The name did not simply settle in the courtroom—it struck with a force that shifted the air itself.
"It was Alaric."
For a moment, no one moved. The silence that followed was not confusion but impact, the kind that forced every person present to sit with the weight of everything they thought they understood.
Vivian did not react with shock. She closed her eyes briefly, and a quiet tear slipped down her cheek. Beside her, Elara lowered her head, her shoulders trembling as memories she had carried alone for years finally stood in the open.
Sebastian remained still, his gaze already fixed on the courtroom doors before they even opened, as if he had expected this moment.
When they did, there was no hesitation.
Alaric stepped in with calm control, his posture straight, his presence steady, but there was no hiding the weight he carried. It showed in his eyes, in the quiet restraint of his movements, in the way he did not try to command the room but still held it completely.
