[She takes a slow breath at hearing that, both to center herself, and out of relief, and her hand squeezes over Rem's.]

I know that Cidolfus already has, so I will not stand here and try to convince you to do otherwise.

[Benedikta does not stand on some high moral ground and presume that she can tell others what to do with their powers. She doesn't like it when people do it with hers, and she is not at all surprised by what Cid had asked for from Rem. He always was an advocate for finding other means...]

When there are no other means to protect those who we care about, or to survive, we do what we must.

[Gods only know that she has tapped deep into her aether one too many times. Garuda stirring constantly compared to before is a sign of that.]

However...

[The 'but' that hangs there for a few beats.

Actually, there are a few of them, but she keeps them all to herself for now so that she can focus on the main point.]

Promise me that you will continue to hone your other skills. Focus on those. Learn from others.

[Even the Dominants have a price to pay for their strength, and while she remains unaffected by it, she knows that it would not have lasted forever, and that surely, if she had survived priming into Garuda, she would have shown signs of it...

Her lips part again like she is about to say something more, but she closes them just as quickly. Perhaps another time.]