"So, you've finally chosen a side?" She asked, I sighing heavily. "I wish I never had to, but it was inevitable." She had been anticipating this moment since she declared war on the kingdom of the Hidden Shadows. She was familiar with their land, yet she refrained from sending the guardians to attack as long as they remained on their island. However, they had now crossed the line by invading the mainland.

Upon reaching the temple, we found it restored and ready for our arrival. Luna and Juno had mastered the use of a portal that connected the temple to our kingdom, frequently traveling back and forth for amusement. They resumed some of their lessons on their own, and now with me too, which I found refreshing. Although I didn't necessarily need them, it was beneficial to keep my skills honed.

Meanwhile, Aura Aetherius rallied the troops and broadcast a message to the world. Her vision connection power was so strong that she could communicate with everyone simultaneously, even the Shadow dragons. There was no way to block her out of your mind for what I knew. She updated the world on our enemy's progress and issued an ultimatum: vacate the mainland by week's end or face our wrath. We had managed to contain the invaders on our land, but their numbers were growing, and they were preparing for a new assault. Their technologies and weapons were beyond our soldiers' capabilities. If we relied solely on our armies, it would result in a bloodbath.

Raphael returned from his successful mission with Sol and Cyrus. I shared my concerns about the Shadow dragons with him, and he concurred. He had already devised a strategy that didn't involve using our army for offense, only for defense. The primary attackers would be Raphael and me. Why? Because we had tested our immortality with weapons stolen from the kingdom of the Hidden Shadows. These weapons had a unique ability to prevent healing and cause dissolution, a horrific way to die. But every time Raphael and I died from them, we found ourselves in the Bright City. Even after I killed a hundred Electric dragons, the barrier didn't stop me, and we met Zeno there again. We used the portal to return each time. There were no consequences. We were truly unbeatable foes.

The guardians had a crucial mission: to prevent the dark lord’s elemental freeze ability from spreading too far and affecting everyone. They knew the secret to counteracting his power, but they needed a group of strikers to assist them. That group included Raphael and me, as well as Aura Aetherius, who was always ready for action; Akira and Fyrenthos, a formidable duo; and Freya, my beloved but stubborn sweetheart. I feared for her safety, but she refused to stay behind, so we reluctantly agreed to let her join us.

The plan was straightforward: sabotage the infrastructure, cut off communication between the mainland and the new expansion area, and locate and eliminate the dark lord. Zeno himself approved of our strategy. We said our farewells to everyone, knowing that there was no guarantee of success. We moved under the cover of night, heading straight to the Hidden Shadows territory and the city.

Raphael had an idea of where the dark lord might be, but Akira was stunned by the sight of the city. We had to disguise her as a shadow to avoid detection. She was too bright and white for this dark place. To our dismay, the dark lord was not where we expected him to be. Raphael quickly suggested a plan B. We made our way to the intelligence room, where he and I took the form of another Shadow dragon and gained access. Akira, Fyrenthos, and Freya stayed outside, hidden and vigilant, ready to secure our escape route.

We used the trackers to map out each dragon’s location. The dark lord was nowhere to be found. He had outsmarted us and avoided wearing his own tracker. Our plan was falling apart. We wasted precious time searching for him, and Akira grew weary and impatient. She decided to use her vision connection and broke through the dark lord’s barrier. She saw his whereabouts and taunted him telepathically: “Hey swimmer, want to meet a Light dragon, sir?” He sensed her intrusion and did not respond verbally, but he took off in a hurry. He flew towards our direction, unaware that he was flying into a trap. We were waiting for him in his own domain.

We had been hunting him for a long time, and finally, we cornered him in the city. He was surrounded by a few loyal soldiers and guards, but they were no match for us. We emerged from the shadows and attacked with swift and deadly force. Most of the Shadow dragons, both male and female, had left the city undefended. They had no idea what we were planning.

The dark lord saw us and realized he was doomed. He tossed a bracelet to Raphael and said, “Raphael, I think this belongs to you.” The bracelet was missing the dark crystal that powered it. Raphael caught it and frowned. “What is this supposed to mean?” he asked.

The dark lord did not answer. Instead, he attempted to escape. He conjured a thick black smoke that obscured our vision, but Freya was ready for that. She summoned a gust of wind that blew the smoke away. We saw the dark lord running, but he did not use his shadow form to vanish. We wondered why he did not do that, but we did not waste time. We chased him and shot him with a bullet enchanted with a Light crystal. He fell to the ground, apparently defeated.

