Silence remained across the Primal Firmament Realm, stretching until it became unbearable.
Then movement shattered the quiet.
The Dark Elf King rose slowly from his kneeling position, his obsidian skin catching light.
His eyes tracked upward, finding where the Ever Mother stood watching.
When his voice emerged, it came out rough around the edges.
"Since when have you known?"
The question hung in the air between them, simple and demanding.
The Ever Mother remained perfectly still for some time, then her whisper cut across the space separating them.
"The moment you arrived here, I already knew."
A pause, her gaze never wavering from his face.
"The stench of that contract clings to your soul like rot, Zul'Kier."
Her voice became gentler despite the terrible truth underneath.
"Did you truly believe you could hide it from me? That I wouldn't sense what you've become?"
Silence fell for one heartbeat.
