Luke's mouth opened then closed.
His fingers twitched. But the words didn't come.
Because at that moment, despite being half his age, Kael looked like a man he couldn't afford to cross.
And behind him, Elfie perched with wings fluttering—her golden eyes burning with a protective fury, her body shimmering with threads of frost magic in sync with Kael's wrath.
Kael inhaled, then exhaled sharply—snapping the killing intent back like a whip.
The air rushed in again as the tensed pressure faded.
The room returned to normal… but no one in it would ever forget what had just transpired.
Kael adjusted his collar again and sat down slowly.
"…So?" he asked, picking up the tea cup once more. "Shall we talk about my mother now?"
"This isn't possible…" Luke muttered, his voice hollow as he woke up from his dazed state.
"You are lying.."
His eyes were wide with disbelief, as if his entire understanding of reality had been shattered.
"My sister isn't like that. She's… She's..."
