Jonathan paused, momentarily taken aback, before quickly regaining his composure. "Will the families participate in this assembly?" he asked, his voice steady.
“They should” came the curt reply. Victor, still dripping with blood, made his way toward the throne adorned with a golden hawk clutching a pearl, reserved for the head of the Vale family. He was in no mood for conversation.
The room buzzed with hushed whispers as the assembly took in the sight of Victor. His blood-soaked appearance stirred curiosity and concern, though Victor’s response to it was remarkably indifferent.
“What do you think happened to Victor? Why’s he covered in blood?” someone murmured, unable to hide the curiosity.
“I don’t know, but whatever it is, the high families won’t let it slide once they arrive” replied another, voice low but laden with tension.
A third voice joined the conversation, a touch of cynicism in it: “Let’s not forget why we’re here. This assembly isn’t for petty squabbles.”
An older man chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Humanity? I’d like to see that, if it ever comes together."
Cassidy overheard the murmurs, her brow furrowing with concern. ‘I’ve never seen Dad like this... What’s happened to him?’ she thought, her worry deepening. Before she could dwell on it further, the heavy doors opened once again, cutting her thoughts short.
Damian Gauss entered, his usual sly grin conspicuously absent. His demeanor was subdued, humble even, as he made his way toward his throne marked by a golden mountain emblem. His solemnity didn't go unnoticed by Jonathan, who greeted him with a mixture of relief and curiosity.
"Welcome, Damian. Is it just you? Where are the others?" Jonathan asked, his voice softer now, glad to see at least one more family represented.
Damian’s mind cursed under his breath, but his face betrayed nothing. “They’re on their way. I came ahead” he answered quickly, sidestepping Jonathan’s inquiry and heading toward his throne.
Victor glanced toward Damian but chose not to react. The exchange they had earlier was enough. He wasn’t one to gloat, especially not over something so petty. Instead, he settled into his position quietly, not wanting to stir the pot any further.
One by one, more family heads filed into the grand hall, their presence commanding attention. First came the head of the 4th family, Edwin Mayfair, leading the prestigious Mayfair family. Famous for their dominance in the medicine industry, the Mayfairs were known for having a lineage of doctors, making them one of the most influential families and solidifying their spot in the top ten. Their emblem—a green cross—was a symbol of their healing legacy.
Not long after, the heads of the 8th, 7th, 6th, and 5th families entered, accompanied by their most prominent members. The air grew thick with anticipation as these esteemed individuals took their seats.
Amelia, looking around with curiosity, didn't recognize any of the newcomers and leaned toward the group. "Who are they?" she asked, her voice low but filled with interest.
An awkward silence followed, the others seemingly caught off guard by her question.
Cassidy sighed softly, her gaze drifting across the room. It seemed that nobody cared to acknowledge the power of these influential figures. With a resigned shrug, she began to explain, her voice calm and steady. “The 8th family is the Bennetts. The head is Eva Bennett, one of the few women to hold such a position. Their business is technology—those devices we all used? Most of them were made by the Bennetts.”
Amelia nodded, processing the information, and then Thomas spoke up, his curiosity piqued. “What about the others?”
Cassidy nodded and continued, “The 7th family is the Winters. The head, Henry Winters, runs their car manufacturing empire. They’re not as wealthy as the others, but if they ever stopped making cars, there’d be a massive drop in supply, and it would impact nearly everyone’s life.”
Rachel raised an eyebrow. “That’s interesting” she remarked, clearly intrigued by the scope of their influence.
Jack nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve heard of them” he added, a hint of recognition in his voice.
Cassidy shook her head, her expression a mix of slight disbelief and amusement at Jack’s casual tone. “The 6th family is the Wrights. Their head, Sebastian Wright, is another powerhouse in the technology sector. They’re not just another competitor; they rank above the Bennetts, holding significant sway in the industry.”
Pausing to make sure everyone was keeping up, she continued, “And then there’s the 5th family—the Harpers. Their head is Benjamin Harper, they are known for their transportation empire. They may not be the best, but they rank second, and their impact is undeniable.”
Cassidy concluded her explanation, her voice steady yet tinged with a sense of admiration for the power these families held.
The others listened intently, hanging on to Cassidy’s explanations, but Nova, lounging in his seat with his usual nonchalance, broke the silence. “Aren’t they all useless, other than the Mayfair family?” he asked, his tone casual yet pointed.
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Everyone’s lips twitched at his bluntness. While no one could outright disagree with him, calling the heads of these powerful families "useless" was still a stretch.
Jack, always the voice of reason, responded, “Not exactly. If they adapt to the new rules of the Universe, they might find their purpose again. Technology, transportation, vehicles—those industries could still play a role in our future.”
Samuel nodded in agreement, sharing Jack’s viewpoint. "Yes, there’s potential if they can align with the changing times."
Nova, still lounging with an air of indifference, glanced around the room. “You’re right, but I just don’t know how much progress we can make in technology, transportation, and vehicles in a mere 20 years. We’ll have to rebuild it all from scratch.” He sighed, clearly growing impatient with the slow start of the assembly.
No one could offer a rebuttal to that. A twenty-year time frame seemed lengthy, but Nova’s point stood—adapting to the new Universal rules while trying to rebuild entire industries from the ground up felt almost impossible.
