[Byleth could admit to some apprehension. It was almost viscerally instinctive, how he wanted to shuffle into the very corner and try to distance himself from a world that actively despised his very existence.

He was used to scorn, to hatred, to fear... but this was a particular brand of hostility that made the dying curses of his enemies seem quite mild. A weaker man might've taken the out Shez offered, to beg off venturing any deeper into hostile territory and wait out the world's existence until the next one rolled round. A more cowardly man might've waved goodbye and watched Shez walk deeper into this ominous church, to be swallowed up by the dark, and regret what may come afterwards.

But of course, Byleth...]

No, it's fine. I'll accompany you.

[This world likely posed no danger to Shez of the physical kind, but there was no telling what emotional landmines lurked unseen in this strange mirror world. While Byleth's had been ultimately benign, it had devastated him by showing him what could've been, and what can never be... a tempting impossibility that felt more like a cruel, taunting knife wedged between the ribs, rather than anything truly kind. This may be the same for Shez, who had so many questions about himself and his past.

And what kind of friend would he be, to prioritise his own personal comfort when Shez may need his emotional support, no matter how clumsy?]

I want to watch your back, in case this place holds a trap within it... of the physical or mental kind.