I am not as I once was. They have done this to me, broken me open and torn out my heart. I do not know who I am anymore. I must try to remember.

If the gods do decide to wipe us out, is it such a bad thing? Maybe we've earned a little annihilation.

And in that sliver of time, I felt the power around me coalesce, malice-hard and sharp as crystal. That this analogy occurred to me should have been a warning.

But perhaps that was just the way of power: no such thing as too much.

They live forever. But many of them are even more lonely and miserable than we are. Why do you think they bother with us? We teach them life's value.

There is no logic to grief.

It is important to appreciate beauty, even when it is evil.