The question came almost at once, carried by a mixture of hesitation and urgency, as one of the Moonshade elders stepped forward, his voice steady but unable to completely hide the concern that had begun to grow inside all of them.
"My Lord… if our lineage is determined… what would happen to us?"
The courtyard grew quiet again, though this time it was not because of pressure or authority, but because of uncertainty, because this question touched something deeper than pride or power, something that affected their very existence within this unfamiliar world.
Elder Achilor turned his gaze toward them, his expression calm, his posture unchanged, as if he had already expected such a question to come.
"That," he said slowly, "is a fair question."
He took a step forward, his robes brushing lightly against the ground, his presence steady and composed as he began to explain.
