Aunamee has never needed to confront his victims before. The people who saw his mask fall, they were either dead or otherwise discarded from his life. First Grey. Now this.

He should feel angry -- and he does to a degree, fire flickering in his stomach, tension building in his temples, but he stifles it, choosing instead to treat this like a puzzle. A game. After all, Howard's temper is half of what makes him interesting, and wouldn't it be boring if he swayed so easily?

"It's all right," he says. "I won't hurt you. I never wanted hurt you."

Strange, contradictory words, but his voice is smooth like a lullaby. Laced with mercy.

"I killed you because I believed your death would be permanent."

(Howard was suffering because he had suffered.)