The moment his words ended, the ten seconds had passed... But the damage had already been done.
The hall was still reeling from the flood of unintended truths when the sons of Ash moved.
One moment, Xeros, Quell, Drake, Klaus, Kade, Riyan, and Rye were seated on their respective thrones.
The next, they were already surrounding Eldrin in a tight, intimidating circle.
The sudden appearance left many guests gasping.
There was no mana, no spatial distortion, no flash of light â they had simply
been there
, as if the reality itself had bent to their will.
Kaelthyr saw this and let out a laugh.
He had been back for some time now, and with Niaâs grace earned, he no longer needed to hide.
With him was his wife, Meeka, the woman he had met while fighting Lust Demons.
She settled herself comfortably on his lap, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"What a foolish boy," he remarked, his words echoing through the hall with a mix of amusement and disbelief.
"Showing up here with secrets like that weighing on your heart? Youâve got more balls than brains."
Meeka arched an eyebrow as she rested against Kaelthyrâs chest.
It was her first encounter with any of the Pantheon members, and she remained unaware that each woman seated upon a throne was bound to a single man.
"Is it really that bad?" she asked, starting to say, "Surely one of them would be williâ"
But before she could finish, Kaelthyr quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, a bead of sweat sliding down his forehead.
"My wife... please, just enjoy the event," he urged quietly, hoping none of the women present had taken notice of them.
Thalion chuckled, seated beside Kaelthyr with his own wife, he adjusted his eyeglass.
"Heâs lucky His Majesty hasnât appeared yet. If he saw this little declaration... well, letâs just say the boy might not be breathing right now."
---
The heirs surrounding Eldrin began to debate casually among themselves, as if the trembling man in the center wasnât even there.
Quell crossed his arms, glancing at Drake with a raised brow.
"Oh, at least you havenât forgotten youâre apart of the family."
Drake rolled his eyes, "Shouldnât we be determining how he will be dying?"
Kade laughed, rolling his shoulders with clear excitement.
"Haha, Indeed Quell, it seems like brother has found his brain."
Even though their time in Pantheos had ended months ago, they still couldnât resist teasing Drake for even thinking about going up against Ash.
Even now, Drake couldnât say heâd changed much, but there was one thing he was sure of.
âTsk, Iâll just stay the hell out of Fatherâs way,â he thought. âThere are plenty of other Realities, anyway.â
Riyan flexed his arms, the muscles rippling
"Alright, Drake isnât wrong though." He said, "Should we give the guest a show of what happens to those being disrespectful to us?"
As the others spoke out, Klaus stayed quiet, but the corner of his mouth twitched in quiet amusement.
The entire time they completely ignored Eldrin....
The young man stood frozen in the center of their circle, his face pale and slick with cold sweat.
Usually, he would be able to at the least maintain a calm demeanor.
But much like all the other beings who visited the ball tonight with various plans in mind.
Who knew so many of them would be this strong?
His hands trembled at his sides as the weight of what he had just blurted out in front of the entire hall finally crashed down on him.
The forced honesty from Claraâs power had stripped him bare, and now the embarrassment and fear were eating him alive.
He swallowed hard, his voice cracking as he forced the words out.
"I... I apologize," he stammered, bowing deeply at the waist, his forehead nearly touching the floor.
"The things that weigh on the heart are not always what one truly wants to say. I didnât mean toâ I never intended to disrespect any of you. Please... forgive my foolishness."
Inside, his thoughts were spinning into a whirlwind of confusion.
âHow...? How could just one sentence do that?â he wondered. âEven without Motherâs protection, Iâve spent cycles honing my mind, shielding my thoughts and desires...â
He hesitated, stealing the quickest glance at them before the realization hit.
âThese beings... theyâre dangerous. We have to get out of hereââ
But before he could finish the thought, before he could even straighten himself, Xeros stepped forward.
The God of Obsession moved with calm, deliberate grace.
He stopped right in front of the still-bowed Eldrin and looked down at him with a cold, indifferent expression.
"Forgiveness?" Xeros said flatly, his voice carrying no warmth. "You confessed your lust for our mothers and sisters in front of the entire hall. And you think a simple apology will suffice?"
Eldrinâs breath hitched but He didnât dare lift his head.
Xeros reached down, seized him by the collar, and lifted him with ease until their eyes met.
"My Fatherâs Ball will not be interrupted," Xeros said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
In a flash of golden light, he vanished with Eldrin, whisking the foolish suitor away for a very private "conversation."
The heirs looked on as they disappeared, some shaking their heads, others scoffing.
Quell sighed as he returned to his own throne, that had two of his wives waiting for him.
"Brother Xeros, he truly knows how to spoil the fun."
----
As all this unfolded, Evelyn carried on with her next display.
High above the hall, hidden from most but unmistakably seen by the Ineffable Pantheon, the Watcher had been perched in silence, taking it all in.
As he watched Clara and Evelyn again, the ancient owl couldnât help but wonder.
âJust how can such a Reality have a clan so far beyond many of the others?â
His golden eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
âAre they invaders from the other side...? Or is this all part of The Motherâs Plan?â
He continued watching them intently then not long after finished her Layla stepped forward once more.
In that moment, she glanced upward and met the Watcherâs gaze.
She smiled and... winked, just like Ash.
As her next move was bound to throw the Owl completely off balance.