Mikado's expression, which had held excitement and curiosity when they started speaking, suddenly became far too serious. Stopping to think those things over was perhaps not the best idea, even if it had to be done once in a while. Thinking about life at home was a very dangerous thing: he might have to face things that he'd been too busy to consider all the implications of while they were happening.

The choices he had made might weigh on him too much if he let them.

He didn't look at Haytham as he spoke.

"I don't think I would be able to believe in a world that was any different. If I had come to a place where there was no fighting, no danger, no betrayal, I might have thought I was merely dreaming after all. Or that somewhere there was an underbelly I had simply not found yet.

At least here all I had to do was turn down the right alley, instead of peeling back layers of false smiles to reach it."