Zephany noticed how Kendrick's expression had changed. His eyes were distant, his jaw slightly tense, as though he had just heard something that tore through the walls of his calm. He stood frozen, staring at Cassius in disbelief.
She felt a chill spread through her chest. "Ken, are you okay?" she asked gently, taking a step closer.
Kendrick blinked, as if her voice had reached him from somewhere far away. He looked at her, then at Cassius, confusion and realization twisting together on his face. His lips parted, but it took him a moment before words came out. His voice trembled slightly.
"Are you… my father?"
The room went quiet. Even the faint hum of the wind through the cracks in the walls faded away. Cassius froze, caught off guard by the question that he had avoided for so long. For a moment, he simply stared at Kendrick, his chest tightening painfully.
