Experience Tumblr like never before
The thing that gets me about book 7 is that what pushed Malleus over the edge wasn't just "Losing Lilia." Of course, that was a lot of it. Losing the person who raised him, who's been in pretty much all of his memories– that would affect anyone, really.
But that wasn't the final nail in the coffin. What was the last thing that happened before he overblotted?
Silver broke down. It was the moment he saw Silver cry that he made the choice to cast that spell. It wasn't just about Malleus losing his parent guardian, but Silver losing his father, and anyone else losing the people they love. That's what got him.