We approached him cautiously, but we soon discovered that he was not the real dark lord. He was a clone, a perfect replica of him. Raphael cursed. “No, the bastard tricked us. We have to get to the laboratory right now.” I asked him why, and he explained quickly. “If they managed to create a new living being—a clone like this—they broke another rule.”

These rules were the basics of creation, and were above everyone, holy or not, they had to be respected. One of them, was making new living beings, like clones, soulless.

We ran to the laboratory. It was not far from where they had interrogated me before. Akira took care of the scientists there. She held them hostage while Raphael used the machines. He found a computer and used it. He sighed in relief. “Oh, thank goodness, there was only one successful clone, the one we just killed.”

Akira locked the scientists in a room, where she tortured them with her Light element. She was so annoying to them that they begged us to kill them instead of listening to her voice for one more minute or feeling her Light burn their scaly skin. Of course, we did not grant their wishes, even though she was tempted to do so. Freya agreed with her, probably because she wanted revenge on me.

We seized the city with ease. The army’s communication lines, both radio and physical, were severed, forcing them to retreat. We divided our forces into two teams: Akira and Fyrenthos remained in the city to secure it, while Raphael and I, accompanied by Freya, pursued the dark lord on our own. The civilians offered no resistance, even though Raphael assured me they were capable of fighting. They had all been trained for combat, but for some reason they did not act. Perhaps they did not receive the command. Something was amiss in the city.

We had been searching for him, but he found us first. Out of nowhere, a cloud of smoke enveloped Freya, who stood in the center of our group. She struggled to break free, and we rushed to help her, but it was too late. He had turned her into one of his shadows. We chased him as he fled in his smoky form, trying to land a hit on him, but he was elusive and fast. Finally, he touched down and revealed himself, holding Freya in his arms like a trophy. He threatened to kill her if we moved an inch, but I ignored his words and lunged at him. He was quicker than me, though. He slashed her throat with his claws, spilling her blood all over me as I caught her falling body. Then he felt my fist on his face, sending a jolt of Electricity through him. He recoiled and turned into smoke again, only to be met by Raphael’s blade. They engaged in a fierce duel while I tried to heal Freya with my powers. I could sense him trying to block my powers, but he couldn’t stop me completely. Akira had taught me how to resist his freezing spell, but I still felt his influence limiting my abilities. I hated him with every fiber of my being. I could feel Freya’s pain and fear, as well as my own guilt and despair. “You shouldn’t have come with us,” I whispered to her. “I knew this could happen.” She couldn’t answer me, only cough and gasp for air. I shifted into my Earth dragon form and tried to manually seal her wound. Then I saw something that made my blood run cold: a ring of dark magic around Raphael. It looked like a curse from hell itself. Red, black, and sinister. In an instant, Raphael was bound by chains of shadow that sprang from the ring. He struggled to free himself, but it was useless. I stared in horror and hastened to finish healing Freya. As soon as she was stable enough, I ran to Raphael’s aid. He yelled at me, “Break the circle!” I slammed my tail into the ring, shattering it like glass. The shards pierced my flesh and made me dizzy. My powers were weakening fast. I felt Raphael attempt to catch me as I stumbled, but the dark lord was already back on his feet. He struck me hard on the head, cracking my skull open. I would have blacked out if Raphael hadn’t kept me awake with his healing powers. I fought back with all my strength, but he was too strong for me now. He pushed me away and summoned another ring around me. Shadows grabbed me and wrapped around me like chains. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I was paralyzed and healing slowly.

