“I got out fine. It’s you lot I’ve been worried about. How are your friends?”

Noctis looked fine, at least. Stressed, tired. But better than he had been back then. It probably helped the lot of them were sober this go around. Bed hair? Might as well be his default because Caius didn’t notice. And, looked better, he said? “Guess I would. I took my first day off since the first time I picked up a sword, at Lumina’s behest. So I guess that counts as sleep” Caius admitted with a slight smile. It wasn’t exactly peaceful, not all of it anyway. But he had been able to confess to Lumina successfully, so he supposed it would look like he had a spring in his step in comparison.

“I had a few messes to clean up when I returned. Talking to Yuna about Alex’s… Possibly murderous issue when it comes to summons and the Astrals. And apparently some psychopath attacked Torensten’s crystal while I was gone. Celes stopped him, but holding him has been a lot of headache and paperwork” Caius at least elaborated to give Noctis an idea of what had been going on. So, essentially, he had been busy as always. Being a mercenary guild that doubled as a peacekeeping force was never going to be easy, but there were days that were incredibly hectic for them. These last few weeks had been some of the more hectic ones, that’s for sure.

Of course, Noctis was curious about Lumina. Caius chewed the inside of his cheek awkwardly at that. “I’m glad you’re looking well, Your Highness. I wish I could say this was purely a social call, but truthfully, I don’t know how many more times I can fight back against the parasite on my own before it becomes too strong for that to work. I was able to do so long enough to give her a few days of peace, but… It’s already showing signs of returning” Caius admitted softly. “It’s time. We have to act soon.”

Caius wiped his face with his sleeve, fighting hard to keep his emotions in check after having to admit that, especially in front of Noctis of all people. He had to stay strong, for her sake. Both because of the power of kings, and a veil against darkness protecting him, he had been able to delay its advance and allow Lumina to live a normal life at times, without a risk of becoming infected himself. But while Caius was wearing protection, so to speak, that didn’t mean they could keep this up forever. Eventually, the parasite would win out.

“I’ve been thinking hard about what we should do. And I think our best bet is to do what I’ve been doing so far, but with the intention of driving it out entirely” Caius brought up, then. The kingsglaive paced back and forth a bit, as he let his thoughts turn like cogs on a wheel. “Because of it being scourge-blighted, I’ve been able to project part of my magic, light magic in essence, into Lumina to force the parasite to retreat further down, for a time. The Power of Kings is able to move from body to body, fluidly, which is how Kingsglaive are created and linked to their King. That’s how I am able to do so. Your magic, as well as a strange power I gained after defeating the Lich that protects me a bit from dark magic, has kept me able to do this for some time. My thought is… If we work together, and I can show you how to do it, we may be able to make her body temporarily inhospitable for the parasite. So long as we don’t overwhelm Lumina with it…”

Alex was an idiot, but Caius wasn’t taking any chances either. They had to do this carefully.

“This would theoretically force it to leave her body. Then, when it takes form, we can engage it in battle. Your magic makes us possibly the only people on Zephon who can take it out.”

Even now, for all he had learned to do with it. Caius could not look Noctis in the eyes and call that magic his own. In his view, no matter what version of Noctis it came from, and no matter how far away… It was still power borrowed from Noctis. It was not his own.

“That brings me to why I’m here a little bit early, without Lumina. To make sure you’re physically able. And… Because something keeps bothering me,” the Kingsglaive admitted then. The second biggest thing besides Lumina’s fate itself. “The parasite has been in hold of Lumina for some time, gaining strength. And had another victim before her as well, likely making it even stronger. With how much magic it could take, the last thing we need is for us to both be in, or near Stasis when the fight starts. It could kill us, and Lumina, if we aren’t at our best.”

That was what had been bothering him for some time. Being responsible for Noctis’ death and preventing him from growing up to be the one that brought light back to their world. On his honor as a Kingaglaive, and… As a friend. That was unacceptable. And that was why Caius had long been agonizing over possible ways to prevent this.

“I thought back on my studies back at the Citadel, and… There’s something I wanted to run by, and maybe test with you” Caius brought up, as his gaze moved to Noctis’ ring hand.

To the Ring of the Lucii.

