Zenaya's voice still trembled in the air when Cain finally turned back to face her.
For a moment, he simply looked at her.
The glow of the broken battlefield reflected faintly in his eyes, the fallen owl behind her, the cracked ground beneath their feet, the tension that refused to fade. Everything around them felt heavy, yet his expression slowly softened as if he had already made peace with something no one else could accept.
"It's normal," Cain said quietly.
His voice did not carry force, yet it reached every ear in the clearing.
Zenaya froze.
"…Normal?"
Cain nodded once.
"For a family to survive… someone has to step forward."
He did not rush his words. He let them flow slowly, as if he was carefully placing each one in its proper place.
"That's how things have always worked."
Zenaya shook her head immediately.
"No."
Her voice rose, firm and filled with resistance.
"No, that's not normal."
She took a step toward him.
"We're not giving you away like that."