Suddenly, I felt a weight on me. Raphael had taken a hit and collapsed on top of me. The chains of shadow swiftly wrapped around him too, pinning him down. Across the field, Freya lay motionless, like a broken doll. Despair flooded my veins, but Raphael refused to give up. He shouted, “Give me your hand, share your power! I can free us.” I tried to move my hand and speak, but the chains held me tight. I reached out to him with my mind instead. “Take it; I can’t move it.” He answered, “Neither can I. Damnit.” The dark lord strode towards us with a smug grin. “You fought well for a fight that I never wanted. Now, shall we proceed?” Raphael spat at him. “Don’t you dare. A demon can’t defeat us.” The dark lord laughed. “Oh really? Look at yourself. I’m not even a true demon, and I’ve done it.” His taunts bought me some time to heal, and I was about to slip my hand to Raphael when the dark lord noticed. Another chain sprang up, locking my arms in place. He said, “I know what you’re trying to do. Don’t bother.” I squirmed in vain, feeling fear rise in my chest. The chains burned like fire on my skin. Raphael conjured a sword and slashed at the chains, breaking a few, but more took their place. I saw his struggle and attempted the same, but I was too weak and slow. The dark lord stepped into the circle and swung his hand. Black blades erupted from the ground and severed my limbs, leaving Raphael untouched. I screamed, “Motherfucker.” It was over. We had lost. I cried out, “Freya! Can you hear me? Please!” There was no answer. Tears streamed down my face for her and for everything. I felt ashamed that we had failed in a three-on-one battle. The clock was ticking. The pain became numbness. I hurled insults at him, but he ignored me. He just continued his dark ritual.

Just as we thought that all hope was lost, the final member of our team reappeared. We had completely forgotten about her. Aura Aetherius summoned a brilliant beam from the sky that struck all of us. It did not hurt us, but it shattered the ring that bound us to the dark lord. For a brief moment, his black form flickered to white, and so did ours. I felt a surge of light and energy coursing through me, while Raphael became the most radiant human I had ever seen. He cried out, “Now, give me your hand!” I regained control of my body and reached out to him. He grasped my hand, and I felt a jolt as he drained some of my power, but not all of it. He let go and sprang into action. “Now, it’s showtime!" he yelled at the dark lord, who was slowly regaining his darkness. He resumed his fierce combat with him while I staggered to my feet, still trapped in the shape of an Earth dragon. Aura came to my side and said, “Get back to the fight now!” I nodded and said, “Sure, sure, I’m on it. Of course.” She glanced at Freya, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and added, “I’ll take care of her; now go!” I nodded again and rejoined the battle.

We overwhelmed the dark lord with our combined attacks. I kept hurling fireballs and ice shards at him, supporting Raphael and making it harder for the dark lord to dodge or block. Raphael’s every move was precise and swift, and his sword left deep wounds on the opponent's body. But the dark lord had a way of healing himself with shadows. Whenever we cut off one of his wings or limbs, he would replace it with a dark appendage that soon regenerated into flesh and bone. Then Raphael shouted at me, “Hit him from the side.” I obeyed and distracted the dark lord for a moment. He turned his attention to me and slammed his head into mine. I felt a sharp pain in my skull and saw my horns fall to the ground. But Raphael seized the opportunity. He transformed his sword into a spear and thrust it through the dark lord’s chest, piercing his back legs as well. He said, “Straight to the core, enjoy your last moments, demon.”

The dark lord stood frozen, gasping for breath. He attempted to dissolve into a shadow, but the spear lodged in his chest glowed brighter, thwarting his escape. A white liquid, unlike any blood I'd seen, oozed from his wound. I voiced my suspicion, “Is this another clone?” But the dark lord snarled in response, “No, this time no.” He was defeated. Slowly, he began to dissolve into white smoke.

“Yeah, it’s just like what happened to me, multiple times, eheh,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. He retorted, “You don’t joke about that. It’s terrible to die slowly.” Raphael chimed in, “We can make it faster if you want.” He raised another light spear and moved closer. But Aura intervened, “If you harm him more, he’ll turn into a cloud and free himself involuntarily.”

The dark lord, unaware of this, attempted to inflict more harm on himself in a desperate, masochistic move. Aura locked eyes with the dark lord and said, “Freya is alive, I think. Keep him still.” She added, “I told you to stop before it was too late, Zeno’s brother.” He shouted, “Don’t say that name! You don’t deserve to.” She retorted, “Ahah, you still don’t accept being the cause of his death? Murderer!” He shot back, “You were part of it too, Aetherius!” For the first time, I saw a tear fall from his eye. Then another.

Aura twisted the knife further, “You should have never attempted that stupid experiment. You convinced me to do it. You failed. You pay the consequences.” I couldn’t stand it anymore, “Enough! Are you a demon too, or what? Just let him die in peace.” She turned to me, “I’d be ashamed too if I were you. Freya was more dead than alive because of you. I hope you enjoy bringing pain to your beloved more than necessary, don’t you?” I was left speechless.

