CHAPTER 301: THE PATRIARCH’S GAZE

At the last floor of the Main Palace is Arthur’s study rooma.

The study room stretches vast, its ceiling arched high and bathed in a deep midnight hue that beckons the eye upward.

Here, the theme is night,rich, elegant, and unyielding. The floor boasts black marble veined with silver streaks, polished to a mirror-like sheen.

Towering shelves line the walls, crammed with leather-bound books and also modern books as well. History, philosophy, warfare, medicine, poetry every subject finds its home here.

This space is less a library than a reflection of Arthur’s insatiable mind: eclectic and vast.

Behind his massive desk crafted from obsidian stone and dark oak dominates the rear wall,a striking engraving of a wolf’s head carved with immaculate precision.

Its eyes glimmer faintly with embedded sapphire chips; its bared teeth etched in cold steel.

Not merely painted or hung,it’s a permanent mark within the wall itself as if the Dominion Sanctum was built around this very symbol.

The wolf seems alive ever-watchful,its gaze echoing Arthur’s own hunger for knowledge.

The room isn’t just functional; it exudes dominance. A grand chair upholstered in black leather with gold trim sits behind the desk,the kind of seat kings might envy!

Two fireplaces warm the corners with flames caged in glass for a steady burn.

Across the far side lies a lounge area adorned with low couches of dark velvet and a glass table etched with constellations,all angled toward an expansive window wall overlooking the sprawling Sanctum gardens.

Nearby stands a wine cabinet glowing softly; bottles lined like soldiers,rare vintages collected by Arthur from across continents.

Modern technology pulses seamlessly within this old-world majesty.

Holographic projectors nestled into ceilings await Arthur’s command while panels hidden between bookshelves flicker to life at his touch,ready to pull up data streams from Evolon’s networks.

It’s an exquisite blend of ancient gravitas married to modern domination.

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Currently Arthur is sitting by the lounge,a book rests open on his lap, gilt edges catching firelight as he relaxes in dark silk loungewear that is both casual and immaculate.

Gold-rimmed glasses perch on his nose, not out of necessity but as part of his cultivated aesthetic.

He sips from a glass of red wine,rich and heavy like crimson blood under candlelight.

Beside him projects Evolon blue figure,shimmering faintly in crystalline clarity every movement precise yet unnervingly fluid.

Arthur turned a page without lifting his gaze from the book resting on his lap; his voice low and measured echoed through the room.

"Well, Evolon," he murmured thoughtfully, "you’ve had time to process everything. How did they take it?"

Evolon inclined its head, the air thick with anticipation. "Each group processed the revelation differently. I observed and recorded every exchange after the conference,shall I begin sequentially?"

Arthur swirled his glass, watching the wine catch the light like liquid fire. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Go on."

Evolon’s tone was crisp yet conversational, drawing Arthur in.

"First up is Billy. After the meeting, he seemed unsettled,lost in thought. He wandered to the gardens, where Kaia sat by the pond. Their conversation was... quite illuminating."

Arthur’s gaze sharpened, eyes glinting with interest. "Ah... Kaia."

Evolon projected a hologram above the table: Kaia perched gracefully by the pond, sunlight dancing in her hair as white swans glided serenely across the water.

Billy approached her hesitantly, words initially escaping him.

"He shared only part of what you revealed," Evolon continued. "Not everything,just enough to spark a deeper understanding.

He admitted he hadn’t expected such a sprawling family history; it was more complex than he imagined.

Kaia listened intently and responded with wisdom beyond her years: ’Power always hides its true roots.’

She reminded him that while the past holds weight, it doesn’t dictate whether they can create something meaningful today."

A genuine smile crept across Arthur’s face as he took a sip of wine. "Smart girl."

He leaned back slightly, contemplating further. "Mature beyond her years... And what about Billy?"

"He seemed calmed by her perspective," Evolon noted thoughtfully.

"He trusts her deeply,a stabilizing anchor for him with an eighty-seven percent probability of success."

Arthur nodded approvingly as he closed his book lightly. "Good choice for him; he needs someone like that to balances him out without breaking him."

Evolon’s eyes flickered faintly in acknowledgment of Arthur’s approval. "Shall I continue?"

Arthur gestured with his glass, encouragingly saying, "Proceed."

The hologram shifted again to reveal a charming white pavilion where Ashley, Charlotte, Olivia, Bella, and Eva were gathered around tea and sweets,voices overlapping in excitement and youthful debate.