Not wanting to dwell on the same topic, Rachel changed the subject, her voice breaking the lull. “We’re still missing the heads of the first and second families. Are they planning some grand entrance?”
Amelia, who had been quietly observing the empty seats, offered her own suggestion. “Maybe they didn’t take the assembly seriously? That could be the only reason they’re late.”
Cassidy shook her head, her expression thoughtful. “I don’t think that’s it. The Sykes family, the first family, and the Brooks family, the second family, are known for their martial prowess and weaponry. The Sykes family also has a hand in transportation. If they skip this assembly, it’ll hurt them. They’ll be isolated, unable to expand their influence. Without allies, they won’t have access to materials, and without materials, they can’t forge weapons—or anything else, for that matter.”
“She’s right,” Nova interjected, his voice low yet sharp. “Not joining the assembly would destroy any chance of rebuilding their business and maintaining their status.”
Jack nodded in agreement. “Exactly. But don’t forget…” He flashed a sly smile before adding, “If they don’t show up, they’ll have no say in any of the matters we discuss here today. And if they try to, I won’t be stepping in to defend them.” He shot a pointed glance at Nova as he finished his sentence, his meaning clear.
While the others exchanged words, Jonathan made his way to the center of the room, his presence commanding attention. He moved toward his throne, positioned in the heart of the assembly, where the family heads already seated engaged in quiet conversations. This gathering was one of the rare moments when so many influential families could come together in one place.
Clearing his throat, Jonathan stood tall and firm, ready to bring the proceedings to order. His voice, steady and authoritative, cut through the murmurs. “The Sykes and Brooks families are not here” he announced. “We will wait another five minutes, but even without them, the assembly will begin.” His tone brooked no argument, and the crowd fell into a hushed silence.
As the five-minute wait ticked by without any sign of the missing families, whispers resumed among the assembled heads. Questions floated in the air, the most pressing being: why hadn’t the first two families arrived? What were they planning?
The minutes passed, the room growing increasingly tense. At last, Jonathan let out a quiet sigh before speaking again. “Quiet” he commanded. Instantly, the hall fell silent, all eyes now on him, awaiting his next words.
“The assembly shall begin now.” His voice was resolute. “I know many of you are wondering why we’ve called together every influential family across Univara.”
Jonathan’s gaze swept the room, noting the many nodding heads in agreement. “You’re also likely wondering why we didn’t contact the families from Altura, Tritus, and Quarath.” More heads nodded in response, their curiosity palpable.
A conflicted expression briefly flashed across Jonathan’s face. How could he explain to them the urgency of their situation? If they had waited to gather every family, it could have taken weeks. Time, however, was something they didn’t have. He could only imagine the kind of chaos Earth would be in after such a delay.
“There was no time to do so” he continued, his voice laced with quiet urgency. “We’re in a state of emergency. Once this assembly concludes, I’ll begin contacting those from the other cities. But for now, we need to focus.” Jonathan paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in. “The reason you’re all here is because we’ve gathered new information about the aliens and the current state of affairs.”
He allowed a beat of silence, letting the weight of the revelation settle over the crowd.
A heavy silence descended upon the room as the weight of Jonathan’s words sank in. Nobody spoke immediately, all eyes fixed on him, their breaths held in collective anticipation.
The next phase of their conversation would be unlike any they had ever experienced before.
Jonathan tightened his grip on his fists, the tension palpable. He could feel the gaze of every family head on him, their doubt and disbelief thick in the air. “The first thing I need to tell you” he began, his voice sharp and unwavering, “is that the aliens didn’t send us the information out of kindness. They did so to farm us, just like we farm animals.”
The room erupted into chaos. The sheer audacity of the claim caused an immediate uproar, gasps of disbelief filling the hall.
Farm them?
Edwin Mayfair was the first to recover. He shot to his feet, his expression hard with skepticism. “How do you know this? And how can we trust this information?” His voice carried the gravity of a man who knew how dangerous rumors like this could be.
The rest of the assembly remained silent, their gazes flicking between Jonathan and Edwin, waiting for an explanation.
Jonathan held Edwin’s gaze steadily, unfazed by the challenge. “One of our people spoke with an alien and learned about the basic rules they follow. While the information is foundational, it’s too detailed, too precise to be fabricated. It follows a clear logic.” Jonathan paused, his voice turning colder. “The only thing that’s stopping the aliens from enslaving us outright is that we’re already their slaves. We’ve been living on borrowed time.”
A tense murmur rippled through the crowd. The words living on borrowed time lingered in the air, hanging like a storm cloud waiting to burst.
Now it wasn’t just Edwin who reacted.
Henry Winters leaned forward, his brow furrowed in disbelief. “Are you messing with us?” he asked, his voice laced with thinly veiled frustration.
“This can’t be real” Sebastian Wright muttered, shaking his head as if trying to dispel the idea. His face was pale, though whether from fear or disbelief was unclear.
Benjamin Harper, never one to hold back, shot up from his seat, his voice booming with authority. “Stop messing with us, Jonathan!” His words were sharp, like a slap to the face, and the entire room fell silent.
The crowd, who had been on the edge of their seats, now shifted uneasily. Never before had anyone dared to speak to the President so directly, let alone call him by his first name in a public setting.
The tension in the hall was thick enough to cut with a knife.
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