Raphael’s voice cut through the tension, urgent and stern. “Aura… Get away from the dark lord, please.” But she ignored his plea and moved closer to our fallen enemy. Raphael’s eyes widened in alarm. “Don’t think that I didn’t notice what you’re doing. I said. Get away!” He reached for her, but she shrugged him off.

I was confused and scared. “What’s going on?” I asked.

The dark lord groaned in pain and fear. “She’s absorbing my powers!” he rasped.

Aura’s face twisted into a cruel smile. “Yeah, so? This power can’t go to waste, should it?” She pressed her hand against his chest, where the spear was embedded in his flesh.

Raphael shook his head in disbelief. “Aura Aetherius, it’s prohibited to absorb the powers of someone without prior agreement. Stop immediately.” He sounded like he was reciting a law but also like he cared for her.

She laughed mockingly. “Nah, you did the same with Nox. What makes this different than that?” She glanced at me with a sneer.

I felt a surge of anger. “I agreed on that. You’re stealing it instead, I guess.” I remembered how Raphael had shared his power with me, how he had trusted me and helped me, and I did the same.

Raphael gave Aura a last warning. “Aura, please. Don’t do this. You don’t know what you’re unleashing.”

She snorted. “Force me then.” She challenged him with a defiant look.

He had no choice. He attacked her, kicking her away from the dark lord, then shouted, “Stop absorbing his powers!” She fought back, changing her form into a human-like demon with horns, wings, and claws. She slashed at Raphael, drawing blood from his chin.

I watched in horror as they fought. I didn’t know what to do. Then I heard Raphael's voice again. “Nox, break the spear!” He sounded desperate.

I didn’t hesitate. I broke the spear and pulled it out of the dark lord's body. He collapsed on the ground, too weak to stand up. But as soon as the spear was removed, his wounds started healing and his body started to regenerate. He looked at me with a mix of gratitude and regret.

“Call me a demon, but she’s too,” he said. “Do something then. Redeem yourself,” I urged him.

He shook his head sadly. “I can’t anymore. It’s too late.” He surrendered, lying on the ground. He looked at Aura and Raphael, who were still fighting fiercely. He said, “Finish me, take my powers, and help your friend, for the good of everyone. You just woke up the devil. Defeat her before she defeats you.”

I listened to him, but I couldn’t bring myself to kill him. Instead, I shouted, “Raphael!” He was already wounded and tired. The demon had made a second deep cut on his chin.

I joined the fray and touched Raphael, borrowing his powers to transform into my original Nox form. I resumed my support role, harassing Aura from a distance like a pesky insect. But she was cunning and tried to finish off the dark lord by herself, hoping to complete the ritual. I intervened and blocked her path. She attempted to dissolve into a beam of light, but I conjured a blade of shadow and slashed through it. She reformed unscathed, and Raphael shouted, “Nox, call Akira and Fyrenthos here now!” I obeyed and contacted them through a vision connection, telling them to meet us here.

As I did so, I glanced at the horizon and saw a huge ring of dragons, all of them shadowy, some wounded and some not. They were watching the battle with keen interest. Aura landed a blow on Raphael and pushed him back. She summoned a circle of electricity, incredibly powerful, that nearly reached the dragons in the distance and certainly hit the Dark Lord and Freya. I ran to help the latter. I heard her gasp, still alive. I healed her and said, “I’m here. You’re fine. Please don't stop breathing." She tried to speak: “She... Aura... took my element.” I said, “Don’t worry, I’ll get it back for you once we defeat her, okay?” She nodded and lay on the ground, exhausted.

Then I turned to the dark lord and asked, “Is your offer for your powers still valid?” He snorted and said, “Shake my hand. Take them. There's not much left after Aura drained most of them. Use them wisely.” I shook his hand and felt a surge of strength. Not as weak as before, but not as strong either. I said, “This is not against the rules, right?” He replied, “I don’t think so since I agreed to it. Now shut up and fight that traitor.”

I plunged into the fray once more. My abilities allowed me to become a shadow, but I still lacked any light power. That didn’t matter now, as Akira and Fyrenthos finally arrived and yelled, “Aura! What are you doing?!”

She snapped back, “No time to explain. Help me defeat these two humans and a half. They’re protecting the dark lord.”

