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Upon entering the portal, you are greeted by a long tunnel that culminates in an enormous door, so vast it nearly fills your entire field of vision. You can see through it, but entry is only granted through a smaller, separate doorway that stands adjacent to it. The tunnel walls are adorned with peculiar carvings: a dragon-horse rearing on its hind legs, a tree in full bloom, various creatures engaged in a lively dance, and many more engravings whose meanings elude you.
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"Come, they're waiting," Death beckons, opening the doorway and urging Sam to hasten. "You mustn't be late," he adds, stepping through the small entrance.
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Sam trails behind him, descending a narrow staircase from the corridor above into the main hall of the tomb. The hall is teeming with a diverse array of beings: some resembling humans, others bearing no resemblance to any living creature you've ever encountered. Among them is a half-human, half-beast young man with a cyborg mask, standing near the King's throne.
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Subsequently, Sam and Death arrive at a room where Vincent and Quattro are seated. Quattro appears visibly anxious, while Vincent seems relatively unfazed by the situation.
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"I am still frightened by this place. I'm less scared of Death because of what transpired between us last night. I don't feel right here. But I understand that I must conquer my fears if we are to succeed," Vincent confesses.
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"It's time to begin," Death announces.
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"How shall we start? Shall we just ask questions, or should we go back to the beginning?" Quattro inquires.
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"What did you think would work best?" Death turns to Sam.
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"I thought it might be more effective to start by asking questions, as that was the most successful method for uncovering forgotten memories," Sam responds.
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"OK," Death concurs. "Let's commence." He addresses Quattro, "We'll take turns interrogating each of them. I'll start with Vincent, then we will question you. After that, it will be Sam's turn again."
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Vincent is slightly irked at being the first one interrogated, but he doesn't object too strongly. He understands that this process is necessary, and he hopes that his knowledge of the past and the answers he provides to the questions posed could aid the others.
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"Wait, why do you need to ask me? I have nothing to do with this?" Quattro voices his confusion.
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"Right! First question, Vincent, can you remember your past?" Death asks while Sam probes his mind.
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"Yes, I can. My name is Vincent, and I come from another world. When I came here with my father, I witnessed something horrific. We were on our way to meet someone who might be able to help us find my mother."
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"Who were these people?" Death inquires.
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"There were three of them. One was an old man, a very kind old man. The second person was a woman, a beautiful woman. She reminded me of my mother. And the third person was a boy, my age or younger. I didn't like him much."
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"Why?" Death probes further.
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"He seemed to despise me and wanted to kill me for no apparent reason."
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"Can you tell us the names of these people? Or at least what they looked like?" Sam asks.
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"The old man was named Gioacchino. The woman was called Mary. The boy was called Lorenzo. They all looked like ordinary people, except for the manner in which they died."
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"How did they die?" Death asks.
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"They were slain by a monster, and their bodies were taken away. Only the bones remain."
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"Do you know how to get there?"
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"No, but I think I've heard about it before. If I can recall its location, I will be able to find it."
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"What was the monster's name?"
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"My father told me it was called the Red Death, but I never understood what that meant."
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"Tell me about the death," Death requests.
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"The Red Death was a giant bird. It was covered in red feathers. Its eyes glowed bright red, and when it exhaled fire, it incinerated everything it touched. People always tried to avoid it because it was so terrifying, and people feared it more than any other creature in the world. In fact, it was such a horrifying sight that even those who lived far away from it were afraid of it, especially if the wind blew its ashes in their direction. That's why everyone was terrified of it—people everywhere."
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"Well, we are getting a little off topic, can you tell us how you became a vampire or remember any details?" Death asks.
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"I can't do that. As I said before, I don't want to remember those things. I want to forget."
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"Very well. Is there anything else you can tell us about the Red Death?"
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"No, but I may remember more later. Right now, I don't feel comfortable talking about the Red Death and I don't think I can help you."
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"Do you know anything about the place where this Red Death lived?"
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"No, I never heard about that place or even knew that it existed. All I know is that the Red Death lived in a forest somewhere."
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"Were there any other places where it lived?"
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"Yes, there was another place, a desert. I believe that the Red Death also lived there at one point."
