Altar of Twilight zeit

for as long as he could, mahler remained with his daughters. elke had grown in confidence; they both bore a new stamp upon them, one that he had not been able to give them in sagtannet: acceptance. not for the first time did guilt flow cool and damning through him, but this time the waters of strife were tempered by his gratefulness toward nyx for bringing them here.
how was he to know that so much would so bleakly change?
when at last they parted, mahler took up his position at the lioness' side, watched his growing daughters scamper into the silhouette of the mountain with affection.