The morning after Ethan’s revelation, the family gathered in the main hall.
Word had spread quickly. The Iron Ghost was real. His sword was proof. His voice could be heard by those who touched the blade. The Blackwood Family had a guardian again.
But not everyone was celebrating.
Ethan stood before the crowd, Arthur’s sword in his hand. Beside him stood Eleanor, her expression carefully neutral. Behind them, the elders watched with sharp eyes.
"I have something else to tell you," Ethan said. "About our history. About the truth we’ve forgotten."
The hall fell silent.
"Most of you know the name Silas Blackwood."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Several faces darkened.
"The Betrayer," someone muttered.
"Yes. The Betrayer." Ethan paused. "But what if I told you that the story we’ve been told is not the whole truth? What if I told you that Silas was not a traitor by choice, but a victim of the demons?"
The murmurs grew louder.
"That’s impossible."
"He opened the gates."
"He killed our ancestors."
Ethan raised his hand.
"I thought the same thing. Until I found his journals. Until I read his words. Until I learned what really happened."
He told them.
He told them about the demon who came in the night. The threat against Eleanor, their ancestor’s sister. The impossible choice Silas was forced to make. The moment he realized he had been deceived.
When he finished, the hall was silent.
Then Thomas stepped forward.
His face was pale with rage.
"You expect us to believe this?" Thomas demanded. "You expect us to feel sorry for the man who destroyed our family?"
"I expect you to listen to the truth."
"The truth?" Thomas laughed bitterly. "The truth is that Silas Blackwood was a coward. He chose to save one life and doomed thousands. He is the reason we are weak. He is the reason we are dying."
Ethan met his gaze.
"He was manipulated. He was threatened. He made a mistake."
"A mistake?" Thomas’s voice rose. "He killed our ancestors. He killed Arthur. And now you want to bring him back?"
"I want to give him a chance to make things right."
"Make things right?" Thomas shook his head. "You are a fool, Ethan. You always were."
He turned and walked away.
The division spread through the family like a disease.
Some believed Ethan. Some believed Thomas. Others simply didn’t know what to believe.
By midday, half the family had stopped speaking to the other half. By evening, the tension was palpable.
Ethan sat alone in the training grounds, watching the sun set.
『 Family Faith has decreased. 』
『 The division is weakening belief. 』
Ethan closed his eyes.
"I know."
『 Thomas’s resentment is feeding Silas’s shadow. 』
『 You need to resolve this before the manifestation can continue. 』
Ethan was silent for a long moment.
Then he asked, "Where is Thomas now?"
『 The old watchtower. Where you found the journals. 』
Ethan found Thomas standing at the edge of the watchtower, staring out over the mountain.
The wind was cold. The sky was dark. Neither of them spoke for a long moment.
Then Thomas said, "I know why you’re here."
"Then you know what I’m going to say."
"You’re going to tell me I’m wrong. That Silas deserves forgiveness. That I need to let go of my anger."
"No."
Thomas turned.
Ethan met his gaze.
"I’m going to tell you that I understand."
Thomas’s expression flickered.
"Understand what?"
"Your anger. Your pain. The feeling that everything is falling apart and no one is doing anything about it."
Ethan stepped closer.
"You’ve been carrying this family on your shoulders for years. You’ve watched it decline. You’ve watched it suffer. You’ve done everything you could, and it still wasn’t enough."
Thomas’s jaw tightened.
"And now I come back. After five years. And suddenly I have all the answers."
"You do have answers."
"I have a plan. But I don’t have your experience. I don’t have your strength. I don’t have your connection to this family."
Ethan paused.
"I need you, Thomas. Not as an enemy. As an ally. As a brother."
Thomas was silent for a long moment.
Then he said, "I don’t trust Silas."
"Neither do I."
"And I don’t trust you."
"That’s fair."
Thomas’s lips twitched. He threw the ghost of a smile.
"You’re impossible."
"I know."
Thomas looked out over the mountain.
"If I help you... if I stand with you... what happens?"
Ethan thought for a moment.
"We bring back our ancestors. We rebuild our family. We destroy our enemies."
"And Silas?"
"We give him a chance. That’s all. Just a chance."
Thomas was silent.
Then he nodded.
"One chance."
『 Family Faith: 50 』
『 The division is healing. 』
That night, Lily woke screaming.
Ethan rushed to her room, his heart pounding.
The twelve-year-old was sitting bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide, her face pale.
"What did you see?"
Lily’s voice trembled.
"I saw Silas. He was standing in the dark. He was... crying."
"Did he say anything?"
"He said... he said he was sorry. He said he never meant for any of this to happen."
She paused.
"He said the demons lied to him. They told him Eleanor would live. But she was already dead when they broke through."
Ethan’s blood ran cold.
"He said he tried to save her. He tried to warn Arthur. But it was too late."
Lily looked up at him.
"He’s not evil, Ethan. He’s just... sad."
『 Warning: Silas’s shadow is reaching out. 』
『 He is trying to communicate. 』
『 He may not be the enemy you believed him to be. 』
Ethan sat on the edge of the bed.
"I know."
The next morning, Ethan stood before the family again.
"This is my last appeal," he said. "To those who believe in Silas. To those who don’t. To those who aren’t sure."
He held up Silas’s journal.
"This is his story. The real story. Not the version we’ve been told. Not the version that makes us feel better about ourselves."
He paused.
"We can continue to hate him. We can continue to curse his name. But that won’t bring back our ancestors. That won’t save our family."
He looked at the crowd.
"We need to forgive. Not forget. Not excuse. But forgive. We need to understand that people make mistakes. That people can change."
His voice dropped.
"And we need to give Silas a chance to make things right."
Silence.
Then Agnes, the oldest of the elders stepped forward.
"I remember," she said quietly. "I remember stories about Silas. Not the Betrayer. The Defender. The one who stood beside Arthur at the gates. The one who fought until the very end."
She looked at Ethan.
"I believe you."
One by one, others stepped forward.
"I believe."
"I believe."
"I believe."
『 Family Faith: 65 』
『 Story Credibility: 45% 』
『 Silas Blackwood’s manifestation progress: 25% 』
『 Arthur Blackwood’s manifestation progress: 40% 』
That night, Ethan returned to the hidden chamber.
Arthur’s voice spoke through the sword.
"You convinced them."
"I did."
"Why?"
Ethan paused.
"Because you told me to. Because you said you wanted to understand. Because he was your brother."
Arthur was silent.
"You’re right," he said finally. "He was my brother. And I failed him."
"How?"
"I didn’t listen. When he came to me, when he tried to explain, I didn’t listen. I just... killed him."
Arthur’s voice cracked.
"I’ve had three hundred years to think about it. And I still don’t know if I made the right choice."
Ethan looked at the sword.
"You’ll have a chance to make it right. We both will."
『 Story Credibility: 45% 』
『 Family Faith: 65 』
『 World Rebuttal: 18% 』
『 Ancestral Debt: None active 』
『 Arthur Blackwood’s manifestation progress: 40% 』
『 Silas Blackwood’s manifestation progress: 25% 』
『 Next Milestone: 50% Credibility — Full Ancestor’s Memories 』