Harley was the first to speak, and what she wasn’t very surprising to them, but it put most of them out of their reverie to open their eyes to the bigger picture.

"Darling, whatever you want to do, I will follow you, even if it means rewriting my existence. Besides, I’m your soulmate. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I don’t have any qualms about it." She said with a beautiful smile that made Ethan’s heart thump loudly.

’Damn! I’ve fallen in love!’ He thought.

’We can hear you, honey.’ Clara’s voice echoed in his head, making him blush in embarrassment.

"Will I get your hair?" Delphina asked with more than enthusiasm. Her eyes were glowing with a light that said, "Don’t you dare say No!"

"Of course, my love," Ethan replied with a mischievous smile that mirrored Delphina’s own. They were truly father and daughter. The apple really didn’t fall far from the tree. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"What of my Sin? Will it be destroyed?" Regnare asked, his voice solemn.

"Hahaha! You’re too emotional these days. Of course, it won’t be destroyed. It will become better. That, I can assure you," Ethan responded with a laugh, while turning towards his brother, Trevor.

"What? You know my answer already," Trevor answered with a mischievous smile, the same smile he always gave Ethan in their younger days, when they were just best friends. Two mischievous friends who topped their class always.

The smile reminded Ethan of when they didn’t even know they were brothers, related by blood and the same father. One was now a king and the other an emperor.

"That’s why I love you..." Ethan said, wiping nonexistent tears from his eyes.

"I’m straight!" Trevor said with a cold grin.

"This fucker..."

"Well... I don’t have any qualms either," Lamair said suddenly, stopping Ethan and Trevor from escalating their banter.

"You didn’t have a choice in the first place..." Ethan said with a glare.

"I suddenly feel like ripping someone’s mouth off their face..." Lamair’s tone made Silver and Christopher shiver in their seats. Christopher was already sweating buckets, while Silver was screaming inside. Just how powerful were they?!

"Dad? Mom?" Trevor asked their parents, who had remained silent all this time.

"Well... I can’t really change my race since I’m not a mortal to begin with, but your mother needs it. She’s already hit her peak; a little push would be needed. I can’t do that, or else she becomes something... But this would be good for her. But it is her decision," Zark said with a smile, his eyes moving to Madeleine.

"Mom?" Ethan and Trevor spoke at the same time.

"Well... I’m in!" Madeleine said with a beautiful smile.

"We are all in!" Clara spoke for Ethan’s other wives, earning him a relieved smile.

"If Trev is in, then I’m in," Emily said with conviction. Sixtie just nodded. Amara just smiled like she was finally going to give birth, confusing all of them, while Trevor just gave an embarrassed smile.

Lusamine and Cassandra gave their consent too. They’d do anything to get stronger and be with their husband.

As for their children, once Regnare and Delphina accepted, they also accepted. Whether it was good or bad, they didn’t care. They just wanted to look cool like their uncle!

"Your majesty..." Andriel’s father, Prime Minister Guilde, began carefully, fingers interlaced as statesmanship and concern wrestled on his face.

Ethan raised a hand before the words could fully form.

"No," he said gently, but with a firmness that left no room for argument. "Not here."

The room stilled.

He turned fully toward Guilde, the weight of empire peeling away from him in layers that only those closest could truly perceive. His voice softened, not weakened, softened.

"Call me Ethan," he continued. "In this place, I am not an emperor."

A faint smile touched his lips, tired but sincere.

"You stood between my people and collapse when I wasn’t there. You raised your daughter into someone who chose me not because of power, but despite it. You earned the right to speak to me as family long ago."

Guilde froze.

Not because of pressure.

Not because of fear.

But because for the first time in centuries of politics and survival, someone had stripped a throne bare and spoken to him as an equal.

Around them, the atmosphere shifted. Not dramatically. Subtly. Like a knot loosening.

A few in-laws exhaled without realizing they’d been holding their breath. Andriel’s eyes shimmered, pride and emotion colliding in silence.

Ethan lowered his hand.

"Titles are tools," he said quietly. "Useful ones. Dangerous ones. But they don’t belong in a room like this."

His gaze swept over everyone present, siblings, lovers, parents, calamities, and monsters alike.

"This conversation doesn’t need an emperor," he finished. "It needs a family."

"Then... I will be in your care." Prime Minister Guilde said with a faint bow.

"I will gladly take care of you. And as for what you really want... she will come to you soon," Ethan said with a mysterious smile, making Andriel and her father’s eyes widen in shock. They knew what he was talking about.

As for his other in-laws, Lisa’s parents didn’t care as long as their daughter was fine. Carmen’s parents were the same. Clara’s parents, Pisces’ mother... all of them were cool with it.

