LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

In the grand hall of the Borgias Family estate, tension hung in the air like a thick, oppressive fog.

The estate, a sprawling mansion of gothic architecture, sat atop a hill, casting a shadow over the vast lands it controlled.

The halls, usually filled with servants and members of the Borgias lineage, now felt like a mausoleum.

The family had gathered, each of them filled with anxiety, whispers echoing through the chamber.

At the head of the long dining table sat Lyuzen Borgias, the current head of the family.

His eyes darted toward the grand doors every few seconds, as if expecting them to burst open at any moment with news.

His normally composed face was twisted with worry, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Where is the ancestor?!" one of the younger members, a man named Julian, exclaimed, pacing back and forth near the fireplace.

His voice cracked with fear.

"He should have returned by now! It's been hours! He went after Lyerin—this shouldn't have taken this long!"

Across the room, Isabella, one of the more influential members of the Borgias clan, was biting her lip, her sharp eyes narrowing with every passing minute.

"We sent the grand ancestor himself. Do you understand what that means? The man has never failed in his tasks. Not once. If even he cannot be contacted… What in the world has happened?"

Another voice, more shrill than the others, chimed in. "What if Lyerin… What if he…" It was Caterina, a distant cousin who rarely spoke up, but now her voice trembled. "What if Lyerin killed him? What if—"

"Nonsense!"

Lyuzen barked, slamming his fist onto the table. The room fell silent, save for the crackling of the fire.

"You think a mere upstart like Lyerin could best our grand ancestor? The grand ancestor have lived for over three hundred years! He's a seventh-cycle peak mana user, the peak of his power! Lyerin, no matter his secrets, cannot possibly defeat someone like him."

"But Lyerin is not normal, Lyuzen!" Julian shot back, his voice rising. "We know that! He has more than just power—he has knowledge, forbidden knowledge. He has ancient artifacts, things we've only heard about in myths. How do we know what kind of trap he might have set?"

Isabella leaned forward, her fingers steepled in front of her.

"He does have connections to strange forces, and it's as if he's always been two steps ahead of us. Every time we think we have him cornered, he slips away. And now, the ancestor is missing. You have to consider the possibility that Lyerin is far more dangerous than we gave him credit for."

A murmur of agreement spread through the room.

Lyuzen clenched his teeth. He didn't want to believe it—he couldn't believe that Lyerin, the rogue son, who should have served the Borgias Family, could ever be strong enough to overcome the grand ancestor. But deep down, the uncertainty gnawed at him.

"We should send out a search party," Julian suggested, still pacing. "We need to find the grand ancestor and bring him back. If Lyerin has done something—"

"Enough!"

Lyuzen interrupted, rising from his seat. His tall frame loomed over the table, casting a shadow over the others.

"If we send more people after the ancestor, and if Lyerin truly is as dangerous as you suggest, we will only be sending more of our own to their deaths. We need to think carefully. We will not act rashly."

"But Lyuzen," Isabella said, her voice measured but tense, "if we don't act now, if something has happened to the grand ancestor, the Borgias Family could be in danger. Lyerin holds grudges. If he's done something to the ancestor, we could be next."

Lyuzen pinched the bridge of his nose, his mind racing.

He knew the risks, and he knew that the family was on edge.

They had invested so much in this, sending their most powerful member to retrieve Lyerin and his secrets.

Secrets that could elevate the Borgias Family to untold power. But now, the uncertainty was a dagger hanging over them all.

He turned to one of the family's advisors, an older man who had been standing quietly at the back of the room. "Have we received any messages from our grand ancestor? Any signs at all?"

The advisor shook his head, his expression grave. "None, sir. Not a word since he left for the mission."

Julian swore under his breath. "This is insane. He should have contacted us by now. He's never gone silent like this."

"Do you think…" Caterina began again, her voice small, "Do you think the ancestor could be dead?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Lyuzen snapped, though his voice wavered. "The ancestor is invincible. He's survived worse than anything Lyerin could throw at him. He will return, I have no doubt of that."

But even as he said the words, doubt gnawed at the edges of his confidence.

The silence, the lack of communication, it was all too strange.

Too unlike the grand ancestor.

As the panic in the room grew, voices rising, accusations flying, suddenly, Isabella gasped. Her eyes were wide, staring out one of the large windows that overlooked the estate's grounds.

"What… What is that?"

Everyone turned, following her gaze.

Outside, the sky had darkened, though it was still mid-afternoon.

The clouds had taken on a strange hue, swirling as if a storm was about to break. But then something else caught their eyes—something that made Lyuzen's heart skip a beat.

High above, in the sky, an image began to form.

It was faint at first, like a shadow moving behind the clouds. But as they watched, it became clearer, more defined. And it was an image they all recognized.

The figure in the sky was the unmistakable silhouette of someone they knew of and it's not their grand ancestor!

His figure stood tall, as if looking down on them all, a dark and imposing presence. His eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and there was a cruel smile on his face.

"What the hell?" Julian breathed, taking a step back.

"How… How is this possible?" Isabella whispered, her voice trembling.

Lyuzen felt the blood drain from his face. His hands gripped the windowsill as he stared up at the sky. "This… this can't be real."

But it was real. The image of his son hovered above them, watching them, mocking them.

And then, as if in answer to their unspoken fears, something even more terrifying happened.

The sky began to crack.

Like glass shattering, the clouds split apart, and through the cracks, a number appeared.

A massive, glowing number, hanging in the sky, visible for all to see.

Lyuzen's breath caught in his throat. His mind raced, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. And then, as if to break the final thread of his sanity, he heard Julian mutter under his breath.

"What the heck is going on?"

No one answered.

Because none of them had the answer.

All they knew was that whatever was happening, it had something to do with their grand ancestor not coming back. And it was far worse than anything they had ever imagined.

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