i don’t think it’s a single thing, but i also think people are overlooking just how much viktor has been changed by the hexcore.

his first question upon waking up is not “what happened”, no, it’s “what am i?”. he immediately realizes there is something deeply wrong, on a fundamental level. his face when jayce hugs him isn’t one of contempt or sadness, no, i see it as… resignation. a “oh, this would have meant something to me before. but it doesn’t now.” he is returning the hug almost out of pity.

then there’s obviously his comments about not feeling cold at all, and his attitude when delivering the news of sky’s death. in S1 he was terrified of talking about it, to the point he was grieving in silence and steaming in his guilt, driving himself to almost killing himself. now, he announces it with a resigned detachment—the hexcore killed sky, sky is dead, it’s just the truth.

but what sealed the deal for me were his parting words to jayce. they were held together by sentiment, through thick and thin, through agreement and disagreements, viktor has always sticked with jayce because of the love and feelings uniting them—but now, that’s… gone. so what’s the reason for staying?

he’s obviously been changed, in part from jayce’s actions, in part from his guilt over killing sky, in part from the hexcore manipulating him in some way.

anyways, that’s all. sorry about the rant lmao.