“The Ring of the Lucii is a wellspring of magic power, gathered by souls of the Kings and Queens of Lucis’ past. While it can wield powerful offensive magic, and heal great wounds. I was wondering if it was possible to tap into that wellspring of magic to top up one’s own reserves? It might not work in combat, but this procedure should leave enough leeway for you to top up if possible. At the least, I would be more comfortable if I know that in the worst case scenario, you will be able to fight” came his broach. The reason he had come. Was to ensure Noctis had a fighting chance if it came to it.

His next remark, as flippant as ever over himself in comparison, came with a shrug. “If it can restore my own stamina as well, all the better. We would stane a better chance; then. If not, at least I know you will be fine.”

And that was the part he was even less sure about. The Kings of Yore had never allowed another to utilize the Ring, not without a horrific price being paid. But when commanded by the True King, what then? Would the Kings refuse, even if he was a Kingsglaive? While not a Lucian King himself, it had to count for something, right?

The others weren’t great. That got a frown out of Caius. “I see,” he spoke quietly. “I’ll be sure to keep checking in on them. I owe Mr. Scienta for his contributions in my time, even if he hasn’t done them yet. Though I don’t remember him being…”

That was a can of worms Caius wasn’t ready to open, so he didn’t voice his thoughts further. Ignis had been blinded prior to his incarceration, he knew, which potentially had implications Caius didn’t want to think about.

He smiled slightly when Noctis apologized for the lack of time off, though. “I had time between missions, though we never really had time for vacation. There was a lot to clean up while rebuilding Lucis, and… I used my time between missions studying. Even if I had gotten a vacation, I had never finished my formal education — I would have used the time to continue bettering myself in learning our history and culture. And whatever would help me be better to rebuild Lucis.”

This was the first time he’d had time that he wasn’t spending preparing for a mission, or studying. At Lumina’s insistence. He had no reason to blame Noctis for that.

Of course he asked about Alex. He could almost swear he had gotten around to mentioning it in Sonora, but a lot had happened since. “He’s targeting Yuna, the girl from the clinic. Because she can summon. I am not sober enough to cover that fully” Caius admitted as blunt as could be. Alex was a difficult subject and he was already in a poor headspace.

After sitting down and getting the plan out, Caius took a deep breath. Okay, he managed to get that out of his system. He had been stressing about this issue so much, it was a huge weight off his shoulders to finally come to Noctis and be open about it. But he immediately regretted bombarding the Prince with all of that right out of the gate, and the Kingsglaive quickly grew sheepish and averted his gaze as it hit him what he had done. He had intended to shoot the breeze first, work up to it. See how everything was going, ask a few questions, maybe offer to go fishing again later…

But Noctis had mentioned Lumina and just like that, everything spilled out without a thought. Perhaps unconsciously he knew he wasn’t going to feel right until he was more confident that everyone would come out of this intact, but he still regretted it. End of the day though, while he had faith in the Chosen King, Caius still feared that even though he had detailed part of this plan to Noctis in Sonora already, he risked leading his own King to his death. And Caius would do whatever it took to prevent that. And whatever it took to save Lumina. He wouldn’t be himself, he knew, until everyone was ok.

Fortunately, Noctis was understanding. Of course he was understanding, he had always been like that. Too understanding, he knew that Caius had been in the wrong to spill everything all at once like that, right? But that was how he has been as King and apparently that was something that he just always had. Patience. It was a reminder of just why Caius had followed him in the first place. Was this how the other three felt? Why they followed him, even if to the ends of the earth? Even if they had to wait ten years to be at his side again?

Caius listened as Noctis outlined his thoughts. He chewed the inside of his cheek at the first bits. “I met her, she looks just like the Oracle from the pictures. But she doesn't remember anything of her previous life, and we’re out of time” Caius admitted softly. “I still owe you a debt for this. I will continue investigating when this is over, but right now… This may be our only choice.”

He had long agonized over all these possibilities. And yet, this was the best option he had. He wished Noctis had a better one, but it didn’t seem like he did. Speaking of options, Noctis had used the ring in ways Caius hadn’t been aware of, which could potentially aid their chances in battle. And the possibility he could summon a small wall was…

“It’s tempting to try, but that may be too much strain on you” Caius brought up then. “Even if it works, our initial problem still remains. Wall or not, if we die, it escapes.”

Then came a bit that Caius had only a passing knowledge of. How fickle the ring was. He had heard tales, of course. The people it had rejected, and had burned. Those who did gain their blessing in turn, had paid a blood price. All who did not possess the royal blood. The thought of what could happen to him, gave him chills…

“I wouldn’t dream of putting on the ring. I am not of the bloodline, it would only be my undoing and may not even grant us anything” Caius corrected, while also agreeing with Noctis’ concern. “However, you are the Chosen King. All these generations of kings, their souls have lain in the ring for you to command. The only one who should wield the ring is you.”

