The small touches seem to calm him. He shakes his head slowly - although whether to deny Mikka's words or to deny his own thoughts is unclear. He turns his hand over and grasps theirs as it passes back near his palm.

"In the end, it matters not," he says in a low voice. "They set themselves in opposition to me. They chose their side. And now you - my poor, broken Persephone - have your own choice to make."

Leaning down, he presses a kiss to Mikka's temple. "I am, ultimately, still one of Zodiark's servants," he murmurs. "You were not able to hold the power of every Lightwarden on the First, but your awakened state may yet be of use to us. Your friends have been forced to return to the Source, leaving behind that meddling Exarch and a world which has sunk deep into despair since your advent. What will you do now...?"