‘Paran.’ ‘Yes?’ ‘Are you now ascended?’ His eyes widened. ‘I don’t know. Nothing feels different. I admit I’m not even sure what ascendancy means.’ ‘Means you’re harder to kill.’ ‘Why?’ ‘You have stumbled onto power, of a personal nature, and with it, well, power draws power. Always. Not the mundane kind, but something other, a force in nature, a confluence of energies. You begin to see things differently, to think differently. And others take notice of you
