Sillumir Elpidius stands in the front of his apartment building, discussing logistics with Divkinael Zelios' @SacredSource. As a Sillumiran dispatch arrives with a message for Zelios, Elpidius stops speaking about stockpiles and supplies as the Divkinael reads. Noticing the corners of Zelios' mouth begin to drift downward, Elpidius wonders just what the paper could read. Elpidius' thoughts were interrupted when the Divkinael breaks the silence: "He...actually left us...a black day for all of Elcihi. Comrades...come with me." Following Zelios up the stairway of the apartment building, Elpidius knows what the Divkinael means, but cannot believe it for himself. With each of Zelios' raps on the doors of the second floor of the apartment, Elpidius steels himself. He opens his mouth to speak, but Zelios' words cut him off: "Our Okarir'tir, Celiasil Uradir has resigned from his position." The words ring in Elpidius' ears.
As Zelios goes on speaking, Elpidius does not hear him. All that he can think about is of the times he had spent with Celiasil--the few fleeting moments in Arcas. Elpidius remembers their chance encounters in the street, the words that the Okarir'tir spoke before all of the Sillumiran, and the commander's orders on the battlefield. Elpidius closes his eyes shut, as if he were a scared child. He shakes his head; first slowly, but soon he loses track of just how quickly his head is turning to either side. His breathing hastens, his nostrils visibly dilating and constricting faster and faster. Then, the shaking stops; the breathing stops; his eyes open. Finally, Elpidius manages to stammer out: "Ne, ne, ne that can ne be." His voice grew louder and bolder with each word, but the shakiness in its timbre betrayed him.
Ashamed of himself, Elpidius turns away from the group huddled in the hall and looks out the window of the building. He lowers his head, his eyes following one of the great gates of Karinah'siol down to the ground. Every time he blinks, his eyes find themselves fixed on something new: the white snow, the yellow sunflowers, the blue banner of Haelun'or. Elpidius closes his eyes once more, but this time, they remain sealed. He raises his arms, pressing the cold metal of his gauntlets into his face. As the metal warms up, Elpidius realizes just how hot his face has become. All the realization serves to do is make the high elf close his eyes tighter, scrunching up his face in the process. Then, the first tears leak from Elpidius' eyes, finding its way down onto his gauntlets, and then onto the ground. Elpidius' shoulders begin to heave upwards as the tears truly begin flowing from his face. He opens his mouth, gulping for air through his gauntlets. A noise starts to emanate from Elpidius. At first, it sounds like the high elf is out of breath, but it soon becomes an obvious high drone punctuating by sharp inhalations. The tears do not stop. Elpidius leans forward, moving his hands from his face to instead prop himself up on the window. The high elf can be seen and heard crying from down on the street below.