The two guys remained silent as the old man's palm glowed brighter, the air thickening with sealing energy. He glanced up at Ridan with cold, unreadable eyes.
"You should have known better, Ridan. You were told not to speak of things unrelated to your role. Not to the dragon princess. Not to anyone. Not even to Hazuki himself. The truth is his to discover, not yours to reveal."
The old man paused, his eyes beginning to glow with a golden light.
"Let fate decide what happens to him now. And as for you... rules are rules."
Ridan let out a long, defeated exhale. His puffy body sagged as he glanced at the old man.
"At least... let me say farewell to him."
"You have five minutes."
Ridan floated over to Hazuki, who was still encased in ice. He touched the frozen surface with his tiny cloud hand, struggling to force a smile.
"Hey... buddy..."
He let out a shaky breath, his grin wavering.
