"I have lost so much time with you, Sabine." Meesei said, her voice almost hoarse from her previous sobbing. Finally, she reached her arms around Sabine and pulled her into a hug. "I cannot ask you to forgive me. I do not deserve to be forgiven. I saw what I have done to you when I struck you, in far more ways than just a simple strike with the hand. You had been telling me for so long, but I always thought it would be worth it. I...I did do it for you, for all of you. I did not lie about that. I did not want power; I wanted to make our future brighter, but I fear I have just made it more bleak."

With considerable effort, Meesei started to pull herself up to her feet, using Sabine for support, and moved herself farther from the cliff's edge. Her legs buckled visibly due to her weakened muscles. "I believe I understand now. There are some things I simply cannot change. But...I believe I have changed the clans with my actions. I do not know if my name can ever hold the same confidence or authority it once had among them. Is there even a place for me anymore?"