“Stay down,” Gladio says, gently moving you back towards the wall. “I’ll handle ‘em.” He can’t let his gaze linger on the blood slowly staining your shirt. There’s no time to panic. He has to protect you. “Don’t even think about dying and leaving me.”

Then he heaved his greatsword around. It slices into one of the arachne’s legs. He doesn’t stop. He can’t stop. All he can think about is protecting you, his soulmate. He can feel the ache in his side from your wound. He’s sharing your pain.