Meira laughed softly. "Chaos seems to follow you."
"Or maybe he creates it," Ryla added quietly, though her smile suggested she didn't entirely disapprove.
The easy banter about the rematch settled, but the underlying curiosity about Zaeryn himself remained.
Then, Morticia, who had been seated beside him, spoke. "Zaeryn," she began, her voice now sounding more curious than light, cutting through the lighter chatter. "Forgive my directness, but... I'm trying to understand." She paused, choosing her words carefully to avoid sounding accusatory. "We all saw your potential today. The Vitae manipulation... it's just not something males are biologically capable of. No offense intended," she added quickly, "but how? How are you... you?"
The question landed, silencing the surrounding conversations again. Although it was one person who had asked, it was clear that everyone was asking the same thing here.
