Chapter 513 - Courtesy of my grandmother.

The moment didn't need formal confirmation. As soon as the older vampire finished speaking, something in the atmosphere shifted definitively, as if an invisible line had been crossed—no longer by invasion, but by recognition. It wasn't full acceptance, nor submission, but it was enough. The kind of change that isn't announced in words, only established in silence. Exelia remained motionless for a brief moment, her eyes still fixed on the figure before her, assessing every detail, every nuance of his presence, as if measuring not only power but the intention behind that intervention. And then, without any theatrics, she took a small step back, cleaning the blade with a subtle movement before sheathing it again, clearly signaling that, for now, that conflict was over.