It strikes Skulduggery in that moment, just how young Ava is. How young they all are -- her and Malcolm, Darcy and Undine. They're all experiencing something exciting and new, some for the first time, and the potential is laid out as brightly as the faux stars above. Their lives have the possibility to stretch on in fantastic new directions, assuming they can avoid the fate of the previous passengers.

He'd followed that same path once upon a time, but his memory of the time has eroded away, leaving only vague impressions where fine details should lie. Living vicariously through them is the only way he can recall what that spark was even like.

"I'm glad for you," he says, genuinely meaning it. Even if it's a little selfish, living vicariously is still living. Cheerfully going on, he adds, "If he hurts you in any way, shape or form, I'll shoot him."