CHAPTER 297: WHISPERED BY THE POND

The meeting had wrapped up, but its echoes still danced in Billy’s mind.

He wandered away from the Main Palace, meandering through long marble corridors that shimmered softly under the morning light streaming through tall glass windows.

Servants bowed as he passed, their footsteps barely audible, their presence a mere blur. He hardly noticed them; his thoughts were tethered to Arthur’s words.

Stepping outside, he inhaled deeply, appreciating the softer, cleaner air.

One of the Dominion Sanctum’s gardens sprawled before him like a serene oasis nestled between towering walls of glass and stone.

The sweet scent of blooming jasmine wafted on the breeze, while the impeccably trimmed grass sparkled with dew that had yet to evaporate in the rising sun.

Billy’s boots crunched lightly on the gravel path as he made his way toward the pond where Kaia often lingered.

And there she was.

Kaia sat at the water’s edge, her gown a gentle ripple of pale fabric against the stone ledge.

Her hair flowed freely, catching glimmers of sunlight like strands of gold. Before her lay the pond,expansive and tranquil,its crystalline waters reflecting the ivory walls of the Sanctum.

White swans glided gracefully across its surface, their elegant necks curving in harmony with nature. Beneath those rippling waters, flashes of red, white, and silver hinted at koi and carp drifting lazily below.

Billy paused for a moment to watch her; she seemed impossibly still,a living part of this garden,a painting come to life.

A tightness gripped his chest as he stood there, rooted in place and speechless.

Then her voice broke through his reverie: light and calm without even turning to look at him.

"How long do you plan to stand there staring, Billy?"

Caught off guard like a thief in daylight, he scratched awkwardly at his neck. "!...uh...wasn’t staring! Just... walking by."

Finally turning towards him with a faint smile tugging at her lips, she quipped back playfully: "Walking by directly here? Curious path you’ve chosen."

Billy chuckled weakly before stepping closer until he stood beside her; his shadow stretched long across the water.

For a while, they simply watched the swans together,their quiet splashes punctuating an otherwise peaceful silence as their wings occasionally brushed against the pond’s surface with soft whuffs.

Kaia dipped her hand into the pond; fish crowded around her fingers before darting away again. Her voice was gentle when she spoke next.

"You don’t look well."

Billy tensed up instantly. "I’m fine."

"You’re not." She glanced over at him with eyes sharp yet tender. "Something’s weighing on your chest...I can see it."

For a moment, he was silent. He wanted to brush it off, to force a smile and bury the weight pressing down on his thoughts.

But the echo of Arthur’s voice lingered in his mind,the revelation that their family wasn’t just one grand dynasty but rather countless branches scattered across the globe gnawed at him.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably, and his throat felt parched.

Finally, he exhaled deeply and settled beside her, elbows resting on his knees.

"Arthur told us something," he muttered, breaking the stillness.

Kaia tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "What kind of something?"

He hesitated; the words felt heavy as if they were stones lodged in his throat. "...That the Osborn family isn’t what we thought. There are... other branches,all over the world."

Her brows arched slightly in surprise with confusion in her eyes. "Other branches?"

Billy nodded slowly. "Hundreds, maybe more. He didn’t go into detail, but everything we believed about our family,about being Osborns,is only a fraction of the truth. We’re not the family; we’re just one piece of something much larger."

Kaia leaned back thoughtfully, absorbing this new perspective as sunlight danced across her cheek while she gazed at the swans gliding gracefully across the pond.

"And how does that make you feel?" she asked gently.

Billy ran a hand through his hair and let out a humorless laugh. "Like I’ve been living in a house with only one room, and someone just revealed there are a hundred doors leading out! All this time, I thought I knew where I came from,who we were and now I find out we were meant to be so much more."

His fists clenched tightly on his knees. "We had power, influence,a place in history and it was stolen from us."

Kaia’s eyes softened as she reached down again, fingers grazing the water’s surface and creating small ripples that mirrored their conversation.

"Maybe that’s not such a bad thing," she suggested quietly. "A bigger tree means stronger roots. It means you’re not alone."

Billy shook his head vehemently. "It doesn’t feel like that at all! It feels like... like we were forgotten,like our branch was cut off while others thrived elsewhere! The others,they left us here or worse... betrayed us."

His voice faltered at the end, heavy with bitterness he hadn’t realized he carried until now.

Kaia studied him intently before speaking again with calm clarity: "Do you really believe you were personally betrayed? Or are you carrying a wound that isn’t yours?"

Billy blinked in confusion. "...What do you mean?"

"Arthur bears the weight of being family head; Julian and our uncles,they feel history’s sting deeply," she explained softly but firmly as she leaned closer to him, locking her gaze onto his own searching eyes.

"But you weren’t alive when this happened. You weren’t there when the family was torn apart. You didn’t feel the weight of those decisions. And yet, you carry that pain like a shield. Why?"

Billy’s mouth opened, but words eluded him. The silence stretched like a taut string between them.

Kaia wasn’t accusing him, she was inviting him to reflect on himself.

"...Because it feels wrong," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We grew up thinking we were... small..just one house, one family. And now I discover we were meant to be so much more! We had power, influence, a place in history and it was all taken from us."

His fists clenched tightly around his knees. "How can I not be angry?"

Kaia regarded him thoughtfully for a long moment before her gaze drifted back to the swans gliding gracefully across the pond.

"Anger is easy," she said softly, her tone gentle yet firm. "It’s the first emotion that surfaces when truth cuts deep but it isn’t strength,it doesn’t guide you; it blinds you."

Billy stared at her, grappling with her words. "So what then? What am I supposed to feel?"

"Feel what you feel," she replied simply, as if handing him a lifeline. "But don’t let those feelings dictate your path. Remember,you thought you knew who you were until now, and now there’s so much more to see! Use that knowledge as fuel for growth. Decide who you want to be in this larger story; don’t let anger make that choice for you."

Her words hung in the air like morning mist, heavy yet grounding.

Billy looked at Kaia, her calm profile illuminated by sunlight dancing on the water’s surface,a strange warmth flickered within him.

"...When did you get so wise?" he asked with an awkward grin.

Kaia smiled faintly without meeting his eyes. "Someone has to balance out your fire."

For a moment, they sat in serene silence,the water shimmered like diamonds under the sun while a gentle breeze stirred the willow branches nearby, their long leaves trailing delicately against the pond’s surface like fingers reaching out for connection.

The swans drifted closer, curious and unbothered by their presence.

Billy felt lighter,not completely free of his burdens but steadier beneath them.

Kaia had that effect on him; she didn’t erase troubles,she made them manageable.

He stole another glance at her face framed by sunlight and wind-swept hair; his chest tightened again but this time not from anger or confusion,instead from something far more delicate and tender.

Suddenly aware of his lingering gaze, Kaia turned toward him with an amused smile.

"There you go again," she said softly.

Billy flushed and quickly diverted his attention back to the pond’s tranquil waters. "...I wasn’t..."

"You totally were," she teased gently, a playful smile dancing on her lips before she let the moment slip away.

He sighed, but despite himself, a small smile crept onto his face.

The garden was an oasis of peace. For the first time since that tense council meeting, Billy finally felt like he could breathe again.

The heavy burdens of legacy, betrayal, and the whirlwind of questions Arthur had stirred up still loomed over him like dark clouds.

Yet Kaia’s words had offered him something invaluable: perspective.

As the morning light grew brighter, spilling golden rays across the pond’s surface, Billy realized that maybe,for now,that was enough.

Sometimes all it takes is a little shift in viewpoint to find clarity amidst chaos.