The words he hears her whisper hurt him deeply. His low self worth now comes from the fact he is the reason she died in the first place. He'd let his curiosity and need to understand outweigh common sense and Vex'ahlia had died and Vax...Vax had given up his own life to save her when Percy couldn't even move to do anything.. It was guilt he would forever carry and no amount of begging and pleading to the Raven Queen would change that. The two most important people next to his sister were shattered by him. "He would have never done that," he said in his that odd quiet way of his when his guilt is weighing on him.

He is beginning to understand why Ripley, this place's version of her, wears the Raven's Queen's mask and carries his friends' names on her gun. She is his guilt made flesh and he deserves each dragging step she takes to follow him. "He would have moved the world itself to bring you back and I only wish I had moved faster and made the deal first. It was my fault it happened. I should have been the one to give my life in exchange."

He had tried in the Raven's Crest, but not even Death herself wanted his broken soul, so how could anyone.else want him. He looks at her too tired and worn to be angry at her, he always seems to disappoint the people he cares about no matter how hard he tries to be better. "I would have thought you and your brother would know how much I...would give for both of you. How much I have given with actions instead of words. What I have given you that the others don't get. My feelings are no obligation, but I understand if..."

He can't finish the thought...he can't...it hurts too much to even think.