"But... the time will be short. I can only hold out for another twenty years after the Stone is removed."
I was keeping the Lens focused on him, so I instantly sensed it. "Senior, please don't lie."
Ossian's skeletal features twitched slightly, and the emotional resonance flickered with... annoyance and begrudging respect.
Is it... working?
"...Ten years," he said finally, "That's the most I can hold out for. Ten years before the seal weakens beyond my ability to maintain it."
Through the monocle, his words glowed with the steady warmth of truth, but underneath it all, there was still that strange undercurrent I couldn't quite identify. Not deception exactly, but something hidden...
...I'll find out soon enough.
"Is there no other way forward?" Zephyr stepped forward, his voice heavy with concern. "Some method to strengthen the seal, or transfer the burden to another guardian? Something we can do?"
