'Never again…'
Rey had this solemn thought embedded deep in his heart.
Never would he allow himself to become attached to people who could be taken from him.
Never would he invest emotionally in relationships that mortality rendered temporary.
Never would he experience the devastating loss that came from caring about beings whose existence was fundamentally fragile.
The Nephilim were useful.
Their society provided shelter, their knowledge enhanced his capabilities, and their goodwill served his strategic interests.
But they were not friends.
Not family.
Not anything except tools in a broader plan that required their cooperation, but not their love.
Rey had learned that lesson in the most painful way possible.
He would not forget it.
So he smiled when appropriate, expressed gratitude that sounded genuine, and maintained the performance of someone who valued these relationships beyond their utility.
