The room was quiet after Maximus left. The three brothers sat in heavy silence, none of them speaking, each lost in his own thoughts. The air felt heavy, pressing down on them, until at last Kael lifted his head.
"Where is Lucian?"
The question broke the stillness of the room.
Luca's shoulders went rigid. Aeron's jaw tightened. Kael's own chest ached as he waited, but he already feared the answer.
He rubbed his nose, dread twisting inside him, and his voice came out low, almost broken.
"Is he… still sane?"
Aeron sighed, the sound deep and heavy. He gave a slow nod. "Barely. His condition is worse than before. We cannot even reach him now."
Kael felt the ground slip under his feet. He pushed back his chair and stood so fast it scraped against the stone floor.
"What do you mean you don't know where he is? Has he not answered the mind link?"
Luca's face turned grim, his voice sharp but low. "He has shut us out completely."
