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The moment in which Malleus realizes what it is he needs to do... is a strangely tranquil one. Though his blizzard has stopped, residual snow still falls slowly around him and Silver—a testament to his previous turmoil turned into sudden peace.
Lillia’s necessary departure had come as a surprise. With it had brought far too many emotions for Malleus to parse in so quickly a time, yet one thing was clear: Malleus does not want to lose him. Malleus doesn't want to lose Lillia, doesn’t want to lose Lily, doesn’t want to lose Silver... doesn’t want to see his life continue slowly down the path of seeing all his loved ones disappear. As such—his decision to put everyone to sleep is an easy one. He doesn’t wish to lose them, and so he won’t. Instead, he’ll simply keep them here, like this—forever at peace, like him.
When he arrives at the party, he knows everyone else will be afraid. He knows they simply won’t understand. Yet this gift he’ll give them all will not only accomplish his own goal of forever retaining this life at Night Raven College that he loves, but will also allow the rest of them to keep the same. Malleus raises his hand, and ignores the despair that flits across Lillia’s face. He glances at Lily once and feels his heart beat soft and slow. Eternal life; eternal slumber; eternal dreams of happiness with them. They’re all one and the same. And after this, none of them will ever know there’s a difference. Malleus opens his mouth, and bestows upon them exactly that.