Question regarding basic concept of the story

Hello everyone, i am just beginning the game and there is something i dont understand in the very beginning of the story, its about the concept of the people of a certain âge disappearing.

If i understand correctly, our character is 33 at the beginning of the game, and the tower indicates 34. So everyone Who is 34 disapears when the paintress awakes.

She then paints 33. So when she awakes 1 year later, everyone who is 33 will disapear. But our character (and everyone who was 33 at the beginning of the game), will be 34.

I see two possibilities :

• Either all the 34 year old at that time wont disappear. But the story indicates that they expect to disappear next year.

• Or everyone who is 33 OR OLDER disappears. But then, expedition 33 should include people that are 32, as they will be 33 when the paintress awakes next.

Did i miss something in the prologue lore ? Or is it explained later ? I dont really want a spolier, just to know if it is explained after the prologue.