I smiled faintly. "If my heart had truly turned to stone, Vivi, I wouldn't have come here first."
"Oh, and just so you know, he didn't meet with us either during those three years," Lyrate chimed in, looking at me with an accusing expression. "So you can add me to the list of people you've neglected."
I stared at the two of them for a moment, genuinely surprised by how quickly they had managed to turn the conversation into an interrogation. It seemed that returning after three years had earned me an ambush rather than a warm welcome.
"Ladies, I'm sure three years is nothing considering the lifespans both of you have," I said helplessly, raising my hands slightly. "Besides, we're at the endgame now. I needed to increase my strength as quickly as possible. You know what's coming, and I couldn't afford to waste the time I had."
