Jonathan's jaw tightened at the shock rippling through the crowd, but he kept his golden eyes locked on Damian.
"You're probably wondering how someone who fought beside you ended up here." His voice came out hollow, empty of the warmth Damian remembered from the portal. "How someone you saved became the person leading an attack on your headquarters."
His golden eyes had gone distant, looking at something only he could see.
"After we came back from that portal, I thought everything would change." His jaw clenched. "I was young enough to believe that proving myself would earn respect from the main lineage... That becoming a hero of humanity would matter to them."
He laughed, the sound broken and bitter.
"But the main lineage didn't see a hero when they looked at me. They saw a threat." His hand trembled on his blade, knuckles going white. "A branch family member who possessed Divine Aegis while some of their direct descendants didn't... Do you understand what that meant to them?"
