Jake was left stunned long after hearing all that. Not because he couldn't believe it, quite the opposite, but because it raised so many more questions.
Was a World Eater conscious? After all, its Aether Signature affected the deepest instincts and values of those it corrupted.
In retrospect, not necessarily. A biological virus wasn't conscious either, yet it had the genetic tools to invade its targets, intercalating into their DNA to let the host's enzymes replicate the virus's RNA infinitely for further spread. In the end, a World Eater could very well be just a slightly different Mirror Universe.
But from what Claire had said, Jake felt it wasn't that simple. She had initially revealed that her creator and mentor, Klayr, had been targeted by one of the worst enemies one could wish for: A World Eater.
