As Asher concluded his speech, the silence enveloping the hall did not break. Instead, it seemed to stretch even further, pressing down on everyone present, as though the weight of his words had sealed the air itself. They did not cheer, nor clap, nor even whisper. They only stared at him, their gazes carrying a mixture of surprise, respect, and reflection.
When it had been announced that the Tenth Sun would be given the opportunity to address them, many had seen it as a chance to glimpse his true nature, to catch a fragment of the personality that hid behind the title and the whispers that surrounded his name.
Some among them had expected arrogance. Some had believed he would use the moment to boast of his superiority, to assert his dominance over them, to look down from the stage and cement his place as the unrivaled first. Others had thought he might even throw out subtle insults aimed at the remaining members of the top ten, setting the tone for rivalry and division.
