Max remained silent, absorbing the weight of her words.
That his bloodline was this rare… this anomalous… was something he hadn't expected, even with everything he had already learned about himself.
The elven woman's expression shifted again. This time, her gaze was piercing, almost searching. "Tell me," she said softly. "Have you ever… touched the one who carries the Royal Bloodline?"
Max frowned, confused by the sudden shift in tone. "I have," he said carefully, his voice calm but wary. "I think it was when I was on the brink of death. I wasn't fully conscious. But… I remember being held."
A moment of silence passed.
The elven woman's brows knit slightly. "And during that moment," she asked slowly, "did you… see anything?"
Max shrugged. "No, and even if I had, I can't remember. As I said, I was on the brink of death, barely holding onto my life."
"Strange," the elven woman muttered, her eyes narrowing in thought.
