A deep, gripping silence that swallowed the forest whole.
For a moment, none of them moved. Not Leo.
Not the White Tiger.
Not even the wind dared to breathe.
Amaya's words hovered in the air like a blade suspended above their throats.
"He's my brother."
Leo stared at her, unable to process the meaning fast enough. "Your… brother?"
Amaya nodded slowly, hands twisting weakly in her lap. Her eyes—blue but flickering faintly with gold—looked distant, like she was seeing something far beyond this burned clearing.
"Yes," she whispered. "I saw him in the Sovereign's memories. A boy… a child. The Sovereign held him, raised him. Trained him. Loved him." Her voice tightened. "He was hers."
The White Tiger lowered his massive head. He inhaled deeply, as if searching for the right words. "A child raised by a divine being becomes her creation. Her heir. Her successor." His gaze hardened. "He is not merely connected to you, girl. He is bound to the same power consuming you."
