Elara sprinted up the staircase, her heart racing as she sought refuge on the second-floor landing. She slumped against the cool, polished wood of the stairs, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. The silence hung heavy in the air; no one had answered her cries for help or offered her any solace, despite the scene she had created moments earlier.

"I'll go talk to her," Anara declared, breaking the silence with a determined tone. She shot us a glance, her eyes filled with concern, before swiftly making her way in the direction Elara had fled.

As Anara disappeared around the corner, Uncle Darius approached me, worry etched deep into his features. "What happened? Don't you want to know about your father?" His voice held a blend of concern and urgency, as if he were trying to peel back the layers of my turmoil.

I exhaled sharply, feeling a strange mix of defiance and resolve harden my voice. "I already have a good idea of who he might be." The confession came out before I could stop myself. Uncle Darius's eyes widened, disbelief flooding his expression.

"Wait," I said, raising a hand to halt him as he took a step forward. My mind raced, piecing together the fragments of whispered conversations, half-truths, and fleeting memories. "The Delmare family…" The name felt heavy on my tongue, laden with the weight of its implications.

Uncle Darius's expression shifted instantly. His irises dilated, reflecting a mix of shock and realization—a glimmer of truth that he could no longer hide. It was as if I had unsealed a vault of secrets he had long protected.

"The current head of the Delmare family is Elowen Delmare," I continued, my voice growing steadier with each word. The storm of uncertainty in my chest calmed as the pieces fell into place. "He is my father." I paused, my breath catching in my throat before adding, "Am I wrong?" I bent down, untying my boots, a small act that grounded me as the room spun with revelation.

For a moment, Uncle Darius stood frozen, the silence between us as taut as a bowstring. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again, emotions flickering across his face like a broken lantern's light—shock, concern, and a glimmer of reluctant pride. When he finally spoke, it was barely a whisper. "How on earth did you know?"

The question, soft as it was, resounded like a bell, confirming what I already suspected. A shiver ran through me, not from fear, but from the vindication of knowing the truth had finally surfaced.

I took a deep breath and began to unravel the tangled web of my reasoning. "Whenever Elara talks about our father, mother always changes the subject or refuses to discuss him. If he were dead, she would have a photo or memento of him displayed proudly. But there isn't one. That means he's alive."

Darius's expression shifted slightly, the first glimmer of recognition sparking in his eyes.

"Who could he be? An adventurer? A common man? A lover?" I continued, my voice dropping as I sifted through each possibility. "If he were an adventurer, Mother would tell us stories about him to inspire us, to keep his memory alive. But she doesn't, so that's unlikely."

I let the silence linger for a moment before pressing on. "A common man? If that were true, he'd be here, part of our lives. But he isn't, so that's not it either."

Darius's eyes narrowed, as if he could see where I was going but didn't want to believe it.

"A lover? If he had betrayed her, she would hate me for looking like him. But she doesn't. I can see the love in her eyes when she looks at me. So it's not that."

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I took another breath, the realization sharpening my thoughts. "That leaves only one possibility: a forbidden love. But Mother was an orphan—no brothers, no father to oppose such a union. So, who would make it forbidden?"

The answer hung in the air like a final piece sliding into place. "A noble," I said, my voice low and sure. "A noble whose main element is water. Because Mother's main element isn't water, and elara didn't inherit that from her side of the family. It had to come from him."

Uncle Darius's expression shifted dramatically, the shock now unmistakable.

"Today, Father Eldric mentioned him," I continued, the certainty in my voice like a drumbeat. "He confirmed what I suspected. He is a noble, and he is here, in our country."

I swallowed hard, feeling the room close in as the last piece clicked into place. "The current head of the Delmare family is Elowen Delmare. He is my father. Am I wrong?"

I stepped into the living room, the weight of the revelation pressing heavily on my chest. The familiar scent of herbs and wood smoke did little to ease the tension crackling in the air. Uncle Darius followed closely behind, his face a mask of shock, unable to hide the turmoil swirling within him.

"What's taking you both so long?" Morgana called out, stepping out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes narrowed as she took in our expressions—my clenched jaw, Darius's wide-eyed stare.

Before I could respond, Mother and Elara appeared at the top of the stairs, their footsteps hesitant as they descended, drawn by the palpable silence that filled the house. Uncle Darius stood off to the side, barely inside the living room, his posture tense and unreadable.

"What happened?" Morgana's voice cut through the stillness, sharp with concern as she scanned our faces.

"Nothing!" we all blurted out at once, the word overlapping and dissonant.

Her eyes darted between us, suspicion hardening her features. "Something's wrong," she muttered to herself, more a statement than a question.

The room settled into a strained silence, every heartbeat echoing in my ears as if daring the truth to shatter the fragile quiet.

Aria burst into the house, a whirlwind of energy, her arms laden with brightly wrapped gifts. "Happy birthday, Orion! Elara!" she exclaimed, her voice ringing through the room as she grabbed both of our hands and spun us around in an impromptu dance. We stumbled and laughed as she pulled us close, enveloping us in a warm embrace.

Then, with a dramatic flair, she threw her head back and shouted, "Party! Party! Party!" jumping up and down with contagious excitement. Elara, catching her spirit, joined in with matching enthusiasm.

"Party! Party! Party!" Elara echoed, her eyes gleaming with joy.

I stood there for a moment, watching their antics with bemusement. "What's going on with them?" I thought, the question circling in my mind as they kept chanting. But before I could protest, they both turned their gaze on me—intense, expectant. Their eyes said it all: "Join in, or else."

I sighed, giving them a half-smile. "Alright, fine," I muttered, taking a deep breath before raising my voice. "Party! Party! Party!" The words felt strange at first, but soon the room was filled with our shared laughter, the kind that made your chest feel light.

The evening passed in a blur of celebration. As the sky darkened and the first stars appeared, we gathered for the exchange of gifts. Uncle Darius stepped forward, his expression softer now, and handed me a long, slender box. Inside was a finely crafted sword, the hilt engraved with delicate patterns that caught the firelight. Beside me, Elara received a wand, polished and gleaming with a faint blue aura.

"Use them well," Uncle Darius said, his voice steady, eyes warm.

Aria stepped up next, pressing a bracelet into my palm. It was simple but beautiful, adorned with small runes. "For luck," she said, giving me a playful wink. She passed a similar bracelet to Elara, who took it with wide, grateful eyes.

Finally, Mother approached, holding something folded and dark. She handed me a cloak—black with silver embroidery that shimmered subtly. Elara's present was a mage's cloak in a deep blue that set off the color of her eyes.

"Thank you," Elara and I said together, a shared moment of appreciation passing between us.

We ended the night over a hearty dinner, stories and laughter filling the room. I glanced at Elara, and she met my gaze, a silent understanding passing between us. Whatever questions or secrets the day had stirred would wait. Tonight, we were simply a family enjoying a fleeting moment of peace.