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"Where was that place?"
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"That's difficult to say. It was a land of sand and rock, far removed from civilization. No one has ever visited it."
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"Is there anything else you can tell us about the Red Death?"
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"Yes, I think I can tell you something important. It's been years since I heard this story, but I still remember it."
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"Go ahead."
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"The Red Death ate children. It took them from their homes, and tore them apart limb from limb. Sometimes it would eat them whole, but usually it would just tear them up and leave them lying around until they rotted. The only thing I know about this was that it sometimes found children wandering outside and took them home to eat."
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"What did it look like?"
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"It was a giant bird, but covered in red feathers. Its eyes were burning red. It breathed fire and burned everything it touched. It was extremely strong and could fly far distances without stopping. Although I haven't seen it myself, I believe it had claws instead of feet."
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"That sounds like the description of the Red Death," said Death.
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"Could it really have been the same creature?" inquired Quattro.
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"I suppose so," said Death. "But I don't know anything more."
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"All right, I guess we've learned enough," said Death. "Next question goes to Quattro."
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"Okay," replied Quattro. "Before I start, let me ask you this: Why is it that you want to know about the Red Death? What have you got to gain by learning about it?"
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"It's hard to put into words," said Death. "I just want to learn more about the Red Death."
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"Very well. Tell me what happened yesterday?"
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"Yesterday, after you left, my companions and I were doing research on the self-proclaimed witch, and after we finished our research... I invited them to my house to hang out."
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"And that's what you're trying to find out about?" Death asked.
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"Yes, I'm curious about Vincent's past and want to ask him about it in my own way."
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"So, you invited them into your house, talked about yourself, and started threatening my guest whom you are supposed to protect? Did I tell you to do that?" Death asked with a deadly stare.
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"I didn't mean to threaten him!" Quattro protested.
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"You did," Death growled.
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"I'm sorry. I didn't intend to offend him."
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"I am sure you didn't," said Death, "but that doesn't change the fact that you intended to interrupt my plans by killing him. What do you think you're doing? Doing him a favor after we just saved him? Over some hypothetical situation of what I would do?" Death's growl intensified.
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"I don't know what you're talking about," Quattro stammered.
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"Don't play dumb with me! I know exactly what you're planning to do, and I won't allow it! You act on your own without my direct orders, and in doing so, you're endangering one of my assets and your colleague!"
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"I'm not..." Quattro started.
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"I don't care what you're not! Your actions speak for themselves. You have the intention of trying to kill one of my assets, and in doing so, you're endangering one of my colleagues and possibly all of us." Death declared with a horrifying voice.
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"But..." Quattro tried to explain himself.
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"Enough! Don't talk anymore without permission and obey my orders from now on. Do you understand me?"
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"Yes," said Quattro with fear in his eyes.
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"You will step into the cell and write a 10,000-word reflection letter. Until then, you are not allowed to leave!" Death slammed a stack of paper on the table with rage in his eyes.
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Then Death, Vincent, and Sam walked away, leaving Quattro alone in the room to finish his writing.
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***
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In the morning, Sam woke up early. He had trouble sleeping the previous night, his mind preoccupied with the day's events. He had just finished breakfast when Death walked in and sat down next to him.
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"Good morning," said Death. "How are you feeling today?"
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"I'm fine," replied Sam. "I'm still a bit tired, but otherwise, I feel okay."
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"That's good. I'm glad to hear that."
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"How long do we have until Quattro finishes his letter?"
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"Not too long," said Death. "Soon he'll be done with his writing."
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"I hope he's okay," said Sam. "I don't want him to get the wrong idea."
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"He'll be fine,"
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"He'll find his way," Death reassured. "He's resilient, just a bit lost."
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"How can you be so sure?"
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"I've encountered him before."
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"Is that so?"
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"Yes. He possesses a strong will and a clear vision of his goals."
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"That's comforting to hear," Sam admitted.
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"So, are you ready to share what you've gleaned from Vincent's mind?" Death inquired, his tone demanding.
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"I believe I've gathered most of the necessary information. His memory had quite a few gaps, and he struggled to recall specific details from his past. However, there were certain things he did remember, and those could prove useful."
