"Viator"

In Garlemald, an empire founded by Emet-Selch, the word for traitor is "viator", which is Latin for "traveler."

Warnings for canonical character death, and general angst.
Endwalker spoilers.

The end of this leads into the flashback at the end of "Fetch Quests".

"Absolutely not!"

Her voice was shaky, her words escaping with a yelp as she jumped to her feet, slamming her hands against the table. The rest of the Convocation nearly jumped at Azem's outburst, though most understood - and felt - her rage.

"Azem, what other choice do we have?"

Her slender form trembled underneath her black robes, and even with the mask covering the upper half of her face, her quivering scowl was enough to read her expression. "ANY other choice! You can't tell me this is the plan you're all agreeing with!"

"With Zodiark, we could–"

"-NO," she interrupted with an uncharacteristic aggression and assertiveness, "we have NO idea what is causing these… these abominations–"

"-do you propose we study the situation properly?" Another member interrupted. "And how many will have died by then, hm? We need to act now."

"So you want to immediately sacrifice half our population now, for a chance to fight back?" Angry tears streamed down her cheeks from behind her mask, her voice breaking. "Please, listen to me… We do not know the source of this disaster. We do not know the cause, nor the nature– to sacrifice so many lives on a gamble when we don't even know what game we're playing, it's… madness."

The other members shifted uncomfortably in their seats, quietly exchanging glances until one broke the silence. "It is indeed a gamble, Azem… but our votes have been cast. It's been decided."

"It'll be alright, Azem" a soft voice murmured beside her, from a young man whose robes were pure white in contrast to the other members. His gaze was settled on the table, his expression appearing stoic - though she wondered if his eyes would betray him, if she could see them beneath his mask. "We have to do something… we have to try. We have to have faith."

"Elidibus…" Her voice faded as she realized her words weren't reaching them. She turned to look at the other side of the room, her gaze locking on a particular member. "And what about you, Emet-Selch," she spoke his title with such tenderness, and it made him turn away, his body visibly tense.

"The vote has been cast," he said quietly, after a brief moment, "13 in favor."

"Hades!" She nearly screamed, her body trembling with anger, and he refused to look her way, flinching from the venom that seemed to drip from her voice as she called him by his name. "You– You can't tell me you support this– Not you… Not you, too…"

The tension in the room was heavy, pressing down on each of them. None of them seemed able to address Azem's argument, for there was no logic to be found in the chaos of an apocalypse. It was as if they'd all resigned to the first solid plan they could cling to, and hope that with enough desperation and faith, it would be their salvation.

"With that decided," one of them finally interjected, breaking the silence, "we should begin preparations for the ritual."

"No…" Azem whispered, choking back a sob as she slowly straightened her stance. But her protests were in vain. They wouldn't listen. They were too scared. They wanted a solution to latch onto so badly that they were no longer willing to question their methods.

This was… exactly what Venat told her would happen. She knew, walking into the Convocation's chamber today, that they would propose and vote for this plan. It was hard enough to process when Venat explained it to her, but to live it now… here, in person, looking at every single one of these brilliant minds dedicated to the guidance and protection of the star… it was too much.

I'm sorry, Venat, she thought to herself as she slowly reached up to trace her fingertips along her mask. I tried to change their minds… Just like you asked me to.

As the others began to exchange words on the best way to arrange the ritualistic sacrifice, Azem quietly removed her mask, placing it on the table before her. Her now exposed eyes, normally full of life and indomitable spirit, seemed cold and hollow. Her expression was grim as she recalled Venat's next instructions - should she fail to convince them…

"I'll have no part in this." Her words carried a foreign gravity to them, and the conversation ceased as she felt their heads turn towards her.

"Azem…"

"No. I… I'm done. I'm…" her voice cracked and she swallowed hard, taking a deep breath to steel her resolve. "I resign immediately from the Seat of Azem."

The Convocation stirred, murmuring and glancing around and adjusting themselves as they tried to process what she'd just said.

"You– You're resigning? Now? In the middle of all this? This is preposterous," one of them shouted, standing to his feet. "This is defection!"

His claim caused the others to whisper and gasp among themselves, but Azem– no, Persephone– didn't allow herself to falter. "Call it whatever you wish. I will have no hand in this reckless bloodshed."

Emet-Selch, who had been motionless and silent, finally rose to his feet. She could see his shoulders tense, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "Azem!" It wasn't uncommon for him to shout, but there was a particular kind of hurt in his voice that made her heart feel as if it were about to break. "You would… You would choose to desert us? To abandon us? To abandon me?"

