Elysia tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she glanced at Erainlia.
"By the way… why did you come here with such a large group of guards?" she asked.
Erainlia's expression tightened slightly, though he tried to mask it with a calm smile.
"I came searching for one boy," he replied.
Elysia blinked. "A boy? Who is it?"
"It's… my sister's boyfriend," Erainlia said after a short pause.
Elysia's chest tightened.
(A boyfriend? Could it be…?)
Erainlia hesitated, then added, "I don't know him personally… but I heard his name is Kael."
Elysia froze. (Kael… I knew it… it had to be him.) Her fingers curled around the hilt of her Oathblade, gripping it tighter as a rush of conflicting feelings washed through her—shock, unease, and something she couldn't name.
She forced her voice to stay steady. "But why are you searching for him?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Erainlia's face for any sign of truth or deception.
