Raizen didn't move.
He didn't breathe any louder, either.
The name was echoing through his mind like a bell that had been struck once and would keep ringing for hours.
Alan.
For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence and the soft, living creak of Ukai around it.
Then the host spoke, and the shock in his voice cracked right through his careful composure.
"Alan!?"
The word came out like he'd misheard. Like he was waiting for the Ruler to correct it, to smile faintly and admit it had been a test.
The Ruler didn't.
Raizen could see only part of the room through the window's gap, but he could imagine the host's face. He'd seen that man before - the polished guide, the voice that welcomed outsiders, the hand that pointed toward bridges, good seats and ceremonies. A man built out of courtesy and control.
That man was gone now.
The one speaking sounded raw in a way that felt dangerous.
