"Elvans Rudrick," Sophie said, her voice trembling slightly, as if just speaking the name had drained the warmth from the room. It was as though the air itself had frozen—time stilled, and every shadow seemed to stretch longer, darker.
Dain blinked, startled by the sudden shift in her tone. "Who is he?" he asked, brows furrowing in confusion. The name meant nothing to him at first, but the surname—Rudrick—sparked a distant recognition.
Sophie slowly nodded, her gaze fixed on the name in front of her as if it might leap off the page and strike. "Robert Rudrick's son," she said quietly. "And his heir."
Dain's eyes widened. "Robert had a son?"
"Yes. He did," Sophie replied, her voice clipped and tight with exasperation, as if the words themselves tasted bitter.
"Unfortunately."
