For a moment, no one spoke.
The words hung in the air like a blade that had already been swung but had not yet landed.
Then slowly, almost as if pulled by an unseen force, every head in the clearing turned toward Cain.
One by one.
First the younger members of the Moonshade family, their faces pale and confused as their eyes searched for the man that had just been pointed out.
Then the elders.
Elder Rivik's brows slowly furrowed as his gaze moved across the group until it found Cain standing quietly near the back. His expression changed, not into anger, not into fear, but into something deeper, something that carried weight and thought.
Elder Zenaya turned next.
Her hand still rested lightly on the fallen blood owl, yet her eyes lifted and locked onto Cain. For a brief second, something flickered across her face, a mix of confusion and disbelief that did not quite form into words.
Ancestor Ghurn turned as well.
