"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." — Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities"

"I carried a hatred buried deep in my bones and a scheme brewed over many years, turning myself into a ghost resurrected from the dead, sinking into the mire, sinking into the abyss. I wanted to plant rotting roots and grow bloodthirsty thorns to pierce this hypocritical civilization.

I reached the depths of the sludge... and picked up a star."