Cole's shawl 3

Cole sheathed the sword and unclasped the shawl. Lyrus knelt, and Cole put the shawl over his shoulders, clasping it.

“Is that better?” Cole asked.

Lyrus smiled. “Much better.”

“Why?”

“The cloak makes a semblance obey whoever puts it on them.”

Cole blinked. “You know you’re a semblance?”

“Not until you gave me the cloak. It freed me to know what I had to know in order to serve you. Whoever made me caused me to ignore my true nature. You were helping me catch glimpses, but now I see plainly. Until you gave me the cloak, I didn’t realize I had been fabricated. This is common with semblances. We play a role without much self-reflection. It helps us seem more authentic.”

Chapter 11