just thinkin bout how in the finale of ephemeral prince, someone snowe trusted actually stole xiri out of him. a little bit of xiri remained, but it wasnt enough to hold him together

and he spends the entire finale slowly dying with his friends panicking while also trying to restrain the Plot Climax

and snowe struggling to stay alive with the encouragement of his friends

as well as trying to do what he needs to do to save everything

and even zilia, bringer of life, tells him his body is so broken, that without xiri holding him together, even the demon that invented Life Itself cant save him

snowes consciousness fading in and out the entire time hes doing his best to save the world

struggling to not die just yet

and xiri trying his hardest to enourage snowe to stay awake just a little bit longer, help snowe with what he needs to do, save the world together, knowing full well that if/when snowe dies, xiri will die with him

snowe and xiri clinging to this tiny fragile hope that xiris ability to make dreams reality backed by the greatest font of magic in the world may be enough to save snowe, and thus save and free xiri, but it relies entirely on whether snowe believes he/they deserve the chance

and snowe was suicidal shortly earlier in the story

and hes terrified that he might not believe he deserves life even in his dreams

(and doom xiri in the process)

snowe literally feeling his life threatening to leave him at last in the last few seconds of his spell...

while xiri is urging him to hold on, just a little longer, not yet...

the worst part of it all, is all it took is someone snowe trusted and considered a friend, to get all close to him, and use a little magic to reach into him and steal xiri, and leave snowe with none of xiris magic to hold him together

and he just. immediately starts falling apart

immediately starts bleeding and feeling the most agonizing pain

because his body is literally reverting back to his injuries from when he was left for dead by the phantom bird on sabine

because that was a mortal fucking wound

it was only xiri clinging to keep snowe alive that he didnt die

erio healed snowe up but really all he managed to do was cover the mortal wound up

its still there just under the skin

waiting

if you poke snowe under his ribs on one side its AGONIZING pain because the wound is STILL THERE just cleverly hidden

hes technically still dying its just that the timer has been paused and the mess cleaned up

hes dead

hes just.... still in his broken body

its why hes cold

Snowe' life is over suffering

hes walking death, just like his parents called him in the sepulcher