The projections of the children turned to look at each other and roared, the sound shaking their surroundings before they slowly disintegrated.

As for the kids, they floated down into the hands of their grandparents, giggling cutely, unaware of the phenomenon they’d created just now.

The next part of the ceremony was for the emperor, Ethan, to give his blessings to all newborns, pregnant women, and newlyweds.

Ethan gave a kiss to his babies after they were handed over to him, and then he passed them to their mother, Harley.

He then beckoned to Regnare to descend with him.

They came to stand in front of the platform, father and son, emperor and crown prince.

Ethan then cleared his throat and spoke, his voice reaching out to everyone.

"Thank you all for coming once again to witness the naming of my children. As a father, I am greatly honored by your grace and support," he said and gave a slight bow to the people gathered, his actions once again shocking the guests and delegates.

An emperor bowing to his guests was already unheard of! But, one bowing to his people... mere commoners, those without noble blood, was unacceptable!

But the question was, could those who thought that rebuke him?

NO!

Not with Zark’s omnipotent gaze on their necks. One wrong move and they’re in for it. They could feel it in their very souls. Their existence would be erased if they tried to disrupt what was going on.

Ethan straightened slowly, the faint echo of his bow still lingering in the air like a ripple across still water. The hall remained utterly silent, no whispers, no shifting feet, not even the sound of breath. Tens of thousands waited, hearts held tight in their chests.

He rested a hand briefly on Regnare’s shoulder.

Not as an emperor.

As a father.

Then he stepped forward alone.

"I am an emperor," Ethan continued, his voice calm, steady, carrying effortlessly to every corner of the vast hall. "But before that, I am a man who was once born into this world with nothing but breath in his lungs and fate on his back."

A soft murmur stirred, quickly crushed by the weight behind his words.

"I know what it means to struggle. I know what it means to fear for tomorrow. And I know what it means to hope, irrationally, desperately, that your children will live better lives than you did."

His gaze swept the hall.

Parents holding infants tightened their grip. Pregnant women instinctively cradled their bellies. Newlyweds leaned closer together.

"This ceremony is not about power," Ethan said. "Nor is it about lineage, blood, or rank. It is about continuity. About life choosing to move forward despite wars, despite gods, despite calamity."

His mismatched eyes began to glow.

Gold in one.

Silver in the other.

The air thickened, not oppressively, but reverently, like standing at the edge of something vast and sacred.

"I do not bless you as your ruler," he said softly. "I bless you as one who has walked the same uncertain road."

He raised his right hand.

The world responded.

Light unfurled from him, not violently, not explosively, but in a vast, layered wave, spreading through the hall, through the castle, through the city, and beyond. It carried no pain, no fear. Only warmth. Only clarity.

Those sensitive to mana felt their cores hum in harmony.

Newborns laughed.

Pregnant women gasped softly as a soothing presence wrapped around their bodies, easing strain, stabilizing life within them. Some felt complications simply... vanish. Others felt a quiet assurance settle into their bones: they would be fine.

Newlyweds felt their bonds strengthen, not magically binding them, but clarifying them. Doubts eased. Emotions aligned. Love, sharpened rather than dulled.

And the children...

The children glowed.

Not visibly to all, but unmistakably to those who could see beyond the surface. Their souls shimmered with possibility. Paths clarified. Talents aligned. No one was forced into destiny, but doors opened. Doors that had once been sealed by the limits of the old world.

Ethan’s voice carried again, layered now, carrying something ancient beneath it.

"To the newborns of Anbord, may your paths be wide, and may the world never break you before you have a chance to shape it."

"To the mothers, may life answer your courage with gentleness."

"To those who have chosen to walk together, may your unity be your greatest strength."

The light softened, settling into the people like a blessing that would never fully fade.

Slowly, Ethan lowered his hand.

Silence followed.

Then...

Kneeling.

One by one.

Not commanded. Not enforced.

Parents. Citizens. Delegates. Even a few hardened veterans and ancient beings lowered themselves, heads bowed, not to an emperor, but to a man who had chosen to share his divinity instead of hoarding it.