I protested, “We’re not. He doesn’t even have his powers now! You absorbed them!” I knew I was only partly telling the truth. I had taken what remained of his powers, but she had gotten a good share of them too.

Akira shook her head. “My sources say otherwise, dear Aura. And your appearance confirms that.” She was right. Aura looked like a demon. Akira joined the fight, and Fyrenthos aided her. In a flash, the battle was over, and Aura was chained, unable to free herself. She screamed, “You will never defeat me. I’ll always be back. I’ll hunt you. The wrath of the caelestis will get you.”

Raphael replied calmly, “We’re the caelestis, Aura. You already met that.” He moved on to finish her off, and as he did so, the dark lord started coughing violently and spitting blood.

I said, “Raphael, I think the ring is hurting him too.”

Akira asked, “Shall we finish him?”

Raphael said, “It’s because his powers are trying to get back to him, but he can’t control them anymore. Help him if you want.”

I hesitated. “Are you sure? What if we fall back into another fight with him?”

Raphael chuckled. “He’d lose again. We’re four now, or five if Freya stops playing dead.”

I glanced at Freya. She was finally trying to stand up. She said softly, “Lovely wind, I feel it again.”

I smiled. “I’m glad that you do. Now, shall I help him or let him die?”

She looked at him with contempt and said, “I wouldn’t touch him if I were you. He lived long enough and did enough.”

Akira agreed. “Yeah, a lot longer than he deserved.”

Without asking for help, the dark lord uttered in a weak and joyful voice, “Brother... I can see you.” I followed his gaze but saw no one. Raphael, who was holding Aura captive, sneered and said, “Oh, hi Zeno, I see you too.” I exclaimed, “What? I don’t see him!” Raphael said, “He’s not in the first realm. Of course you can’t.”

I was confused and turned to Akira. “Can you see him?” I asked. She shook her head. “No, I can’t either.” Then a swirl of white and black smoke materialized near the dark lord, and Zeno emerged from it. The dark lord said, “Brother, I... I am so happy to see you.” Zeno sighed and said, “Yeah, I’m glad you’re. Dark lord.” He looked at him with sadness and added, “But I think this is the end for you, isn’t it?” The dark lord nodded. “It seems so. I’m sorry.” He coughed up blood and said, “Please forgive me before I draw my last breath. For everything.” Zeno said, “I forgive you, brother. Actually, I thank you for proving to the Light dragons that a Shadow dragon could be one of them. You made me who I am today. Even if you killed me.” The dark lord smiled faintly and said, “You’re welcome then, I guess. Sorry about that.”

Some Shadow dragons approached us while Aura was fading away in Raphael’s grip, screaming and cursing. I wished she would be quiet already. A Shadow dragon reached the dark lord and said, “Please step aside and let us help him.” Akira protested, “No, don’t you dare. He’s too dangerous to live.” I interrupted her and said, “I don’t think he is anymore. I have some of his powers now. Besides, he wouldn’t be dying if he had them all back. Or no, wait... he would be dying even faster; please ignore that.”

