All That Sunlight Touches

Return to Startorch Academy

Rover: (Luuk texted me to go over the Exostrider plan at the infirmary. Better get going.)

Head to the infirmary

Rover: (Nivora... Has she been staying here to recover?)

Greet Nivora

Rover: How are you recovering from your injuries, Nivora?

Nivora: Oh, i-it's you, Rover. Uh, yes. I'm feeling much better.

Nivora: Dr. Herssen took very good care of me. I just did what he said and rested for a few days here, and I barely feel any pain now.

Nivora: Are you here to visit him?

Rover: Yes, we have something to discuss. Is he here?

Nivora: He's in the counseling room next door. Um... My friend Sigrika is in there. It might take a while.

Rover: Thanks. Take care of yourself.

Luuk Herssen: How to put this... I think you can have more faith in yourself, Sigrika.

Sigrika: Faith in myself...

Luuk Herssen: You see, people can be more perceptive than you might realize, including those you care about. So try not to take everything to heart. Go a little easier on yourself.

Luuk Herssen: Good or bad, true or false, these things have a way of coming to light. And as your friend Denia said, sometimes a little distraction is good for your health.

Sigrika: Yeah… I'll give it a try! Thank you, Dr. Herssen.

Luuk Herssen: You're welcome. Again, don't push yourself too hard.

Luuk Herssen: I'd take it you're the type who'd suddenly bolt up in bed at night, wide awake, worrying about an exam. And that'd probably go on for a whole week.

Sigrika: Huh?! Is it really that obvious?!

Luuk Herssen: Hahaha! Only my conjecture.

Luuk Herssen: Would you like some candy? Sweets help keep a smile.

Sigrika: Sure! And... is it okay for me to come back some other time, Dr. Herssen?

Luuk Herssen: Why, of course. Feel free to visit my office any time, Sigrika.

Rover: So, about that that Exostrider plan you mentioned. Let's get into it.

Luuk Herssen: All in good time. Let's start with something lighter first.

Rover: Something lighter?

Luuk Herssen: Any topic at all. But let's slow the tempo a little.

Luuk Herssen: You're too eager, Rover. Your emotions are clouding your judgment. You must feel it too.

Luuk Herssen: Here. A piece of candy? It'll help take the edge off and lighten the mood.

Rover: ...No, thanks.

Luuk Herssen: I understand your anxiety over Aemeath's situation. You've always held her dear. But it's taken more out of you than you realize.

Luuk Herssen: Things are best taken one step at a time. The Exostrider hasn't awakened yet. The key is to pace ourselves. Slow and steady, right?

Rover: Okay, you're right. Let's table the Exostrider for now. Let's talk about you, Luuk.

Rover: I trust Aemeath. What we experienced together proved she was telling me the truth. And there's a connection there I can't ignore.

Rover: But you and me? We might be "strangers in passing who became confidants" as you put it, but it feels like every conversation we've had just skims the surface.

Rover: I prefer to know who I'm working with before jumping into something as big as opening the Stridergate. It'll affect the entire Lahai-Roi region.

Luuk Herssen: Hehe. Point taken. It seems a proper introduction is long overdue.

Luuk Herssen: Please, ask me anything. I'll answer as candidly as I can.

Rover: Are you a Consultant from the Black Shores?

Luuk Herssen: That, I am not. Work that leaves documented trails doesn't suit my style. But I am acquainted with quite a few Bloom Bearers.

Rover: Aemeath said she didn't know you well, but that I could trust you. You also know about the bond between me and her. How?

Luuk Herssen: Aemeath is a sharp girl. Even though you never introduced me to her, she could read between the lines of your actions.

Luuk Herssen: She's a lot like you. Smart, driven, good at bearing burdens. Though she's proven to be even more stubborn than you are.

Luuk Herssen: After you left Lahai-Roi, she came to see me a few times in the name of counseling... to learn about you.

Rover: You didn't tell her anything.

Luuk Herssen: I didn't. You had other tasks for me here in Lahai-Roi. You didn't let us properly get to know each other because you wanted to shield her from my line of work.

