Nobody moved and nobody spoke.
The silence stretched for several heartbeats, heavy and suffocating despite the spacious dining room.
Then Lyandra sighed, the sound carrying years of buried secrets.
"Yes."
The single word hit like a physical blow.
Luna's breath caught, her silver eyes moving between her parents and Damian with shock written across her face.
Damian opened his mouth to ask more, but Lyandra raised her hand.
"For details, you should ask your father."
Her voice was quiet, almost defeated.
"He never told me everything. Just... pieces. Enough to understand why you needed protection and why we had to keep it secret. But the full story..."
She looked at Alaric.
"That's his to tell."
Alaric waved his hand.
A bottle of Phoenix materialized from his spatial storage, the expensive liquor appearing alongside a glass. He poured with steady hands, filled it to the brim, then drank the entire thing in one smooth motion.
