{Elias's POV continuation. First person}
"What are you saying?"
My father's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade. The air in the room shifted immediately, heavier, tighter, as if the walls themselves were listening.
I exhaled slowly, steadying myself before speaking again. "Father, I believe the people who attacked us in the forest… are faes."
No one spoke for a moment. Not even a breath out of place.
Then my father frowned, his gaze narrowing. "And what makes you think that?"
I ran a hand through my hair and began pacing, needing movement to keep my thoughts in order. "Some days ago, Seraphina brought someone to the palace who seemed not well. A woman named Lirael."
"I remember," my mother said, though her tone suggested she hadn't thought much of it at the time. "You mentioned her briefly. I assumed she was just another noble or… guest."
