"I have... power?"
Philia's voice was barely a whisper, thin and hesitant in the quiet room.
He stood near the corner of the small table, his shoulders drawn slightly inward, staring at the tall young man who had just been dropped into his life like an unexpected shadow. The head steward's heavy, dismissive footsteps had long since faded down the corridor outside, leaving an uncomfortable, suffocating stillness behind.
Valen didn't move an inch. He stood in the center of the low-ceilinged room, his posture rigid, his eyes fixed on Philia with an intensity that made the skin on the back of Philia's neck prickle.
Slowly, Valen gave a single, firm nod. "Yes, My Lord. An extraordinary power."
