|| Kael’s POV ||

The heavy oak doors of the study creaked open as I stepped inside, the scent of aged wood and leather filling my nostrils. My father sat behind his desk, his expression dark and unreadable, while my mother stood by the window, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The tension in the room was palpable, a thick fog of disappointment and frustration that made it hard to breathe.

“Where have you been?”

My father’s voice was low, edged with barely ...