Dinner At the Chase Residence

Boy, was he so wrong.

The dinner at the Chase Residence was the pinnacle of formality and grandeur. The dining hall gleamed under the golden light of crystal chandeliers, its long table adorned with polished silverware and lush crimson-and-gold linens. The room buzzed with polite conversation and occasional bursts of laughter as the elite exchanged stories of triumph and influence.

Orion Chase sat at the head of the table, his presence commanding respect even in silence. His family surrounded him- Helia's graceful warmth balanced his icy demeanour, Blaze's charming exuberance provided levity, and Aiden, ever the dutiful son, exuded poise. Aiden drew the admiration of nearly every guest. His every movement spoke of discipline and control, his responses to praise measured and diplomatic.

"Aiden is exemplary," Peter Grayson, a man in his 50's remarked, lifting his glass. "He carries himself with the dignity befitting a Chase. Truly, the future of the Hunters Association is in capable hands."

Orion inclined his head slightly, his icy gaze betraying only the faintest glimmer of pride. "Aiden has worked hard to meet the standards expected of him. He understands what it means to bear the Chase name."

Aiden offered a modest smile. "Thank you, Lord Grayson. It's an honour to uphold the Chase legacy."

Even Evander Jager, a man not easily impressed, spoke up. "Remarkable," he said, his deep voice carrying weight. "Few at his age can navigate such scrutiny with such grace. Of course, except for my daughter, Kacela."

Seated beside Evander was his daughter, Kacela. Her dark eyes gleamed with a cunning light as she observed Aiden, her lips curving into a faint, calculating smile.

"Dignity is easy in the absence of challenge," she said smoothly. "But true character is revealed under pressure."

The words hung in the air, a subtle challenge aimed directly at Aiden.

Aiden met her gaze without flinching.

"Pressure, when embraced, shapes strength," he replied calmly.

Blaze, ever the opportunist, interjected with a grin. "Well said, brother. Though let's hope Kacela doesn't decide to test that theory tonight."

Kacela spared Blaze a brief glance, her smile unchanging but dismissive. Her attention was fixed on Aiden, her interest piqued by his composure.

Amongst the chatter and jest, the topic shifted naturally- as it often did at such gatherings- to their victories over the Magi.

"Ah, Salem Arena," Evander Jager began, his deep, resonant voice carrying easily over the hum of the room. He leaned back in his chair, swirling his wine lazily. "Now that was a spectacle for the ages."

Orion Chase, seated at the head of the table with his characteristic cold demeanour, allowed a faint, humourless smirk to grace his lips. "Indeed. A fitting end for a creature that thought herself untouchable."

Several of the guests chuckled, and one of them raised a glass. "To the Hunters' triumph!" he declared, and the toast was met with a chorus of agreement, the sound of glasses clinking ringing out like a symphony of self-satisfaction.

"Do you recall how she walked into the arena?" Evander continued, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement. "So self-assured, so convinced she had outsmarted us. As if she could somehow best the Hunters at their own game."

Cedric Thornfield, one of the new recruits who bore a long scar that runs down the left side of his face from an encounter with a Magi, laughed heartily. "She didn't even realise she was already caught the moment she stepped into the city. Every street, every shadow, every corner, it was all ours. The poor wretch had nowhere to go."

"She was arrogant," Orion said coolly, his tone cutting through the laughter like a blade. "Like all of them are. They think their power makes them untouchable. But they forget the ingenuity of humanity. A few traps, a bit of patience, and even the most powerful Magi can be brought to their knees."

The table erupted in laughter again, a cacophony of cruel amusement.

Aiden sat silently, his posture perfect as always, but his face was a mask of restraint. The wine in his glass remained untouched, his hands folded neatly in his lap. The phantom screams of the Magi echoed faintly in his mind, gnawing at his composure.

"I remember," Evander said with a chuckle, raising his glass. "how she screamed before the flames took her. She probably thought we were monsters. But the real monster was her arrogance- thinking she could outwit us!"

