"My brother never said that" Luna shouts at the noble girl. Lord Helios is just being nice because you are his sister," the girl said, beginning to laugh.
"You want to repeat yourself Miss?" Helios asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous chill as he glared at the noble lady. His red eyes began to glow with a simmering anger.
"Lord Helios..." the girl stammered, her face paling with fear as she looked toward him.
"Brother!" Luna cried out, tears streaming down her face. Helios immediately lifted her up, his expression hardening.
"She said that you don't love me and that I'm a burden to you!" Luna sobbed, her tears staining Helios's fine clothes.
"Who do you think you are to question my love for my sister?" Helios's voice boomed, echoing through the ballroom. His red eyes flared with a predatory glow, drawing the gaze of everyone in the room. Circlet shimmering appeared atop his head, and he unleashed the ability Tyrant's Pressure, pinning everyone in the room to the floor except for Luna and Sara.
"This pressure... it feels like I'm going to die," one noble wheezed, struggling to draw breath.
"Who had the guts to insult the sister of the Leader of the Blackthorns?" another noble muttered, gritting their teeth while trying to look up.
"Nightmare's Dream," a voice whispered within Helios's mind.
"Nightmare's Dream," Helios repeated aloud, pointing a finger at the noble girl. Thorns manifested out of thin air, coiling around her and squeezing her body—though in reality, she was simply clutching her own throat, gasping for air in a waking hallucination.
"Brother, I want to go home now," Luna whispered, wiping her eyes.
"Okay, if that's what you want. Sara, we're leaving," Helios said, glancing back at where Sara stood.
"Wait, Helios!" the King's voice rang out, heavy with authority.
"What do you want from me?" Helios hissed, his voice laced with venom.
"We haven't finished our business yet, so you can not leave," the King stated, rising from his throne.
"Then stop me," Helios challenged, his tone dripping with arrogance.
"It seems you won't listen to reason," the King sighed as his throne began to glow. "Kneel."
The King's throne amplified his command, forcing a massive weight of pressure onto Helios. Helios's frame shook under the strain, but he refused to hit the floor.
"I will never kneel to a dog of the Queen of Eclipse," Helios ground out, his voice trembling from the exertion.
"Well, it seems that is enough to make you stay," the King said, settling back into his seat as the pressure vanished.
"What do you want from me?" Helios demanded, fixing the King with an icy gaze.
"I feel like you already know. Surely my daughter Seer must have told you by now, or are you just forgetful?" the King mocked.
"I'm not marrying any of your daughters," Helios snapped, his frustration boiling over.
"That wasn't a request; it was an order," the King said menacingly, his golden eyes flashing.
This bastard is trying to force my organization into the Imperial factions, Helios thought bitterly.
"I am already getting married, Your Highness," Helios declared, firmly taking hold of Sara's arm.
"As I said, it is an order. Nothing you do can change that," the King countered.
"Let's not be so sure about that," a voice called out from the doorway. The heavy doors swung open, revealing a new group.
"The Vaelthorne Clan? What are they doing here?" a member of the crowd whispered in curiosity.
"I thought Seeker clans never got involved in noble or imperial matters," another noble remarked.
"Are they here for the Leader of the Blackthorns?" someone else wondered.
"This is none of your business, Vaelthorne Patriarch," the King said, his annoyance visible.
"None of my business? Aren't you trying to force the child of my deceased son to marry one of your daughters?" the Patriarch snapped back.
"He is not one of your grandchildren," the King retorted, pointing at Helios.
"You tried to hide that information from us for far too long!" the Patriarch roared.
"His sister has silver hair—what do you have to say about that?" the King challenged, pointing at Luna.
"Their mother had silver hair, as you well know," the Patriarch replied.
"Didn't I tell you to kill their mother? Did you go against Imperial orders?" the King demanded.
"That is none of your concern," the Patriarch of Vaelthorne stood his ground.
"That bloodline cannot be allowed to exist. We should execute Helios's sister since she has awakened it," the King declared coldly. "Or... we can let Helios marry one of my daughters."
"What do they mean by 'that bloodline'?" a guest whispered.
"Why does the King want this marriage so badly?" another asked.
"It's because of his influence," a nearby noble explained in a low voice. "He leads a Seeker organization that rivals all others combined. He has an alliance with the twelve strongest Seeker Organizations, and he's related to the Seeker clans and one of the four Great Clans. Not to mention his reputation among the commoners—he has more influence than anyone else in this room."
"Execute my sister?" Helios's voice turned murderous, his eyes glowing with a terrifying crimson light.
"Leader, calm down. He might just be baiting you," Sara said softly, placing a hand on Helios. Is the Leader going to choose his sister over us? she wondered silently.
"I choose none of those options," Helios hissed.
Does this mean the Leader loves me as much as his sister? Sara thought, her heart racing.
"It seems you are choosing to defy me. But you are too weak to do anything about it, so I shall choose for you. We execute your sister," the King said with a bored expression, pointing at Luna.
"You'll have to go through me first," Helios growled.
"That will be easy," the King said, standing up once more. "Kneel!"
This time, the pressure was overwhelming. Helios was forced down onto one knee, the floor cracking beneath him.
"Human, it seems you cannot save your sister today," Circlet's voice echoed in his mind.
"Let us help you," a chorus of whispers began to swarm in Helios's ears. "We can save your sister if you give us your body."
The whispers grew louder and more frantic. Suddenly, one of Helios's eyes flared with a brilliant golden light, and a streak of his hair turned shimmering silver.