Eleven's heart stuttered in his chest, left to stare at Archeval in disbelief. His own- how could..? He swallowed in an effort to tamper down the growing threat of labored breaths even while his eyes watered. He hadn't been prepared for- well, this. Goddess, even if Archeval could... read him like that, it wouldn't make him feel less foolish if he started openly weeping. It seemed he wasn't going to do as good a job of appearing to be fine as he'd thought.

"I, um, Yggdrasil fell," he confessed heavily, gripping his own arms as he turned his eyes back to the garden. "A lot of people.. I don't know how to restore Her, but Queen Marina said, much as you did, that.. my companions are out there- sparks of light- doing their best."

He sniffed and cleared his throat, then shook his head. "I was under the ocean for months. All that time, Hendrik kept going out, finding survivors, bringing them back to the fortress. I was so lost when I made it back, finding the world was dark, but he had become a hero to everyone. I can't help but admire him for that, and if everyone else is trying that hard even without the title of Luminary, well, what excuse do I have to give up? There must be something I can still do, to help. There must be a reason Yggdrasil chose me. Maybe it wasn't for my strength. If that's all She wanted, then Hendrik would have been a much better choice."

He huffed a breath, feeling just a little steadier for saying the words aloud. "I just need to have faith, and keep doing what I can. People are depending on me."