Malrik POV

“Please, sit down, Aunty. Take a breath you look unwell.”

I kept my voice even, measured. If I didn’t calm her, she’d spend half the day circling her thoughts before reaching the point.

She gave a stiff nod and lowered herself into the chair opposite my desk. Her hands trembled faintly, her spine rigid as though she were bracing herself for disaster.

Whatever had shaken her, it wasn’t minor.

So, I waited.

“Malrikarion,” she began, her voice unsteady, “we know ...