"It would be incredibly foolish if it involved the Source Blood," he responded. "But we have to learn from previous experiments."

He was quiet for a moment after that.

"We wanted to change the world so badly, didn't we? So recklessly. And in the end, the amount of change we could do was actually limited by the measures we took to make it happen. With such powers, we couldn't risk capture - couldn't risk others figuring out how to replicate our abilities, weaponize them. All of us became shadow creatures, in our way."

He turned the cup in his hands, look distant.

"But the idea, free of...interference...get the right minds together, support them so they can work...the concept is still sound."

He turned his head to look at her.

"I'm going to earn your trust back. With whatever time I've got left before, well, you're the last one left."