[Ovelia's POV]
I stared down at my bowl, at the half-eaten pudding that now seemed frivolous compared to the dark, complex truths being laid out on the table. I was grateful for Gale's detailed, if gruff, explanations. They stripped away the mystery and replaced it with a cold, logical horror I could almost grasp. The dark mana stones, the dark mana woven into the restraints… it was a specific, tangible evil, not just a vague 'bad magic'. Understanding it, piece by dreadful piece, felt like lighting a candle in a frightening room—the shadows became clearer, and somehow more menacing.
My thoughts snagged on a memory: Lady Firera's voice in my mind, back when we were in Meadowlark Village. 'Ann carries not a curse, but traces of dark mana within her.' At the time, it was just another bewildering piece of information. Now, it connected with a sickening click.
