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Hector snickered. ‘I’m just trying to make sure you’re being entirely truthful with me. Because, Garovel, if you DO have some sort of dark ambition, I’m going to find out sooner or later. That’s not something you’ll be able to keep hidden from me forever. So I figure it’d be best if I found out sooner, considering the fact that we’re kinda stuck together.’

‘...Hector. You almost sound like you WANT me to harbor such ambitions.’

‘Eh. “Want” would be a strong word. Let’s just say I’m keeping an open mind.’

‘I’m not sure whether to find that heartwarming or very worrying,’ said Garovel.

‘I think you’ve earned the benefit of the doubt,’ said Hector. ‘I’m not gonna jump to some crazy new conclusions about you, just ‘cuz some judgmental little orb tells me to.’

The orb pulsed again, more violently than ever.

And then it wasn’t just a pulse, anymore. A line of radiant energy lashed out like a great tentacle and snaked toward his intangible form.

Instantly, Hector’s anger returned with equal violence. ‘STOP THAT RIGHT NOW.’

The entire headspace shook with each word, as if caught in a momentary earthquake, and the tentacle retracted back into the orb, which was left shuddering there in his hand.

Hector needed a moment to calm his own fury. He wasn’t mad that the thing had tried to attack him. In fact, for some reason, he felt as though it could not possibly harm him, no matter how hard it tried.

No, he was mad because it had tried to attack Garovel. In that briefest window of assault, he’d sensed its intent. It had wanted to remove the reaper from this place by force, uncaring of the harm it might cause in the process.

‘What’s the matter with you?’ said Hector. ‘What, you think you know everything? That you have full understanding of someone, just because you can sense a few of their secrets? And you think that justifies doing whatever you want to them?’

And Hector left an opening for it to respond, but it had nothing to say, this time.

‘This is my warning to you,’ said Hector. ‘I sense a bit of your hubris now. You think you’re really valuable. Really special. And you are. But don’t for one second think that you’re too valuable and special to destroy. You understand me? You’ve already endangered Abbas. And now you’ve tried to harm my best friend. If you keep behaving like that, then I will make sure you can never harm anyone ever again.’