The Emperor's hand was warm, steady, and unyielding.
Adrian met his gaze, feeling the weight of thousands of years of imperial dominion press upon him.
Then, slowly, he turned, facing the sea of beings stretched before him.
Tiered platforms gleamed like starlight suspended in space. Hundreds of dignitaries, patriarchs, matriarchs, envoys, nobles, all turned their eyes toward them.
Adrian stood in the center of it all.
He could feel it. The pressure of expectations. The weight of ancient gazes.
Every clan in that hall was watching not merely a man, but the Origin Clan itself.
The words he spoke here would not be his alone. They would become the first proclamation of the Origin Clan, carried through the galactic net, dissected by scholars, whispered by everyone in the galaxy.
For a moment, he stood still.
He could not act recklessly. He thought that playing a humble guest for now would help him secure Aethelia's protection as they had planned before.
But the instant that thought crossed his mind, the Source seed stirred.
It pulsed once, deep within his core. A rhythm older than language. Older than empires.
And it refused.
Refused to bend. Refused to bow.
Then it moved by itself, influencing Adrian in a way even he did not understand.
A presence spread outward from him, invisible but absolute.
The chandeliers above dimmed for a fraction of a second. Formations flickered as though uncertain of their reality.
It was not crushing. It was not loud.
It simply existed.
And because it existed, every soul felt it.
Even the Emperor's presence faltered for the briefest instant. Centuries of control masked it, but his eyes flickered, a glint of surprise and curiosity.
Murmurs rippled across the tiers.
"What... is that?" someone whispered from the Auricflame platform.
The Infinitus Matriarch leaned forward, her eyes bright as if glimpsing a memory that did not belong to her.
The Voidrender Patriarch's pupils dilated, sensing echoes of folded dimensions in that presence.
Adrian's voice rose, calm yet carrying that same rhythm, the pulse of something beyond time.
"To stand in these halls, before those who have carried the galaxy on their shoulders for millennia, is no small thing."
His gaze swept the room.
"The Origin Clan is young. A spark among suns. Yet sparks... carry light."
The Source hummed within him, threading through his words.
"Aethelia has given us law, land, and the right to build. For that, I offer respect."
"But understand this, what brought us here is not favor, nor fortune. It is the truth."
The presence deepened, resonating through the hall's formations.
"That knowledge seeks to be shared, not hoarded. That the cosmos itself does not belong to empires or bloodlines, but to those who dare to understand it."
Several nobles shifted uncomfortably. The Lexarian envoy's jaw tightened.
Adrian felt the Source speaking through him now, words flowing from somewhere deeper than thought.
"The Origin does not belong to one man, nor to empire alone. It belongs to all who reach beyond what they are told is impossible."
His voice grew quieter, yet somehow more commanding.
"Time, space, life, death, these are not possessions. These are truths. Concepts that do not belong to empires, but to existence itself."
The silence that followed was absolute.
Across the hall, expressions shifted.
The Starforge Patriarch's eyes narrowed, calculating.
The Duskbane Matriarch smiled faintly, as though recognizing something in his words.
The Emperor himself studied Adrian for a long moment, eyes unreadable.
Finally, the Source faded slowly. Adrian's words softened back into calm.
"The Origin Clan will walk beside those who honor it. We will walk with Aethelia, for we are bound by its laws."
He met the Emperor's gaze directly.
"But know this, we walk with our eyes upon the horizon. For Origin is not an ending, but a beginning."
The pressure dissipated, leaving behind a hall full of those who knew they had witnessed something they could not name.
Varik, standing at the platform's edge, exhaled slowly. His hands had been clenched throughout the entire proclamation.
The Emperor watched Adrian for a long moment, unblinking, unreadable.
Then, slowly, the faintest smile curved his lips.
He had ruled long enough to understand the balance of pride and politics. Adrian had refused to flatter, refused to bend, and yet, he had not insulted.
Instead, Adrian's words elevated Aethelia by choosing to walk with it.
The Emperor raised Adrian's hand, his voice echoing through the hall.
"Spoken with conviction. The galaxy has enough servants, it needs sparks."
His gaze swept across the assembled clans.
"Let all know this, Origin walks with Aethelia. Together, we will shape this new age."
Applause thundered across the tiers. Some clapped out of awe, others out of fear of standing apart.
The Auricflame Patriarch rose, his flames brightening as he joined the ovation.
The Starforge delegation followed, their applause measured but genuine.
The Lexarian envoys, however, did not move.
Their hands remained folded. Their eyes shadowed with disdain and unease.
One leaned toward another, whispering urgently behind a sound barrier.
But in the midst of them, the Infinitus Matriarch gave a single nod.
Not to Adrian the man, but to the force she had felt within him.
The Emperor released Adrian's hand, gesturing for him to return to his platform.
Adrian descended the steps, the applause still echoing through the vast chamber.
As he passed the lower tiers, several patriarchs met his eyes. Some with respect. Others with calculation.
When he reached his seat, Varik leaned close.
"That was..." he searched for words. "Bold, my lord."