Luuk Herssen: She later stopped these visits after realizing that.

Luuk Herssen: Still… I really hoped she would have opened up to me more. You both tend to keep things to yourselves, and that's never good for anyone.

Rover: One last question.

Rover: What do you mean by "I had other tasks for you"?

Luuk Herssen: That is a key topic, but not suitable for discussion here.

Luuk Herssen: The Spacetrek Collective is backed by a number of different nations and powers. Their internal politics are of no concern to us. There are many watching eyes among the support staff.

Luuk Herssen: The infirmary is, after all, a public space. Why don't we take this somewhere more private?

Rover: To where?

Luuk Herssen: I have a place in mind. Just come with me, golden boy.

N.A.N.A.: More personal business to attend to again, Dr. Herssen?

Luuk Herssen: Shh, just a quick break, N.A.N.A. Mind holding down the fort? The next shift will be here soon.

N.A.N.A.: Take care, Doctor. Do try to return in one piece.

Luuk Herssen: Don't worry, I have Rover with me today.

Rover: Sundermere?

Luuk Herssen: Yes. I keep a "small workspace" of my own here.

Head to the place Luuk Herssen mentioned

Defeat the enemies

Luuk Herssen: Leave them to me. Let's not waste any more time.

Luuk Herssen: The Exostrider's sword emits a unique frequency. It shields my "workspace" from most long-range detection methods.

Rover: You picked a good spot.

Enter the secret workspace

Talk to Luuk Herssen

Rover: Quite a stash.

Luuk Herssen: Heh. This is what a secret room is about.

Luuk Herssen: Now, where were we?

Luuk Herssen: Let's start with the conclusion, before we get into all the details: You asked me to come to Lahai-Roi to watch for any Fractsidus activity.

Luuk Herssen: Warren was the first Fractsidus mole you uncovered, and he certainly won't be the last.

Luuk Herssen: Think of the Spacetrek Collective as a web of competing powers. It's as much a haven of independence as a playground for agendas.

Luuk Herssen: An isolated polar region, rich with Exoswarm and the potential for technological breakthrough. Lahai-Roi is a gold mine.

Luuk Herssen: Even for the Fractsidus.

Rover: You're saying the fall of Helios wasn't their real goal?

Luuk Herssen: It was one of several. After your journey in Huanglong and Rinascita, I'm sure you've come to realize their true aim.

Rover: The Threnodian. Aleph-1.

Luuk Herssen: Correct. Given the Threnodian's unique nature, it's sure to catch their attention. Moreover, Aleph-1 is closely linked to the Stridergate, which may be our ticket to outer space.

Rover: Spying on the Fractsidus is risky. Why would I have chosen you for this task?

Luuk Herssen: Well, that is a bit of a long story.

Luuk Herssen: You've always preferred to see things for yourself. Please, follow me to that table.

Inspect the container on the table

Luuk Herssen: The "Golden Serum" developed by the Novialle Group. But I prefer its other name—Ichor.

Luuk Herssen: My father started it as a medication for rare diseases. But as research progressed, it came to represent something far more ambitious—the "drug of evolution."

Rover: Evolution? Sounds like something the Fractsidus would like.

Luuk Herssen: Well, on paper, it worked. I became its Resonator, so it would be unfair to say it was entirely useless.

Luuk Herssen: But I was a rare case who survived. All it cost me was excruciating pain and my color vision. Most test subjects like me didn't make it.

Luuk Herssen: It wasn't until I met you that I realized there was more to the story.

Luuk Herssen: The rest is in my study. Shall we?

Head to the study

Examine the drawing

Luuk Herssen: My brother Rhein drew this picture.

Luuk Herssen: We're not related by blood. Father took us both in after his own children passed away from a rare illness long ago.

Luuk Herssen: Rhein never could handle pain, but he was easy to cheer up. Whenever the grown-ups would give me candy, I'd save it all for him.

Rover: (So that's why he always has candy with him.)

