Freedom does sound nice, she must admit. The only way to live, he says, words echoing in her mind long after the fact. This, here, right now? This is the only way to live, she thinks. Without a care in the world — this one or the next — with her every sense kicked into overdrive. With colors that are too bright, even in the dark, and skin that tickles regardless of touch. Words that taste like spice, like honey, and sounds that bounce around inside her skull until they finally fade away.

"We're living now," she tells him, still staring at the sky. "Look! I've never seen stars like this." There's a lot, apparently, that she's never seen or done. It's a good thing she's getting them out of the way now.