"That is no small claim," Aldric said at last, breaking the thoughtful silence that had settled between them. His brows remained faintly furrowed, his mind clearly unwilling to dismiss the matter so easily.
"Curses like yours do not simply unravel overnight without reason. Especially not a curse powerful enough to suppress your flame, alter your appearance, and survive every attempt Father made to destroy it. Something caused this change, Aurelia. There has to be a force behind it."
Aurelia lowered her gaze briefly to her folded hands.
"I know," she admitted softly. "And yet… that is exactly what happened."
Aldric leaned back slightly and dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly as though trying to sort through thoughts that refused to arrange themselves neatly.
