Time passed through the hollow in complete silence.

Jared had long since lost track of how long he had been sitting in front of the stone dais.

At times, his mind was clear.
At others, it blurred—like a candle in the wind, flickering on and off.

His life force continued to pour from his palms, flowing endlessly into the two golden seeds.

He could feel his flesh thinning, his bones growing fragile. Even the Golden Dragon Bloodline within him was fading—slowly, but irreversibly.

But he never let go.

Right in front of him, the two seedlings kept growing—taller, stronger—with each passing day.