A few weeks after the evaluation of Adall's magical potential, a party was organized to celebrate his birthday.
As promised by his grandfather, it was the biggest party ever held by the family.
It was difficult to do better than at Merlin's 10th birthday, but somehow, the organizer had risen to the challenge.
All the iconic figures of the world received an invitation to the event.
And as an absence would be misinterpreted given the climate surrounding the announcement of Adall's magical potential, they made sure to attend.
The young boy was thus besieged from all sides by personalities from around the world who wanted to introduce themselves to him.
Some had even brought their daughters to the party, hoping that a spark of love would ignite between her and Adall.
Born into a powerful family and possessing potential that would make anyone jealous, it must be admitted that the little boy was currently the best match possible for an arranged marriage with the offspring of those present at this event.
***
While the party was in full swing, in a dimly lit room of the villa away from prying eyes and ears, a secret meeting was taking place.
Thanks to the moonlight streaming into the room, three people could be seen facing each other in a small circle.
Seeing that they were all present, one of the individuals, lurking in the shadow of this grand celebration, spoke up.
"So, are you going to continue to stand aside and watch what should rightfully be yours, stolen by your nephew? I thought you were a brave man. This is not the future you promised me, Zackael."
The voice carrying these words, though full of anger, was very seductive. There was no doubt it belonged to a woman.
"Don't speak to your husband like that, Aurelia! He's already in a difficult enough situation as it is..."
"But father..."
"Silence!"
The old man's gaze was now ice cold.
"You could have expressed your thoughts in a less hurtful manner. Furthermore, I remind you that if your son had achieved a better result in his magical potential test, the situation would not have been so complicated."
Aurelia could only bite her lip in frustration at these words.
Indeed, she had no arguments to defend herself against them.
The magical potential of her son, Endric, was a disgrace she would carry for the rest of her life.
Before the old man could say anything else, the third guest at this meeting, who had until now remained silent, finally made his first move.
He stepped out of the circle they had formed of three and headed towards the windows lining one side of the walls of the room they were using.
He stopped just in front of them and let the moonlight bathe him.
It was a beautiful evening.
The brightness of the stars could attest to that.
But this individual, even as he looked at this magnificent sky, displayed on his face a deep sadness.
Upon closer inspection, one could even notice a small tear rolling down his cheek which he quickly wiped away.
Zackael was someone who genuinely loved his family: his father, his brothers, his nephew...
Unfortunately, since his birth, fate had never been on his side, and it had to change now.
'I believe it's time for me to take control of my destiny.'
This sentence uttered by Zackael Windsor would have chilled the blood of anyone familiar with his situation, but to the ears of his two current chamber accomplices, it sounded like the sound of a drum heralding the beginning of their wildest dream.
'Are you sure about this, Zackael?'
'Yes, father-in-law! I can't remain passive any longer and hope that destiny will make me the patriarch of the family. That would be nothing but praying for a miracle that we know will never come true. Furthermore, I must act as quickly as possible, while I still secretly control half of the family's power.'
WAAAH!
At these words, a deafening silence reigned for a few seconds in the room.
It was as if each participant in this meeting took the time to adapt to Zackael's decision and to the major information he had just revealed.
Indeed, the father and daughter had long wished with all their hearts that Zackael would decide to aim for the position of family patriarch. However, with Zackael's personality, which showed no blatant desire for power, not even to his wife, they didn't really expect it to happen one day.
Furthermore, despite having met him several times to encourage him to compete for more power in the family, they were not at all informed that he secretly controlled half of the family authority.
It was a surprise and one of the happiest ones for the father and daughter!
Aurelia was the first to show her acceptance of her husband's decision. She did so with a warm smile that made her even more beautiful than she already was.
As for her father, Désirus Belmont, he was a person who had much better control over his emotions.
You wouldn't say it from his respectful way of speaking to his stepson, but he was nonetheless an authentic emperor, that of Luthia, the greatest empire under the Windsor's tutelage.
So his poker face remained unchanged at the moment.
But despite appearances, he was overjoyed inside.
'If that's your decision, Zackael, you'll have, as always, my support and that of Luthia. So, do you have a plan?'
'Indeed, and I'll need your help, Désirus!'
'I'm all ears, my dear.'
This meeting, supposed to be a new attempt by the Belmonts to instill a little ambition in Zackael's heart, had finally turned into a session of sharing well-kept secrets and devising strategies to destroy a little boy too exceptional for his own good.