Some Shadow dragons tended to his wounds with their technology. He stopped coughing blood, but then Aura vanished in silence. Raphael said, “Finally, that was one hell of a pink demon. Alright, everyone, back off. Now.” They hesitated, so Akira stepped in and yelled, “You heard him. Move away, or I’ll make you.” He brandished the light sword. They reluctantly obeyed, and Raphael faced him, saying, “So, are you a demon too?” He answered, “I don’t know. I thought I was a Shadow dragon, not a demon.” But Zeno said, “Brother, after you killed me with Aura, she turned your soul into a demon’s. I’m sorry, but you’re” He interrupted, “I guess I am then. Sigh.” Raphael said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you stay here. All demons must be either destroyed or banished to the second realm. This is not your place.” He reached for me, grabbed my hand, and drained all my powers. I said, “Hey, what are you doing?” He said, “Don’t worry, I’ll give them back to you later if you want.” The dark lord looked at Zeno and then at me and said, “I already made a deal with Nox. Give him my powers. They’ll be safer with him. I don’t deserve them. Wait, Zeno, do you want your powers back?” Zeno looked puzzled and said, “Not really. I have new powers now. I don’t need them. You can keep them or give them to Nox. I'm ok with that.” The dark lord said, “Nox, do you accept my powers as a gift? Consider it an apology for trying to take yours.” I asked Raphael, “Should I accept?” He replied, “I don’t see any harm in that. It’s your choice. And maybe you can return them to him someday if you wish.” I said, “Alright, I accept your gift, Dark Lord.” He said, “Very well, let’s shake on it. By the way, I have a name. It’s Novar.” Everyone gasped. A Shadow dragon said, “The dark lord never revealed his true name. It’s an honor to know it, my lord.” He said, “Thank you, but I’m afraid it won’t matter soon. I’ll be exiled from existence. I’m sorry.” We completed the deal, and I felt his powers surge through me. They were similar to what I had before. I asked Raphael, “You mentioned these powers. How are they different from yours?” He said, “I’m glad you asked. Well, first of all, mine are holy powers, and you still have a trace of them that I’d like to reclaim someday. His powers are not holy.” The dark lord said, “Zeno has something to add to that.” Zeno explained, “I had some holy powers too. So now Nox has them too. I could teach you how to use them, maybe.” The dark lord added, “Not only that, but my powers were enhanced over time by many deals I made with other dragons.” I said, “Great, thank you then. Even if that sounds awful.” He said, “You’re welcome, Nox. Nah, they knew what they were getting into.” Zeno said, “You’re quite polite for being the dark lord Novar.” He said, “I’ve changed a lot, brother. I’m not the same as you remember me. Not much is left of that.”

A shadow dragon took a couple of steps forward and said, “We’ll miss you, dark lord.” Many others echoed the same sentiment. Raphael nodded and said, “All right, Novar. Please get up. I’ll let you give a final speech to your people if you wish. Then I’ll send you to the second realm.” Zeno asked, “Does this mean that he’ll have to go through the barrier?” Raphael shook his head. “No, I can transport him to the second realm without killing him directly. I know he won’t survive the barrier.” The dark lord asked, “What does the second realm look like?” Raphael said, “We need to talk about that privately. Please, let’s go somewhere else.”

We left the bloody field and reached the city. Then me, Raphael, Zeno, and the dark lord went into a room where no one could hear us. Raphael said, “Let me tell you about the second realm. It’s similar to this one, but empty. You’ll be able to see the living beings of the first realm, but you won’t be able to interact with them or be seen by them. Except for some rare instances, like before when you saw Zeno," the dark lord said, “So I’ll be like an invisible ghost, won’t I?” Raphael said, “Kind of. It’s still better than being trapped behind the barrier or being definitively annihilated by it, and then maybe being sent to a final judgment and condemned. You don’t really deserve this, but I’m kind enough to give you this option.” The dark lord said, “If you say so, then thank you, Raphael. Really.” Raphael said, “Don’t thank me. Thank them for forgiving you. If they didn’t, you would have been sent directly to final judgment like Aura.”

We ended the discussion there. The dark lord prepared his speech for his people with our help. A speech of farewell and hope. He told them not to hide anymore and to take responsibility for their actions as shadow dragons. He also apologized for his mistakes and asked for their forgiveness. He delivered the speech with sincerity and emotion. Everyone listened in silence and accepted his words. It felt like attending a funeral, but some had different reactions. They seemed happy to see him go. Clearly, there were two opposing opinions about the dark lord among his people.

Then Raphael proceeded to send him to the second realm in front of everyone. He turned to me and said, “I think you still have something that belongs to me.” I said, “What makes you think that it’s yours and not mine? You said before that I had the biggest chunk of powers.” He said, “You’re not wrong. Of course, do you know how to use them?” I said, “Eh, not really.” He said, “Then what about the new ones that you got now? Do you know how to use them?” I said, “I think so.” He said, “Then are you going to feel different because of that? Also, if you give them back to me, I’ll be able to return to our world, and you won’t have to leave your family. You’ll stay here and live a beautiful and happy life for as long as you wish.” I said, “All right. Take them.” I gave him my hand, and we shook hands as usual. I didn’t feel any different after that.

I asked him, “What do you mean by ‘as long as you wish’?” Zeno replied, “He’s talking about the small amount of holy powers that you have now. You have immortality and can live as long as you want.” I said, “Oh wow. That sounds great.” Raphael said, “Immortality can be both great and terrible because, unfortunately, after a while you may go insane.” I didn’t know how to reply to that. That made me wonder why he would say that, but I was probably overthinking it or getting paranoid.