"Look who''s talking, Esmeralda!" Ss snapped, his fury rising. "The ck sheep of our family. You always hated me for my talent, for my Six Elements! You were always jealous, weren''t you?" His eyes gleamed with hatred.


    Esmeralda''s expression hardened. She had always loathed Ss, not because of his talent, but for reasons only the two of them knew. Reasons she wouldn''t speak of here.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The court waited, breathless. The fate of Ss hung in the bnce.


    __


    Right. She hated him. She still hates him, but not because of his talent. It was for another reason—one she wouldn''t dare mention in front of everyone.


    And Ss knew it. That''s why he was confident that bringing it up would render her speechless, handing him his victory.


    It was time for him to win this case and secure his freedom. His gaze lingered on Emberly, puzzled by her unnerving calmness. The woman he remembered would have killed him on the spot when she found him in her son''s bedroom, yet she had let him live, as if nothing had happened.


    And right now, she wasn''t the least bit bothered by the fact he was about to be released. The thought gnawed at him, creating a sense of unease.


    But he had a case to win.


    "So, I find myself doubting the authenticity of this video," Ss began, his voice smooth with practiced innocence. "Wouldn''t you think that my sister, who has always hated me, would go to any lengths to get me killed? What better opportunity than this?"


    He gestured dramatically to the evidence. "In my entire life, I''ve never even held an Immortal rank weapon, let alone a Godly rank one. If I had one, I''d certainly keep its existence hidden. We all know how powerful Godly rank weapons are. So why, then, would I waste it on a mere child? Doesn''t it seem ridiculous to you?"


    He looked at the courtroom, feigning bewilderment. "My sister orchestrated this entire setup to get rid of me! Going to the extent of even willing to lose such a valuable weapon! She is the real viin here, not me!"


    Everyone couldn''t help wishing they could get their hands of that weapon, but none of them knew that the dagger couldn''t even bring out 2% potential a real godly rank weapon should have!


    ____


    Meanwhile, Pyris sat where Liez had left him, lost in his thoughts. His mind still ached slightly from unsealing his consciousness, as he epted his deatiny and potential, an ufortable throbbing persisted in his temples.


    Lia had learned her lesson and refrained from carelessly poking around in his thoughts. She realized navigating his mind was like swimming in a vast oceanpared to the shallow pools of normal awakeneds. Without guidance, she risked drowning in the sea of his consciousness.


    ["What are you thinking? What''s your next move?"] Lia asked cautiously. Although Pyris looked aloof and cold, she knew the real him was still there—just... changed.


    Pyris let out a low hum, the sound both chilling andforting to Lia. "Join the kids, of course. I can''t run away from my responsibilities now, can I? Besides, I n to unite the academy under one banner. Soon enough, they''ll all belong to me," he said, his toneced with quiet ambition.


    If his family''spanies would grant him control over the older generation and the outside world, then the academy was his stepping stone to controlling the younger generation—the future of Argos.


    "And they''re easy to manipte. Give them power, and they''ll worship you. Give them fame, and they''ll be your loyal dogs. Grant them influence, and they''ll revere you. I n to do more than that. I want them all," he dered, his words filled with a viinous confidence that would make the gods tremble.


    ["You''re right. Empower the most talented, while you tame the weak with kind gestures. They''ll dance to your tune without even realizing it,"] Lia added with a mischievous tone.


    "Exactly my n. But first, they need to understand what true potential looks like. No one would follow a leader without real capability. I''ll show them what it means to be an Obsidian," Pyris replied as he stood, striding confidently out of the room.


    His demeanor had changedpletely. The carefree teenager was gone. What remained was a figure of authority—an immortal walking among mortals, indifferent to their struggles. He radiated a regal air, his presencemanding the attention of everyone he passed.


    Students whispered among themselves as he walked by, their eyes following his every movement.


    "Is that the CEO of Obsidian Tech?" one murmured in awe.


    "He''s not just a businessman—he''s royalty, through and through," another said, his voice tinged with envy.


    Pyris stood before a massive door with a bold sign above it that read, "OBSIDIAN ROAR." He looked up at it, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.


    "And the roar of an Obsidian will echo across the mortal realm for years toe," he muttered to himself. Just as predicted, the door swung open from the inside.


    A voice called out as the door swung open. "Pyris!"


    He turned slightly, his expression one of calm superiority. His posture and demeanor instantly gave off the impression of someone untouchable. The woman who called out to him faltered for a moment, taken aback by his presence.


    "I was just about toe looking for you. Lucky for me, you''re here," she said, her voice wavering slightly as she recovered.


    Pyris smirked. "The club president sent you?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He could sense her unease, and it amused him.


    She nodded. "Yes, but—how did you—"


    He chuckled, the sound sending shivers down her spine. "And how exactly were you going to find me?"


    Her eyes widened, realization dawning on her that she hadn''t thought it through.


    "Well... I, uh... Anyway, you''re here now, so no harm done," she stammered, trying to recover.


    "You already did," he teased lightly, watching her face flush in embarrassment.


    She managed a smile. "You''re impossible. So, what''s your next move, Mr. CEO?"


    Before she could make a joke, Pyris interrupted. "What''s your name?" he asked, his tone casual yetmanding. "I can''t keep calling you ''beautifuldy'' every time we meet, can I? Especially since it looks like we''ll be seeing a lot more of each other in this club."


    She blushed at thepliment, her heart racing. "I''m Alexandra Eloise, but my friends call me Alexa."


    "Is that an invitation!" Quite bold of her, at his question she nodded looking at the side slightly feeling shy and embarrassed.


    Pyris''s smile widened. "Then let''s be that  Alexa... friends."


    There was something deeper in his words that sent her heart fluttering. She dismissed it as overthinking. But she had no idea the deep waters she was stepping into by bing close with him—the heir to on of the most powerful families in Argos.


    *****


    I have added an auxiliary chapter to check it out, I will be updating new things there often! If you''re enjoying the story, let me know, and so if you have something you want to pass on, leave ament.


    A review would be great.