"A week ago, I was a simple young man who was mostly concerned with where his next decent meal was coming from. Everything since then has been moving faster than I've been able to fully process, and standing here right now, looking at all of you, still feels like something that's happening to someone else."
He paused, looking across the room at the gathered faces.
"But I'm here. And I understand what this place is and what my name means and what you've been waiting for. I can't promise I'll be everything you imagined, because I don't know yet what I'm capable of. What I can promise is that I won't waste what I've been given.
I'll become the man this house needs, and I'll do it properly."
He let that sit for a moment.
"That's all I have."
The hall was quiet for a breath.
Raani stood up and appreciated Jake.
