath.
"What right do I have to tell you all this?" he muttered, his voice laced with quiet disappointment. His eyes lowered, shadowed by grief.
"Tell me… what right do I have over you?"
"Nothing."
He let that word linger, cold and absolute, before raising his head again.
"I have no right over any of you… do I?
My Aurora people?" His gaze turned painfully soft as he whispered,
"You all decided to leave this Archpriest without hesitation… So eager to throw away everything, even your faith, to die as if your lives meant nothing?"
His breath hitched slightly.
"Am… Am I the one who made a mistake?"
The moment those words left his lips, the people of the Aurora Empire broke down.
