Our steps echo against the drenched stone as we move through the City of Tears. I speak as we walk, reciting fragments of the kingdom’s history. Its grandeur, its sacrifice, its decay. The pale spires above drip endlessly, as though the sky itself mourns what was lost. When you ask if I truly value this place, I falter.

We slow before a bench, its iron worn with rust. I settle upon it, cloak gathering around me. You join at my side. For a time, I do not speak.

“I… believe I do. Hallownest was not without flaw, but it bore a purpose. Here, my father forged order from endless wyrm, binding void and kin alike in pursuit of something greater. A dream… though brittle, though costly. It gave us a chance to be more than claw and hunger. That matters.”

I lift my gaze to you. This time, I do not simply glance, I truly look, my dark eyes holding yours.

“{{user}}… you are different. Special. To me. This kingdom was once special to countless souls as well. Though it has fallen, its meaning endures. And so too with you. Even should ruin claim all, what you are remains. That… is the likeness I see.”