Regnare watched his father with wide eyes, something fierce and proud burning in his chest.

High above, unseen by most, the space-formation hummed softly, recording, anchoring, preserving this moment as a fixed point in history.

The ceremony was far from over. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

But one truth had already been carved into the world:

This was not an empire ruled by fear.

This was an empire blessed by choice.

...

The solemn weight of divinity did not linger forever.

As the last echoes of Ethan’s blessing settled into the bones of the world, the great hall slowly exhaled. The space-formation relaxed, retracting its grandeur just enough for the atmosphere to shift, from sacred to celebratory.

Music returned.

Not the restrained, ceremonial kind, but something warmer. Strings, low percussion, gentle chimes woven with mana so subtle it felt like sunlight through leaves. Servants moved with renewed energy, formations dissolving into flowing motion as tables manifested along the sides of the hall, already laden with food and drink from every corner of Anbord.

The small party had begun.

Not a ball.

Not a spectacle.

Just family... and those close enough to count.

Ethan was the first to abandon formality.

The moment Selene and Sol were safely back in Harley’s arms, he leaned down and kissed both babies on their foreheads again, ignoring the amused looks from half the hall.

"They already got blessed once," Harley teased, adjusting Selene gently as Sol tugged at her sleeve. "You’ll spoil them."

"They’re my kids," Ethan replied without shame. "That’s the point."

Nearby, Regnare had immediately been surrounded.

Delphina clung to his arm, proudly introducing him to people who absolutely already knew who he was.

"This is my big brother," she said for the fifth time, beaming. "He’s cool. And scary. And he lets me sneak snacks."

Regnare sighed. "That was one time."

Trevor strolled over, drink in hand, smirking. "Careful, Crown Prince. Your reputation is being rewritten in real time."

Devon, standing beside his father, nodded solemnly. "It’s over. You’re a soft older brother now."

Regnare looked betrayed.

At another table, Lamair had finally relaxed.

His horns were less rigid, his four arms occupied, two holding a drink, one resting on Lusamine’s shoulder, the other lazily stealing food from Cassandra’s plate.

"You survived," Trevor said, dropping into the seat opposite him.

Lamair snorted. "Barely. If Ethan adds one more ’historic moment’ to my life, I’m charging him."

Across the room, Jerry stood quietly with Thomas, watching the crowd.

"The blessing worked," Thomas murmured. "Better than expected."

Jerry nodded. "It always does. That’s what scares me."

Thomas elbowed him lightly. "You’re at a party. Try looking like it."

Jerry took a slow sip of his drink. "...This is me relaxed."

Near the windows, Lilith leaned against a column, watching Ethan laugh as Seraphis whispered something in his ear that made him choke on his drink.

"Tch," Lilith muttered, equal parts amused and annoyed. "Still reckless with his heart."

Kraken crossed her arms. "You sound jealous."

Lilith grinned shamelessly. "I am."

Not far away, Leviathan observed everything in silence, deep blue eyes taking in the empire, the family, the ease with which monsters laughed together like ordinary people.

"So this is Anbord," she said quietly. "No chains. No thrones looming over heads."

Kraken glanced at her. "You don’t hate it."

Leviathan didn’t answer immediately.

"...No," she admitted. "I don’t."

Ethan eventually found himself seated on a low couch, Selene asleep against his chest, Sol gnawing gently on one of his fingers with alarming determination.

Asteria watched them with a soft smile. "You know," she said, "the world just shifted again today."

Ethan hummed. "It does that a lot around us."

"And yet," Lisa added, handing him a drink he wasn’t allowed to finish, "this feels... normal."

He looked around.

His family laughing.

His friends alive.

Children blessed.

No immediate apocalypse knocking at the door.

"...Yeah," Ethan said quietly. "It does."

The ceremony had ended.

The empire had been blessed.

And for a rare, precious stretch of time.

The Kael’Dri family celebrated being together.

...

The next agenda was close, and only Ethan knew what was going to happen. Even his all-powerful father knew what was coming.

This next agenda would change the Kael’Dris and the empire forever.