"Confidence…" The old man's lips curled into something between approval and disdain. "Or arrogance. Tell me, boy, which is it today?"
The younger man's molten irises flared hotter, his tone steady. "Neither. It is necessity. It is time you step into the trial world, father. It is not prudent to stay in the dark any longer."
"Hmmm?" The old man raised a brow. "You are ordering me, now?"
The garden seemed to still at the words, as though the very air was holding its breath. The old man's voice hadn't risen, yet each syllable pressed like the weight of the ocean on the younger man's chest.
The golden-eyed son did not flinch. His jaw tightened, but his posture remained unbowed. "Not an order," he said, his voice low and firm. "A warning. The world is shifting faster than even you predicted. If you wait too long, others will seize what should belong to us."
