Elara tilted her head. "So my presence serves a specific purpose, but I can't know what it is because knowing would prevent me from fulfilling it."
"Yes."
"That's..." Elara paused. "...actually logically consistent. Annoying, but consistent."
The woman smiled slightly. "See? You *can* accept things that don't make immediate sense when they're properly explained."
"I can accept logical constraints. I can't accept arbitrary authority." Elara sat back down, mirroring the woman's position now. "But this raises more questions. If there's a specific purpose to my being here, then your moral lecture about compassion and choice is—what? A test? A requirement? Or genuine concern?"
"Can't it be multiple things?"
"In theory, yes. In practice, people—even divine people—usually prioritize one motive over others."
The woman laughed softly. "You really don't trust anyone, do you?"
"My last father figure murdered me. Trust isn't high on my priority list."
