[ He utters a short, incredulous laugh and shakes his head. ]

Fine. You wish to know why I accepted? I accepted because I wanted to see what his promised paradise would be. I accepted because I was tired, Exarch. Being brought to a self-proclaimed prison against my will for crimes I would willingly commit again, with all my abilities curtailed, was an insult I could not stand. Those few moments where I wielded borrowed power were a rare gift, boy. I don't care if you think poorly of me for it - none of you are in any position to judge me. None of you would understand how it feels to be stifled in this mediocre vessel of flesh, cut off from the aether of the world.