A faint pulse of warmth clung to them, the artifact.
But it was failing.
Thin fractures had begun to form along its surface, spreading slowly, each crack a quiet promise of what was to come. It was only barely holding back the full force of Osita's gaze. When it finally gave way, there would be nothing left to shield them.
They could already imagine it, the sensation waiting on the other side of that breaking point. If this was the misery endured with protection, then what awaited them without it was beyond comprehension.
When the artifact shattered, their fate would no longer be guided by deception or concealment.
It would be entirely in their own hands.
And the kingdom would finally be free to do as it wished with them.
