The Vale manor's meeting hall crackled with tension, the air thick with anticipation. Duke Vale sat at the head of the long, polished table, his golden eyes—so similar to Aldrich's—fixed on the reports before him.
"Would anyone care to explain," he said softly, "how my son managed to destabilize three of the most powerful noble families in a single afternoon?"
"He didn't just destabilize them," Rosalind spoke up, her voice taut with urgency. "He proved their entire magical foundation is flawed. The Blackwoods are in chaos, the Sterling Duchy is scrambling to verify his theories, and the Church..." She glanced at Sophia, who sat pale and silent.
"The Church," Sophia finally said, "has called an emergency conclave. If Aldrich's theories about divine magic being merely advanced light manipulation are correct…" Her voice trailed off, the implication hanging heavy in the air.
Duke Vale's lips curled in a hint of amusement. "And what of your mother's family, Aria? I hear the Ice Queen herself is coming to investigate."
Aria, the Blackwood representative, lifted her chin defiantly. "Grandmother believes Aldrich's fever might have awakened something... ancient. Something that shouldn't have been disturbed."
"Or perhaps," Lucas drawled from his corner, reclining with deceptive casualness, "he's exactly what should have been disturbed." Lightning flickered between his fingers, an echo of his words. "You've all seen how he fights. That's not just talent—it's experience, years compressed into muscle memory that shouldn't exist."
The door swung open, and conversation ceased as Aldrich himself strode in, Marcus trailing behind with an armful of research notes.
"Discussing me? How flattering," Aldrich said, his smile as frigid as a winter morning. "Though if you're going to theorize about my… condition, you might want to include the person who's actually living it."
"Aldrich." Duke Vale's voice held a note of warning. "Your actions have consequences."
"Exactly the point, Father." Aldrich pulled out a chair, deliberately placing Marcus—a commoner—at the noble table. "Would you like to hear what else I've discovered? For instance, how the Vale family's famous golden eyes aren't a sign of divine blessing, but a mutation from experimental magic three centuries ago?"
Gasps erupted around the table. Duke Vale's expression remained impassive, but the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
"Or perhaps," Aldrich continued, pleasant as poison, "we should discuss how the Church has systematically suppressed common magic users to maintain their monopoly on 'divine' power?"
Sophia stood abruptly, her composure fracturing. "Stop it! You're not just attacking institutions—you're destroying people's faith!"
"Faith built on lies deserves to be shattered." His gaze met hers, and for a fleeting moment, something akin to regret flickered in his golden eyes. "You're better than this, Sophia. You always questioned the Church when they offered no answers. Now you know why."
"What do you want?" Rosalind demanded, desperation lacing her voice. "Power? Recognition? Name it, and we can—"
"I want," Aldrich cut in, "for my tediously devoted step-sister to stop trying to 'save' me through political maneuvering." His gaze swept the room. "I want Lucas to admit he's been playing dumb to avoid his father's expectations. I want Aria to acknowledge that her ice magic terrifies her because it's beyond her control. And I want Sophia to confront the doubts she's been hiding behind scripture."
Each named person flinched as if struck. Marcus observed in fascination as Aldrich systematically stripped away every pretense in the room.
"Most of all," he continued, "I want to see what happens when a system based on lies finally shatters." He placed a crystal on the table—one of his and Marcus's experiments. "This contains proof that magical ability isn't tied to bloodlines but to understanding. Any common mage could match a noble's power with the right knowledge."
"If this gets out," Duke Vale said quietly, "there will be war."
"If this gets out," Aldrich corrected, "there will be evolution. The question is: will you adapt, or will you cling to pretty lies?"
Lucas pushed off from his wall, his demeanor suddenly sharp. "You planned this from the start. The practice matches, the public demonstrations—you wanted us all here, wanted all the major families involved."
"Very good," Aldrich said, his smile widening. "You see, a system this entrenched doesn't change through gentle pressure. It needs a shock. Several, actually." He stood. "Consider this meeting the first tremor. Tomorrow, when Marcus demonstrates enhanced magic at the academy festival, it will be the earthquake."
"You're using me," Marcus realized, speaking for the first time.
"I'm using everyone," Aldrich agreed easily. "The difference is, I told you that from the start." He turned to leave but paused. "Oh, and Aria? Your grandmother isn't coming to investigate me. She's coming to confirm what she already suspects—that the noble families' time is ending. The real question is: what side of history do you all want to be on?"
He left them in stunned silence, but the ripples of his words were already spreading. Lucas's mask of idiocy had shattered completely, revealing the keen mind beneath. Aria's ice magic swirled uncontrollably, betraying her fear. Both his step-sisters stared after him, their expressions caught between love and terror.
As the nobles debated Aldrich's theories, Sophia clenched her hands, feeling her faith tremble. In the solitude of the academy's chapel, she knelt before the altar, desperately seeking the divine assurance that had once come so easily.
"Have I been wrong all this time?" she murmured, her heart in turmoil. She sensed the silent presence of the goddess, hoping for a sign, a flicker of holy light. But the room remained still, as if even her deity withheld judgment. Her mind, once so certain, was now filled with questions.
Duke Vale watched it all, his golden eyes glimmering with intelligence.
The game was changing. The pieces were in chaos. And tomorrow, at the festival, the real dance would begin.