"They shared their reflections," Evolon reported smoothly. "Ashley was loudest,still incredulous about everything she learned; she spoke of revenge and ambition with fiery passion!

Olivia remained cautious while Charlotte took an analytical approach; Eva dissected implications with lawyer-like precision while Bella mostly listened but had thoughts brewing behind those expressive eyes."

Arthur chuckled softly, his eyes narrowing with a hint of mischief. "Ashley...always too eager for fire.

She dreams of painting masterpieces but hasn’t yet grasped the reality of how blood stains those canvases.

Charlotte carries her mother’s cunning, while Olivia seems to have inherited her father’s hesitation.

And Eva? Oh, she’ll be trouble when she matures; she already thinks like a predator dressed in counsel."

Evolon chimed in, "They all agree on one thing: your knowledge, Arthur, changes everything. Yet they remain divided on what to do with it,their unity is as fragile as glass."

Arthur tapped the rim of his glass thoughtfully, letting the sound linger in the air.

"They’re young,let them argue; conflict sharpens resolve. One day, when they face the world outside these walls, they’ll remember this night as the seed of their strength."

The hologram flickered again to reveal Julian, Nathaniel, Richard, Margaret, and Emily seated solemnly in one of the halls, voices lower and more measured now, tempered by age.

"They were calmer," Evolon noted. "Their shock less dramatic than before. They reminisced about their parents and Arthur’s father,the little they knew.

Julian confessed he suspected nothing was amiss. They debated whether uniting the branches was wise; their concerns centered on loyalty, trust, and the unknown intentions of distant kin."

Arthur nodded slowly, his gaze distant as if he were hearing echoes from long ago. "The old blood remembers differently. Uncle Julian... always cautious; Uncle Nathaniel is pragmatic; Uncle Richard prefers solid ground over visions in the clouds; Aunt Margaret ah yes...she smiles to calm storms; and Aunt Emily... too much heart for this world."

Setting down his wine glass and steepling his fingers beneath his chin, he continued thoughtfully:

"They are right to worry. Reuniting a family fractured by betrayal is no easy task but then again, nothing worth doing ever is."

The final shift of holograms revealed neon lights flashing against a backdrop of gunfire, the game room came alive!

Edward, Oscar, William, and George sat engrossed with controllers in hand as Call of Duty, blazed across their screens a cacophony of laughter punctuated by playful arguments and sudden silences that carried weight.

"Edward was most the skeptical," Evolon remarked,"He questioned your timing and believes I manipulate just as much as I reveal,seeing shadows even when there are none."

"He’s not wrong," Arthur admitted.

"Oscar defended you fiercely,boisterous and insistent that you protect them," Evolon continued.

"George remained balanced and calm throughout it all; he said unity equals survival while William confessed his fear of irrelevance."

Arthur tilted his head, studying the frozen hologram of William, who was slouched in his chair with the controller hanging limply from his fingers.

For a long moment, silence enveloped the room.

Then he broke it: "William’s honesty might just save him. Fear, when acknowledged, becomes a source of strength but fear denied? That’s nothing but decay."

He leaned back, wine glass in hand once more, savoring the moment.

"Edward could be an asset if he learns to keep paranoia at bay. Oscar may be loud, but he’s fiercely loyal.

And George? He has the mind of a tactician, keep a close eye on him. As for William... well, he just might surprise them all."

As the holograms dimmed and faded into shadow, only Evolon remained,a faint glow beside the flickering firelight.

Arthur exhaled slowly through his nose and lifted his book again, though he didn’t read it this time.

His gaze lingered on the wolf engraving; its cold eyes seemed to watch him intently.

"So they fracture," he murmured softly. "Each group pulling in its own direction. Yet... already their true selves begin to emerge, strengths and weaknesses alike."

He swirled his wine thoughtfully before taking a deep sip.

Evolon’s voice cut through the quiet like a whispering breeze. "Do you approve of their responses?"

A sharp smile crept across Arthur’s face,not warm or cold but edged with intrigue. "I approve of reality itself.

Let them argue! Let them doubt! Let them question everything they know! In time, clarity will dawn upon them and by then..."

With a decisive snap, he closed the book, its sound echoing through the vast darkness of the study.

"...the world will already be in my hands."

The wolf on the wall seemed to share in his smirk.