Tear Jerker / The Arcana

Per wiki policy, Spoilers Off applies here and all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.

Asra

• Asra when talking about Julian says that he's never seen someone, "So dedicated to seeking out his own sadness". He also says that it's the reason why he decided to end their relationship.
• The reason why Asra doesn't like it when the apprentice addresses him as "master" is because they used to be a couple before the apprentice lost their memories, something he seems to deeply regret and sometimes ask whether or not you remembered something before dropping it.
• What happened to the apprentice three years ago? They died of the Red Plague, implied to have contracted it while trying to help those suffering from it. Asra had fled Vesuvia to escape the plague. By the time he returned, the apprentice was already cremated. The Reveal is accompanied by sprites of Asra sobbing.
  Asra: "I dug until my fingers bled. All I could find was charred bone and ash."
• After crossing through the Arcana's world, Asra finds his long lost parents, and all of them break down into tears when they realize this wasn't a dream.
• In his Reversed Ending Asra and the main character flee to Asra's Oasis in order to escape the Devil's merging of the worlds. After some time passes, Asra and the main character see a vision of Muriel, Aisha, and Salim in a pool in Asra's Oasis. Neither Asra nor the main character can remember who they are.
  • This is particularly sad when you consider that people forget Muriel. Now, the one person who Muriel wanted to be remembered by has forgotten him as well.

Nadia

• Nadia also suffers from amnesia, and at times even wonders if she ever really loved Lucio if she didn't seem so happy here.
• Nadia's sister suddenly arrives, and claims that Nadia wrote her a letter even though Nadia doesn't remember doing so. When she begins to suspect Portia for forging the letter and sending it despite her claims of not knowing how to write, she immediately runs off with the carriage. She tells the apprentice that even though she hates the idea, she may have to fire Portia.
• When talking with the High Priestess she questions why Nadia wants to seek out Lucio's murder, since it's apparent that she doesn't truly love him, nor is she really doing it to bring justice. Nadia breaks down into tears when she admits that she's only doing this so she can finally be free of Lucio's shadows that have haunted her for so long.
• In her Reversed Ending, Nadia is still fiercely independent and feels the need to prove herself to everyone, never really learning that she can rely on other people.
  • Nadia tricks the Devil into believing that she is going to give him the main character in exchange for power. However, the main character is unaware that this is a trick, so the player to lead to believe that Nadia is genuinely giving up on the main character.

Julian

• Julian probably has the most heartwrenching tale. While he's branded for the murder of Lucio, he doesn't even try to exonerate himself, and if you choose to romance him, he foils himself every time, thinking he doesn't deserve any kind of happiness.
• The island that was used to quarantine those who contracted the plague is a haunting memory for Julian, and he says that it was the greatest failure of his life; he never got the cure to save all of those who suffered. This becomes incredibly tear-worthy when at the end of a chapter, Julian realizes that he did in fact find a cure, which is the reason why his left eye is always covered.
• Whenever Asra is brought up, Julian gets a fantastically painful look on his face, and calls Asra a "witch". It's obvious that he still holds strong feelings towards Asra, and was hurt when the two broke off.
• Julians nightmare in Vlastomil's realm, where he experiences the plague all over again, but this time, fails to save the apprentice. His face is strewn with tears and agony, trying to assure you that he can fix this while you deny his claims. Then comes visions of Nadia, Asra and Portia who have contracted the plague telling Julian what a failure he was and how they were all better without him around.
  • Even the apprentice experiences this too, calling out to a fake vision of Julian, one who awaits them at the dock of Vesuvia but crumbles into red beetles, and another who decides to stay in the Hangmans's realm, while the apprentice tries to chase after him.
• In his Reversed Ending Julian makes a deal with the devil, in which he gives himself up to the devil for the main character's safety. After the devil merges the realms, the main character finds that Julian has been transformed into a human-bird hybrid, after he tried to fight the devil and lost, time and time again. In his reversed ending, Julian has basically just given up.

Portia

• Immediately after Portia discovers her magical abilities in her route, she's stabbed through the stomach. Neither the Apprentice nor Julian can do anything to save her, and she spends her final moments trying to assure Julian that it's not his fault... Although it's almost immediately undercut by the fact that she doesn't actually die.
• She has reunited with her long lost Aunt Tasya who has managed to get her brother Julian off and freed! Everything's going great! Until Tasya in the most brutal way possible reveals that the Apprentice Was dead and brought back to life And everything goes to hell after that.

Other Characters

• Why did Volta make a deal with the Devil? Because she was starving to the point she ate her own shoes. She only wanted to be able to eat all she could...

Extra content

• One of the items on the daily wheel is a notably extravagant ruby ring that's been said to never have been worn. One can only wonder how miserable Nadia's marriage to Lucio was.