He stared at the ring on Noctis’ hand a moment. For a few fleeting seconds, Caius could feel its power calling… Urging him to put it on. To commune with the Kings.

Then he sobered back to reality. Had he really grown so desperate that he sought greater power this much? Was this what love was like, how it changed people? Or had Caius always held deeply-ingrained desires for power of this magnitude? He didn’t know, but the fact it came to him so suddenly, so unconsciously, he didn’t like it. He didn’t like that desire to wear it, even if it didn’t last. Only a Lucis Caelum, nay, only the King should wear it. Its power was theirs alone.

Besides, he had a better ring anyway. The one Lumina had given him. It held magicks of its own, right? He remembered that the rings were paired... Could Lumina see from her ring just how distressed he felt?

“Augmenting your magic reserves with the ring’s should be simple. But for me… That may be something you would have to commune with your forebears for. And by what you’ve said, it sounds unlikely. Still, there was a link between myself and a Noctis, one that even now yields me power," Caius brought up, not entirely sure if this would work, but they were running out of options, and their situation was looking grim. Yet, they had no other choice but to act soon. "Meaning the connection must still be there in some form. It may be the Kings will allow that connection, if I still technically hold it, to be used to share their strength between us. Even just temporarily.”

It was a long shot, but… They had to do something.

“Their mission is to end the starscourge. That is the purpose of the Ring of the Lucii. And if I can keep fighting, I can protect my King in this battle. That, in turn, benefits their calling. They need you, and even if they don't like it... I don't know if even they would dare defy the True King.”

Caius had not, in fact, gotten a vacation. Ever. There hadn’t been time. He had only meant to state what he would have done if they’d given him one. But he didn’t correct him. Better for him to think he actually did give him one. No reason to let the future King fret about that, especially now of all times. There would be a time for that, possibly even a decade from now. And if Caius could, even from the grave and across time, help him become the king he knew? He would gladly dedicate the next decade to that goal.

But a road trip sounded… Well, Caius nodded slowly as he considered the proposal. “I have never been on a road trip before. It sounds…”

It was hard to imagine himself in one of those, he had only seen them on tv once upon a time. Out on the open road with friends, not a worry or a care in the world? It sounded almost…

“… Nice.”

But that was for another day. After all this… And after they dealt with whatever the hell Alex was doing. Caius let out a long sigh at the mention of Sorel. They were going to need an entire other day to cover everything to do with that headache. “I think he was always like that, if his rambling and change in language during our “talk” are anything to go by. I think he hid far more than he let on.”

Yeah that was a lot and he wasn’t ready for that conversation just yet. “You’ll have to get in line, though. Yuna wants him first.”

Caius supposed he should have realized it would be hard to hear Lunafreya had amnesia. In his shoes, if it was Lumina, he…

By the Six, what was he thinking? He should have been more tactful. But there wasn’t really any preparing Noctis for that, either. It would hurt, no matter how he had delivered it. Caius let out a breath as he digested and cooled down from that thought. Despite that, Noctis asked to see her. After an awkward few moments, Caius slowly nodded his head. “Yes, of course. I’m sure Lumey would be happy to arrange it. Lunafreya is in her family’s care, it shouldn’t be difficult.”

It would hurt, but hopefully it gave Noctis some level of peace. Just as Caius hoped to someday have his own. As for this wall? If Caius couldn’t get help from the ring, he would potentially be even more drained than Noctis, and it could be him fighting alone. Wall or not. That was what Caius hoped to prevent, but if it didn’t work, the wall wasn’t worth the risk.

It was true though, that there was somehow enough connection for Noctis to find him that day. Maybe, somehow, someway, this could work. It was a long shot, but they had to try.

Anything for his Lumina. Anything.

But Caius didn’t expect what Noctis would suggest. At first, he didn’t understand. And thought Noctis meant he would go ask, as Caius had suggested. But before Caius could nod his support, Noctis held out his hand. And that’s when Caius realized:

He meant both of them.

Caius’ eyes widened as he stared at Noctis, jaw hung slightly agape in surprise and for perhaps the first time, the slightest hint of fear. Would that work? And if it did, what if he was judged unworthy as a mere Kingsglaive and killed?

