"Maybe," Ian replied without pausing, hands still moving. "Though we won't know for sure until we meet him."0

It wasn't exactly a surprise that Lucia had reached the same conclusion. She'd always been sharp, and after meeting Valten, there had been more than a few moments that made things obvious. Everything they'd been wondering since meeting the other survivors finally seemed to click into place.0

"From what I know, something like that would only be possible if someone's already broken free from the limits of mortality," Lucia whispered. "The Son of Light ended up becoming something born of darkness."0

Ian said nothing. He simply gave a shrug and bent down to adjust the fit of his steel boots and greaves. That part was always the most important—tight enough to hold, loose enough to move.0

"But even so," she continued, softer now, "His Highness still seems noble. Everything we've seen points to that. Maybe he's..." Her voice trailed off as she looked away. "Maybe he's in the same state as you, Ian."0

"Could be," Ian replied, giving a small nod. It was a fair assessment. "Though unlike him, I'm not exactly noble."0

Lucia watched him flex his ankle once, then shook her head. "That's not true. You haven't been corrupted by the void or driven mad by chaos. Instead, you've learned to control...0