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Hector’s concentration shattered. He had to talk to Garovel. His mind yanked itself out of meditation with an intangible shudder. ‘Ah! Garovel!’

‘Hector, holy shit!,’ the reaper said. ‘You came back!’

Hector needed a second to gather his thoughts again. The sudden disorientation felt like he’d just been torn out of a dead sleep. Which confused him. Was that what that had been? Had he been sleeping? Dreaming?

He tried to shake it off. ‘...How long was I gone?’

‘It’s been fifty years! We thought we’d lost you forever!’

‘W-what? I don’t--’

‘Only joking. It’s been about a day and a half.’

Hector sighed mentally. ‘You asshole... I was really about to freak the fuck out.’

‘See? Didn’t I tell you he had a potty mouth?’

‘You sure did,’ said Chergoa. ‘How scandalous. And in front of a young lady, no less.’

Somehow, he’d forgotten that Chergoa and Emiliana were there as well. ‘Uh--I... I didn’t mean to--I’m s-sorry, I just... agh...’

‘Don’t listen to them,’ said Emiliana. ‘You do not need to censor yourself for my sake.’

‘I wasn’t talking about you, you narcissist,’ said Chergoa. ‘I was talking about me. I know I seem like a stoic monster, but I have the heart of a delicate maiden, and I can’t bear listening to such uncouth language.’

‘Right,’ said Emiliana. ‘Garovel, please tell your sister to fuck off. Oh, nevermind, it seems I managed it on my own.’

‘Mm, I’d like to volunteer my services, anyway,’ said Garovel. ‘Chergoa, fuck off.’

‘To you as well, dearest brother.’

‘Er, uh, Garovel?’ said Hector, realizing he would have to be the one to push the conversation in a relevant direction again. But he wasn’t yet sure how to phrase his biggest question, so instead, he asked, ‘How do you know it’s been a day and a half? I mean, it’s not like we have a clock to go by, so, uh...’