There were at least a hundred steps leading to the top of the temple.

Lukas loosened his tie in irritation as soon as he reached the top. He huffed, looking around at the spacious walkway that led toward the three temples: one in front, and one on each side.

Suddenly, he spotted someone approaching him.

Straightening his back, he studied the person. He looked like someone who resided in this place. His face was unfamiliar — someone Lukas had never seen before.

Once the man reached him, his polite voice echoed. "This way, please."

He didn’t ask who Lukas was or what he was doing there. He simply motioned in one direction before turning around, glancing back to see whether Lukas was following. With that, he led Lukas toward one of the smaller temples behind the massive one before them.

Lukas followed the man’s lead, taking off his shoes once he reached the temple, his eyes discreetly scanning the entire place. Soon, the person leading him came to a halt in front of one of the old sliding doors.

"They are inside," the man said before lowering his head and walking away without another word.

"..."

Lukas stared at the man for a moment before slowly turning toward the door beside him.

So, beyond this... are the people conspiring behind the master?

His face darkened as a glint flickered across his eyes. All the irritation he had felt from going through such trouble to reach this place disappeared, replaced by nothing but disdain.

Without further ado, he reached for the door and slid it open.

Inside were four people seated around a small rectangular table, comfortably sitting on tatami chairs atop a tatami mat. Their light conversation came to an abrupt stop as the door slid open sharply, and all heads turned toward where Lukas stood.

"Hah." Lukas let out a ridiculing laugh as his eyes swept across the faces around the table. "So it was you people, huh?"

Of course, Lukas recognized them.

All four held significant positions within Dominion — especially one among them, who ranked even higher than Lukas.

Vincent, Director and Official Board Member of Dominion International Branch.

Dante, Minister of Dominion’s Southern Branch Internal Affairs.

Alejandro, Dominion’s Southern Division Head.

And lastly, the man who held a higher rank than Lukas — Hector. A member of Dominion’s top circle, a man who possessed almost equal power to Lucian himself.

"Now it makes a lot of sense," Lukas broke the silence, nodding in realization. "What an interesting group you have here."

The men — all clearly older than Lukas — chuckled.

"We expected your surprise," Vincent said with an approving nod. "After all, who would have thought?"

The others chuckled as they politely turned their attention toward the end of the table, where the High Elder of Dominion, Hector, was seated.

"Why don’t you sit down?" Hector, whose long beard had already turned white with age, looked at the young man still standing. "It will be a long discussion, but I guarantee it will be fruitful."

Everyone turned to Lukas, waiting for him to take a seat.

Lukas drew a deep breath, showing very little resistance, but also very little respect. Even though Hector held a higher rank than him, Lukas answered to only one man: Lucian.

Still, he sat down at the far end of the table.

"Ah." Lukas cleared his throat as he lifted his gaze toward Hector. "Right. Where are my manners?"

He chuckled lightly, adjusting himself until his body slightly faced Hector.

"Thank you for inviting me here, High Elder. Had I known it was you, I would have expressed my gratitude more properly."

Hector laughed heartily, and the others followed along. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"That’s right!" Dante chuckled, raising a finger toward Lukas while looking at the others. "See? I told you! Lukas is a sharp man. He only needs to join us once to understand what this meeting means."

Alejandro, the division head, nodded while laughing. "I was worried before, but now I understand."

"You don’t have to be," Vincent remarked. "It is only natural. Lucian began his reign with blood and fear. He made sure everyone understood what he was capable of and how far he was willing to go. So, it is given you’d be worried if one of his people joined us."

The others nodded in agreement.

As for Lukas, he raised a brow as he studied their relaxed expressions. For people conspiring against the very man they feared, they certainly seemed lively.

"I apologize if this comes across as impolite," Lukas said, watching them all turn toward him, "but I was never told what this meeting was for. The only thing I knew was that this was supposed to be a secret meeting the Black Dragon must never hear about, and that I absolutely had to come."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Otherwise, I would regret it for the rest of my life."

The men’s smiles faded a little as they glanced toward the head of the meeting. Then Vincent, seated closest to Hector, leaned an arm lightly on the table.

"Since you are not yet aware, I will be direct," Vincent said after a brief pause. "There will be a coup."

"A coup?" Lukas furrowed his brows. "A coup... that you intend to start?"

No one nodded or answered. They simply stared at Lukas with small smiles on their faces.

"We cannot give you the details yet," Dante spoke this time. "But we can assure you that there will be a coup, and Lucian will be removed from his seat. It is best for you to make your decision now rather than later. By then, it will already be too late."

Silence descended upon the room, every pair of eyes fixed on Lukas.

Meanwhile, Lukas merely studied their faces before the corner of his mouth curled into a faint smile.

But instead of speaking, he reached for the teapot beside him and poured himself some tea. After all, no one had bothered to offer him any. Not surprising, considering he was not one of them yet.

"Again, I apologize in advance if this comes across the wrong way," Lukas said as he filled his cup. "But if I’m hearing this correctly, you are asking me — the Black Dragon’s left hand and his current legal advisor — to turn my back on him based on nothing more than a few words."

Once the cup was filled, he raised his head and looked at them. This time, the smile on his face was gone.

"It seems the lines in this room have blurred far too much," he added coldly. "Have you forgotten that aside from the High Elder, all of you... are beneath me?"