"I know," Steven says, simply. He presses a kiss to Thace's forehead. "You needed it, like I needed to hear what you told me, all those months ago when we went to get squid noodles."

He breathes out slowly. "And... in the interest of us being completely honest, you know how I hurt them on our Keeper's orders? I never did explain what I did exactly at the time, but it was... well. Draining some of their... vitality, I guess? Energy? Life force? It wasn't pleasant and it left them feeling half dead and me feeling good because it went into me. At first he was doing something where I was a channel for it... and then I started being able to do it on my own.

"I've-- used that. Since I was sent home. As part of hunts. If someone's in good health, it'll just give them a bad time, but if they're near-dying... I've done that. Finished some of my hunts that way. I don't regret it. Turning his dubious gift, which hurt my friends, into something that helped me."