Luuk Herssen: For a while, I tried to be the perfect son Father wanted. It never worked, so eventually I stopped trying.

Luuk Herssen: It only got worse from there. What Father tried to do to Rhein was unforgivable. And then came that accident...

Luuk Herssen: I thought what my father did was a rather mundane story. A cliché, someone trying to atone for past guilt, only to cause greater harm.

Luuk Herssen: Until your hints made me suspect it was someone's staged finale. So I had my father's grave exhumed. It was empty.

Examine the damaged report

Luuk Herssen: The entire Lollo Logistics carrier was already blown to smithereens by the time I recovered this page.

Luuk Herssen: I managed a quick glimpse before the fire consumed most of the page. Hehe, it is a report from an Overseer.

Rover: A Fractsidus Overseer's report on its way to the New Federation?

Luuk Herssen: Yes, tucked away in a Lollo Logistics delivery box.

Luuk Herssen: The recipient is "Eris" in the New Federation.

Rover: Those three items you just showed me... Did the Fractsidus get into Novialle's work after learning about the Ichor's potential for "evolution"?

Luuk Herssen: They didn't just "get into" our work. They went a step further—replacement.

Luuk Herssen: Have you ever met the Fractsidus's Grand Architect?

Rover: The "thousand-faced survivor." We met near the "Styx Lake" deep within the Dark Tide.

Rover: Wait... Does this mean your father was...?

Luuk Herssen: Yes. My father was just another face the Grand Architect borrowed. Though, looking back now, I can't recall the moment the real him was taken.

Luuk Herssen: I think the Grand Architect sees life and death as a game. I wouldn't be surprised if "Father" was even smiling in his coffin as we buried him in that downpour!

Luuk Herssen: So, that's your answer. Why did you choose me? Because I have a very personal reason to go after the Fractsidus—hatred.

Rover: Hatred... Even now?

Luuk Herssen: Now, it has become something of a habit.

Luuk Herssen: Continue this train of investigation and you'll see for yourself what they are. But before you do, there's something I should share.

Luuk Herssen: My friends in the Black Shores told me you've already had a few run-ins with certain Overseers. Is that right?

Rover: Three: Cristoforo, Phrolova, and Scar. Plus the Grand Architect you mentioned.

Luuk Herssen: Ah, those names do ring a bell. Phrolova is codenamed Hecate. Cristoforo? Arachnos. Intriguing, isn't it? The flair they have for their own branding.

Luuk Herssen: But it's a telling detail. A codename can reveal its owner's style, personal tastes, and even ambitions.

Luuk Herssen: Think about it. A powerful Resonator who causes chaos at random leaves no trail to follow. But give them a preference, a pattern, and we can start to build a profile from the pieces.

Luuk Herssen: I've been compiling reports on the Overseers for years. Allow me to share what I've learned so far.

Luuk Herssen: I've reactivated your access. You'll find the door controls right over there.

Open the hidden door

Head to the farthest room

Luuk Herssen: The Fractsidus is loosely organized. Most of its members have only undergone basic, artificially-induced body modification. They're not terribly difficult to neutralize.

Luuk Herssen: But if you encounter Artificers with more... creative modifications, you're likely looking at the handiwork of "Hydra."

Luuk Herssen: Hydra is their leading mind on human evolution and body modifications. Whoever they are, they often work in tandem with "Siren."

Luuk Herssen: In other words, if you spot one, be on guard in case the other is lurking close by.

Luuk Herssen: Zashiki-warashi won't require much of your attention. This Overseer primarily operates in Ashinohara, a region that's been largely destroyed by the Lament.

Rover: Ashinohara... I've heard of it somewhere before.

Luuk Herssen: The girl we had in the infirmary for a while, Chisa, I remember? The city that trapped her, Honami, is part of Ashinohara.

Luuk Herssen: Now, on to two key pieces of the puzzle.

Luuk Herssen: I did say the Fractsidus was a loose organization, but even the most scattered cells still need funding to function.

