The light flickered, and an aura wave pulsed through the room.
The room was dim. A feast was laid on the table, and the low clinking of knives and forks echoed.
The occupants were more focused on each other's reactions than the food in front of them, like animals on a hunt.
"You will be ousted if this continues, Aldyer," a low voice snickered from the head of the table.
CLINK.
A fork fell, silencing the room.
All heads turned to the person, Aldyer, who went pink, embarrassed.
"This won't continue. I will pluck out the weeds!" Aldyer rebuked, slamming the table, adjusting his grey hair, his golden eyes flickering with an aura.
"Such theatrics," someone whispered, as everyone snickered in agreement.
"You are one to talk, Rainez! You might be the one getting ousted!" Aldyer glared, sending a wave of golden aura in challenge.
"He might not be wrong," the person next to him murmured.
Rainez, the person in question, sent a glare, his green cat-like eyes sharp.
"You have an embarrassment of a nephew using your name like an anthem, Bellegarde," Rainez said calmly, dabbing his napkin on his mouth.
"At least my nephew is strong enough to paint narratives and exile the phoenix brat to the temple," Bellegarde replied with a smirk.
"But rallying commoners? Seriously? Like being a half-bastard isn't enough!" A chortle echoed from the head of the table.
"Better than getting ousted," Bellegarde shrugged.
"Might as well make him your heir at this point!" Aldyer yelled, trying to alleviate the spotlight from himself.
"Why not? I can make Aurelian my heir, if I see the need. But we digress." Bellegarde pointed his knife toward Aldyer.
Aldyer wiped his forehead with a napkin, his eyes darting around the room.
TSHHH.
A yellow aura thread zapped, and a crystal in the chandelier shattered. Aura dust sparked as the wind carried it toward the window.
"Such talk about low-lives makes me sick," an angry voice pierced the silence.
"Calm down, Szelter. Finish off that phoenix brat. I'll handle my nephew," Bellegarde smirked, his grey eyes lighting up with aura.
"Putting up a bounty, I see. Voltaries' head for your nephew's?" an excited voice said.
All heads turned to the head of the table as the man put on a rare crooked smile.
"I'd be more interested if you sold your nephew to me than his head, Bellegarde. He will be my trophy son-in-law."The woman with blonde hair smirked, applying red lipstick using a knife as her mirror.
"I'm not a fool to hand you my weapon, Lady Solette," Bellegarde replied smoothly, offering a charming smile.
"I can always snatch, if not surrendered."Lady Solette smiled equally sweetly, sending a wave of light pink aura in challenge.
"You are welcome to try," Bellegarde said, raising an eyebrow.
Footsteps echoed as a woman descended the stairs, covered in silk, diamonds sparkling in the moonlight.
"Who is dying?" she asked, grabbing a wine glass, pulling a chair, and sitting with her legs crossed.
The man next to her woke up, startled.
"Morning, Helz!" she smiled sweetly.
"So, when is Aldyer leaving?" Helz yawned, combing through his messy black hair.
"Brave of you to think I'm the one getting ousted, while all you do is sleep!" Aldyer stood up, enraged.
"Well, you and Rainez govern the South, so the Voltaries kid is your problem, innit?"Helz tilted his head, his black eyes growing darker.
Aldyer took a deep breath, composed himself, and sat down.
The woman covered in diamonds let out a shrill laugh.
"Should I claim that kid? He has too much potential for a Voltaries," she said in an amused tone, leaning her head on Helz's shoulder.
Everyone turned to her.
"His mum is the disgrace of my family, after all," she added, smiling at Helz.
"What do you think? The Voltaries will hand Viktor over if you ask sweetly?" Helz asked, amused, stroking her hair gently.
"There is nothing you can't buy, Helz," she replied, reflecting the moonlight with the large diamond in her ring.
"Ha! Now you are all vying to claim half-bastards left and right! Bellegarde, you started this!"Szelter bit out, turning to Bellegarde with distaste.
"What is wrong with wanting power?" an amused voice came from the head of the table.
Bellegarde nodded, raising his wine glass in that direction.
Szelter let out a "Tch," backing down.
"You should disown that cursed child, Bellegarde. Nothing good comes from such association!" Aldyer said smugly.
"True. He is half, on top of that! Don't even know who the father is, an Ultra Elite with mixed aura affinity! What a joke!" Szelter yelled in agreement.
HAHAHA.
Helz laughed out loud.
"What's so funny, Helz?" Szelter fumed.
"If I were Aldyer, I'd beg Bellegarde to make that brat the heir," Helz replied, still laughing.
"What'd you say!" Aldyer snapped, glaring at Helz.
"If he gets disowned, whose head will he come for, Aldyer?He might be from the North, but you know the weakest gets ousted," Helz shrugged lazily.
"You are strong physically, but hopeless in politics. What irony," the head of the table added, snickering.
Bellegarde smirked, sipping his wine. Rainez merely raised an eyebrow.Aldyer, of course, was already vibrating with outrage.
"But isn't it better to pluck it when it's still a bud, Aldyer?"Helz added, cutting the broccoli on his plate with a knife.
"I think you secretly like Aldyer, Helz."The woman in diamonds laughed, kissing his cheek, her red eyes glowing.
"Paint me surprised," Bellegarde smirked, further pushing the narrative that it was a good idea.
"All this talk, and none of you have met the boy yet," a low voice muttered from the head of the table.
Chairs shifted.
"Be careful. The phoenix burns brightest before dying."
Silence followed—only the sound of aura dust tapping glass.
Thunder echoed as lightning illuminated the cave. For a split second, a flash of purple aura sparked against the stone.
"Interesting. Should I play along?" Aurelian whispered with a smirk, turning off the aura crystal.
He tilted his head.
"Poor kid has a bounty on his head." He shrugged and let out a laugh.
Outside, a breeze picked up. Then,
"Wind Arts: Eternal Typhoon."
A gust turned into a roaring cyclone, ripping through the trees, clearing a path with brutal precision.
Aurelian smiled, his grey eyes glowing.
"My guest is here," he said aloud, stepping out into the storm.
Rain poured. Lightning cracked. And from the fog-drenched path emerged,
Valeria Voltaries.