124 Sprouts of Wisdom

He had been humbled — taught where he truly stood in the world and had been forced to face what the consequences of his actions would cause.

There was nothing that could force a person to change like the agonizing and incessant sting of regret.

That was something he was sure about. There was no greater suffering than the unceasing torment brought on by genuine regret. It was a special kind of pain that had no anodyne. Fortune, fame, pleasures of the flesh, the bottle — none of it would ever be able to abate something as terrible as it. 

Neither would the passage of time.

Only fools and cowards believed that — desperately so, with their miserable, little hearts.

 In fact, time only served to intensify the agony. This was a hard-earned piece of knowledge that he had obtained on his own.

Reed was no different, regardless of his status, power, or personal upbringing.