The word hung in the air like a quiet command that no one dared to ignore, and as the echoes of celebration from the previous result slowly faded, the Moonshade Family found themselves holding their breath once again, caught between hope and fear, because now the expectations had risen, and with that rise came a new kind of pressure that weighed on every single one of them.
Another ancestor stepped forward.
He moved slower than the others, his body slightly hunched, his long years evident in the careful way he placed each step upon the ground, yet there was no hesitation in his eyes, only a calm acceptance that whatever was about to be revealed would be the truth of his blood, and nothing more.
Behind him, whispers began to stir again, softer this time, filled with uncertainty rather than excitement.
"Do you think…"
"Another one like them…?"
"That cannot be…"
"It already happened twice…"