Luuk Herssen: Remember that report from earlier? It's only a matter of time before you go to the New Federation. And based on the intel I've gathered...

Luuk Herssen: That's their most critical base of operations, and where you'll find "Eris."

Rover: How critical? Do they operate in the open?

Luuk Herssen: Not exactly. But in a place where money talks, they must have members in the highest echelons of government and business. Key members.

Luuk Herssen: Their foothold in the New Federation has given them immense leverage. With that endless stream of wealth, the Fractsidus operates with impunity across the planet.

Luuk Herssen: Speaking of which, Startorch Academy is also heavily funded by the New Federation. To be blunt, they're the Spacetrek Collective's single largest donor.

Rover: Eris, huh? Duly noted. I'm assuming the other key piece is the Grand Architect?

Luuk Herssen: The Fractsidus Grand Architect. Their true name is unknown. They only appear through borrowed identities: Real people, legendary beings, and even the phantoms of the dead from others' memories.

Luuk Herssen: I did brush shoulders with them once. It was a shame I had no idea at the time and missed my shot.

Luuk Herssen: This pen was the only thing I brought back from that great fire.

Luuk Herssen: I have yet to discipher the lettering, but it shows one thing for sure: the Grand Architect has been around for a very, very long time.

Luuk Herssen: It's a pity you called me to Lahai-Roi. Otherwise, I would've continued following that trail. But you always have good reason. Right?

Rover: You uncovered all this by yourself?

Luuk Herssen: More or less. I did have some help along the way.

Rover: To get your hands on one of the Grand Architect's personal items. You did more than just follow a trail. You infiltrated them.

Luuk Herssen: Playing along with them isn't that difficult once you get the hang of it. Like I said, they are a loose organization.

Rover: Knowing the Fractsidus, stealing all that intel on the Overseers is risky, no matter how loose they are. Each infiltration will only be more dangerous than the last.

Rover: Luuk, how can a doctor who doesn't value his own life save anyone else's?

Luuk Herssen: You know, this is the second time you've said those words to me.

Luuk Herssen: They got away again.

Luuk Herssen: (If I hadn't been so cautious, I could've "taken care" of them this time.)

Luuk Herssen: (I should send today's findings to Rover. It's been two years. I suppose I'm due for a report.)

Luuk Herssen: Good, you got the intel. Would've been a shame if I got myself killed for nothing.

Luuk Herssen: You want me to go to Lahai-Roi? Why?

Past Rover: There's evidence of their activity in Lahai-Roi. I need you to keep an eye on things. And frankly, you need a break.

Luuk Herssen: Now is not the right time.

Past Rover: You've already drawn enough attention. Do we really have to wait for you to get killed to decide it's "the right time"?

Past Rover: How can a doctor save anyone else's life if he doesn't value his own? Keep pushing like this and you'll be no different from them.

Luuk Herssen: Not pulling any punches, are you?

Past Rover: Trust me, that's only the warm up. Lahai-Roi is a nice place, Luuk. Bright, passionate students, beautiful snow. Perfect for slowing things down.

Past Rover: Listen to me on this. Come.

Luuk Herssen: ...

Luuk Herssen: Very well. As you wish.

Luuk Herssen: So I've led a leisurely life in Lahai-Roi ever since. No need to worry, I know my limits.

Luuk Herssen: I see. Aemeath, she... No wonder you're in such a state.

Rover: I understand her reasons. She was fighting for her dream, for Lahai-Roi, in the only way she knew how. And I respect that. The fate she chose for herself.

Rover: But I won't accept it. There's more I haven't tried. I'm not done fighting for her.

Luuk Herssen: Of course. I wouldn't expect you to give up so easily.

Luuk Herssen: Now, about the Exostrider... It started with the Spacetrek Collective finding a "giant Soliskin root network" in Bjartr Woods. They identified it as the "lid" sealing the Stridergate, so to speak.

Luuk Herssen: It keeps the Threnodian's fractured forms sealed on both sides of the Stridergate. Break it, and these forms will reunite. That wouldn't just spell Lahai-Roi's doomsday, but the entire world.

