Hearing her continue on with such casualness but also reveal that she indeed knew what was going on, Ancestor Shadow got even more on guard.
He exhaled slowly, keeping his expression neutral as he secretly sent out signals through hidden channels to place his entire domain on lockdown.
In that moment, barriers began to activate quietly in the background, sealing off escape routes and reinforcing the ritual chamber without any visible change.
He sat down in the space across from her, maintaining a calm but watchful demeanor.
"Since you already know this is a ritual," he said, voice measured, "you should also know there is still an hour until its completion. So, in the meantime… could you at least enlighten me a bit?"
Nia tilted her head, her smile never fading as she studied him.
"Enlighten you?" she echoed, sounding almost amused. "About what, exactly?"
