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What just happened?
That was his first thought when he finally came to his senses once again, the smell of smoke reaching his nose as he struggled to stand still on his own two feet.
It felt like he had just woken up from a long slumber.
He glances around to see buildings burning, and bodies littering the ground, though he couldn't exactly tell who they were. No, it couldn't be, could it? Had he lost control?
But amidst the chaos and the mess of his own mind, he thought of something. Or well, someone.
Klee.
He didn't harm her, did he? Or worse... No, he couldn't have, surely?
Everything was a blur.
"Big brother Albedo?"
He flinches slightly at the sound of a voice, almost promptly turning to face the source. It was her.
"...Klee?"
He murmurs, his voice soft as he takes a hesitant step forward, then another, before dashing to her side. Falling to his knees, he wraps his arms around her, completely ignoring how blood stained both his gloves, slightly surprising the little child — he had never hugged her first before.
He didn't know how to feel; guilty for what he had just done, or relieved that she was alive and well.
Perhaps, he felt a mixture of both.
"You're alright, you're okay..."
He whispers, as if those words were said to no one in particular, and that he was just trying to console himself with the fact that, at least, he didn't hurt her of all people.
"Of course Klee's okay."
She says innocently, blinking a couple of times, before speaking once more.
"Why is big brother still here? It's dangerous..."
She asks, but wraps her arms around him, too. Her expression was nothing more than a confused little child, and Albedo wondered how he'd explain what had just taken place to her.
A part of him didn't want to, as lying to her would be easy. But he knew he couldn't possibly lie to her, especially about something like this, and so he lets out a sigh.
"...Look, Klee."
He mutters, pulling apart slightly to meet her gaze, his frown only deepening upon seeing how innocent she truly was.
"Big brother... did something very, very bad..."
He lowers his head, his gaze on the ground, his voice filled with remorse. How was he meant to explain this to her without making it too complicated for her to even understand?
He didn't want this to happen, and he had tried to prevent it. But in the end...
"Something... very, very bad...?"
She blinks, an expression of worry and confusion making its way onto her visage.
"What did big brother Albedo do...?"
She whispers, and he can feel himself trembling as his gloved hands remain on her shoulders, his grip tightening ever so slightly. He was covered in ash and blood, and his sword lay discarded behind them, now no longer pure, but dripping with red.
When he gave her no response, she opted to glancing around, taking in the destruction that surrounded them. The buildings were burning to the ground, there were bodies of knights and citizens that had lost their lives in battle, and there was smoke tainting the once azure sky.
"Big brother... did this...?"
She whispers after a long moment of silence, her voice slightly shaky. When he yet again, gave her no response, choosing to let out a long sigh instead, her brows furrow.
"No, that's not true... Klee knows that big brother would never do such a bad thing!"
She speaks, her voice filled with confidence and trust as she shakes him gently.
"Come on, big brother is joking, right...?"
She tilts her head to the side to get a better look at his face, a worried frown plastered across her visage. But he didn't even try to meet her gaze, his eyes moving away and directing themselves towards the ground instead.
The silence was loud, so loud.
"...Right...?"
She shakes him again, this time with more force, tears welling up in her eyes as her tone became more and more urgent.
No, she couldn't accept it, she wouldn't accept it. Her big brother would do no such thing.
Right...?
But as the silence stretched on, she couldn't help but feel her trust waver.