But most of all, he didn’t want to touch the ring. He didn’t want to feel that way again. That feeling of being drawn to it, as if he unconsciously craved its power. He didn’t want that. Not again, never again. That wasn’t him. And the idea this could be toying with a side of himself that he didn’t know existed, terrified him.

But Noctis was offering and he didn’t have a valid excuse to say no. And in the end, he knew.

Whatever it took, he had to save her. Save this world and its people.

Zephon was his new Lucis. And he would protect it. Whatever it takes.

Shutting his eyes and gritting his teeth, Caius braced himself as he took the outstretched hand.

"Fishing? I'd be happy to join you, if you'll have me."

Famous last words, and with that — Caius took a deep breath as he heard Noctis call for the Kings. And then all was still. Like time itself had come to a halt. Caius' breathing grew shallower as his nerves grew, unsure of what awaited them. But something else, he could sense, was Noctis' energy draining. But not in the same way as if he had used magic normally. It was like...

As the Kings of Yore materialized, it became abundantly clear quite quickly that they were, in some form, surrounded. Caius didn’t like that feeling. Too many bad memories behind that. Caius opened his hand, just in case he needed to wield a weapon. Perhaps it was insensitive to prepare to draw in front of the Kings of Yore themselves, but Caius refused to be taken off-guard by anybody. This mission was too important to risk any possibility. If they took offense to him being here and wanted a fight, he'd give them one if he had to. He would protect Noctis, and Lumina both. He had to. There was no other option.

While Caius waved nervously towards the Kings, he stood tall the best he could. He refused to show weakness. His King, even if just a Prince now, had called the Kings to help Lumina. Even his speech reminded him of the awkward duck King he had known. And he didn’t want to embarrass him.

The spokesman, who by imagery Caius had studied was likely The Mystic, Somnus… Was, well. Quite frankly? Really rude. Caius almost stepped forward to set that little ghostly trashbag straight when he treated Noctis that way. Caius hadn’t forgotten the story he had learned about the “Founder King”, and he was certainly living up to the legend alright. More like Shodder King. But as much as he wanted to intervene, out of respect he let the Prince handle it for as far as Caius could stomach.

He did interject once, however.

“I uh. Did actually swear my vows to him. Future him. Long story.”

Caius had to hide a face of pure disdain at “We will pardon him for daring to-“ yadda yadda, oh Astrals would trash king just shut the hell up? Gods, this was far worse than he had expected. He’d spent all this time serving a royal line whose spirits had this spiteful and patricidal maniac as a spokesman? That was one way to make one question their loyalties. To the line, anyway, not Noctis. But the rest of them sucked. The rest of them really sucked. If they weren’t going to help with the starscourge, what did they get all dolled up inside the ring for? Caius was ready to just tell Noctis they could leave this trainwreck and find another way. Seriously, was this song and dance ring statue crap just for show-

-Did he say royal blood?

Caius froze as he processed it, and when Noctis would loudly curse at that. He blinked a few times, slowly, as he looked from Noctis, to the Kings, to Noctis….

Then he began to laugh.

“Ok, I’ll admit, Your Highness. You had me going for a minute. I did not expect the legendary Old Wall to have such a sense of humor” Caius belly laughed nervously. That made sense, right? The rejection, of course they wouldn’t refuse to help. He almost believed that, but him being royal? Ridiculous.

“They honor me with their levity, and being called family is touching. But we really need to focus and get to work on fighting the stars-“

They weren’t laughing. None of them were laughing. Caius’ laughter quickly started to die down as a sudden kick of room-reading situational awareness hit him like a truck.

“They’re uh. Not joking, are they? That-that. That-“

Caius couldn’t process it. Not even remotely process what he was hearing. But that was-that was impossible, right? Sure, he hadn’t been chosen by the crystal so that would explain why he’d not developed in his power until he was trained, but-

Nobody budged. Nobody laughed. Nobody said it was a joke.

No. No way. How? This made no sense. There was nothing he could remember that could make sense of-

His head hurt. His head hurt a lot. One hand went to his head as he winced. He could feel it buzzing. Last time it buzzed like that was on his date with Celes. It had been a gentle buzzing, and then he started talking about his mom and flowers as if the memory had been always there.

This wasn’t like that. His head started pounding as the buzzing intensified. He didn’t want to worry Noctis, so he opened his mouth to speak, to say something comforting. But nothing came out.

