[What if she did? She already has. It's the 'why' that makes the words stick in Kratos's throat; it's the 'why' which is making this so difficult. But the circumstances might be easier, and after a fashion preferable -- silence is suffocating, but so are words.

[Except for the circumstances. It's the one thing Kratos feels he can do in this moment. He can't walk away; he needs to work with this woman. She'd hound him. But he's finding he can't just swallow the words, either.]

The eight elemental spirits need to be awakened -- not just here, but in Tethe'alla -- to break the mana barrier shielding the Great Seed. We'd need a magic swordsman of both elven and human blood to handle the Eternal sword and heal the divide. We'd need something of great mana output to germinate the Seed once they're reunited. And --

[And. He closes his eyes.]

... And I'd need to die.