03/26- Rowan Vale

As the group followed Riven through the battered ruins, the air thick with tension, Aeliana couldn't shake the weight of what she had just learned. Little brother. The words echoed in her mind, raising more questions than answers. Lucian had never spoken of Riven before—never once hinted at a connection, much less one so deep that Riven would refer to him as family. And yet, the way they spoke to each other, the sharpness in their words, the unspoken weight behind every glare and unrelenting challenge, told her that their past was complicated.

Lucian was rigid beside her, his jaw set in frustration, though whether it was at Riven or himself, she couldn't tell. He had barely looked at her since their argument, his focus now locked onto Riven's back as though keeping his so-called brother in his line of sight would prevent another betrayal.