[ Kahlil had missed his chance to try to ask Alidas anything about his history. Maybe a part of him was afraid of trying to bridge that unknown gap between them, in case he was rejected.

Jack answers the question like it's easy. No secrets to hide, he answers it the same way he's answered most questions that have nothing to do with opinions on books, even though the story is a melancholy one by the sound of it. Something about the disconnect resonates. ]

I don't remember much about my parents. [ What little he does isn't any better than the memory Jack's already seen. ] I guess you could call the temple 'foster care'...

[ The priests raised him since he was eight years old. He shakes his head, continuing a bit more quietly: ]

My sister and I were separated when the church took us. I promised to come find her one day, but...

[ He trails off, not sure how to finish. There's a memory of Umbhra'ibaye burning and her singsong voice over his shoulder, the sound of bundled bones clacking, a yellow dog. In that reality Umbhra'ibaye fell, but not the way everyone said that it did.

He wasn't there to save Rousma. Her bones would've been crushed with the rest of the oracles. ]