"I always hated math," Mikhailis muttered dryly, rubbing at the tension that tightened at his temple. He glanced sideways at the shimring projection Rodion displayed in front of him, feeling a mild irritation at how neat and ordered the data seed—each tiny detail arranged with perfect precision, as though mocking the chaos he felt inside himself.
Elowen remained silent. Usually, she might have smiled faintly or at least rolled her eyes at Rodion's sarcastic comntary. Instead, her face had turned pale, the warmth drained from her cheeks, replaced by a subtle tension around her mouth. Her fingers gripped the edges of her robe a little too tightly, the knuckles pale and taut, betraying her unease.
"You were born to straddle both bloodlines," she murmured, voice low and filled with careful, deliberate weight. Her eyes remained locked onto his as though trying to convey the gravity of her statent. "You may be the first in centuries."
The first in centuries.
Mikhailis felt his breath catch softly at the depth of implication in her words. For a mont, the room seed to constrict around him, pressing in with invisible weight, narrowing his world down to just him and the secret he carried. He had always known he was different—felt it in his bones—but to have it spoken aloud like this, made real by the woman he trusted most deeply, made his heart beat a little faster.
But humor had always been his shield, a reliable barrier against seriousness he wasn't ready to confront. "What does that make ?" He forced a playful tone, lightly waving a hand as if brushing away the heavy truth that had just been revealed. "I prefer ani protagonist. Has a nicer ring to it."
Elowen's expression remained unchanged, her eyes softening only slightly. She didn't indulge his playful attempt to deflect. Instead, she continued to watch him, studying his face carefully as though looking for cracks in the mask he wore. Her gaze held a gentle understanding, a quiet sympathy that left him feeling exposed yet strangely reassured. He knew then—she saw past the jokes, past the mask. She always did.
Rodion's voice cut sharply through the quiet.
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