"I don't doubt that monument there," tilting his head to indicate the Singularity tower, without looking for it, as none of them need to look, "is a wellspring of power, and it's clear Thorne needs us in order to understand it. The rest seems little more than a compelling narrative meant to ease our minds—much like this gathering here.

"I'm not committed to denying it, but, as the High Mage said himself, trust needs to be earned. After what he's done, it will take much more than a token apology to earn mine."

He lifts his hand to his standing collar, briefly tugs the thick fabric forward to draw Kylo's attention to the black on black embroidery there—and interwoven, in gunmetal thread, his arcanum: the skull and scything blades.

"And some of us are less impulsive than others."