(LIAM'S POV)
Roland's question hung in the air like a guillotine waiting to fall.
"And Vaelion? Did he ever come back?"
My mother's face crumpled.
"No," she whispered. "He never came back."
But then she paused. Her expression shifted, like a door cracking open to reveal something dark lurking behind it.
"No. That's not entirely true."
I leaned forward, my heart hammering. "What do you mean?"
"He came back," she said slowly, each word measured and heavy. "After three months. Exactly like he promised."
My chest flooded with confusion. "Then why did you say he never came back? Why did you look so... broken when you said it?"
She didn't answer immediately. Her hands twisted in her lap, fingers knotting together like they were trying to hold onto something that had long since slipped away.
"Because coming back and staying are two very different things, Liam."
The room grew colder.
