Evaline:
No one interrupted Morwen. No one even breathed too loudly.
The pavilion had become so quiet that the crackling of the fire sounded almost intrusive. Even the forest around us seemed to hold its breath.
Morwen sat with her hands folded in her lap, her gaze lowered for a moment as if gathering the strength to continue.
When she finally spoke again, her voice carried something heavier than before. "This story," she began slowly, "starts with a legend."
Her eyes lifted. And for a brief moment, they settled on me. Something in that look made the air in my lungs still.
Because it wasn't curiosity... it was recognition.
"Many of you might have heard of the legendary Silver Wolf bloodline," she continued.
But her gaze lingered on me a second longer than necessary, as if silently acknowledging something unspoken between us.
I didn't react. Not outwardly. I simply held her gaze, calm and steady, refusing to break eye contact.
