He turned to face Alex fully, and his ancient eyes burned with something that might have been warning or might have been hope. The expression lingered there for a moment, as though he were measuring whether the man standing before him was worth the effort of speaking plainly.
"You came here with nothing. You have no points, no allies, and no understanding of how this place works. But you also came here with something that most of them lack. You came here with the mind of a survivor. I saw it when you faced Sofia. I saw it when you manipulated Ares. You do not fight what you cannot defeat. You find another way."
"Keep the praise going," Alex said, nodding with quiet satisfaction.
Jaros's mouth twitched, and the faintest hint of amusement crossed his otherwise stern face. That bastard remained as shameless as ever, even in a place where arrogance often led directly to death.
