He spoke of how the group split into two—those who tried to undo their mistake, and those who doubled down. Of how the surface world was lost in the aftermath.
By the time he finished, Elvira was still. Silent. Processing.
Ben gave her a moment. Then added, "She thinks my existence confirm someone might be trying to bring the Daemon back. Or maybe they never went away."
Elvira's eyes sharpened, her thoughts racing. "That... would explain a lot." Her voice was quieter now, more thoughtful, as pieces began falling into place from her past lives.
In both timelines, she had always found it strange how her peaceful clan suddenly descended into chaos. Her own family had turned on her, tried to kill her—over what? Power? Influence? Wealth? Elvira never cared for any of that.
All she ever wanted was knowledge. To invent, to push magic further. And everyone knew that.
