"I wish I could give you answers... but honestly, even I don't know much about my bloodline," Aether said with a weary sigh, his expression distant as he stared down at the almost broken book.
Sandra continued to watch him, her gaze unwavering—sharp, suspicious. She looked at him like he was a sealed chest, hiding secrets behind a lock only he could open.
Aether exhaled again, slower this time. "Come on now... I already told you, I'm not hiding anything anymore, remember?" he said, forcing a soft smile onto his lips, trying to ease the tension in the air.
But Sandra wasn't buying it. Not entirely.
Not when she knew there was one thing—just one thing—he'd never shared with anyone.
