The grand hall of the Lords' assembly was heavy with silence, broken only by the faint hum of the suspended sun orb above. Its cold, sterile light bathed the ornate chamber in a pallid glow, casting long shadows across the marble floors. The Lords sat in a circle, their thrones as unique as their personalities—some austere, others extravagantly adorned.
Lord Zhen sat at the head, his eyes sharp and commanding, his demeanor unshakable. To his right was Lord Xian, his posture relaxed but calculating, his golden robes glinting faintly in the light. Across the room, Lord Xun leaned back in his throne, his fingers steepled in quiet thought, while Lord Shao, the youngest among them, shifted restlessly, his sharp features betraying a barely concealed impatience. Beside Zhen was Lady Moria, a figure of elegance and menace, her dark hair cascading over a crimson gown that shimmered like blood.
The discussion, ostensibly about the growing rebellion in the slums, had turned to a far more sensitive subject—Jian Liang.
Lady Moria's voice, rich and smooth as silk, broke the silence. "Zhen, your son is an anomaly. A gift, perhaps, but also a risk. Have you truly prepared him for the reality of his position?"
Lord Zhen's gaze did not waver. "Jian Liang is my son. He is prepared in ways you cannot begin to imagine."
Lord Shao smirked, his voice dripping with mockery. "Prepared? He's a boy, Zhen. A boy who carries the weight of all our failures. Or have you forgotten that the rest of us are incapable of producing heirs?"
The air grew taut with unspoken tension. It was a truth none of them wished to linger on for long—the curse that accompanied their power. They were the rulers of this world, wielders of light in a land of perpetual darkness, but their supremacy came at a cost.
Their powers, passed down from an age long forgotten, were a double-edged sword. Legends told of a time when their ancestors had torn fragments of the sun from the heavens to stave off the eternal night. The act had granted them dominion over light itself, but it had also corrupted their bodies. Over the centuries, the Lords had realized their inability to sire children—a cruel twist of fate that ensured their bloodlines would end with them.
Except for Zhen.
Lord Xun leaned forward, his voice tinged with barely concealed jealousy. "You've kept the secret of your son close, Zhen. Too close. None of us know why he exists when the rest of us have been denied heirs. If you're hiding something, now would be the time to share it."
Lord Zhen's eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "What I know is not for you to question, Xun. Jian Liang is my son, and that is all that matters."
Lord Xian, ever the mediator, raised a hand. "Enough. We all know what's at stake. Jian Liang's existence is a miracle, one we cannot afford to squander. But that makes him a target. The Fireflies grow bolder every day. If they uncover the truth about him, they won't stop until they've unraveled whatever makes him different."
Lady Moria's expression softened, though her voice remained firm. "And it's not just the Fireflies. If any of the lesser factions discover that Jian Liang is the only heir among us, they will come for him. Not to kill him, but to study him. To break him. To steal what they cannot have."
The silence that followed her words was deafening. Even Shao's sardonic smirk faded as the gravity of the situation settled over the room.
Zhen's voice cut through the stillness like a blade. "Jian Liang's safety is my responsibility. He knows his role, but he does not—and will not—know why he is unique. That knowledge would weaken him, distract him. And distraction is a luxury we cannot afford."
Lady Moria arched a brow. "You intend to keep him ignorant, then? For how long? Secrets have a way of surfacing, Zhen. The boy will find out eventually."
"When he does," Zhen said coldly, "it will be because I have chosen to tell him. Not before."
The Lords exchanged uneasy glances. The secrecy surrounding Jian Liang's existence had always been a point of contention, but none dared to press Zhen further. His authority was absolute, and his resolve unyielding.
Lord Xian spoke again, his tone measured. "Very well. But remember this, Zhen: Jian Liang is not just your son. He is the only heir to the Lords. If he falls, so do we all."
Zhen's expression hardened, but he did not reply. The meeting adjourned shortly after, the Lords retreating to their respective quarters, each lost in their own thoughts.
As the grand hall emptied, Lady Moria lingered, her sharp eyes fixed on Zhen. She approached him, her footsteps silent against the marble floor.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Zhen," she murmured, her voice low. "The boy may not know the truth now, but secrets have a way of unraveling. And when they do, the consequences will be far-reaching."
Zhen's gaze remained steady. "Then I will ensure that those who seek the truth do not live to reveal it."
Moria studied him for a moment before nodding. "Just remember, Zhen. Jian Liang is more than your son. He is the key to our survival. Protecting him is not a task you can shoulder alone."
Zhen's silence was his only response, and Moria left him to his thoughts.
When the hall was finally empty, Zhen stood beneath the sun orb, its pale light casting harsh shadows across his face. The burden of his decisions weighed heavily on him, but his resolve did not waver.
Jian Liang was his son, his legacy, and the hope of the Lords. No matter the cost, Zhen would keep the truth hidden.
---
That night, as Zhen lay in his bed, his thoughts turned once again to the future. There was little time left before Jian Liang's powers fully awakened. When that moment came, the entire world would change. And Zhen would do whatever it took to control that change, even if it meant keeping his son in the dark for just a little longer.
But Zhen knew that sooner or later, Jian Liang would discover the truth. And when he did, the balance of power among the Lords would shift in ways that none of them could foresee.
Until then, Zhen would remain his son's protector. And Jian Liang would remain his legacy.
---