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"Hopefully, it won't come to that," said Sermung. "I still have time to make up my mind."

"Yes, but how much time?" said Jonah. "Do you have an estimate?"

"I've been thinking about that. Skapa's initial prediction was seven thousand years. Rathmore predicted four. Now Xander is predicting less than one. And from all of my own observations, there does appear to be an acceleration taking place. So I'm thinking... realistically, we've got another four or five centuries left."

Jonah frowned as he listened.

"What about Ettol? Does he not have a prediction?"

"Not that I've been able to tell," said Jonah.

"I suppose that's not surprising. They generally don't think about time the way we do."

"Maybe you should just kill me."

"Jonah..."

"As much I've been trying to help you, I'm also just making things worse, aren't I? Ettol's mere existence in this realm is constantly accelerating the timeline, isn't it?"

"It's not just him. And it's not just them, either. You know that. In fact, I'd say Ettol's presence has been more of a help to us than not."

"Keep talking like that, and I'm going to start thinking you're just another illusion he's conjured for me."

"Hating him does not improve your circumstances. I've told you this before, haven't I? This isn't some great revelation."

"I know. It's just..."

"It's difficult. Yes. But he has his uses. In some respects, he represents our best hope."

Jonah scoffed. "He's a means to an end, at best. A source of information."

"Not just any source. Maybe the best source we've ever had. Don't downplay your contributions, Jonah. It's thanks to your connection to him that we've been able to make make so much progress, recently. The kind that our predecessors could only hope for."

"Even so, it's still a risk. And it only becomes even more so the longer we let him roam free. The longer you let him roam free. You could end this right now and probably save yourself a lot of headaches in the future."

Sermung stepped closer, and he laid a hand on Jonah's shoulder again.

Ettol hadn't appreciated it the last time, but Jonah very much did now. The compassion and sympathy in the man's aura were so strong that Jonah could quite literally feel them himself.

"Please don't talk like that," said the Titan. "You're more valuable than you give yourself credit for. And even if you weren't, you're still your own person with your own soul. You'd give that consideration to someone else, wouldn't you? Why not yourself?"