GOD OF WAR WITH POWERS

Chapter 8

The sound of the front doorbell echoed through the mansion, interrupting the tense silence that had settled over the room. Ethan stood by the window, his arms crossed, watching as the butler appeared at the entrance. The man was as composed as ever, his face neutral, though Ethan could sense that something was off.

A moment later, the butler entered the room, holding a sleek black envelope, sealed with an elegant red wax stamp. His movements were calm, but the weight of the situation hung in the air like a storm cloud.

"Master Ethan, a letter has arrived for Miss Felicia," the butler said, his voice even and respectful. He extended the envelope toward Felicia, who was sitting near the edge of the couch, her arms still crossed, eyes narrowed.

Felicia's eyes flickered toward the butler, but the moment she saw the envelope, her expression shifted. Her lips parted slightly, and for the first time since she had entered the room, she looked uncertain.

"A letter?" Felicia asked, though she didn’t take the envelope from the butler. Her tone was skeptical, almost accusing.

The butler, however, remained unmoved. “Yes, Miss. It is addressed directly to you.”

Felicia reached out with a trembling hand, her fingers brushing over the envelope. The wax seal was a deep crimson, and there was no mistaking the elegance of its design. The insignia was unmistakable—the symbol of the family’s monarchy, the one that had been lost to the world for years. It was a mark of authenticity that no one could fake.

Felicia’s eyes narrowed. She hesitated before carefully breaking the seal, her eyes scanning the contents. As she read the words, her face began to shift from disbelief to shock. Slowly, she lowered the letter, her gaze drifting toward the grandfather.

“This…” Felicia began, her voice faltering. “This can’t be real.”

The grandfather, who had been sitting back with his arms crossed, suddenly sat forward. His expression darkened as he stared at the letter. “Let me see that,” he snapped.

Felicia handed the letter to him with a reluctant hand, her eyes flickering nervously as she glanced at Ethan. The old man snatched the invitation from her grasp, unfolding it with a quick, practiced motion. He scanned the contents, his brows furrowing further with each passing second.

The room fell silent. Ethan could feel the tension building, the atmosphere crackling with unease. It was as though the entire family was holding their breath.

“Well, well, well,” the grandfather muttered, his voice laced with disbelief. “This can’t be. It must be a mistake.”

Ethan watched with quiet amusement as the grandfather tried to make sense of the invitation. The old man’s eyes darted across the words, his mind working furiously to find a reason to dismiss it. But there was no denying what was written there—the official invitation to join the monarchy, addressed to Felicia, to be welcomed back into the fold after years of absence. It was genuine, undeniable.

“You’re telling me this is real?” the grandfather demanded, his tone sharp. His eyes flickered to Ethan for a moment, as if searching for an explanation, but the confidence that radiated from Ethan only seemed to enrage him further.

Ethan said nothing, letting the grandfather stew in his confusion.

The grandfather’s hand trembled slightly as he lowered the letter. “No, this can’t be right. There’s no way they would—” He broke off, looking up, his face twisted in frustration. “They can’t just invite her back. This is a lie. It’s a trick!”

Felicia was still silent, her mouth dry, her mind racing. The words of disbelief hung in the air, but they didn’t seem to affect her the way they had the grandfather. There was something more in her eyes now—a glimmer of hope, of ambition. She knew what this meant.

“You think they’re playing some kind of game with us, Father?” Felicia’s voice was steady now, though there was an edge to it. “You really believe this is some kind of mistake?”

The grandfather snapped his head toward her, his anger rising. “I don’t care what it says, Felicia! The monarchy wouldn’t send an invitation like this. Not after everything that’s happened.” He stood up suddenly, his chair scraping violently against the floor as he paced around the room. “This must be a mistake. A test, maybe.”

Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle, a small, knowing sound that only seemed to irritate the grandfather even more. “A test, you say?” Ethan’s voice was smooth, his words careful. “And how do you plan to prove that, exactly?”

The grandfather turned sharply to face him, his eyes flashing. “Don’t test me, Ethan,” he growled. “You’ve been gone too long to know how things work now.”

Ethan smiled coldly, his eyes narrowing with quiet amusement. “I’m sure I’ll catch up, just like you will, eventually.”

The grandfather didn’t respond, his attention momentarily turning back to Felicia. But the tension in the room was palpable. It was as if everyone knew that something had shifted, that the status quo was about to be shattered.

“What’s going on here?” came a new voice from the door.

Ethan turned to see Lily standing at the entrance, her eyes wide with confusion. She looked between Felicia, the grandfather, and Ethan. There was an unmistakable sense of unease in her posture. “What’s all this about?”

Felicia’s voice was sharp as she spoke, clearly still trying to process the weight of what was happening. “Apparently, I’ve been invited back into the monarchy. The invitation came just now.”

Lily’s brow furrowed. “What? You?” She turned to her grandfather, who looked as though he was about to explode. “Is this true?”

The grandfather took a deep breath, his face flushed with frustration. “I don’t believe it,” he muttered, glaring at Ethan. “But this—this is happening. I’ve been proven wrong, and I don’t like it one bit.”