The murmurs in the great hall still hung in the air like smoke. Karn had spoken little during the tense gathering of the Four Families, but every heartbeat, every shift in breath, was clear to him — as if the world itself whispered secrets in his ear.
They didn't know. None of them did.None… except her.
His mother stood at the far end of the room, her golden sari catching stray rays from the broken skylight. Her eyes met his, calm and knowing, and for a moment the noise around him faded. She'd known from the day he was born — the unnatural sharpness in his gaze, the way he would turn his head before a sound even existed. The sense that went beyond sight or hearing.
But she had hidden it from everyone, even his father.Not out of fear… but because she understood.
The meeting ended, and the families drifted away. As Karn moved to leave, his mother's hand caught his wrist.
"Karn… they can't know. Not yet."
Her voice was low, but firm. The faintest scent of sandalwood clung to her — but beneath it, he caught another trace. Cold. Metallic. Blood.
"Mother… who was here before the meeting?" he asked quietly.
She didn't answer immediately, her lips tightening. Finally, she leaned close enough for only him to hear.
"Someone who shouldn't be alive."
Karn froze. His senses had picked up something odd all evening, a faint distortion in the air like heat over sand. Now he understood — they weren't alone in the hall. Someone had been watching.
And if that someone was who his mother feared…It meant the gates weren't the only danger opening