‎Valari walked the long hallway, his gaze fixated on the carpet under his feet that felt soft under his shoes. He didn’t know why his father wanted to meet him, especially after a full hour of being alone with Rasmus. He couldn’t erase the image of his youngest brother from his mind, the way Rasmus did it without hesitation, without emotion, it was terrifying.

‎"What should I do..." Valari muttered to himself, scared to meet Rasmus, someone he admired back in the academy, the instructor who taught him everything. At the same time, he was furious, hatred grew deep inside him for what Rasmus had done to his youngest brother. "Get a hold of yourself, Valari..." He smacked his cheeks to snap back to reality.

‎Valari stood in front of the double door made of blackwood with gold engravings and decorations made of gems. The doors were so expensive that they could feed an entire family for generations. He took a deep breath before he knocked on the door, but there was only silence afterward.

‎"Father? It’s Valari," Valari called as he stared at the gems on the door.

‎"Come in," Malik’s voice was muffled by the door.

‎Valari pushed the handle and saw his father sitting at his desk. The room was painted black, everything was made from the rarest and most expensive materials. A room that was worth a small kingdom, and anyone who had entered that room, they all felt insignificant, that their wealth meant nothing to the Ashenvale.

‎Valari looked at Malik’s face, and it was always the same expression he had seen for as long as he could remember. He walked toward the desk and watched his father calmly read a letter as if nothing had happened before. He then stood beside the chair, waiting for his father to give permission to sit or to remind him to stand still.

‎There was only silence, Valari didn’t dare to speak or even make a single noise. He stood still like a statue until his father decided to speak to him.

‎"You didn’t tell me everything about Count Blackheart," Malik’s voice was gentle but undeniably cold like someone who was utterly disappointed. "Or perhaps he never showed his true nature to you in the first place," he glanced at Valari, who looked panicked and conflicted.

‎"I am ashamed..." Valari said, the only thing he could say at that moment.

‎"You should be ashamed, but everything that happened, it was your father’s fault," Malik answered as he stood up and shredded the letter. "I never brought someone here into my palace with such resolve like an assassin. Challenged him was my biggest mistake, and it was my fault that your youngest brother had to experience something like that," he muttered as he stood behind the window, looking out at the city.

‎"He’s the worst thing that everyone will face, father. He breaks everyone’s beliefs until they realize their beliefs are... flawed..." Valari muttered as he lowered his head.

‎"Yes, you mentioned that before," Malik nodded. "He’s not a politician, not a strategist, not a warrior. He’s exactly the blade that everyone crafted that has turned against them," he scoffed as he turned around to look at Valari.

‎Malik walked toward his desk, his fingers brushed against the fine surface of his table. His expression was impassive, but his eyes were deep in thought.

‎"What do you think of him now?" Malik glanced at Valari.

‎"I... I don’t know..." Valari lowered his head, unable to meet his father’s gaze.

‎Good, keep it that way," Malik said as he sat down as his expression turned serious. "Everyone who has encountered him, they have the same thought as yours. All of the powerful figures who had encountered him, they kept their distance. He’s dangerous but can be compromised," he muttered, his hands clasped together while his gaze focused on the spot on the wall.

‎Valari received letters from Aurelia and Alexander in the past few months. He understood the situation in South Neva, North Neva, and Central Neva. He knew Rasmus’ role in South Neva and Central Neva, he was shocked by how easy it was for Rasmus to turn the tides back and forth so effortlessly.

He found out the relationship between Rasmus with the South Neva Union, the Gratlan Island, the Magic Tower, and Centriva from Aurelia. His father never spoke for the sake of spouting words, he spoke with hidden meanings. Valari was raised and taught to understand his father’s words and intents. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

‎"Compromised..." Valari repeated the words with the hidden meanings behind it. "Father, does that mean our family will be involved in whatever Count Blackheart will do here?" He asked, his face turned pale, knowing what kind of future awaited East Neva.

‎"He gave me a choice, to join him and assured me of the benefits or to be erased," Malik nodded and tapped his fingers on the desk. "Guess what I chose," he glanced at Valari.

‎As the future patriarch of Ashenvale, Valari knew he needed to be careful whenever his father asked a question. He took a moment to think, not for himself, but for the family, the power they possessed, and the causality of the decision. However, he knew neither of the options would keep Ashenvale position to stay neutral. He then remembered what his father had said about Rasmus that he could be compromised.

‎"Neither. Stalling would be pointless. Father would give what he needed, but that wouldn’t be enough to convince him that we wouldn’t betray him later on..." Valari crossed his arms before his hand was placed on his chin. "To stay neutral but also support him..." He muttered, his brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t find the right answer. "I don’t know..." He lowered his arms to his sides and slowly lowered his head, feeling ashamed for not knowing the answer.

‎"Conditions..." Malik hinted as he slowly stood up from his chair. "What kind of a person he is..." He added another hint as he walked toward Valari. "What he has done, what he has achieved. Patterns..." He crossed his arms, standing in front of Valari.

‎Valari lifted his head and looked at his father’s eyes, trying to process what he had just heard. His mind was blank, not knowing what to do with those hints.

‎"You accepted his offer?" Valari answered, but with hesitation.

‎"I did," Malik nodded. "And so the Magic Tower, the South Neva Union, and Centriva. He has no desire for power and control. With no desire for power and control, there’s no reason for me to decline his offer," he pointed out and walked past Valari to look at the big painting on the wall.

‎"But, what are the consequences? The risks?" Valari turned around to look at his father.

‎"They’re not worth mentioning when the other option is our family being erased," Malik answered without hesitation.

Valari averted his gaze and glanced around the room, remembering what Rasmus had done to his youngest brother. He knew that Rasmus wasn’t someone who lied and who used empty threats since that moment.

"Don’t think about it too much. If you think someone like him is rare, you would be surprised the moment you sit on that chair," Malik pointed at his chair while he kept staring at the painting. "There are people you should avoid, people you should face and defeat, people you should keep close as an ally, and then people like him."

Malik glanced at the statuette of a man wearing a robe and a turban with his beard that reached his chest.

"People that you know they’re dangerously powerful. Avoiding them and you’ll be insignificant that they will erase your existence as they move. Approaching them too close and you’ll be lost and devoured. Close enough that you benefit from them but far enough to keep yourself safe," Malik turned around and stared Valari in the eyes. "Let me put it simply, Valari. Those people? They’re the reason this continent hasn’t been covered in blood," he said with a serious expression.

Valari nodded with understanding.

"I’ll keep that in mind, father," Valari said with his head lowered.

"You may leave now..." Malik said under his breath as he walked back to his desk. "Ah, one more thing. He’s looking for you. Said that he has something to say, privately," he sat down and pulled a piece of paper as he began to write a letter. He didn’t seem to be worried or cared.

Valari’s face turned pale and it felt like what he had just learned was about to be tested immediately.

"I’ll see him now. Thank you for the lessons, father," Valari bowed his head and then left the room.