Ethan then turned to his half-siblings, Silver and Christopher. Trevor wanted to talk since he was their direct sibling and elder brother, but Madeleine stopped him.

"Did..." Ethan started.

"If we become primords, will we have to leave our responsibilities and the family?" Silver asked, her red eyes glowing with a deep light.

"Do you want to leave your responsibilities?" Ethan asked in return, causing a staring contest that lasted for a minute.

A long minute of silence.

"It doesn’t matter, Silvie. We accept," Christoper spoke with a tired sigh.

"But..." Silver wanted to retort.

"The family doesn’t need us, and you know it. Big brother’s influence is the thing protecting us, but for how long? I know you really love the family, but whatever has happened up until now is because of their machinations. Father was a victim. Brother Ethan was a victim. Brother Trevor was a victim. Mother was a victim. Mother Madeleine was a victim. Now... we are also victims, and would only end when we are no longer in existence. Do you want to live in a family that would do everything in its power to remove you from existence?

Even if we are vampires because of big bro, vampires can die. Do you want that?" Christopher spoke, removing his spectacles and revealing deep golden-red eyes. Eyes that caused chills in the room, even Trevor was affected weirdly. Kraken, Emma, and Lilith weren’t spared either.

"A dhampire..." Lilith spoke with shock and wide eyes.

"Brother?" Delphina muttered, her golden eyes glowing intensely, prompting Christopher to put on his glasses.

"So... that’s her race. She’s a dhampire," Ethan said with a smile.

"Silver... make a decision now!" Christopher said in a cold, but affectionate tone.

"I’m sorry, big brother Ethan and Trevor. I was being foolish to ignore the truth. I accept the change," Silver said with a bow.

"I’m glad you made the best decision," Ethan said with an acknowledging smile.

Reginald, Jerry, and Thomas accepted the racial change as well as their families. In fact, all eight kings of Anbord were present, and they accepted Ethan’s offer. From today, the hierarchy of Anbord would be set in stone and be permanent.

He then turned to Lilith, Kraken, Emma, and Xander, the only strangers there.

Xander spoke first, and what he said surprised Ethan a lot.

"I was adopted by my mother, Lilith, after my family died in a war among some demon kings. I’ve heard a lot about the great Demon Emperor Lucifer. The only one who could make the Dragon Emperor shake in fear. I know... that you’re not him, at least not in reality, but I can feel his power in you. Can you show me something... anything to convince me that you’re truly my new father? The one chosen by Fate for me?"

Ethan just smiled and raised his right hand. Power slowly gathered around his hand, and a dark presence covered the room. A projection of a being with six horns and deep crimson-purple eyes materialized behind him, radiating a malevolent energy that felt like death, blood, despair, and everything negative.

"Demonic energy... but different?" Xander spoke in shock, turning to Lilith, but Lilith shook her head.

"That is chaos energy... what Lucifer was made of. Negativity, malevolence, curses, destruction..." Lilith said, breathing in deeply, her cheeks flushing the more she spoke.

"I see... I’m sorry for asking this of you," Xander hurriedly bowed, but Ethan approached him and raised his head by the chin, a smile on his face.

"You are my son. It’s fine to ask something of me. Although my path, concept, and essence are the opposite of chaos, I was once Lucifer, a being of chaos. It is still within me, but now controlled. That is why you are my son."

"So..."

"Do you accept to live with me forever?"

"Yes!" For the first time in decades, Lilith saw Xander smile with enthusiasm. His whole mood screamed of relief, happiness... a child who had finally met his father, and she was glad.

"If Xander accepts, then I do. I may be rushing, but we can catch up later on things after everything," Lilith said, causing Ethan to look at her in surprise.

"Why is there something on my face?" Lilith asked with a faint blush and an embarrassed look, making everyone look at her in shock.

Just who was she?

"You are as beautiful as I remembered..." Ethan replied to her with a faint smile, causing her to hide her face in her hands while her tail swayed rapidly.

Now it was time for Emma and Kraken.

Emma looked Ethan straight in the eyes and said, " I will accept as long as my family is part." Ethan, hearing this, just patted her on the head and said, "Of course. Anything to finally have our epic battle."

"Will it happen before you change our races?"

"If that’s what you want..."

"Accepted!"

Kraken just stood up, walked up to Ethan, and kissed him on the lips, shocking everyone.

The audacity! Even Lilith was shocked to the core. Kraken was really in a league of her own.

"I take that as yes?"

"That was my first kiss. Cherish it!"

"I will, my little octopus..."

"I’m not an octopus!"