Ardbert looks up slowly from his shaking hands as he sees Era hit the ground just at the edge of his vision. He drops his hands to his sides and just mutely walks over to her. There's nothing he can do to stop an Echo once it begins.

So he sits down in front of her, cross-legged. His shoulders slump, his head hangs, and he rests his forearms heavily on his thighs. Knowing what she is seeing, he feels naked, vulnerable, and raw.

It had been the worst moment of his afterlife since he met Era. Enough that it drove him to stay near Lakeland and in the Crystarium instead of following Era without explaining himself. He had said nothing to her about what had happened when she returned, immediately deflecting the conversation from himself.

Now she knew.