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Zeff didn’t know if he could fully believe the reaper’s words, but he sure wanted to. It was tough to imagine anyone placing so much trust in him. But then, Axiolis hadn’t given him cause to think otherwise, either. This whole time, the reaper hadn’t been saying very much. He’d just been following Zeff around, observing in silence. Zeff had to be the one to actively check-in and see if Ax had forgotten anything again.

For now, though, he decided that he would simply take Axiolis at his word. The reaper had earned that much, at least. And it wasn’t like there was anything else to be done about it, besides.

He told Ax to grab onto his shoulder, and then, finally, Zeff knocked on the door to Graves’ room.

But he also entered without waiting for an answer.

Graves was there, of course, sitting at a wide, metallic desk with papers in his hands.

Zeff had to wonder if those were even real. He knew for a virtual certainty that Graves was not physically here. This was surely just another of his psychic projections--one of his many fingers in pies all around Vantalay. Zeff suspected he also had psychic avatars among the RPMP and his own Vanguardian forces, at the very least. Maybe he even had one among the enemy combatants, too, spying on them.

“Ah,” said Graves. “Here we go again. Are you ready to listen, finally?”

“This has to end,” said Zeff calmly. “What will it to take for you to let my brethren go?”

Graves set his papers down and eyed the Water Dragon of Sair for a moment. “As I have tried to explain, this is only a temporary situation. I will leave you all be soon enough. I swear. You do not need to negotiate terms for their release or anything of the sort. Furthermore, I am not harming them, nor will there be any lingering effects or damage after I am gone.”

Mgh. Attempting to downplay the severity of the situation. Minimizing the sense of betrayal. Again.

Zeff didn’t let it get to him, this time. “Why is it so important that you manipulate everyone in this way? If your position is so reasonable and benign, then why not simply explain yourself and let them reach their own conclusions?”

“I tried that,” said Graves. “As I always do. But they reached the wrong conclusion.”

“According to you.”

“According to objective reality. And according to my premonitions, as well.”