Ancestral Lineage

Chapter 491: The Emperor Arrives

With the arrival of the eight kings of Anbord, the tension in the hall skyrocketed. All the kings were powerful, no doubt. But their contrasting appearances and auras were what shocked the guests the most. The ancient ones, too, were more than shocked at what they were seeing. So many primogenitors in one place. And they were all Ancestors, a concept, a title only to a few, because they were myths, just like Kraken and Leviathan.

Trevor walked with his three women, Emily, Sixtie, and Amara, and his son beside him. His son, Devon, walked in front while his wives walked beside him, all dressed very beautifully, that most couldn’t take their eyes off them. One guy stared too hard at Emily and nearly lost his head. Trevor didn’t even have to move. All the vampires in the room were staring at the poor guy like he’d stolen an imperial treasure. Devon was dressed just like his father, his white hair shaved short, his eyes glowing deeply, as he turned to look at the elf who was staring at his mother. The elf was traumatized in just a few seconds, and this action served as a warning to most.

Don’t mess with Anbordians!

But the dragons just snorted in disdain, mostly towards Amara. She was one of the Dragon Rulers after all, the strongest one too. But she had failed her mission and had become the mate of a bloodsucker. Although they felt anger and disdain, they knew not to act there out of pride and arrogance. Because Amara was mighty. If triggered, most wouldn’t survive. Even they would only escape by trading something important. She was that dangerous. Besides, they could feel that Trevor was very dangerous. Even though his aura said he was at the Emperor Realm, lower than them, they could tell that defeating him wouldn’t be easy. Killing him was out of the question. They knew. A primogenitor and an Ancestor of vampires... he was almost immortal.

Behind Trevor, Lamair, his skin as black as night and eyes a deep purple, walked with his wives, Lusamine and Cassandra, beside him, while his children, Werock and Ivy, walked in front. He was in his true appearance, with long bull-like horns and four arms. An appearance that struck fear in most, even though he was very handsome. Plus, he towered over most of the guests there.

Reginald followed with his wife Gertrude, a beautiful fox-kin woman with black hair and three tails, complementing his four tails. His children, Eric and Ericson, walked in front, their two tails swaying in a mesmerizing way.

The rest followed in such fashion: Erielle walked with her husband, Jerry with his brother, Thomas, Kira with her sister, and the one whose appearance shocked most was Ashtora.

Her race was a never-before-seen one. An E’Sheril, a native of Gassendi. Her skin was dark obsidian red. She was very tall, with four deep blue eyes, four arms, and a long tail with ten and a half psychic spikes.

Beside her, floated a being of pure psychic power, Urrandel. His hands were folded behind him, and his expression was calm, but everyone could tell... he was a monster. A very powerful monster!

In fact, everyone here was a monster!

Ethan had gathered monsters in a single hall.

Whispers rang out as the kings and their entourage took their seats. Sixtie and Lilith’s eyes met, and they unconsciously released a smile at each other. They recognized each other. Sixtie recognized her origin, the Paragon of Sins, Lilith. Lilith had finally seen who was embodying the Sin of Pride, and she was more than happy. After all, it was her in family-to-be.

Sixtie’s eyes drifted to the person covered in all black, her expression serene, but inwardly, she was smiling like a maniac. ’The Sin of Lust is also here... just what is the guy up to?’

...

The ballroom did not recover after that.

It adapted.

The whispers that rose were not the careless murmurs of gossip but restrained, sharpened exchanges between beings who understood exactly how dangerous the room had become. Old monarchs leaned toward ancient advisors.

Too many Ancestors.Too many myths.Too much intent packed into one hall.

And at the quiet center of it all was the absence everyone felt.

Ethan.

He wasn’t here yet, and that alone unsettled people more than his presence ever could.

Lilith noticed this first.

She sat with one leg crossed over the other, chin resting on her palm, her violet eyes slowly sweeping across the hall. Kraken, seated beside her, radiated a subdued but restless tension, her fingers tapping lightly against the armrest as if the chair itself offended her existence.

"Hmm," Lilith murmured. "Interesting."

Kraken snorted. "You say that when you’re about to do something annoying."

Lilith smiled sweetly. "I say that when I’m about to do something educational."

Before Kraken could retort, Lilith was already standing.

Her movement alone caused a ripple.

Demons straightened instinctively. A few people stiffened. Even some of the Ancestors tracked her with wary eyes as she walked, not toward the throne, not toward Ethan’s seat, but toward Trevor.