"Arrogance indeed," Orion said, his cold gaze sweeping the table. "It's their undoing every time. They are powerful, yes. But they lack discipline, strategy, and unity. That's why they fall, one by one, no matter how many of them remain."

Kacela, seated beside her father, tilted her head with a sly smile, her dark eyes glinting with cunning. "And yet they think they're superior. That they'll somehow rise above humanity and claim the Earth for themselves. It's almost... laughable."

Her words drew more laughter, but Aiden remained silent, his jaw tightening imperceptibly.

The screams in his head grew louder, merging with the cruel laughter of the hunters around him. He could see it in his mind's eye: the Magi, bound and broken, dragged into the arena as the crowd jeered. He could almost feel the heat of the pyre, the smoke choking the air, the flames consuming her while her voice- a voice not unlike his own- cried out in agony.

"And the best part," Evander said, his laughter subsiding into a satisfied smirk, "was watching her realise, too late, that her power meant nothing. That no matter how much she fought, no matter how much she screamed, she was ours."

The table roared with laughter once more, the sound jarring against the growing tension coiling in Aiden's chest. He couldn't take it anymore. The cruelty, the mockery, the utter disregard for a life snuffed out like it was nothing more than a game; it was unbearable.

His hands trembled slightly, and a strange, familiar heat began to rise within him.

"Aiden," Kacela's voice cut through the noise, her tone playful but sharp. "You've been awfully quiet. Surely you have something to add? Or are you feeling... sympathetic?"

The table quieted, all eyes turning to Aiden. The weight of their gazes pressed down on him, but the fire building inside him was stronger. He took a slow breath, trying to steady himself, but the phantom screams of the Magi were deafening now, drowning out all reason.

"I just wonder," he said slowly, his voice measured but taut, "what kind of people we've become, to laugh about something so grotesque."

The room fell silent, the laughter evaporating like smoke. All eyes were on him now, but Aiden didn't care. The heat in his chest grew unbearable, and he clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

"Perhaps," Kacela said, her smile sharpening, "you're forgetting where your loyalties lie, Aiden."

"I haven't forgotten," he said through gritted teeth, his voice rising. "But maybe you've forgotten what it means to be human."

The conversation had turned sharp, words traded like daggers across the table. Aiden maintained his composure, his face stoic, as Kacela spoke with her signature cunning tone, weaving her argument like a trap.

She was relentless, circling her point with calculated precision, mocking the very idea that Magi deserved anything but extinction. Her dark eyes gleamed with a cold satisfaction as she struck each point with cruel efficiency.

Aiden, however, kept his mask of calm, though inside, the storm brewed. Each word she said was a fresh spark to the inferno building within him.

She talked of the Magi as though they were nothing more than vermin, their lives meaningless, their suffering justified.

He pushed back subtly at first, countering with a measured response. But each time, Kacela deflected with a cunning jab, her tone laced with condescension. She baited him, bringing up stories of Magi defeated, of how their screams were proof of their weakness. The laughter of the hunters echoed faintly as she recounted tales of their victories, each one more grotesque than the last.

Still, Aiden sat straight, his hands resting on the table, his face a careful mask of control. He knew better than to let her words get to him, but the phantom screams in his head grew louder with each passing second.

He could feel the weight of the room's attention on him, waiting to see how he would respond. His heart pounded as he tried to think of something, anything, to counter her vile words without losing his composure.

But Kacela wasn't done. She leaned in slightly, her voice low and taunting, delivering her final blow. She spoke of Magi begging for mercy, their so-called humanity crumbling under the weight of fire and steel. She mocked their screams, called them the death wails of beasts, not humans.

Aiden's chest burned, the storm inside him finally breaking free of its restraints. He couldn't sit silently anymore. The phantom screams reached a crescendo in his mind, drowning out all reason. The heat surged through his veins, his pulse roaring in his ears.

He shot to his feet, the chair scraping harshly against the wooden floor as it was pushed back. His voice, taut with raw emotion, shattered the tense silence that had fallen over the room. He shouted it, the words bursting forth like a dam breaking under the weight of a flood...

"Magi are humans too!"