The fact that the paragons had waited this long was, in itself, shocking. Normally, if one of them were late, the others would have started without them already.
But none of them could deny their curiosity about the acclaimed genius Magnus had been so insistent about for the past few years. It was the first time they had seen Magnus so hell-bent on something like this. If it wasn't directly related to the Ravensteins, the man hardly ever spoke.
All the paragons had to go on were the reports they had heard from the academy, but nothing compared to seeing it live.
It wasn't just the paragons who were impatient; the tension was high among the tier one family heads as well.
"They're late,"
A soothing voice sounded, though it lacked the full effect of Seraphina's voice. The woman who spoke was still nearly as captivating as the enchanting Seraphina.
The other family heads wore frowns on their faces. Just like the Stellaris paragon, the head of the Stellaris family hadn't bothered to show up, but the others had.
"Sounds like you can't wait to meet him, Celestia," a man with a crown of brown hair chuckled, directing his comment at the current matriarch of the Starhaven family, Celestia Starhaven and Zoey's mother.
This man had a bestial aura, his eyes glowing red. Despite sitting on a seat, there was a large broadsword strapped to his back. This was Gale Stormrider, the father of Kael and the supposed head of the Stormrider family.
The woman he had just spoken to, Celestia, had flowing purple hair braided with many luxurious pins and accessories. Her eyes were bright amethyst, and her lips were a deep purple.
An intense frown appeared on Celestia's lips as she looked at Gale coldly, not bothering to respond.
True, she was feeling a bit impatient about meeting Atticus, but her reason was far from positive. She had heard all about what had occurred between that boy and her daughter at the academy, and "angry" was an understatement for what she was currently feeling.
Eleanor Alverian, the head of the Alverian family, was also present. However, he sat calmly in his seat, chin resting on his fist, saying nothing.
The Emberforge, Enigmalnk, Resonara, Nebulon, and Frostbane family heads also maintained their silence. However, it was very clear that each of them was in a terrible mood.
The paragons might not feel as affected, but Atticus had beaten and dominated each one of their sons aside from the Emberforge. The hostility was intense.
The chatter was more apparent in the tier 2 and tier 3 rows, with everyone talking and anticipating the upcoming event.
It was unfortunate, but only the tier one families were allowed to participate in the competition.
While many obviously had problems with this, none ultimately voiced their complaints. The tier ones held ultimate power, and none of the other families could challenge their decisions.
Since none of them were allowed to participate, their attention was focused on the six youths standing in the middle of the hall. These six were the apex candidates.
Out of all the families, only the Emberforge, Enigmalnk, Resonara, Starhaven, Nebulon, and Frostbane had selected a youth to participate in the competition.
Each one of them was clad in the same attire, military-like clothing. It was a simple, dark grey ensemble with sharp lines: a fitted jacket with high collars, reinforced shoulders, and utility pockets.
The trousers were straight-cut, with subtle armor plating along the shins and thighs for protection. A silver insignia of each family was embroidered on the chest, and they wore sturdy black boots that completed the military-like appearance.
This was the apex selection. The nexus was supposed to be a competition between the strongest youths of each race. Because of this, each supposed apex of each race couldn't be older than 20 years of age.
The youths standing in the hall and representing their families were geniuses who had each been pulled from the military, all of them 19 or 20 years old. It wasn't shocking that they each radiated an Expert+ rank aura.
To the tier one families, Atticus might have been able to dominate inexperienced 17-year-olds, but older youths who had faced life-and-death situations in the military, survived, and gained experience were a completely different case.
While it was unfair to have a 16-year-old battle against 20-year-olds, this was the apex competition. It was necessary to select the strongest participant they had. And as a plus, none of the other tier one families wanted the Ravensteins to grow more influential because of this.
"Maybe he got scared and ran?"
A tall, handsome youth with purple hair suddenly remarked, but he received no answer from the others.
The tension was at its peak. They each knew well enough that they were far from being friends. At any second now, they could turn into enemies.
The buff Emberforge youth with steel-like muscles simply stood with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, as did the Frostbane youth. Out of everyone present, they had the most powerful auras.
The others also maintained their composure and chose to keep quiet.
As the chatter in the hall continued, the air suddenly became electric, the hairs of the grandmasters and lower ranks in the hall standing on end.
Each of the paragons' gazes turned toward an empty seat in the highest row. A streak of lightning materialized in the air, followed by the imposing figure of Magnus, who calmly took his seat.
"Finally," Octavius remarked with a frown.
"Hmm, sweet Magnus, aren't you forgetting something?"
The others nodded in agreement with Seraphina's statement. They had all been waiting to see Atticus, not Magnus, so why did Magnus appear without him?
All eyes focused on Magnus, including those of the apex candidates and the other tiered family heads.
However, Magnus didn't respond with words. There was only one reason he hadn't walked in with Atticus: this wasn't his stage.
Magnus simply turned and looked at the entrance to the hall, where a grand double door began creaking open, the sound of calm and rhythmic footsteps echoing through the space.
All eyes followed Magnus's gaze just in time to see the boy they had all been waiting to see.
Not all immediately reacted. The perception of the paragons in the building was unmatched, and they couldn't be bested. They were the first to see it.
As soon as their gazes landed on Atticus, their hearts trembled.