Luuk Herssen: But the Collective still yearned to open that gateway, to explore the unknown. So, they created the Synchronists. The idea was to use Augmented Resonance to amplify the Exostrider's power, hoping that would keep the Threnodian suppressed.

Luuk Herssen: But lately, the Threnodian's attacks on the seal have been increasing. I'm afraid the Fractsidus is also getting ready to make a move.

Luuk Herssen: With the Reactor Core returned, all you need now is a little patience. Wait for the Exostrider to awaken. Then we can focus on how to use it to find Aemeath.

Luuk Herssen: You were a Synchronist in the Academy once before. I'll speak with Lucilla about getting you piloting access.

Rover: Then I'll wait for your news, Luuk.

Luuk Herssen: Certainly. But our immediate priority should be the Fractsidus. I have a feeling they're planning to sabotage our plans for the Exostrider.

Luuk Herssen: (Rover said he'd like to check on the Exostrider in the frostlands before he left. Well, it could be a way to take his mind off things.)

Luuk Herssen: (Now then—)

Lucilla: Dr. Herssen. Is something the matter?

Luuk Herssen: Must you always assume the worst, Lucilla? Can't I just call to chat?

Lucilla: I find that highly unlikely, Doctor. Let's skip the preamble. What is it?

Luuk Herssen: Rover.

Lucilla: Ah. So this is about "Aemeath." He was so tight-lipped with me about what happened in the frostlands, yet he spoke to you.

Luuk Herssen: Sitting on our hands won't fix anything, and he was willing to open up. If a friend runs into trouble, I'll naturally step in to listen.

Luuk Herssen: Besides, what I have to share today benefits the Academy. It could help us... get ahead of a few potential issues.

Lucilla: Very well. Let's hear it then. Meet me at the Institute, the usual spot.

Meet Lucilla at your usual spot

Talk to the students

Tired Student: Oh... Dr. Herssen... It's good to see you...

Luuk Herssen: Athan, you looked fine not long ago. What happened to you?

Tired Student: M-My thesis... My spot at the...

Luuk Herssen: Hold on, I recall you coming by the infirmary with good news earlier. Something about an Institute professor recruiting you for your top marks?

Luuk Herssen: Is this the price you have to pay for that? Careful, you might get talked out of the job over health issues.

Tired Student: No! I will get that position at the Institute! I'll crawl there if I have to! I'll... I'll come back from the dead if I die first!

Luuk Herssen: Sigh. Now you're just delirious. I know getting this opportunity wasn't easy, and you can't exactly just ask for time off. Come by my office later. I'll write you a sick note.

Luuk Herssen: You can't run yourself like an Exoswarm, thinking you'll recharge the moment the sun comes up. It's not how we humans work.

Tired Student: Oh, thank you, Doctor! Good things are bound to come your way! Ah, this takes me back. I always got my best sleep passed out in your infirmary...

Continue onward

Talk to the Senior Doctor

Slacking Off Senior Doctor: Ah, young Luuk! What brings you to the Institute today?

Luuk Herssen: Just here to discuss something with someone. How have your shifts been treating you these past few months?

Slacking Off Senior Doctor: Not bad. You know these researchers, getting them in for a check-up is like pulling their teeth. I have to hunt them down myself.

Slacking Off Senior Doctor: What do you say we grab a drink after my shift? The meal plans here are all "nutritional efficiency." Tastes like chewed-up cardboard!

Luuk Herssen: Of course. Why don't I show you that scout drone model I just finished while we're at it?

Slacking Off Senior Doctor: You work fast! You really do enjoy that sort of tinkering.

Luuk Herssen: Taking things apart and putting them back together again is quite stress-relieving. It's a nice way to unwind after a day's work.

Slacking Off Senior Doctor: So... Whaddya say we sneak over to Rogan's place when we get a minute and... liberate the cannon barrel from that precious bot of his?

Slacking Off Senior Doctor: We can put it back after he's had a good meltdown!

