Nigredo had won Klavier and his undivided attention, regardless of its nature or the threads of logic weaving inside the man's head. It was enough to loosen his grip, to allow inches of space between them. An acquiesce was not to be taken lightly. Nigredo still really liked Klavier to not lose his favor.

So he would give him what was required, what the man needed to hear. "It was with another group, shortly before Dr. Landel regained control," Nigredo began, the words spilling fast and light against his lips. "The battle played out similarly, and one of the combatants was killed. She was literally in pieces at the end." In a most horrifically wonderful way, a detail that must not be shared.

Nigredo exhaled. "The next day, I found her in the Sun Room--injured but alive." And equally confused by the fact. "They had revived her, or the developments in the basement were not permanent. I don't know."