So this part here alot of people think that Aavaros is talking about his own personal experience. But what if he’s talking of Elarion. There is a cockiness that Aavaros has in his blatant manipulation of Viren. He seems very self assured that Viren will use the knife and use the worm. He very obviously messes with those books in front of Viren but he doesn’t seem worried at all about Viren thinking that he’s shady as fuck and not listening to him anymore. He seems completely confident that Viren will listen to him again. That Viren won’t be able to control his curiosity. I think he is because he has done it before. Manipulated someone in a similar fashion and it worked. I think to a degree he is projecting that person on to Viren because he finds Viren similar to that person. That person being Elarion ( if Elarion is in fact a actual human and not just literally dark magic itself). I think the only thing that Viren has done so far that is unexpected in Aaravos’s eyes, aka something Elarion wouldn’t have done is this moment here.
Its the one time he seems genuinely taken aback by Viren’s actions. Everything else Viren does, even though Aavaros is suspicious Aavaros acts like its only natural.It should not be surprising if he did the sensible thing and walked away. It might even be expected especially if you don’t really know who Viren is which as far as you know Aavaros does not. And yet he’s self assured, except in this moment. But even if he didn’t expect that, he did expect Viren to return.
Look at that expression. No surprise, no relief. He knew this was going to happen. Because its what Elarion would have done. She would have come back. And as far as Aavaros is concerned Viren and Elarion are the same. So he treats them the same and is very self assured in his manipulation as a result.