The Imminent Threat

As Alex walked through the front door, his heart pounded. He knew his mother would be furious.

Joyce looked up from the kitchen, her eyes widening with surprise and anger. "Alex, what are you doing home so early?" she demanded.

He hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "I got suspended," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Joyce's face turned red with fury. "Suspended? For what this time? I told you to stay out of trouble!" She threw down the dish towel she was holding and marched toward him.

"Do you realize what you've done? We can't afford any more problems, Alex!

"Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to explain, "It wasn't my fault, Mom.

Liam and his friends were bullying me again. They insulted you, Dad, and our entire clan. I couldn't just let them get away with it.

"But Joyce was too angry to listen. "I don't care what they said! You need to learn to walk away.

Every time you fight back, you give them exactly what they want – another reason to make our lives miserable.

" She threw her hands up in frustration.

"Why can't you understand that?"Alex stood there, feeling a mix of shame and frustration.

He wanted to defend himself, to make her see that he was only trying to stand up for their family.

But he knew it was no use. His mother was right – his actions had only made things worse.

"How many days suspension?" Joyce asked with a sigh, dreading the answer.

"Two months," Alex replied, his voice barely audible.

"Two months?!" she exclaimed, her anger flaring up again. "Alex, that's practically the rest of the term!"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Explain to me exactly what happened," she demanded.

Alex took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. "Liam and his friends started bullying me again.

They called me names, insulted you and Dad, and even said our whole clan is full of old people because everyone else left or betrayed us.

They said we're cursed."

Joyce's expression softened slightly, but she still looked upset. "And what did you do?"

"I tried to ignore them at first, but then Liam called me a woman because of my pale skin and how I look.

He even insulted you and Dad. I just... I couldn't take it anymore. I fought back."

Joyce shook her head, exasperated. "Alex, I understand why you did it, but fighting isn't the answer.

You have to be smarter about these things. We can't afford to give them more reasons to come after us."

She sighed again, rubbing her temples. "We'll have to deal with this somehow. For now, just stay out of trouble and help around the house.

We need to come up with a plan to handle this situation."

.....

In the royal palace, a secretive meeting was underway.

"Your Highness, we've gathered enough evidence to bring the Aether clan down," one of the nobles declared with a malicious glint in his eye.

"With this, we can finally erase them from this world."

The king leaned back in his opulent chair, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

"Excellent. It's about time we dealt with that troublesome clan once and for all."

The head of the four noble families, the storm, Ember, Thorn, and Zephyr who had orchestrated this meeting, spoke up.

Your Highness, this isn't just about the evidence.

We have to eliminate John's lineage it has always threatened our power.

Their abilities, wisdom, and the loyalty they command among the people are dangerous to our rule.

We cannot allow them to continue existing."

Another noble chimed in, "Their influence has been a thorn in our side for generations.

If we don't act now, they could rise again and challenge our authority.

By erasing them, we secure our future and our children's future."

The king nodded, his expression turning cold. "And how do you plan to execute this?"

"We have already begun spreading rumors about their curse and misfortune, turning the people against them," the head noble explained.

"We'll incite the masses to believe that the Aether clan's existence brings bad luck and disaster.

Withpublic sentiment on our side, we can justify a coordinated attack.

The four families are ready to strike simultaneously. We'll target their homes, their allies, and even their children."

"Make sure none of them survive," the king ordered. "Especially the boy, Alex. He must not live to avenge his family."

"Rest assured, Your Highness," the head noble replied with a sinister grin. "By the end of today , the Aether clan will be nothing more than a memory."

The room fell silent as the gravity of their plot settled in.

They all understood the stakes. This was not just a power grab; it was the complete annihilation of a rival clan.

And they would stop at nothing to see it through.

.....

John worked in the royal palace, performing minor tasks and delivering messages as a slave.

Despite the lowly status, he didn't mind because he had to feed his family and support his clan.

He also kept his head down to avoid causing trouble.

One day, while going about his duties, John heard his name and turned around to see his good friend Ray, who still treated him well despite everything.

Ray seemed to be in a rush and kept looking around nervously.

"John," Ray called in a whisper, "you have to leave here and get your family out of here.

The royal family and the four families are coming to annihilate you."

John's heart pounded in his chest. "What do you mean, Ray? Why would they come after us?"Ray glanced around again, ensuring no one was listening.

"You really don't know why they're after you?" he whispered urgently.

"The king and the four families see your clan as a threat.

They're jealous of your power and influence.

They've gathered enough evidence to justify wiping you out.

You need to leave now before it's too late."