He sighed, before turning around, his eyes gazing across the room, through time and memory, to when they had last had a similar conversation. "Barid, do you remember the first similar conversation we had? The VERY first one. The metal men were pouring through unknown 'things,' now known as portals, and you wanted to burn the worlds to ensure they didn't harvest more mortals than absolutely necessary. I told you 'go to hell, and if you continue that thought process, I will be happy to help.' Why do I feel the past is suddenly here, now?<br/><br/>I have seen a time where your plan proceeds, Barid. One of terror. Fear. Death. The human race survives, for a given value of survive. Beyonders press in, your troops desperately try to hold the line, your clergy and inquisition rot from within and war with your guards and soldiers. Beyonders are pushing the borders in, in PERSON occasionally, Verdelet cheerfully leading. You are confined to that throne, held to life only by my potion, not the various machines they attached to try and force you to live. I? I died, trying to stop you. Fate is bigger than all of that, not even sensible, if your plan failed. Or maybe you succeeded, and took her place. The new nexus of this existence."<br/><br/>He sighed, and turned back. "Barid, I had hoped to work with you, against a plan that would kill EVERYTHING just to spite the Beyonders. But this? This plan? This is madness the type I would expect from Verdelet. Not you. You NEVER wanted it all to end. And Barid? All those women, all those lives... I finally have something to FIGHT for."<br/><br/>He sighed, before shaking his head. "No. I think I am damned to fight it. I love my children, and my mates, and they will likely all be forced to live to see that death. A pity, I had hoped for a break in the fighting."<br/><br/>The last was said with a tiny, almost unconscious smile, before he shook his head. "So it seems that illusion of yours is more accurate than I had hoped. May I collect my mate and withdraw peacefully?"