Evan immediately grew curious. "If you're already a Beyonder, why date an ordinary person?"
"Can't you find another Beyonder to date?"
A faint smile touched Jack's lips. "Arkham, my friend, you really don't understand."
Evan blinked. "Understand what, Jack?"
Hearing Evan address him so familiarly, Jack cleared his throat and draped an arm over his shoulders.
"Dating a Beyonder is a very dangerous thing."
Evan blinked, curious. "Why is it dangerous?"
"Let me ask you this," Jack explained. "If you're dating a girl, shouldn't you live together?"
Evan nodded.
Jack asked again, "And if you live with your girlfriend, it's normal to have some intimate exchanges, right?"
Evan grunted in agreement. "Isn't that all part of a normal relationship?"
Jack sighed. "That's exactly the problem."
"You need to understand that the Beyonder path is a dead end with no turning back."
"For a Beyonder, advancing even one level is an immense temptation."
"How can you be sure the person sharing your bed won't suddenly sacrifice you while you're sound asleep?"
Evan's expression shifted slightly.
With a cigarette between his lips, Jack's eyes gradually sharpened as he asked another question.
"How can you be sure that once your essence enters her body, she won't use your semen to curse you?"
"How can you be sure she doesn't possess some special Beyonder Characteristic that lets her plant a spiritual contract in you while your bodies are joined?"
"How can you be sure she isn't with you because she sees you as material to be consumed on her path to advancement?"
"You should know that many trials on the Beyonder path hinge on the mind!"
"Emotional fluctuations have an enormous influence on them."
"Joy, sorrow, longing for a lover, grief over a lover's death..."
"All of these can become part of Beyonder power,