"What?" The young man in the center of the chamber spoke, the word sharp and disbelieving as he stared at the letter clutched in his hand.
"What is it, Father?" Voices echoed around the vast room. The pressure emanating from those present was enough to shatter mountains, to extinguish stars. These were beings of immense power, individuals capable of reshaping entire worlds.
But before the man in the center, they acted with deference, with a carefully measured obedience. For he was the Patriarch of the StarGrace family, the most powerful family in all the realms and he one of the nine emperors; and their reverence was earned.
A young woman, barely past her own Awakening, stepped forward. "Grandfather, what's happened? What could possibly shock you so deeply?" In all her fifteen years, she had never witnessed her grandfather display anything other than stoic composure, even when she had achieved A-rank in her own Awakening, a feat considered extraordinary for her age.
"You… you wouldn't believe it," he replied, his gaze lingering on his granddaughter. A hint of something akin to disbelief flickered in his eyes.
"No… no, none of you would believe it," he said, his gaze sweeping across the assembled members of the StarGrace family. His voice was low, laced with a profound astonishment.
"What is it, Lord Patriarch?" One of the elders, a man who had witnessed centuries of triumphs and tragedies, inquired, his voice carefully respectful.
"Alright… alright, listen closely, and try not to be… too shocked," the Patriarch cautioned, his expression grim.
"Of course, Lord," several voices replied in unison.
"Very well… I'll only say this once," he declared, his tone emphasizing the gravity of the news he was about to impart.
A collective nod rippled through the room.
"Someone has awakened an Apex talent…" He didn't even manage to complete the sentence before chaos erupted.
A collective gasp swept through the chamber. Shock registered on every face, contorting noble features into expressions of utter disbelief. One of the elders, his ancient heart unable to withstand the shock, slumped to the floor, unconscious. Even his granddaughter, normally so composed, swayed on her feet, her face paling.
"What?!" The exclamation echoed through the room, a chorus of stunned disbelief.
"It has happened," the Patriarch confirmed, his voice barely audible above the rising din.
"Who? Who is it?" his granddaughter demanded, her voice tight with barely suppressed excitement and disbelief.
As his granddaughter pressed the question, the Patriarch's resolve faltered. How could he possibly convey the truth? The individual who had awakened this extraordinary talent was his own brother, a man who had been comatose for a decade. The disgrace of their house and the world saw him with pity when the only thing that person had was acceptance.
"Okay… okay, everyone, calm yourselves," the Patriarch said, attempting to regain control of the situation. "I'll tell you who it is. But I implore you, please refrain from… shouting."
A fragile silence descended upon the room, broken only by the ragged breathing of those struggling to comprehend what they had just heard.
"The one who has awakened… is Ley," he said softly, directing his words to his granddaughter.
"Ley…?" Her eyes widened, her expression shifting from disbelief to utter bewilderment. "But Grandfather… he's been in a…"
"He awakened just today," the Patriarch interrupted, his voice thick with emotion. "And that's how we know… he possesses an Apex talent."
Silence descended once more, heavier and more oppressive than before. The room was filled with the weight of unspoken regrets, of past failures, of opportunities squandered. The implications of this revelation were staggering.
Ley Stargrace. The disgrace of the StarGrace family. The one who had been sacrificed, without even a hint of protest, to save his younger sister. An act that had haunted even those who lacked such emotions. How can he be so accepting, was a question they asked, but as the years went by no one ever asked it again and his name was never spoken and soon was forgotten.
Just at the age of six, he accepted his fate.
He hadn't died, though. He had simply slipped into a coma, a living death.
And now… now he had returned. Transformed. Empowered.
They had given him back his wealth, his privileges, everything they had stripped from him in his youth. A feeble attempt to atone for their sins. A desperate hope that he would one day awaken.
But no one, not even the most imaginative among them, had ever dared to dream that he would awaken with an Apex talent.
"Impossible," someone whispered, breaking the silence. And then, the word was echoed throughout the room. "Impossible…!"
...