Luuk Herssen: Huh. I'd rather not be an accomplice to that. It's unethical. And I can't believe you're still holding a grudge over that fish he stewed behind your back.

Continue onward

Lucilla: Have a seat, Doctor.

Lucilla: Shame. I thought Rover would come with you.

Luuk Herssen: He's been here before. But things are different now. I prefer not to have him tangled in the Collective's trivial matters.

Lucilla: Fair enough. But I'm not like those stubborn old goats you're used to dealing with. I don't chase after pride or rank. All I care about is Startorch Academy.

Lucilla: Now go on. Give me the highlights, Dr. Herssen.

Lucilla: The Fractsidus. Hmm, I understand. I'll keep a closer watch.

Lucilla: As for piloting the Exostrider, if Rover is capable, that's fine by me. The Research Institute will see to the preparations.

Lucilla: That said, we can't ignore the risks that come with opening the Stridergate. I have someone in mind who could help. But first, let me have a quick word with her.

Lucilla: The Threnodian concerns every one of us at Lahai-Roi. I'll handle the board as you've asked. You focus on Rover and the matters here on campus.

Luuk Herssen: Thank you for your understanding, Lucilla—President.

Luuk Herssen: Our conversation went more smoothly than I expected. I thought you might think I had a hidden agenda.

Luuk Herssen: As a thank you, care for some candy?

Lucilla: I'll pass. I'm well aware of your candy outreach program across campus. I've had my fill of sweets over the years.

Lucilla: As for what you said earlier. I've been here long enough to know exactly who you are.

Lucilla: Thanks to your efforts in uncovering those moles, the Academy is safer, and we have far fewer headaches to worry about.

Lucilla: What truly surprised us was your choice to stay all these years and become one of Lahai-Roi's steadfast guardians.

Luuk Herssen: Oh, I'm just glad the President doesn't see me as some busybody.

Lucilla: Heh. You're the right kind of busybody. The kind we're happy to have.

Luuk Herssen: A friend of mine sold me on this place. Went on and on about the beautiful snow and the bright, passionate students. Convinced me to come.

Luuk Herssen: But when I actually got here? Heh, nothing like the brochure he described. Turns out, eight out of ten staff members were planted here by different factions!

Luuk Herssen: Our students dream of reaching the stars, all while living in a gilded cage. Meanwhile, we have Roya dealing in Exoswarm parts and colluding with New Federation smugglers.

Luuk Herssen: I know that these students aren't fools. They're the best minds from across the nations. If even I can see what's going on, how could they be blind to it?

Luuk Herssen: It's their ideals, their hope for the future that lets them endure the ugly realities of this place without becoming cynical.

Luuk Herssen: I only came to Lahai-Roi because a friend recommended it. But now—

Lucilla: Now you've grown to like it here, right?

Luuk Herssen: Haha, yes. Same as you, Madam President!

Luuk Herssen: An urgent transmission from N.A.N.A.? If you'll excuse me.

N.A.N.A.: Dr. Herss... *static*... en. There was a break-in at the... infirmary.

N.A.N.A.: Nivora's been kidnapped... by the one we previously detained... *static*... Warren.

Luuk Herssen: What is your status? Are you severely damaged?

N.A.N.A.: No need... to worry. Just need... time to repair.

Luuk Herssen: Understood. Prioritize damage control after this call. Notify the Academy's security department.

Luuk Herssen: It'll take time for them to respond. I'll go after Warren. Which direction did he take her?

N.A.N.A.: Received... *static*... message from the Academy. They're heading towards the SkyArk Space Station in the frostlands.

Luuk Herssen: (It's the Court of Savantae space station Rover and I discovered before.)

Luuk Herssen: I'm on my way.

Luuk Herssen: Warren has escaped. He's taken a student and is heading for one of the debris fields in the frostlands.

Lucilla: What do you plan to do?

Luuk Herssen: I'm going after him. I'd like you to set up a perimeter there to cut off his escape and prevent any further risks to the Academy.

