[: Caelira POV :]
As our embrace faded into quiet, and the grief dulled into something softer—but no less heavy, I found my voice again.
"...And what of the Elf Continent?" I asked gently, watching the way Aeriwen's expression shifted the moment the words left my mouth.
Her eyes, which had just held sorrow and resolve, now clouded with hesitation… and something darker.
A shadow of uncertainty.
She lowered her gaze, and I could feel her weighing her words.
"There's too much, Mother," she said softly at first. "Too much has happened since the day you vanished."
I remained silent, letting her speak.
I could sense the pressure buried deep beneath her tone, the burden of a crown she was never meant to carry so soon.
"The Zero Organisation…" she began, her voice hardening, "…they've sunk their roots deeper than we ever thought possible''
''They didn't just act from the shadows, Mother. They made allies… from within."
My breath caught. I knew what she meant.
