The air around Lyle and the others was heavy with tension as the statement hung between them. The group, all of them battle-hardened, loyal without a fault, and cunning – had never before seen him this uncertain, this confused. Even Nicholas, who had practically raised Lyle and was the one who had guided him through his growth, struggled to maintain his composure.
'Grossly underestimating it, huh?' Nicholas repeated as his thoughts tinged with both concern and suspicion, clearly not calm upon hearing Lyle's words.
'If this isn't just a latent vampiric power... what exactly are we dealing with?'
Lyle took a steadying breath, knowing he had to lay it all out. These were the people he trusted most, and if there was any hope of navigating the chaos that was to come, they needed to know the truth.
