Chapter 56: Echoes of the Phoenix"
The Bijins exchanged brief glances, their expressions unreadable, as Daelan leaned back, watching them intently. His piercing gaze was calculating, sharp, unwavering.
"Silence, huh?" Daelan said, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. "You're either incredibly loyal to Thrain or you're weighing the consequences of telling me what I already suspect." He folded his arms. "Either way, you're confirming enough with your hesitation."
Hikari, the most composed of the trio, finally broke the silence. "You ask questions that you already seem to have answers for, Sentinel. Why bother asking us at all?"
Daelan smirked at her defiance. "Because the answers matter. If your Master, the herbalist, knows what Thrain truly is, then she's holding knowledge no one else in the kingdom has dared to touch in centuries. Knowledge of the Phoenix-born doesn't just wander into the hands of anyone, not even people as… uniquely gifted as you three."