Adrian settled into his chair, his expression calm.
"It was necessary."
Below, servants began moving through the hall, carrying trays of delicacies and crystalline vessels filled with essence-infused wine.
The banquet had truly begun.
But across the galaxy, through the galactic net, recordings of Adrian's proclamation were already spreading.
The Origin Clan's first words to the assembled powers.
...
In the hall, music rose, a melody born of runic instruments and essence formations, each tone adjusting to the emotions in the room.
Adrian exhaled softly, the weight of the ceremony fading.
Patriarchs began to rise, one by one, approaching Adrian's table.
Some moved with measured grace, others with barely concealed eagerness. The first steps of a hundred different schemes.
The first was the Patriarch of Clan Auricflame, his presence like a furnace contained in human form. His smile was confident.
"Lord Adrian," he began, bowing slightly. "Your spheres are… revolutionary. My clan forges the finest weapons in Aethelia. Yet, what is a sword without the hand that understands it? Perhaps we can forge a partnership, steel for knowledge."
His voice carried warmth, but beneath it lay the sharp edge of a merchant who knew the value of what he offered.
Adrian met his gaze evenly. "Knowledge and power must both be tempered. We will discuss terms, quality, not quantity."
The Patriarch's eyes brightened, recognizing the opening for what it was.
The Patriarch chuckled deeply. "A wise answer. We'll talk again soon, Origin Patriarch."
He clasped Adrian's shoulder once before withdrawing, already signaling to his attendants.
Next came envoys from other empires. Their greetings were polite, their offers laced with politics.
A Scaelith ambassador proposed exclusive distribution rights in exchange for protection guarantees. A Volkrith minister suggested military consultation contracts.
Each one probed, testing how much Adrian would give, how far he could be pushed.
Varik stood close, cataloging every name, every offer, his mind already sorting which deserved follow-up.
Next came leaders of the Starforge, Voidrender, and Infinitus clans, each with their own kind of charm and intent.
The Starforge Patriarch proposed trade routes to the Duranthian Empire.
"Your clan sits in Aethelian territory, but knowledge has no borders," he rumbled. "Let us connect your stores to our forges. We'll carry your spheres to worlds you've never heard of."
Adrian inclined his head. "If the routes are secure and the terms fair, Origin walks where truth is valued."
The Patriarch grinned, teeth flashing. "Then we'll draw up contracts worthy of both our names."
The Voidrender Patriarch suggested joint research in spatial knowledge, exchanging comprehension between them, so they could receive it as knowledge spheres and teach their clan people.
"Share what you've learned of space, and we'll give you access to our archives."
Adrian's expression remained calm, "Knowledge flows both ways. We'll consider it."
The Voidrender's eyes gleamed with satisfaction before he withdrew.
When the Duskbane Matriarch finally approached, the atmosphere shifted.
Conversations around Adrian's table quieted. Heads turned.
A human among aliens, her silver-gray eyes gleamed with something akin to quiet recognition.
She extended her hand. "I'm Kaelith of the Duskbane Clan, Volkrith Empire."
Her grip was firm, the strength of someone who had fought their way to power and held it through blood.
"Matriarch Kaelith. An honor." Their hands met, firm.
For a moment, neither spoke. Two humans standing before the galaxy's assembled might.
Her gaze lingered on him. "Your knowledge spheres. My warriors speak of nothing else since we arrived on Aethelia Prime." A pause, the faintest curve of her lips. "They say even the Lexarians flinched."
Adrian allowed the hint of a smile.
"Lexaria built their empire on controlling what others could learn. We simply reminded them that truth doesn't ask permission."
Kaelith's smile widened, genuine amusement flickering in her eyes.
She leaned slightly closer, her tone dropping for his ears alone. "There will be noise tonight, Patriarch. Words of trade, alliances, flattery. When the feast ends, I would like to have words with you. Away from this stage."
Her voice carried no threat, the request of an equal.
Adrian studied her for a heartbeat. In her eyes, he didn't see the calculation of the Aethelian nobles, nor the disdain of Lexaria's envoys. He saw recognition. Another human who had clawed their way into the ranks of the galaxy's most powerful.
Someone who understood what it meant to stand alone among empires.
He gave a short nod. "Then I'll be there."
Kaelith straightened, the faintest ghost of a smile tugging her lips again before she turned and moved on.
Her warriors parted smoothly as she passed.
Varik leaned closer, whispering. "My lord… she leads one of the Volkrith Empire's strongest military clans. To ask for a private word…"
His voice carried both warning and curiosity.
Adrian's gaze lingered on her retreating figure. "Which is exactly why I'll hear it."
Varik fell silent, though his expression remained thoughtful.
Hours passed. The banquet's glow dimmed.
Servants moved through the tiers.
Adrian sat in quiet reflection as more offers and alliances came and went. He navigated each with precision, accepting none that sought to chain, only those that could build.
Each conversation was a test, a negotiation, a step in the dance that would determine Origin's place in the galactic order.
By the time the music shifted to its final movements, Adrian had spoken with representatives from six empires and dozens of clans.
Some would become partners.