The silence in the grand hall was suffocating. Lucien could feel the weight of both his brothers' gazes on him, but it was Ravian's presence that felt most unsettling. Ravian was always difficult to read, but now, standing in front of him, there was something different—something more. It was as if Ravian already understood, already knew, yet was waiting for Lucien to say the words out loud.
Lucien took a deep breath, his mind racing. His heart pounded in his chest, not just with the fear of what he was about to reveal, but with the uncertainty of how his brothers would react. The legacy of the Verelions was a heavy burden, and he wasn't sure if either of them could bear the full truth.
"The ancient threat..." Lucien started, his voice steady despite the storm brewing inside him. "It's tied to our bloodline. The creature, the power that was sealed away long ago—it's not truly gone. It's still there, waiting. I've seen it. And it's connected to me, to all of us."
Ravian took a step forward, his gaze unwavering. "And how is it that you, of all people, have come to know this? How is it that you claim to have seen this… creature?"
Lucien hesitated for a moment, his thoughts returning to the sanctum, to the visions and the knowledge that had flooded his mind. He had seen it all—glimpses of the past, fragments of ancient prophecies, and the unmistakable presence of the power that lay dormant. But none of it had been simple or easy to understand.
"I've learned about it from an ancient source," Lucien said, choosing his words carefully. "It's a relic of our family's history, something older than the Verelions themselves. The Chronicles of Ascension, an ancient text—an artifact. It speaks of the power that lies dormant, and the bloodline that must eventually face it. I've seen the truth, Ravian. The legacy we thought was just about wealth, status, and power... it's far more complicated."
Aurelian, who had been silent until now, scoffed. "You expect me to believe that? After everything we've fought for, everything we've built, you think we're just pawns in some ancient prophecy?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't care what you've seen or what this so-called text tells you. Our family's strength has always been in its resilience, in our ability to control the forces around us, not be controlled by them."
Lucien's gaze hardened. He wasn't surprised by Aurelian's reaction, but it still stung. His older brother had always been the idealist, the one who believed in maintaining the façade of the Verelion legacy. The truth, no matter how much it threatened that image, was something he refused to accept.
"Aurelian, this is not just about power. It's about survival," Lucien said, his voice low but firm. "This is not something we can ignore. It's tied to our bloodline, to our very existence. The creature that was sealed away has been waiting, and it's only a matter of time before it awakens again."
Ravian remained silent, watching Lucien with those piercing amber eyes. He stepped closer, his gaze softening just slightly. "And what do you intend to do about it, Lucien?" His voice was quieter now, more measured. "You've seen the truth. But what does that mean for us? For our family?"
Lucien's heart skipped a beat. Ravian's response was unexpected—calm, even inquisitive, as though he was genuinely considering the gravity of Lucien's words. It was not the skepticism of Aurelian, nor the outright dismissal. Ravian seemed... open.
"I don't know yet," Lucien admitted, his voice cracking slightly. "But we can't face this alone. I need your help. Both of you. The burden is too great for me to carry on my own, and if we don't act now, if we don't prepare for what's coming, it will be too late."
For a long moment, the room was silent, the tension palpable as the brothers stood across from each other. Aurelian's fists clenched at his sides, his stance rigid. But Ravian—Ravian simply watched, as if waiting for something more.
Finally, Ravian spoke again. "The past is never as simple as we want it to be, Lucien. And I know you've always sought the truth. But truth comes with consequences. We can't just throw away everything we've worked for, everything our family has stood for. But... I also know you're not the same as you were before. There's more to you now. And that means something."
Lucien's eyes widened slightly, as though hearing those words from Ravian was a revelation in itself. His brother, the wild one, the one who had always walked a different path, was willing to entertain the possibility that there was more to their legacy than the simple pursuit of power.
"What are you saying?" Lucien asked, his voice thick with uncertainty.
"I'm saying," Ravian replied, his voice steady, "that perhaps the path forward isn't one we can walk alone. If there's truly an ancient threat, something that threatens our very bloodline, then maybe... just maybe, we need to fight it together. But first, we need to understand what we're up against. We need to know everything."
Aurelian's expression darkened. "You've been listening to this nonsense, Ravian?" His voice was sharp, his temper rising. "You can't seriously think we should follow Lucien down this path. We've spent our lives rebuilding this family, this legacy, and now you want to risk it all for... what? Some dark creature from the past?"
Ravian held his ground. "Aurelian, think about it. Lucien is not the only one who has seen the truth. We all have a role to play in this. We can't keep pretending the past doesn't matter. It's time to face what we've always known deep down."
Lucien's heart pounded as the weight of Ravian's words sank in. It was a fracture in the Verelion family that he hadn't expected—but one that might be the only chance they had to survive what was coming.
"I'm not asking you to agree with me, Aurelian," Lucien said, his voice unwavering. "I'm asking you to see the truth. The war is not over. And if we don't face it now, everything we've worked for—the legacy, the name, everything—will fall. And Aranthia will fall with it."
Aurelian's jaw tightened, but the fire in his eyes was tempered by doubt. He had always been the protector of the family, the one who held the mantle of leadership. But even he couldn't ignore the gravity of Lucien's words.
"You think the threat is real?" Aurelian asked quietly, his voice filled with suspicion but also curiosity.
Lucien nodded. "I know it is. And I will do whatever it takes to stop it. But I need you both with me."
The silence that followed was deafening, but it was not the silence of rejection. It was the silence of uncertainty—the silence before a storm.
Ravian finally broke the stillness. "We'll need to gather more information. There's more to this than just the creature, Lucien. The history of our family is buried in the past for a reason."
Lucien nodded again. "I agree. And we'll find it. Together."
With that, the three brothers stood in the grand hall, the weight of their shared legacy pressing down on them. The path ahead was fraught with danger, uncertainty, and betrayal. But in that moment, there was a glimmer of hope. The Verelion family might have been fractured, but it was still standing. And perhaps, just perhaps, it would rise again.