Elias's gaze didn't waver. The humor faded, leaving behind something sharper, clinical, but tinged with quiet determination. "I know it's not," he said. "But it's the only move that makes sense. Nothing else will get him out of the deep sea ether, either, not without breaking the laws that hold the realms together."
Poseidon tilted his head, studying him like one might study a strange new species. "You understand what you're suggesting, then."
"I do," Elias said. "If Jonathan is anchored to the ocean's core, only Victor, you, or Uno have the ability to free him. And none of you can do it without violating the Creator's primary laws."
Victor's expression hardened. "Those laws exist for a reason."
"Exactly," Elias said quietly. "And Jonathan knows it. He's counting on it."
The words landed like a fault line splitting the air. Poseidon's eyes narrowed, the flicker of realization surfacing in their depths. "He's gambling on your restraint."