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"What kind of things?" Death probed.
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"I'm not sure if I should disclose them now, or wait until we have Quattro back," Sam hesitated.
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"I demand you tell me now!" Death insisted.
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"Alright," Sam conceded. "But bear in mind, I need to verify these findings."
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Death nodded in understanding. "Proceed."
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After a moment of careful thought, Sam began, "I think I've figured out Vincent's origin."
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"What?" Death exclaimed. "Where from?"
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"Another world. I believe Vincent hails from a different realm."
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"So, he wasn't lying about that. Continue."
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"I tried to delve into Vincent's past as much as possible. He has scant memories of his childhood, but he did share some information about his father."
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"What did he say?" Death asked, intrigued.
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"His father was a scientist who researched the Red Death and authored a book on it."
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"What kind of book?"
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"A scientific treatise, filled with empirical data and analyses."
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"So, we're assuming his father somehow turned him into a vampire."
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"That's my hypothesis."
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"Why do you think so?"
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"Vincent wouldn't exist if his father hadn't been a scientist. His father must have stumbled upon a method to halt the vampiric transformation."
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"That's plausible," Death agreed. "What else did he reveal?"
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"He also mentioned that his father was affiliated with an organization known as the League of the Red Death. I vaguely recall hearing about the League of the Red Death. However, I can't fully trust this information since I don't remember the source."
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"I believe I know what you're referring to," Death said. "It's a clandestine organization dedicated to combating vampires and the Red Death."
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"That seems likely," Sam agreed. "If Vincent's father was a member of the League, they might have played a role in his creation."
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"That's a logical conclusion," Death concurred.
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"But there's another puzzle," Sam added. "I can't comprehend why Vincent's memory of his past is so fragmented."
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"Perhaps he's repressed his memories," Death suggested.
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"But he does recall certain things. For instance, he remembered his father's name, his hometown, and even some childhood experiences."
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"Post-traumatic stress disorder, memory repression, mental disorders - these are common phenomena," Death remarked.
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"I don't believe that's the case," Sam countered. "Vincent's memories don't appear to be fabricated. They're just incomplete."
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"That's why I believe repeatedly killing him might be the most effective solution. You know, people often confront their trauma when they're on the brink of death," Death joked.
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"No, I don't think that's the issue here," Sam disagreed. "Moreover, I don't believe Vincent can die. The physician who treated him informed me that he could live indefinitely, even if his body perishes."
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"You're not a medical professional, and you lack knowledge about him," Death retorted. "He will die, mark my words."
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"When?" Sam queried.
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"In a century," Death predicted. "By then, he will be no more."
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"Why would he need to live that long?" Sam wondered.
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"Because he will still be in his adolescence. That's why."
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"I find that hard to believe," Sam confessed.
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"That's because you lack understanding of him," Death retorted.
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"Who do you think you're addressing?" Sam growled.
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"I'm addressing you," Death responded, his voice icy.
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"I'm not intimidated by you," Sam declared. "Now, let's return to the matter at hand. What else did Vincent disclose?"
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"I asked him about the League of the Red Death, and he said they were a consortium of scientists who attempted to prevent his father from creating more vampires."
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"Did he share any other details about them?"
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"Not really. He mentioned that they were highly secretive and that he never met any of their members, except for his father. That was the extent of his knowledge."
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"Well, that's all the information I have for now," Sam concluded.
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"That's fine, we can still uncover the truth one way or another," Death reassured.
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"I'm not done yet," Sam interjected. "I have one more question for you."
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"Oh?" Death queried.
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"I asked Vincent about his aspirations, and he said he wanted to improve the world. So, I wanted to ask you if you have any suggestions on how that could be achieved."
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"You'll find out soon enough," Death replied, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
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"What do you mean?"
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"Someday, you'll meet the rest of our team."
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"But how can I assist you?" Sam asked. "I'm just a novice. I lack experience in this field."
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"I don't know," Death admitted. "All I know is that the stakes are too high to worry about your lack of experience."
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"I don't know what to say," Sam sighed. "I wish I could contribute more."
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"I understand," Death sympathized. "Believe me, I do."
ns 18.68.41.179da2
