[ Blessedly, eight months have passed for Oriphi since that painful and dreaded decision had been made. It’s not enough time to make peace with it - and a part of her doubts there will ever be enough time for that - but at the very least the pain is not as raw as before.

But still, sometimes she can’t help but feel selfish. Was Sian’s sacrifice to give up their own soul to purge that of Gran Karrefour’s from the gemstones and thusly the world really the only way? If they all had resolved to pledge the rest of their lives to guarding Gran Karrefour’s gemstones instead… Wouldn’t that have been better?

In the end, though, there’s no way for her to truly know. All she can do is to ensure that her friend’s sacrifice was not in vein. She hopes she can live up to that.

At his question, the ghost of a smile tugs at a corner of her mouth. She’s thought about this question, too, in all the months that have passed. ]

With how things turned out, it would be impossible, but… That doesn’t stop me from thinking about them, sometimes. Like if I saw something that reminded me of them and thought, “Hey, Sian, things are going well,” even if I know it won’t reach them.