It's not the first time in this conversation that Essek has needed time to process the question before answering it. Ryo isn't about to rush him.

But that answer...

"From home?" Essek hadn't been on the train for long before the mission had started; either he had really hit it off with Caleb, or he'd known Caleb before either of them had arrived here, and the latter seems more likely.

Caleb had also been involved in what he now knows was an attempt to take out the illusion. Caleb is also missing. Given that the city is on high alert, no news - no publicly broadcast news, at least - is good news.