His eyes continued to trace the sound blindly in the distance, only to freeze when it halted and instead came from behind him--quickly, too quick-- Two? Were there more? What kind of enemy--

Ah, but that... Was thinking too much like the weapon he once was, and yet still would forever be.

Albedo shifted his weight, turning his body to the side to glance backward, only in time to see the child behind him (close, too close, how--), staring in a way Albedo would describe as haunted. This boy, too, had seen much and many (wondrous things, horrors untold), and Albedo, Albedo would--

He swallowed against the reaction even as his hand move to detach the child's hand from his shirt. "...Why are you here?"