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So what had changed in them? He’d gained a little bit of power? A little bit of fame? And that was all it took to fill his head with nonsense? To lose his survival instinct?

No. More than anything, he needed to remain attentive. Caster had been... fine, true, but he was also an utterly unpredictable question mark.

Which, after all this time traveling with him, was not exactly a good thing.

‘You’re probably right,’ said Loren. ‘But I also think we should be flexible. If things take a turn for the worse, it would be good if we had some sort of escape vector, no?’

‘There is no escaping Abolish, my boy.’

Loren wanted to be very careful with his words here. Ultimately, he still didn’t really know how Rezolo felt about Abolish as a whole. The reaper never talked about it or even his own past.

That was the main thing that Loren had feared ever since first being revived. While Rezolo was quieter than most Abolish reapers, that didn’t actually mean he was any less loyal. Sure, Loren occasionally got that impression from him, but were impressions enough to gamble his life on?

If deep down, Rezolo was a true believer... and if he came to the conclusion that Loren could not be trusted...

‘That is not what I’m saying,’ said Loren. ‘Escaping Caster doesn’t have to mean escaping Abolish.’

Floating alongside him, Rezolo turned and just stared at him.

Loren didn’t balk. He always kept eye contact whenever he found the opportunity. Because he wanted to see. Really see. And maybe it was just silly superstition, but Loren was increasingly coming to believe that the eyes could reveal quite a lot about a person. Yes, even reapers with their ethereal bodies.

It was about the soul. Or something even deeper, maybe.

He felt like he could almost see it. Hints of emotion. Of whole ideas turning over in their minds. If he could just... sharpen his vision a little more... then maybe...

‘Stop looking at me like that,’ said Rezolo.

It wasn’t the first time the reaper had said that to him. ‘Like what?’ It wasn’t the first time responding like that, either.

‘You know exactly what. Stop it.’

‘This is just how my eyes are, Rezo. I can’t change them back, you know.’

‘You’re trying to read my mind.’

‘I’m not psychic.’

‘So you keep claiming. But you’re working on it, aren’t you?’

‘No, I’m not. I’m still just refining my eyes.’

‘Don’t lie to me, boy.’

He wanted to scoff but restrained himself. ‘That’s the truth. Brain mutations are too dangerous for my liking.’

‘Except all your role models are psychic.’

‘Not all of them. But I wish YOU were psychic. Then maybe you’d be able to tell I’m not lying.’

‘Hmph.’