The last echoes of laughter still lingered in the halls when Robert closed his chamber door behind him. Silence pressed in, thick and heavy, so different from the roar of voices and clattering cups. He let out a long breath, shoulders easing as if only now he could admit how exhausted he was.
The James clan was gone. That danger had ended. But the Walker clan… That was another storm entirely. Robert knew one truth more clearly than ever: Their family was too small, too fragile, to stand against such power without preparation.
He sat on his bed and ran a hand through his hair. We need to grow. We need more warriors, more cultivators… Information above all else. Without it, we will always be blind before the next strike.
With a steadying breath, he summoned the one thing that gave him confidence—the system.
A faint shimmer lit the room, and before his eyes, a glowing screen extended across the air:
[System Status]
Name: Robert Osborn
