"There's always someone foolish enough to want to help everyone who comes their way," he says, and it's meant to sound dismissive but doesn't quite hit the mark, something bitter hiding between the lines and darkening the entire sentence.

"All I know is I'm not staying a second longer than I have to." And if he has his magic back — all of it, truly... then, no matter how many Doors he needs to open, he will make it home eventually.

Adrian's comment makes him fix him with a look — a wordless yeah, no shit.

"Also typical. We're being directed into doing what they want, our abilities or things kept as hostage... of course there's something we're not being told. Why give us information when we could use it against them?"