CHAPTER 299: THE WEIGHT OF YEARS

In one of the lounges in the Main Palaceir was eerie silence, broken only by the soft creaks of its ancient timber beams and the gentle whisper of wind slipping through narrow glass slits.

Dark stone walls, laced with faint silver veins, soared to a ceiling arched like an upside-down ship’s hull.

In this hallowed space, five figures gathered, each carrying the weight of their lineage.

At the head of a low table sat Julian, his hands flat against its polished surface, fingers interlaced as if holding onto something fragile.

His eyes were heavy with years of unspoken burdens.

Flanking him were Nathaniel and Richard, Nathaniel leaning back with a calm demeanor while Richard leaned forward, knuckles white from tension.

Opposite Julian sat Margaret, her posture straight and voice poised to bring order amidst chaos.

In the far corner, Emily remained quiet as snowfall yet held an intensity in her gaze that spoke volumes.

No servants lingered here; this lounge belonged solely to them.

Arthur’s revelation had cast a long shadow over their gathering,a truth too monumental to ignore.

While youthful chatter filled the air with anger and wonder among the cousins, for the elders who had lived under the looming presence of the Osborn name, this truth dug deeper than mere curiosity; it stirred questions that had lain dormant for decades.

Julian broke the silence first, his voice low but resonant enough to reach every corner of the hall.

"You all saw it,the branches, the families... what Arthur revealed."

Richard grunted in response. "Saw it? Sure. But believing it is another story altogether. It feels more like a dream clawing at reality."

Margaret furrowed her brow but kept her tone steady. "Dreams can still be truths we refuse to face. Arthur wouldn’t waste words on fantasies,he never has."

Nathaniel exhaled slowly as if weighing his thoughts carefully before speaking again: "Then we must ask,not whether it’s true but why it was hidden from us all these years."

His gaze shifted to Julian,the one who had spent more time under Arthur’s father’s reign than any other present.

If anyone might have caught whispers about such secrets, surely it would be him.

Julian met their eyes for a moment before responding with weary finality: "No... I knew nothing."

That denial settled heavily in the air between them like an anchor dropped into still waters.

Richard frowned restlessly and pressed further: "Not even a hint? Not from big brother?"

Julian shook his head, a mix of disbelief and concern etched on his face. "Big brother was many things—m,brilliant, ruthless but above all, he was secretive. If he held knowledge about other branches or a hidden order among our families, he locked it away tighter than any vault."

Emily’s voice broke through the tension, soft yet clear as a bell. "Maybe that’s why Alfred handed the documents to Arthur instead of us. The old butler must have been instructed to guard them until the moment was right,or until the right heir stood ready to receive them."

Margaret nodded thoughtfully. "And that heir is Arthur,not us. That speaks volumes."

A heavy silence settled over them, filled not with emptiness but with contemplation. The flickering torches lining the hall cast dancing shadows across their faces, as if history itself were whispering secrets from beyond.

Finally, Richard leaned in, frustration evident in his posture. "So what now? Arthur talks about uniting the branches,a noble ambition! But he’s young,too young to grasp the magnitude of what he’s proposing. We don’t know these branches; we don’t know if they’ll welcome us or turn against us. Walking blindly into their courts could be disastrous!"

Nathaniel’s voice cut through like steel, steady and unwavering. "Yet remaining blind is even worse! If Arthur has unearthed a truth long buried, we can’t hide from it forever. Sooner or later, those other branches will learn about us. It’s better to act with purpose than wait until we’re trapped."

Margaret folded her hands neatly in her lap; her tone remained calm but carried an edge of resolve. "Purposeful action is essential,but haste can be deadly. Arthur’s mind is sharp; however, sharpness can cut both ways.

Unity isn’t just a word to toss around carelessly; if he seeks to gather these branches together, he must understand their weight and significance,one wrong alliance could shatter us irreparably."

Emily had been quiet until now; she lifted her gaze with deep contemplation in her eyes as if she could see beyond the walls surrounding them.

"The younger ones are consumed by anger,they cry for revenge as if it alone could restore the Osborn name! But revenge is mere noise; what Arthur envisions,unity,is silence before a storm gathers strength. If he succeeds, vengeance won’t be necessary; he’ll wield power greater than any single blow could achieve."

Julian leaned back thoughtfully, his eyes drifting into memories long past. "Do you remember our parents?" he asked suddenly.

The others turned in surprise at his question; Julian’s voice softened unexpectedly.

"They raised us to take pride in the Osborn name, instilling in us values of discipline, strength, and duty. Yet, they never spoke of others like us,never mentioned branches, councils, or betrayal. If they knew the truth, they carried that silence to their graves.

Richard muttered darkly, "Or perhaps they were just blind, like we are."

"No," Julian interjected firmly. "Not blind. Bound,someone ensured their silence, maybe it was the other families or even a deliberate choice by the head of the Osborn clan himself. We may never uncover the truth."

Margaret closed her eyes for a moment, lost in memories of faces long gone. "Big brother was no fool. If he knew this secret and kept it hidden, it was because he believed the time wasn’t right yet.

He was waiting... Perhaps Arthur is what he waited for and besides Arthur said that this important information was meant for big brother but he never received it since he died,that means big brother didn’t even know about this at all,he was clueless lkke us"

Nathaniel’s gaze sharpened with intensity. "This can both be a curse and a blessing or perhaps it’s a weapon,depending on how Arthur chooses to wield it."

Their conversation flowed like a river winding between rocks as they debated Arthur’s plan: Could unity truly be achieved? Would the branches ever bow to one another?

Richard argued it was foolish; strangers wouldn’t shed blood together merely because of a shared name.

Margaret countered that bloodlines held power,even across distances,if wielded with vision and purpose.

Nathaniel urged caution, reminding them that trust isn’t freely given; it’s earned through time and experience and alliances could shatter if rushed into recklessly.

Emily warned against letting their cousins’ thirst for vengeance dictate their actions; after all, rage is a poor architect for building futures.

Throughout this exchange, Julian listened intently. He spoke less often than the others but when he did, his words carried weight.

"Arthur has uncovered what we failed to see," he said slowly.

"Whether this revelation leads to our destruction or lifts us higher remains uncertain,but mark my words: he carries our father’s eyes,the same calmness and cold fire within them.

Once he sets his course, there will be no turning back,our task isn’t to smother his ambition with doubt or ignite it with reckless enthusiasm; our role is to steady him,to ensure that when he moves forward, the Osborns do not falter."

A hush fell over the group as they absorbed this truth in their own ways.

The hall felt heavy with memory,a symphony of unseen voices echoing through time: fathers and mothers long gone; secrets buried deep; betrayals never confessed.

In that silence, an understanding settled among them,the future no longer rested solely in their hands,it now belonged to Arthur. Their responsibility was to shape the ground beneath his feet.

Outside, morning light spilled across the Sanctum’s towers like liquid gold,a stark contrast to the storm brewing in its shadows.

Inside the grand hall, five elders of the Osborn line gathered, their faces etched with the wisdom of years gone by.

They were bound not just by age and blood, but also by a profound realization,the family legacy they had cherished was merely a sliver of a much larger truth.