Chapter 216: Edge of the line
Elias’s glow pulsed, slower now. Stronger. Something had clicked.
He floated in silence for a beat, then spoke again—this time with a weight behind it.
"And me slicing my shard in half... was your opportunity, is that right?"
His glow trembled as he asked, the words pulling something heavy from inside. The ache of Kikaru’s absence. The hollow throb of Dot’s stillness. It all pressed down on the edges of his soul.The godless crucifix tilted his head, silver eyes narrowing as he regarded Elias’s soul. The faint smile returned—not mocking, just quiet calculation behind ancient eyes. His voice came low and resonant, the same deep hum that always seemed to twist the air as he spoke, bending the corridor around him with unseen pressure.
"Yes," he said, no hesitation behind the word. "No offense to you in particular... but I was more after the creature you call Dot’s—and the shard she was tied to."
The crimson mist curled tighter at his feet, coiling with purpose. The pale blue runes carved into the walls flickered in response, their glow jittering like breath held too long.
"Even half of her is useful. And half of the shard? That’s enough to begin testing... maybe even lay the groundwork for building countermeasures against shard users."
He didn’t elaborate further. He didn’t need to.
Elias’s glow pulsed again, a soft flicker as confusion tangled with something colder. Frustration? No—something closer to realization.