Trevor noticed her halfway through her approach.

His crimson eyes narrowed slightly, not in hostility, but in sharp awareness. The vampires around him subtly adjusted their posture. Devon, sensing the shift, glanced back once, then returned his gaze forward, trusting his father to handle whatever came next.

Lilith stopped a respectful distance away and inclined her head slightly.

"King Trevor Sanguivar Smith," she said smoothly. "Ancestor of Vampires. Emperor’s brother."

Trevor leaned back just a fraction, crossing one leg over the other, his expression calm but predatory. "Lilith. Paragon of Sins. Brother told me about you."

Lilith laughed softly. "Straight to the point. I like that."

Emily stiffened slightly at Trevor’s side, but Amara only raised a brow, her draconic instincts already dissecting Lilith’s power structure piece by piece.

"You’ve gathered quite the family," Lilith continued, her gaze flicking briefly to Trevor’s wives, then to Devon. "Strong bloodline. Disciplined. Alive."

"That last part is important," Trevor replied dryly. "We work hard to keep it that way."

Lilith’s eyes gleamed. "Tell me... is Ethan always this dramatic?"

Trevor blinked once. Then smiled.

"That depends," he said. "Are you always this intrusive?"

Kraken huffed from her seat. "You’re wasting time. Ask what you want."

Lilith waved a dismissive hand. "Patience. First impressions matter."

She turned back to Trevor. "I’m curious. The Ethan I know would never gather this many volatile elements without a reason. He’s reckless, yes, but not stupid."

"That’s debatable," Trevor said easily.

"I disagree," Lilith countered. "He’s precise when it counts. So tell me, what is he planning?"

Trevor tilted his head slightly, studying her. "Why should I tell you?"

Lilith leaned in just enough for only him to hear. "Because whether you like it or not... whatever he’s about to do will involve me."

Trevor’s smile sharpened.

"Then you already know him better than you’re letting on," he said. "Which means you also know this... if Ethan wanted you informed, you wouldn’t be asking me."

Lilith straightened, unbothered.

"Fair," she admitted. "Then let me ask something simpler."

She glanced toward the empty imperial seat.

"How is he?"

That question carried no malice. No schemes. Just something raw and quiet beneath the silk.

Trevor’s expression shifted, not much, but enough.

"He’s tired," he said after a moment. "Happy. Overworked. Annoyed. In love. Terrified. Excited."

Lilith exhaled softly, almost fondly. "Good. That means he hasn’t lost himself."

From across the hall, Sixtie watched the exchange with keen interest, her lips curved in an amused smile. Pride stirred within her, not jealousy, not hostility, but recognition.

So this was Lilith.

Interesting.

Kraken, meanwhile, was growing impatient.

She stood abruptly, her chair scraping softly against the floor, her presence flaring just enough to make several guests flinch.

"If you’re done flirting," Kraken said flatly, eyes locked on Trevor, "I want to know where Ethan is."

The room went quiet.

Trevor met her gaze without blinking.

"Late," he said simply. "On purpose."

That answer sent a shiver through more than a few spines.

Lilith smiled.

"Oh," she murmured. "Then this is going to be fun."

Somewhere beyond the ballroom doors, unseen and unfelt by most, something shifted.

And the monsters, all of them, unknowingly held their breath.

...

The ballroom breathed again, but it was the shallow kind of breath taken by someone standing on the edge of a cliff.

Lilith returned to her seat with an expression that made several ancient beings uncomfortable. It wasn’t smugness. It wasn’t satisfaction either.

It was certainty.

Kraken leaned slightly toward her, her tentacles shifting restlessly beneath the illusion of elegance."You got what you wanted?" she muttered.

Lilith’s smile widened by a hair. "I confirmed something."

"And?"

"And when Ethan finally walks in," Lilith said softly, eyes fixed on the imperial doors, "this room will remember why it learned fear in the first place."

Across the hall, subtle movements rippled.

The elven delegation whispered urgently among themselves, their Prime Minister’s fingers tapping in a restrained rhythm against his goblet. He had lived long enough to recognize convergence events, moments when history folded in on itself and decided to go feral.

The dragons were worse.

Sol of Earth sat rigid, arms folded, his golden-brown pupils narrowing as he tracked every shift in aura. Aokuruyu of Water appeared calm, but the condensation forming around his glass betrayed his tension. Dragons did not like uncertainty. They loathed not being the apex.

And yet...

There were too many apexes here.