He couldn’t form words, his throat felt dry and hoarse. The pain was splitting, but he kept trying to contain it until… The pain got too much, and finally Caius doubled over. Caius would lean against Noctis, and with his other hand begin to tap against his arm. He was in too much pain to speak, but if Noctis was paying attention to the taps, he might recognize a pattern — code used by members of Lucis military. One he would have possibly been taught himself. The taps corresponded to..:

S.O.S.

In other words…

Help.

Help him, he silently pleaded. It felt like his head was splitting in two. Caius was stubborn as a behemoth, for him to ask for help meant the pain he was feeling was beyond imagination.

Then, a vision began to take over his sight. By some horrific side effect of being in the Ring…

Noctis, and the Kings, could see it too.

---

“Another payment. That’s it! He can take his gil and shove it, who does he think he is, Olivia?”

“I don’t like it either, Cailan, but that was the decision, and I know it to be best. Please respect my family’s wishes.

“For years I’ve respected it, Olivia! I’ve bit my tongue long enough! I don’t get it, we lived and worked at the Citadel for years without an issue! I was so close to a breakthrough in my research! Then after they find out you’re pregnant with Caius, all of a sudden we’re “offered” a cushy retirement and sworn to silence. He can’t just expect us to disappear for the rest of our lives!”

“It had nothing to do with my being pregnant. It’s peaceful here, Cailan. His Majesty has given us a wonderful place to raise the children, they are safe and will want for nothing.”

“I know that! But it’s not a gift, it’s exile! We would have been safer in the Crown City, under the Wall’s protection! This wasn’t a problem before, why push us into “retirement” in the countryside, away from the Crown City, now? I don’t understand, and you know something, even if you won’t tell me.”

“You’ve been patient long enough, I agree. But I can assure you, this was the only way.”

A pair of hands that looked to belong to a child around five propped up against the door of the kitchen, it was this child’s eyes they could see from. In the loud kitchen, they could see a tall man with blonde hair, and a woman whose hair was a blueish-black…

“I don’t understand. How could he do this to you? His own family? You were like a sister to him, Olivia!”

“The True King has been chosen, Cailan.”

“The True King? So, what? We disappear, because of some prophecy?”

“It is the will of the gods.”

“What, because they think our children could rise against his brat?”

“No! The prophecy must come to fruition, Cailan. Only the True King may purge our star of its scourge. And for the prophecy to happen, the last King must rise. His Majesty feared that one day, when the prophecy comes to fruition, there will only be the True King left alive, and that Insomnia would fall. As the gods proclaimed to him…”

“I don’t understand.”

The child began to sneak into the room, hoping to get a closer listening spot. Or maybe a juice box. The body language of their movements seemed disinterested, like their parents’ words held no meaning to them. At that age, why would they? The child was likely just overly curious about why they were shouting.

“He asked me to do this to spare us the fate of our line. I agreed to disappear, Cailan, because it is the only way to save our children. The end of the line of Lucis Caelum is nigh… And to this sanctuary we must disappear, if we are to survive.”

“So that’s it? You give up your name and any claim to the throne, and pretend Olivia Lucis Caelum doesn’t exist? We stay here, as ghosts?”

“For Silas, Caius and Emily’s sake, yes. Please understand, Cailan, and trust me as you have all these years. For our children’s sake… It must be as though we are long gone, and forgotten.”

While trying to quietly sidle under the table, the child clumsily smacked his head on the table's back. The impact caught the attention of his parents as he rubbed his head and seethed. But it also caused something to fall to the ground before him. Just before his parents could snatch it away, he glimpsed upon it...

The royal seal of Lucis.

---

"I... I remember."

It was like he had been submerged, and only now just narrowly managed to come out for air. His throat was still hurting, his head still buzzing. But he managed to finally speak.

"My mom, she... I didn't understand what they meant back then, but she was... She was..."

His breathing began to grow rapid, sharp, and inconsistent as the pain started to increase again. This time, far worse than before. His chest had started to hurt, his arm hurt too, and his heart was beating hard in his chest. As those pains began, Caius started to tap on Noctis’ arm again. This time frantically. Over and over again, the same code in excess, growing more and more rushed and sloppy with each one. But the code was clear as day.

S.O.S. S.O.S. S.O.S. S.O.S. S.O.S.

Caius didn't care about the stupid kings and their stupid, trash leader right now. They had vanished from his sight, because before him, he could see that symbol on the letter all over again. And with it...

