Ah -

[He takes a step back. The other arm wraps around him, now a solid embrace for himself. He feels no small amount of shame for his actions back then. After chewing on his lip for a long moment, he finally offers:]

With how strong the Leviathan was, I had hoped that perhaps it could set me free. I wanted to show him my curse, in the hopes that he could help me break it. So...

[He motions vaguely.]