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--donation bonus (day #7, post 5/5)--
He refueled and then wheeled the bike around the side of the building where no one else was. He sat down on the sidewalk and closed his eyes, letting the sound of cars on the highway bleed into background noise.

He focused on iron shapes. He wasn’t sure what else to think about. Apart from merely coating things, nothing else came to mind, and he found himself wondering to what other degrees his power might develop. He shook the thoughts away and concentrated.

After a while, he opened his eyes again, and Garovel had still not returned, so he tried making iron. A silver lump materialized in his palm. It was almost spherical, surprisingly, but still smaller than he had imagined. He went back to meditating, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw Garovel there.

They set out again, and it wasn’t long before a new topic arrived.

‘There’s something I’d like to know,’ said Hector.

‘Yeah?’

‘Back when, um... when we first met... I know you said that you didn’t know, but... do you believe that an afterlife exists? I mean, like, any kind at all?’

Garovel was slow to answer. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I don’t.’

‘Why not?’

‘I’ve never found anything that convinced me. Do you believe one does?’

‘W-well, uh, not really, uh... I mean, I don’t know. Aren’t you kinda... experiencing an afterlife? You died, right? But you’re still alive, sort of...’

‘Ha. I suppose it depends on your definition of the afterlife, then. I certainly don’t believe in heaven or hell. Reincarnation seems more appealing at least, but I don’t see any reason to believe it’s true.’

‘So then... after we die, you think there’s just... nothingness?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Then why, um... why do you bother reaping? If you think you’re just carrying souls into oblivion, then... why not just leave them alone?’

‘Because that would be a great cruelty.’

‘What do you mean?’