Damascus was taken aback. His expression froze, and for the first time since waking up, he was left completely speechless. His lips parted slightly as though he wanted to argue, to deny the human's words, but nothing came out.
Ellio met the Guardian's gaze with tired, lifeless eyes. The exhaustion on his face was evident, yet there was certainty in the way he looked at him.
"You can deny it..." Ellio said softly. "You can keep saying you wanted to die..." He lowered his eyes for a brief moment before looking back at Damascus. "But I know you wanted to survive."
The forest fell silent.
"Not for yourself..." Ellio continued. "But for your dimension."
Damascus stiffened. His breathing halted for a split second, and his pupils narrowed ever so slightly. The words struck him harder than he
