The grand hall of the Graves estate was alive with the hum of chatter and laughter. Luxurious tapestries adorned walls as golden chandeliers swayed like jewels from the ceiling, casting a warm glow upon the gathered nobles. Today was a day for celebration; Kael Graves, Lucian's oldest brother, had finally managed to reach the Nascent Soul Realm-an achievement of monumental proportions that drew in major families and royal houses across the land.
Lucian hid himself in the darkness, his eyes scanning the newcomers with a mingling of envy and scorn. He savored once more the painful ache within his chest as he recalled how brothers were being pampered by their father and over fussing nobles. Valen, the next brother, roared loudly together with a bunch of young nobles, while Darion conversed about the fertilization practices that contributed to Kael's miraculous ascension with one of the elder influencers.
Lucian, on the other hand, felt utterly invisible in his own home.
"Are you ready?" David Torres asked beside him, his loyal servant. The spark of the ethereal energy Lucian had given him glowed faintly around him: a reminder of the amount of power that now rested within his grasp. David's presence gave a little comfort, but even he could not ease the bitter ache of Lucian's heart.
"Let's go," Lucian said, his voice steady in level tones that concealed the turmoil he was feeling inside.
They strode into the main hall, where the festivities reached their climax. The grand doors swung open to let them view the scene of Lucian's family and guests in collective attentive silence before the dais. He stood at its center: his father, the great Lord Tyrian Graves, quintessence of power and prestige. All conversation ceased as all eyes turned toward him. Whispers danced like moths before a flame.
"Look who decided to join us," Valen sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Lucian ignored the sneer, striding forward, David at his side. Together, they had claimed their power, and together, their confidence grew. It was time for change. It was time for him to take his rightful place.
It was as Lucian raised his hand to the throne where his father usually sat that a chill swept through the hall. His hand pointed upwards in a command and a serenity both commanding and serene, and time itself stood frozen.
All laughter, talk, and clinking goblets stopped. A psychological silence dropped like a blanket onto the great hall. Panic welled in the nobles' faces as they realized they'd been caught in a frozen moment.
"Lucian!" his father bellowed in silence. "What is the meaning of this?
But Lucian did not draw back. He walked straight toward the throne-which was now a long-recovered friend in shining gold. The weight of the throne was familiar, a promise of an unfulfilled destiny, until this moment. Lucian sat down on his seat, mixed feelings of elation and defiance in his hands and heart.
Lucian smiled, his voice smooth and confident, with a ting of authority he had never before dared to wield. "Welcome to my court."
The room stayed locked in the tableau of shock and fear, except for one: Lord Tyrian Graves. Time unfroze for him alone, and his eyes went wide in disbelief.
"Lucian, you insolent boy! How dare you—"
"Dare?" Lucian interrupted, his voice rising as he leaned forward, the thrill of power igniting within him. "You never once dared to care about me, Father. Only my brothers were worthy of your love and attention. Well, today, I reclaim what is mine."
The expression of Tyrian changed from anger, to disbelief and finally to fear. He stood before his youngest son, he was stripped bare of his composure. His authority had been challenged in a way he could not possibly foresee.
Lucian's eyes had become unyielding. "You put me aside like a weed, thinking I would go to rot and wither, but look at me now." He flung a sweeping arm across the hall and the frozen guests, a dramatic gesture proving himself at his best. "I am the Supreme Being, and you will learn to respect that.".
The air was heavy with tension. There were the guests, unable to step forward or utter a word, there to witness the drama play itself out. Their eyes crossed, switching between Lucian and Lord Tyrian, who stood there, transfixed by confusion and fear.
"Let them go," Tyrian bellowed, low and tinted with authority, though it sounded more like desperation as he looked for control to latch onto.
But Lucian only shook his head. "Not yet. You have to understand the weight of your actions. You have made me a ghost in my own home, Father. A mere shadow beneath the brilliance of my brothers." He leaned back, a smirk forming on his lips. "And now, I shall prove to you that shadows also can exercise their might.
That instant Lucian's fingers snapped forward, and time's hold released. The hall erupted in disarray as the cacophony grew louder, but Lucian sat in his throne, unmoved.
"What's going on?!" Valen shouted out over the din as he tried to process what he was seeing.
"Am I dreaming?" Darion added, his eyes moving between Lucian and their father.
The face of Lord Tyrian turned stormy, the truth of his son's newfound power washing over him like a flood. "You think this is a game, Lucian? You're toying with forces that you can't even begin to comprehend."
"But I know," Lucian shot back, voice firm. "I have gone beyond the fetters you set around my head. I am no longer your son. I am the Supreme Being."
The crowd gasped, murmurs of disbelieving rippling through the assembly. Lucian's words hung in the air, heavy with an undeniable weight.
"You cannot be serious!" one noble exclaimed, stepping forward, his words laced with indignation. "You are a failure! A disgrace to this family!
Lucian stood up from the throne, tall and authoritative. "Shame? You wouldn't know my journey, and I've learned with each slight, each word of scorn hurled at me. Today, I take my power, and you all are going to witness."
He turned to David who stood unwavering by his side. "Show them what true loyalty is like.".
Just as David stepped forward with a nod, there crept upon him an aura of divine energy. The very fabric of reality began to shudder before his evocation into existence of a magnificent sight: a celestial construct in the form of a wondrous and fantastical beast that soared above the pinned crowd. Its luminescence lit up the hall as it showcased to all David's immense might and loyalty.
Gasps filled the air around them, as eyes grew wide in awe and terror. For this was no ordinary servant; he was the output of Lucian's will.
"Behold!" Lucian thundered, his voice rippling off the walls. "This is the power of my first servant, David Torres, a testament to my coming. No more shall I be overshadowed by the feats of my brethren. The dawn of a new age begins.".
Standing there, dumbfounded, Lord Tyrian watched as his world came crashing down around him. Before his very eyes stood the epitome of everything his son was willing to defy - "You think you can just take my throne? My family's legacy?
"I am not taking it, Father," Lucian said, his voice soft but sharp. "I am rewriting it. From today onwards, Graves Family will be no longer known for its prodigies but for the rise of the Supreme Being."
The nobles squirmed uncomfortably as the air in the room thickened with tension. Many felt the energy of Lucian and David, a surge that made even the most courageous of warriors shiver at the spines.
"Well, Lucian, you'll get to see it when payment's due," Tyrian growled, though his voice told another story since it quivered with uncertainty.
"Perhaps," Lucian said with a smile that went all the way to sly, "but the price won't be mine to bear.".
As confusion and fear sparked a discordant hum in the air, Lucian knew the road before him was forever changed. He was no longer forgotten son, discarded heir, for he was tempest moving in with an intention to carve out his own future and bend the world to his will.
Lucian turned again to the crowd, with a last glance at his father, and in that moment, grasped the weight of his power. He was no longer a shadow; he was the light that would reshape the world.
The hall would never be the same again.