The teacher hesitated.
Then, he exhaled slowly and looked up at her, his usual humor gone.
"Because the man who created the Black Breath," he said quietly, "was my forefather."
Daphne stared at him, her voice caught in her throat. "Your… what?"
"My ancestor," he said again, his tone calm. "An alchemist named Kareth Valen. The royal scientist under King Xerxes himself."
Her heart thudded in her chest. "That's not possible…"
He smiled faintly. "Oh, it's possible. History likes to bury its shame, child. But families remember."
Daphne shook her head slowly, as if trying to make sense of something that defied logic.
"You mean to tell me… the creator of the plague that destroyed the old kingdoms, was your blood?"
He nodded once. "And it seems my blood has come full circle."
She stepped back, stunned. "And you kept this from everyone?"
