Elijah had never felt so restless.

The unsettling prison-like look of the room always seemed to strike him as eerie. He planted his legs on the table, leaning back and shifting restlessly. He drummed his fingers on the sleek table, across which another chair was kept. He gazed around at the white tiles. Peaceful. And yet his heart found none of the calmness that the room radiated. 

He knew that he didn't have much time to ponder over his mistakes. 'Always forward,' as his grandfather said. He felt guilty for the way he had lashed out at Mitchell and let his feelings get the better of him. Regret bubbled in his stomach and he wondered vaguely if apologizing would somehow make it better. Mitch had after all been a valuable asset, and Elijah's arrogance had incurred Skyline the devastating loss. 

He glanced at the clock in the meeting room. It was almost eight, and his grandfather would be arriving at any time. It was indeed a discomforting thought.

Sure enough, as soon as the thought formed in his mind, the glass door opened and Andreas Victor Ellerman walked in. Elijah bowed respectfully as Andreas nodded, taking a seat in front of him. Elijah subconsciously clenched his fists, suddenly finding the air in the room suffocatingly warm somehow. 

"Sit," Andreas commanded curtly, and his heart started racing in trepidation. "How are you keeping?"

Elijah didn't answer at first before forcing a smile and answering rhetorically, "Splendid."

Andreas nodded, interlinking his fingers and resting his elbows on the smooth white table between them. His cold eyes looked severe, narrowed and pensive as if they could stare into Elijah's very soul. Despite the bright white glow of the room, his irises remained cataclysmically dark somehow. "Tell me, Elijah, how long has it been since I entrusted you with the simplest of the tasks?" 

Elijah gulped, staring at the desk and averting his grandfather's eyes. "I...about a month."

Andreas sighed and leaned backwards. "Have there been any developments?"

Elijah took a deep breath. "I..." he didn't know how Andreas would receive the news, but he continued regardless. "I kind of...trashed his room. Tried to threaten him to leave. But-'' he continued hurriedly after seeing the disheartening disappointment in his grandfather's eyes. "He got into the team, and now it is difficult to get rid of him because I'm the captain and we're-'' he gulped, trying hard not to show his trepidation, "-already running a little...short." 

Andreas nodded solemnly. "I see."

He sighed deeply, his eyes narrowed as if contemplating his grandson for the millionth time. He sat up straight and glared at Elijah with his grey, unforgiving eyes. "Your plans are highly subtle and reflect the intelligence of a twelve-year-old. Not to mention that your team seems to matter more to you than your own future."

"It doesn't," Elijah flinched at the cold jab. "My plan was not the best," he admitted. "But...it's difficult."

Andreas stared at him. "It hurts me that Meredith decided to drop out of Arvinna. She would have made a much more capable ruler than you."

Elijah tried hard to keep his face impassive as the monster of envy writhed in his stomach. The wrathful serpent that he was so ashamed of. The one he always struggled to tame. "She was afraid of the contest. The obstacles."

"Meredith Azaelia Ellerman is twice the fighter you are, Elijah," Andreas said ruthlessly. "Do not flatter yourself by thinking otherwise. However, she is a fool to love deeply. Which will never let her stand against her brother." His eyes flashed. "Evelyn is out of the question- she never expressed any desire to sit on the throne. Although she already shows more resilience at her age than you do at yours."

Elijah didn't say anything, trying with all his might to meet Andreas' unflinching gaze even as icy shards pricked his heart. Silence fell before he finally spoke, "If you feel so threatened by Ezekiel, will it not be prudent to make amends instead? Get him on our side? "

He felt like a traitor even as he said those words and found himself deflating under his grandfather's deathly glare. He bit his tongue, immediately regretting speaking his mind. 

"I am certain that Ezra would be happy to see you fraternizing with his murderer. Indeed an exceptional tribute," Andreas' eyes flashed as Elijah flinched. Icy shards pierced his insides at the mention of his deceased elder brother. "I have told you of my suspicions about the bastard. He is certainly stronger than you. And once fully trained, you will stand no chance against him, and the monarchy will fall."

"He's nothing but an explosive piece of junk," Elijah said, frustrated. "He has no control over his powers." He lifted his palm, where a small, controlled tornado was forming. "I am a hundred times the man he is. I do not understand your concerns about him."

"You are a fool," Andreas said, his eyes so cold that Elijah winced. "We have only witnessed a mere fraction of his power. What could have killed half the people at the party was also a mere decimal. Do you not understand? He is but a massive globe of fire, and so far, we have only experienced flares- which has been enough to burn everything to ashes. Given proper training, his powers are unimaginably limitless."

Elijah fidgeted anxiously. "What do you want me to do then?" 

"I want you to grow up. Become a sensible and reliable man. I want you to gain some wisdom. But alas-'' Andreas sighed, "I can see that will take a few aeons to achieve." 

Elijah's face grew hot as Andreas continued taunting him. "For now," he took a deep breath, "I want you to cripple him. Do whatever you want. I shall take care of the consequences- if any."

Elijah blinked rapidly. "What? You mean...kill him?"

Andreas didn't flinch. "I said cripple. In whatever way you see fit."

Elijah stared dumbstruck at his grandfather. "I...I can't do that."

 "Then I suggest you step down and hand the crown to the bastard before he humiliates you publicly and annihilates our dynasty,"  Andreas said cruelly. His voice dripped with mirth as he continued, "Harsh decisions need to be made as a ruler, Elijah." His voice seemed to soften momentarily. "Why must you not anyway? He didn't flinch when your brother was buried." 

Hot flashes of anger surged through Elijah as he nodded, feeling like a stranger had control over him instead.

"The Vartiyahs will be arriving in a month, I expect," Andreas said. "You have until then. I do assume that they would not be pleased to truly understand the extent of his powers...even so-" he sighed, letting his words hang in the air as he left the room without an epilogue. 

Elijah stared at his receding back for a while, his heart a turmoil of catatonic emotions.