The demand remained behind Vell's eyes, marking the exact fault he had to widen. Yenna kept his hand without tightening her grip, leaving the final choice where it belonged.
Jarrow watched the monitor while Sava controlled the living culture entering the pressure lattice. Neither could protect a core that rejected its new shell, but both had named that limit before Vell reached the table.
"The culture remains viable for forty breaths," Sava said, following its movement through the channels, "after that, your choice becomes mine."
"Then start counting when I accept," Vell said, keeping his attention on the marked fracture, "not before."
Yenna checked the monitor lead once, then looked at him instead of the instruments. She had heard every risk, so her silence carried more trust than another warning.
Vell accepted, opening the controlled break along the line created during their core merge. The Forge exposed the white fault inside him, then placed its pressure behind his decision.