He screamed.

"AHHH-AHHH--AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!"

He screamed at the top of his lungs as pain coursed through him. It was amongst some of the worst pain he had felt, and in those moments, Caius was partly convinced he was about to die. Both hands moved to hold his head, but with them already being here, it didn't break them from the ring's space.

Instead, the buzzing began again. But this time, the vision that came felt different. For this was not a memory Caius had lost to Zephon.

This was a memory he had repressed.

---

He could see the symbol again, this time on a dagger strewn across the hay in what seemed to be a barn for housing chocobo. The hands this time were larger, depicting someone older. But not by much. Before them were two men on his side, one the father from before, and another a young man. In front of them was the prone forms of a young girl, and the mother from before. Both sporting cuts, bruises and looking like they had been beaten within an inch of their lives. The little girl cried for help, cried their names in desperation. The child tried to move, but stumbled over when they tried. Something was definitely broken, and before they could try again their head was stomped back into the ground by the brigands looming over them.

He could hear voices, faintly. A cry from father to spare their family. A half-conscious mother trying as well. The mockery of "Whatever you say, 'your highness.' Not that anybody cares. No one is coming for you" from one of the bandits. The continued mockery for trying to escape...

Then the torches lit. The bandits were gone, but the barn was in flames. Debris fell on the mother and sister, and they disappeared from view as all present screamed in agony.

"Silas, Caius. Take these and run. I'm going to try to rescue your mother and sister. Please, if I don't come back, take care of them. These are sacred to your mother and I. Go, and be safe!"

That was the last they saw of the father. He had been pulled out by the brother, and hopping on one leg, supported on the shoulder of the brother, pushed to run. The burning barn came down, and with it, the homestead soon caught fire with it. Any hope of their loved ones' survival was...

Then they were upon them. They were caught. There was fighting. The child tried to fight, but he was injured. The child found the weapons -- the longsword and the bloodied twin daggers with the symbol of the royal family on them -- shoved into his hands.

"Go, I'll lead them away and catch up. Don't stop, keep running! If they catch you, fight until you get to Lestallum!"

"But Silas-"

"GO, CAIUS! GO NOW!"

Caius had run, no matter how painful it was. He soon could hear the agonized and pained cries of his brother, but he would never get there in time. He looked back, he saw him fall, but all he could do was keep going...

All he could do was run. Even as the night grew silent.

---

The pain in his head finally stopped. The breathing, the chest pains, his heart pounding in his ears, his arm throbbing however, didn't. At some point, tears had started running down his face. That was a memory he had, perhaps unconsciously, repressed and refused to think about. But having that lost memory return now, it had...

It was undone. He would likely never be able to get away from the memory now. He had re-lived it all over again, and Caius couldn't stop the waterworks from forming. He couldn't stop himself from sobbing uncontrollably, as he tried and tried to process all that was happening.

He didn't know what possessed him to do it, but he raised his head to stare up at the Kings.

"Is THAT what you called PROTECTING THEM!?" Caius suddenly screamed out at the Kings in an unchained, unrelenting growl. Filled with pain, hurt, and pure rage. "Is that what you consider SAVING THEM!? I KNOW YOU'RE THERE, ANSWER ME, REGIS!”

He didn't care about the other kings anymore, not King Trash, not any of them. All he could see was the man his mother had loved like a brother, who hadn't been there when-

"Just SENT THEM AWAY, kept your stupid crownsguard behind your STUPID WALL! And when the darkness came, and then the bandits came, NOBODY came for us! NOBODY came to save them! She was your FAMILY, and nobody came to help them! Nobody probably knew you even had family OUT THERE! My mother, your family... My father, Silas, Emily... I watched them suffer, and hurt, and die, they died alone and in pain all because of your..."

Your prophecy. That was what he wanted to say. But he couldn't say it. A little part of him remembered Noctis was there. Even as he lashed out amongst his renewed grief, something kept him from hurting Noctis in particular. And maybe deep down, Caius knew he was being irrational. Regis had been dead, he couldn't have helped personally. But if they hadn't called the entire crownsguard and kingsglaive back behind the wall before that wedding, if somebody knew they existed, maybe they would still be...

Instead of speaking further, he grew quiet. Slumping over and lowering his head as he quietly let the tears streak down his face. He brought his right hand to the opposing arm to try and nurse it, but his breathing was still rough. Softer now than before, but...