The Spiremaster looked at Asher for a long moment—his gaze not searching, not judging, but… knowing.
Then he spoke, quietly. "You're not from this world."
Asher didn't answer right away. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I've suspected that for some time," the Spiremaster continued. "But your aura was sealed—hidden so well that not even a world-conscious being like myself could see through it. Injuries. Bloodline shifts. Interference from your path. All of it kept your origin quiet."
"But when your blood hit the air," he added, voice calm, "Volarisa revealed itself."
Asher's expression finally shifted—just slightly. His gaze sharpened. "You know that name?"
The Spiremaster nodded slowly. "I do. Volarisa is another world like me—another living world, born of the same origin."
"We are from different universes, yes, but from the same cosmic lineage. So we are, in a way, brother and sister."
