Ignis is silent for a moment before answering Shion's question with a short, tight nod of his head. It's almost like saying the answer out loud is still a little too much. It makes things too real, too final.

"When I came here, I was brought from a life changing moment. It was almost immediately after I lost my vision, and it was both easier and harder to hide behind my walls and just focus on duty. I'm sure you've already realized I have a tendency to put just about everything before myself; I was worse back then because I knew no other way. Putting on the ring and sacrificing myself in order to save Noctis was probably the first truly selfish thing I'd done in my life," Ignis bows his head slightly then, fingers lacing together in front of him. "I didn't expect to survive that experience, but if Noctis did, that was all that mattered. He was the important one. Of course, not expecting to survive meant I didn't really think of the consequences. Prompto is from farther along our timeline and he was able to fill me in on those, leaving me not only feeling guilty for that selfish act, but also wondering if I had failed everyone I cared about by giving into that selfish desire."

"I met Soma around then. He had his own problems, but he still reached out to help me. I don't know if I'll ever understand how exactly he got passed my walls, but he made me finally start understanding it was okay to be selfish, to love, and that it wasn't a failure on my part. Without him, I would never have realized how I felt for Gladio or how I've come to feel for Ardyn. He gave me so much and now..."

Now he's gone and Ignis has no way to repay him.