The moment Xane stepped through the silver doors, he felt the shift in the air.
The hall was massive, almost cavernous, yet instead of the usual Zenaris luxury, there was something old, something worn about this place. The air carried the weight of past battles, long-forgotten victories, and unseen failures.
The arched ceiling stretched impossibly high, lined with glowing whitish-yellow crystals that bathed the otherwise cold stone hall in a burning yellowish light.
It was neither warm nor welcoming. If anything, it felt like standing beneath a scorching sun of expectations—harsh, unrelenting, and blinding.
Dozens of worn-down spears, relics of warriors long past, lined the walls. Unlike the gleaming weapons in the awakening halls, these bore the marks of combat—nicks, bloodstains that never fully faded, splintered shafts. They had left the weapons unrestored, probably to preserve the unsung war stories they had endured.
At the far end of the hall, a massive, tattered flag hung above the empty stage. The Zenaris family crest stared down at them all.
This was the first time he had seen the Zenaris family crest in such a critical condition. That said, a lot about the importance of that flag.
It looked like it had been used in some great battle to represent the family.
Xane took a quick look around, expecting the hall to be brimming with hundreds of noble heirs, but instead, he found fewer than fifty.
The number was so low that he could count them without difficulty.
This wasn't the grand gathering he had imagined. The way everyone stood quietly in the hall, staring at the empty stage at the front, made it look more like a meeting before some war.
Xane kept his stride casual, moving toward the silent crowd.
There was no idle chatter, no whispered gossip, just a tense, suffocating quiet.
He felt their glances. Some fleeting, some lingering. Some filled with mild curiosity, others with thinly veiled calculation. But most? Most were too busy watching each other.
It was like all of them were trying to measure each other's power. They looked more like strangers meeting for the first time.
Wait. It hit him that most of them were probably meeting for the first time after that trial. He realized they were likely trying to gauge each other's power.
Now that he thought about it, he understood why his mother and those two had come personally to say all that stuff.
They must have been there for the same purpose. All that warring was more like a pretense.
Xane shrugged and simply enjoyed the tense atmosphere.
Zayn, however, was struggling with the oppressive tension.
[Man, I didn't think this announcement would be such a serious thing.]
Xane smirked.
[Honestly? Yeah. I mean, with how Xelami was acting, I thought it'd be more of a bullshit get-together.]
Xane scanned ahead.
Zayn quickly searched the room and answered, [Look near the stage.]
Xane followed his direction.
And there she was, standing at the very front of the crowd, separated from the rest—Melina Zenaris.
She wore a sleek black suit over an elegant red dress, a stark contrast to the ceremonial blue the others wore. The black suit enhanced the beauty of her red hair.
One look at her, and it was obvious why she was part of the protagonist's harem.
The meaning was clear.
Still, Xane asked,
Zayn didn't even think much before replying. [It's likely because she's a candidate for the Young Leader position.]
Xane clicked his tongue.
But what caught his attention next were the four or five others standing just behind her.
They wore suits that were part red, part blue, their embroidery glowing faintly in the yellowish light.
The way they stood just behind Melina made it clear they were not some random nobodies.
It hit him that everyone's standing position in the hall represented a sort of hierarchy among the heirs. Those in red-blue suits stood at the very forefront of the gathered heirs, not quite equals to Melina but still above the rest.
Xane asked,
Zayn hesitated for a moment before replying. [I don't know. Maybe they're part of some elite group the family trained. But that's just my assumption.]
[I mean, there was this group of Zenaris that Melina controlled in the academy. Maybe they're those, but come on, I don't remember their names or descriptions.]
Xane didn't ask further. He just made a mental note of their faces.
Whether these people were allies, rivals, or obstacles, he'd find out soon enough.
His gaze drifted across the rest of the gathered heirs. Different physiques, different temperaments.
Some stood confidently, others stiffly, but with clear training.
But one thing was certain—none of them were weak.
Even the ones at the back, standing beside him, had decent, trained physiques. None looked as bad as him.
Xane said in irritation,
[Yeah, and compared to them, our body is…] Zayn trailed off, not needing to finish.
Xane already knew.
This wasn't just about birthright.
The Zenaris family nurtured strength and discarded the weak.
The fact that Viyron had been left to rot told Xane everything he needed to know about his previous status in the family.
They had deemed him unworthy even before the trial.
Zayn sighed. [It should be because of the side effect.]
When Xane thought about the side effect, he just nodded in frustration.
At that moment, the large doors at the far end of the hall creaked open, their sound echoing through the silent chamber as three figures entered.
Two were red-haired elders, their faces cold and expressionless. Their robes bore the same red-and-blue embroidery as the elite children, except theirs had an additional silver trim.
But it was the third figure that made the air grow even heavier.
A tall man walked in behind them, dressed in a long green jacket that reached his ankles. His presence immediately set him apart.
Xane felt the people around him shifting, their postures straightening slightly, their focus sharpening.
There was a level of recognition. A level of caution.
Zayn's voice came through, low and certain. [Oh. That guy is from the academy.]
Xane raised an eyebrow.
[The long green jacket. That's the official Hexborn coat—worn by instructors and overseers from the Tenebris Academy.]
Xane observed the man again.
He moved with too much control and efficiency. Even though he had a poker face on, Xane could sense that there was something dangerous hiding behind that expression.
After observing for a moment, he asked in confusion,
Zayn cursed. [Shit, so it is like this. Xane, this whole announcement is for us to sign a contract.]
Xane frowned.
Before Zayn could answer, the three figures were already on the stage, looking at all the gathered heirs.
The tension in the hall reached an all-time high.
The elder in the center stepped forward, and the announcement began.