Noctisardor Bypass i fell into my fear, and took a lie for a truth

Her body felt tense as she settled down next to him. She could hear the voice in her head laugh at her. You're practically asking for it. Laurel gritted her teeth together and forced the bubbly smile to stay on her face as she looked at Mahler and he shared his answers to her question.

Laurel chuckled when he said he was a nostalgic old man, even though there were no signs that he was joking in any way. She couldn't help it. You're not that old, are you? she said as she sized him up, then, You have a few good years ahead of you, at least. He seemed not far from her own age, and it made her feel old to tell someone else that they had at least another few years. Laurel didn't necessarily love her life, but there was something innately terrifying about death nonetheless.

Laurel then listened to what else he said — that he had loved this place many years ago. Loved it... Had he lived here before? Laurel did not remember very much if there'd been other packs here before Legion had settled here.

He sounded selfish when he said that he took it for himself; as if a pup claiming a toy from their siblings without remorse. Well. He shouldn't feel remorse, Laurel thought to herself. The only way to get what you wanted in life was by grabbing it yourself; the only one you could trust in the end was you. It was doubtlessly no different for him.

After a lengthy silence in which she stared out over the crystalline lake in front of them, Laurel finally looked back at Mahler and said, That's nice. There was something wary and closed off in the way she said it; a crack in her mask, a sign that she was only playing a part and didn't share her innermost thoughts with him.