"Yes, and let us not forget," another elder added with a serious tone.
"Every paragon in the human domain has pledged their support to him, and our own paragon herself wants this relationship to happen. What makes you so sure their minds have changed?"
The atmosphere in the room grew colder as Elyrin slammed his palm on the table.
"Because they must have changed! This was all before he summoned Ozeroth. Do you honestly believe our paragon would still want Zoey tied to someone who has chosen to stand against the spirits? The spirits are everything to the Starhaven family. They are our foundation, our strength, our purpose. Without them, where would we be? Aligning ourselves with him now would make us hypocrites in the eyes of the spirits and the people of Sector 8. Do you realize the consequences of angering the spirits?"
The first elder frowned, his expression darkening. Elyrin was completely right, and the other elders in the room shared his sentiment.
While they were all aware that Elyrin's primary motivation was to ensure the union between his son and Zoey, it didn't change the fact that his argument held weight. If they lost the love and support of the spirits, the Starhaven family would never recover. It would spell their end.
However, the situation was delicate. Yes, they couldn't risk earning the ire of the spirits, but what about their Apex?
One of the elders voiced this concern next.
"And yet, denying him could mean severing ties with one of the strongest apexes humanity has ever seen. Is that not just as dangerous? The Starhaven family would be branded traitors and isolated by the other sectors. What about our future? The boy's potential is unprecedented in the history of the human domain. I'm sure you've all considered it, what if he surpasses the paragon rank and reaches a level never seen before? Are we really willing to risk angering such a being?"
Elyrin's gaze narrowed, his eyes turning cold. "So, what are you suggesting? That we eliminate him now?"
The room fell into a tense, palpable silence, broken by a baffled voice.
"Are you mad?" an elder exclaimed, his expression was incredulous. And this was mirrored by the other elders in the room.
It was as though they had all just heard the most idiotic suggestion of their lives.
"Elyrin, I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but the only thing that needs eliminating is that foolish thought. Eliminate the Apex of humanity? Are you even aware of the consequences of considering such a move?"
The room remained silent as the elder spoke, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Do I need to remind you of what happened to the Stellaris and Alverians when they dared to attack those madmen of the Ravenstein family? Do I need to remind you about Paragon Magnus?"
The elders shuddered collectively, recalling the terrifying scene of Magnus battle with Luminous.
"And that was just against the Ravensteins. If we make a move against Atticus, the entire human domain will turn on us! Not just the Ravensteins, everyone!"
Another elder chimed in,
"Our family would be branded as traitors, hunted down to the last descendant. Do you realize what you're even suggesting, Elyrin? This is suicide. There's no coming back from that kind of decision."
Elyrin frowned. "I never said we should eliminate him. I only asked what your solution is. Are we to sit idly by and let him drag our family into ruin with that spirit of his?"
The room fell silent once more. It was truly a delicate situation.
Elyrin sighed. "Listen, it's not about the dangers. It's about principle. This is no personal grudge. Apex Atticus made his choice when he pursued Ozeroth. He chose the spirit over this union. And we cannot compromise our bond with the spirit race for one human, no matter how strong he is."
The room remained quiet for a brief moment until another elder spoke.
"The matriarch has been silent since this incident began. She refuses to meet with any of us or give her input on the matter. Until she speaks, we are left to speculate."
Elyrin's eyes narrowed. "Then we must make her speak. If the matriarch refuses to address this, we'll have to take matters into our own hands. The future of the family rests on this, and we cannot afford to wait any longer."
…
While the elders of the Starhaven family were engrossed in their meeting, the one they had each been trying to gain an audience with, Celestial, descended the stairs of the Sanctum of Origins.
Her gaze was neutral, her face expressionless, and her aura calm. Soon enough, she reached the sanctum and stood in front of the seated Atticus.
Atticus opened his eyes, and their gazes met.
'What's she doing here?' Atticus wondered as he stood from his seated position. Although her visit was abrupt, she was still the matriarch of the Starhaven family and deserved respect.
'I never thought this is how I'd officially meet Zoey's mother. They look so alike.'
This was the first time Atticus was meeting Celestial one-on-one.
"It's nice to officially meet you, Lady Celestial. I've heard a lot about you from Zoey," Atticus greeted with a small bow.
Celestial didn't respond immediately, simply staring at Atticus in silence. After a few moments, he noticed a subtle twitch in her brows.
'Right. Their relationship isn't so good. She must think Zoey was talking smack about her. Well, this is awkward.'
The silence stretched for several seconds until Celestial finally spoke.
"Apex Atticus, do you like my daughter?"
"I do," Atticus answered without hesitation. He saw no reason to be nervous.
"Why?"
Atticus's eyes lost focus for a moment. 'Why do I like Zoey?' He wasn't entirely sure.
Was it because of her beauty? Her personality? He didn't know for certain. All he knew was that when he saw her cold and icy demeanor in that expanse, he realized he liked her.
His mouth opened, and he spoke.
"I just do."