His words cut deep, like a blade straight through her gut. It was the quiver in his voice, the raw rage and pain, that threatened to unravel her resolve.

"Gods, Seph, of all the things I– After everything we– You would… just rather scurry away from it all like a slimy, cowardly snake!" In fact, his pure and unbridled anger seemed to catch everyone off-guard. There wasn't a sound to be heard, except for the scrape of his chair against the marble floor as he stomped towards her. "You're just going to run away, then? Leave us all to burn in hell while you run off to frolic in the fucking flowers?"

By the time he made it to her, he had ripped off his own mask and slammed it on her table, next to hers.

"...Hades… I…"

"No, Seph, this is it. You leave us now, you walk out that door, I'm not chasing after you. I'm not following you. I'm not reaching out. I'm not bringing you back. If you leave us now, I… I'd better never see you again."

And with that one little phrase, her world crumbled down. Her gaze fell to the floor, unable to look him in the eye any longer. "I'm… I'm so sorry," she spoke in a breathless whisper, before turning and walking away.

He stood there, frozen in time, the world around him a hazy blur as he watched her leave the chamber. "She…" he muttered, the rage having completely left him, "she really… she left."

Elidibus went to run after her, but was stopped by another member. "Let her run away, like a traitorous rat." The others chimed in, aghast with the unexpected betrayal and desertion by one of their own.

Emet-Selch simply stood there, staring at the open door as everyone stirred and scoffed around him.

"She just… left us to die. She… just left me to…"

Persephone stayed with Venat in the coming days, following her guidance despite feeling so heartbroken and defeated. She had played her part, but was it worth the cost? She had turned her back on Hades, whom she loved more than anything else in the world. They both lost their best friend Hythlodaeus, who volunteered to become a sacrifice. They lost Elidibus, who had chosen to be the first sacrifice and serve as the heart of their summoned god. They had lost so much more than they could ever hope to gain back. This really was the end - of their lives, of their people, of the world as they knew it.

She had received an invitation to the summoning of Hydaelyn, of whom Venat would be sacrificed to serve as her heart, but she couldn't bring herself to go. She couldn't bring herself to watch as she lost the last person she had.

It felt like a cruel irony, to have dedicated her life to connecting with people all over the star, and yet be left to face the end alone.

She walked along the burning streets of Amaurot, its buildings in crumbled ruins. Screams and cries echoed through the air, and the trees themselves seemed to rot with resignation. This was her home, that she had loved so much, and fought so hard to protect… but now, in the end, all she could do was wait. She knew what was coming - Venat had explained what to expect. When Hydaelyn and Zodiark clashed, the world and everyone in it would be shattered. She would die.

The only solace she had, here at her journey's end, was the story Venat had told her - of a brave, young adventurer who would inherit her shattered soul. A hero who would finally be able to stop the Final Days, and save Etheirys. To know that it would be her soul, far into the future, to finally save the world she loved so much… it gave her heart. That was enough to calm her nerves as she waited to be ushered into the dark.

Her only wish, perhaps selfish in nature, was to see her beloved Hades one last time. Just a glimpse. She quietly made her way through the fiery ruins of her city, through blood and dirt and rubble, praying and wishing to herself that she may reach him in time.

She was almost there when the great flash of light burst across the sky like a large crack of lightning. All at once, it was as if her body was trying to burst out through her skin, and she cried out from the unbearable pain. She stumbled, her legs threatening to give out, and her heart pounded rapidly within her chest, but she couldn't stop. Not here… not yet. She pushed on, until there was another great crack of light and it felt as though her bones were snapping apart. Crumpling to the ground, she bent over to expel the blood that gurgled from her lips. Her ears rang and the earth beneath her shuddered. She tried to stand but her knees immediately buckled, pulling her right back down to the quaking pavement.

Putting one hand in front of the other, she crawled, blood and dirt soaking into her robes as she dragged her body forward. Tears swelled in her eyes and fear crept up in her heart - she didn't want to die alone. Desperation drove her forward, though with each crack, her body faltered and failed and broke further apart, until she collapsed against the ground.

Her vision began to blur and fade, and the cold began to bite at her fingers. Then, off in the distance, she heard his voice call out to her, and felt his arms wrap around her. To know that she wasn't alone, that she was in his arms, that their souls would meet again… it gave her heart.

And that was enough.