Yussa listens as he looks out the window, taking in everything from behind the safety of the glass. The market sounds interesting, and it would be hard to ignore the way Caleb sounds as he talks about it. Golden eyes shift from the streetscape to the young man sitting across from him.

They don't speak much of their pasts, the lives they lived before Caleb and his friends showed up outside his tower, wanting an audience. Yussa has never asked, but he takes information whenever Caleb offers it. This comes with hesitation, and he can hear the sorrow hiding behind the fondness of the memory.

He lowers his gaze to his tea, allowing himself a bit of nostalgia.

"When I was very young, I would hide unless I was promised a chance to look for books," he says. "When I got older, I found the appeal in exploring."