The air in the courtyard felt… wrong.
Not tense.
Disturbed.
Like something had stepped into a place it didn’t belong.
Kael didn’t bow.
Didn’t soften.
Didn’t hesitate.
He stepped forward
power in every movement
presence commanding the space before he even spoke.
“Face me properly when you speak,” he said, voice low but cutting.
“If you have something to say, say it clearly.”
The woman lifted her head fully now.
Their eyes met.
And for a moment
nothing moved.
Then Kael spoke again.
“Who are you?”
A beat.
“And what exactly are you doing here?”
The question wasn’t curiosity.
It was a warning.
The woman held his gaze.
Steady.
Unshaken.
“I’m your mother.”
Silence.
It landed
but Kael didn’t react.
Not outwardly.
Instead
his expression hardened.
“Choose your next wo
