[For a long moment there was just the sound of ragged breathing that sounded almost like the start of half-restrained sobs. Ardyn's violet hair was more disheveled than usual, hanging in his eyes as he refused to look at his twin brother.]
[It was his fault, screamed some dark and distant corner of Ardyn's mind dyed in hatred and shrieking vengeance. His brother's fault that Ardyn had forgotten how to trust people, refused to believe love and loyalty existed as more than lies ending in betrayal. His brother's fault that Ardyn felt genuine mortal terror in confinement, in being isolated and genuinely surprised that anyone would ever have come back for him.]
[Ardyn himself knew he had a hand in how he'd ended up--in keeping his secret and suffering in silence--knew the Accursed needed to be dealt with. What he was had to be destroyed, locked away, anything-]
1/2
[It was his fault, screamed some dark and distant corner of Ardyn's mind dyed in hatred and shrieking vengeance. His brother's fault that Ardyn had forgotten how to trust people, refused to believe love and loyalty existed as more than lies ending in betrayal. His brother's fault that Ardyn felt genuine mortal terror in confinement, in being isolated and genuinely surprised that anyone would ever have come back for him.]
[Ardyn himself knew he had a hand in how he'd ended up--in keeping his secret and suffering in silence--knew the Accursed needed to be dealt with. What he was had to be destroyed, locked away, anything-]