Chapter 4: Blood and Honor

The grand hall still reeled in the effects of what Lucian so boldly proclaimed. Nobles whispered nervously amongst themselves, casting a look at Lucian now sitting assuredly on his father's seat: Lord Tyrian Graves. The tension hung out thick in the air; it was an unspoken challenge crackling with electrical energy.

"Lucian," Valen began, his voice shaking a little despite his bravado. "You think you can just waltz in here and demand to be treated as if you have some shred of respect? You are a failure!"

Lucian's anger was bubbling up, but he kept his head level. "What I am is none of your business, brother. You never have understood the trials I endured.".

Valen sneered, coming forward, energized by the presence of their father. "Trials? You were coddled while the rest of us had to fight and claw to be where we are in this world. You're but a shadow of what a Graves ought to be!"

"Enough!" said Lord Tyrian's voice, cutting through the room, but it quivered with uncertainty. "You will not speak so to your brother, Valen."

"Why not?" Valen defied, his face set in fierce defiance. "He's nothing! Just a ghost in our father's shadow, clinging to the hope of being someone."

David took another step forward, with an ominous charge to his very presence. He looked at the brothers with contempt, sneer curled upon his lips. "You dare insult my lord?

Valen laughed derisively. "What are you going to do about it? You're nothing but a servant!"

David's countenance drooped, his patience thinning. "You have spoken enough." He snapped his fingers rapidly and an unquiet stillness fell upon the hall.

Valen's laughter died in his throat as his body simply disintegrated into a crimson mist. And the next moment, it coalesced into form once again, and Valen drew breath as he re-formed, horror etched on his face.

"What—what just happened?" Valen stuttered, now trembling with a fear he had not known was inside him and had thus far been squelched by his bravado.

Lucian watched in awe, a mixture of shock and wonder spewing from every pore as David showed his power. "I think that David is showing loyalty in the most dramatic sense," he said, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Loyalty?" Darion interrupted, his voice shaking with fear. "You can't just kill him! He's your brother!"

"Brother or not," David said coldly, "his words have their consequences. Would you like to join him, Darion?

Darion took a step back, looking up to his father for support as his eyes widened with each word. His father stood stiff, fuming with anger and confusion inscribed across his features. He was lost. Lucian's new power left him hopeless, as if he had been taken out of control.

"Lucian, you will stop this now!" Tyrian commanded, trying to regain his dominant position. "You can't—

"Cannot what?" Lucian cut in sharply. "You've spent years teaching me that power is the only language that matters in this world. I've merely chosen to speak it fluently."

With another snap, David reduced Valen to a mist once more, then effortlessly revived him again, only to repeat the gruesome cycle. Each time, Valen returned more broken, both in body and spirit, until he could barely form words.

Stop! Please!" Valen screamed, desperation in his voice. "I'll… I'll apologize!"

David hesitated, his head tilted, as if debating the plea. "Apologies mean nothing without an understanding of the weight of your words." Again, he snapped his fingers, and Valen was erased once more.

Lucian watched, a thrill coursing through him at the sight of his brother's suffering. Every resurrection had chipped away at Valen's arrogance, its visceral reminder that it was not just words which had the power, but also their after-effects.

"Enough!" Tyrian's voice boomed, yet it did not hold the authority it once had. Turning his attention to Lucian, his anger and even a shadow of fear emanated from those eyes. "What do you do, Lucian?" he said with a sense of embarrassment for the name of their family.

Honor?" Lucian repeated, and the incredulity was brimming in his voice. "What honor was there in your silence while I was treated as nothing but an afterthought? I am taking back my spot in this family, and I will be reckoned with!

David turned, a changed expression on his face as he spoke to the lord. "The pride of your house lies upon a bed of power, Lord Graves. You ought to know more than most. Your sons are able to learn from the consequences of their words.".

His jaw worked, fury simmering beneath his unflappable veneer. "You think you can come here, take my throne, and demand your brothers' allegiance? You have no notion of what it means to rule!"

"Perhaps you have forgotten, Father," Lucian returned, his voice level and unflinching. "Leadership is not for power alone but for respect. You taught me that lesson, if you never lived by it yourself.".

As Tyrian opened his mouth to say a word, David's voice cut through the air: "Shall I turn him into a mist as well, my lord? A reminder of what happens when one tries to dominate what should be shared?"

"Enough!" he shouted, the word ripping through the hall. "This is madness! You are my son, Lucian. You cannot throw away our family legacy for this charade.".

Legacy?" Lucian sneered. "Your legacy is but chains that bind me to a life of mediocrity! No more will I be the forgotten one. Today marks the rise of the Supreme Being."

The hall hummed with whispered murmurs and pained fear. Lucian could feel the gazes of the nobility on him, the weight of their judgment pressing down like a storm cloud. But at that moment, he felt invincible.

"You will all see how our family is changed," Lucian declared to the frozen crowd. "From this day forward we are no longer held in place by your inconsequential thoughts on status and a hierarchy. I will create a new way, starting with all of you learning how to respect your rightful lord."

He was panting his body shaking coherence coming back into him as he uttered, "I'm sorry, Lucian. I didn't mean it." The eyes were afraid as he gasped out those last words.

"Sorry means nothing without change," Lucian said coldly a controlled sneer still on his face. "David, let's show them what real loyalty and power can accomplish.".

With a flourish, David called forth a whirlwind of energy, sending a churning vortex of light and darkness swirling about Valen. The raw power crackled in the air, pulsing like a heartbeat. Onlookers gasped in awe at the show.

"No!" Tyrian shouted, pushing forward. "Lucian, please!" Desperation had taken hold.

And in that second, something in Lucian snapped open. For the first time ever, Lucian felt the weight of actions, considered the potential cost of this path. But the weight of history and the burning for his respect and approval remained stronger.

"Lucian!" Tyrian's voice, full of genuine fear, broke through. "I know you are bleeding, but this is not the way. You can't kill your own brothers."

"Can't I?" Lucian questioned, a spark of doubt igniting within him. "What have they ever done for me but belittle and scorn me?"

"They are family!" Tyrian implored. "You cannot let your anger dictate your actions. Family means something. It should mean everything."

Lucian hesitated, torn between exhilaration at his newfound power and the faint remnants of family ties. "Family?" he whispered softly, his voice softer now. "What does that even mean when one of us is consigned to live in shadows?"

David's energy churned wildly, cutting through Lucian's inner turmoil. "My lord, you must choose. Show them mercy, or prove that you will not stand for disrespect.".

Taking a deep breath, Lucian settled the weight of his decision on his shoulders. Looking at his brothers, he no longer saw rivals but blood that was tied between them. Clear now was the moment; power was not only a domain of the victor but also in the choices he made at the conflicts.

"Stop," Lucian finally bellowed, his voice steady, a new resolve forming within him. "David, halt."

The vortex dissipated, and Valen fell to the ground, gasping for air but alive. The hall was eerily silent, the nobles in shock at the unexpected turn.

Lucian stepped down off the throne and stood in front of his brothers. "You can't compare to what I've endured, but I won't let our past dictate our future. I'll demand respect, but I'll also give mercy. Remember this day. We are brothers, tied by blood, and something which will never be severed."

The tension in the room changed and a spark of hope within him lit up like flame. He could alter not only his destiny but that of his family, too.

Tyrian looked at his son as if crossing feelings of pride with worry. "Lucian, you may still have your place among us, but remember, power comes with great responsibility.".

Lucian nodded, understanding the weight of those words. "Who are you to talk to me like that."

As the nobles began to stir, their whispers replaced with cautious admiration, Lucian felt the tremors of change beneath his feet. He was no longer merely.