Thinking about astrid. Thinking about her crying in the alleyway and Beau not knowing if she was crying because she is grieving her relationship with Caleb or because she knew she was going to betray him. I'm thinking about her watching Caleb form his own family with M9. Why doesn't she have that? I'm thinking about Astrid gripping the knife by the blade and taking Ikithon's place. Does she think about what Caduceus said to Trent? "In the future, I hope you find someone to mourn you when you are gone"? Who will mourn Astrid when she is gone? No, I don't mean just the memory of her, but what has become of her. What she made of herself. Who will mourn that? I'm thinking about Astrid, with no family, no life outside the academy, with only her ambition to save her. How lonely it must be to look down on everyone else.