The silence that followed hit like a thrown stone through glass.
The director's hand froze halfway to his cup. Bridge blinked, then sat forward so fast his chair scraped. "What?"
"She's alive," Kain said. "I saw her. Spoke with her."
Emotion crashed across their faces: shock, joy, grief tangled into one. The director closed his eyes for a moment, lips moving soundlessly before he found words. "My niece… after all these years…"
Bridge shot to his feet. "Where is she? Why didn't you bring her? We have to—"
"No." Kain's word struck like cold water. "You can't meet her."
That stopped them. Bridge's jaw dropped. "What do you mean 'can't'? Kain, it's Airalai! We thought she was dead! The nearly half of the orphanage—she—she raised us before she even left. And you're saying—"
