395 Ruler

"Yes?"

"E-Eli?"

"What is it, Tia?" Eli's voice returned to normal as his eyes regained their usual appearance.

"Woohhhh!!" Tiana's relief was palpable as she hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face like a child's.

"I'm fine," Eli reassured her awkwardly, patting her head gently before turning his gaze to the sentinels with a hint of mockery.

"You lot can at least handle sealing a space, can't you?" Eli's tone carried a playful taunt as he challenged them.

The sentinels felt the weight of his sarcasm but remained composed. Theos's Sentinel stepped forward, focusing on the fractured space and methodically closing it off.

"It seems like the withering has stopped..." Eli observed as he examined the now-stabilized branches of the World Tree, relieved to see them no longer decaying rapidly.