Lucilla: You want me to secure a perimeter while you go in alone to handle Warren?

Luuk Herssen: I have a... hypothesis. One I'd like to verify by myself.

Lucilla: Very well. Your track record warrants it. Go, Dr. Herssen, I'll expect good news.

Head to the SkyArk Space Station

Enter the SkyArk Space Station

Luuk Herssen: (Nivora... Why now?)

Continue onward through the blizzard

Luuk Herssen: Penny for your thoughts?

Rover: There's too many to count.

Luuk Herssen: Feel like talking about it?

Rover: Maybe a little.

Rover: I keep wondering if the choices I made in the past were the right ones.

Rover: I still don't know why I chose to erase my memories. That one decision cost me my grip on everything. It made me leave so many people behind.

Rover: You, Aemeath, those at the Black Shores, and probably more I don't even know or remember now.

Rover: I pulled everyone into my grand plan to "save the world," and when it mattered most, I wasn't even there.

Rover: If we can't save Aemeath, she'll just be... forgotten. Left to drift in the void forever.

Luuk Herssen: Even if that hadn't happened, your path was always destined to diverge from most of ours.

Luuk Herssen: You know your lifespan is immense. Barring some accident, most of us will leave this world long before you.

Luuk Herssen: Death and goodbyes are a final lesson no one escapes. But for you, it's a question that lingers... for an exceptionally long time.

Rover: You're right.

Luuk Herssen: Since you already know that, you should also see that everyone else has already given their answer.

Luuk Herssen: You're still the same person you were before. Just as resilient. Still bringing hope to others. That's why, after all these years, we're still willing to stand with you.

Luuk Herssen: And it's not because you're a supposed savior. It's because you've always been you.

Luuk Herssen: And... we're not just doing this for you. We're doing it for Solaris. For the future we all chose to fight for.

Luuk Herssen: We chose this path ourselves. You have nothing to feel guilty for.

Luuk Herssen: One can only move forward by making peace with what's lost—You taught me that a long time ago.

Past Luuk Herssen: In the end... I failed to find my father's murderer. I failed to protect Rhein... failed to protect my own family.

Past Rover: But your brother is still alive. You're alive. There's still hope. You did everything you could.

Past Luuk Herssen: Who knows when... I'll wake up next time.

Past Rover: Then we'll make a promise, Luuk.

Past Rover: We'll see each other again next winter. You'll open your eyes, and I'll be standing right here, just like today.

Luuk Herssen: Come now. Enough with that face, Rover. Some candy?

Rover: You always carry candy with you... You sure they really work?

Luuk Herssen: As in?

Rover: "It'll help take the edge off and lighten the mood." Your words.

Luuk Herssen: Ah, that. Honestly, not really. It's become more of a habit of mine.

Luuk Herssen: As a boy, I'd have one whenever things felt too big to handle. The sweetness was a distraction, something to look forward to.

Luuk Herssen: Later, after I inherited Novialle, I realized there were still so many things I couldn't control. So I'd eat them to cope, especially when I was up to my neck in trouble thanks to my business associates.

Luuk Herssen: Even after I left the company and set out to follow the Fractsidus's trail on my own, I'd be chewing on one while I watched those who helped me die right in front of me. Still powerless, it seems.

Luuk Herssen: So I've come to believe that no matter how strong a person becomes, not everything can be done perfectly. In life, many things are beyond our control.

Rover: ...

Luuk Herssen: But I still enjoy candy. It reminds me that meeting people is still a gift, even if I know I might lose them one day.

Luuk Herssen: If you let grief and anger burn you out, you become obsessed with results. You forget the joy you felt along the way.

Luuk Herssen: A little sweetness helps keep the numbness at bay.

Rover: I'll have one of your candies.

Luuk Herssen: How does it taste?

Rover: Luuk, my chances of saving Aemeath... They're pretty slim, aren't they?

Luuk Herssen: They are. You'll need a miracle. But you've always been good at making those happen.

Rover: Thanks for the candy.

Luuk Herssen: You're very welcome.