Right. Yes. Of course. Having his error stated that openly all but smacks Ken in the face with his misunderstanding. And he's grown beyond the boy who needed to be literally smacked in the face to get out of fruitless thought spirals, so he blinks and nods. "I understand. My apologies."

Thank you, as well, he wants to say. Thank you for bringing me back. But that would be making this about him, and it's not, so. He'll have to show his gratitude instead of expressing it.

...There's still something unsatisfactory, though, about hearing someone describing a mask as "necessary", a shield between a situation and oneself. Rather than lash out against that, though, there's something.....else going on. Ken is still missing something.

"Your world is that violent," he states. Because Siebren isn't talking about Sigma like he's just a psychological filter. Siebren doesn't become Sigma just because it's easier in the moment.

Is Ken hearing that Siebren becomes Sigma to survive?