Chapter 102

The crimson light gradually faded from Maelius’s Heart, leaving the great hall in an uneasy silence.

Ethan remained before the pedestal, his gaze fixed upon the ancient artifact.

The seventh connection had been established.

But unlike the previous six, it had activated without anyone performing a ritual. Neither Ethan nor the Order of the Seventh Star had completed the covenant, yet something had answered from beneath Starfall.

And according to Serath, that should have been impossible.

"Explain what you meant," Ethan said, turning toward the captured keeper.

Serath stood between two armed guards, his expression unusually pale.

"The seventh guardian was executed centuries ago. His connection to the foundation should have disappeared with him."

"Yet the connection has returned."

"Yes."

"Then either your records are wrong, or someone has found a way to imitate his power."

Serath hesitated.

"There is another possibility."

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"Speak."

"The seventh guardian may never have died."

Kaelan stepped closer, his expression immediately changing.

"But the records specifically describe his execution. Several manuscripts mention that Maelius personally ordered his death."

"Our records," Serath corrected. "Not Maelius’s."

Mira frowned.

"There’s a difference?"

"A considerable one. The order fractured after the fall of the empire. Those who remained loyal to Maelius preserved one version of events. Those who opposed him carried their knowledge into exile."

"And which version did your faction preserve?" Ethan asked.

Serath lowered his gaze.

"The one that justified our existence."

A heavy silence followed.

Ethan studied the man carefully.

For the first time since their encounter beneath Starfall, the keeper appeared genuinely uncertain about the beliefs he had followed for years.

That uncertainty was useful.

A man certain of his convictions could endure threats, imprisonment, and even death. But a man beginning to doubt everything he had believed was far easier to persuade.

Ethan had no intention of wasting that opportunity.

"Kaelan, take him to the archives. I want every contradiction between the historical records identified."

Kaelan nodded.

"And the Heart?"

Ethan glanced toward the artifact.

"Keep the hall sealed. No visitors, no experiments, and no unnecessary contact until further notice."

Mira looked troubled.

"The spring assembly is approaching. Delegates will demand to know why the artifact has been removed from public access."

"We’ll give them an explanation."

"And the Winter Compact?"

Ethan understood her concern.

They had promised that all investigations concerning the Heart would remain open to public scrutiny. Restricting access now would inevitably provoke accusations of secrecy.

But promises had to be balanced against circumstances.

"The compact guarantees accountability," Ethan replied. "It doesn’t require us to allow people to approach an unstable artifact."

Mira considered his words.

"Then the restrictions should be formally recorded."

"Agreed. Have the scholars submit their observations to the council. Everything they’ve discovered remains available for review."

She nodded slowly.

Serath suddenly spoke.

"You still believe those agreements will protect your kingdom?"

Ethan turned toward him.

"What?"

"The forces beneath this city existed before your laws, your council, or your kingdom. Yet you continue speaking as though the world can be controlled through written promises."

Ethan regarded him without expression.

"And your order believed it could control those forces through a ritual it barely understood."

Serath fell silent.

Ethan continued coldly.

"Your methods have already endangered thousands of lives. I suggest you reconsider your qualifications before criticizing mine."

The keeper lowered his head.

Lysander gave a faint smile.

"Shall I take him away?"

"Keep him alive and under constant guard. He still has information we need."

As the soldiers escorted Serath from the chamber, Ethan turned back toward the Heart.

Its seven markings had faded.

Nevertheless, he could still sense the unfamiliar presence lingering within the seventh connection.

Something was watching.

He simply did not know what.

Deep beneath Starfall, the crimson inscription continued glowing.

Within a chamber sealed behind layers of ancient stone, enormous chains stretched across a circular platform.

Seven pillars surrounded the structure.

Six remained dark.

The seventh was covered in crimson markings.

At the center sat a figure whose body had been bound so tightly that several chains appeared embedded in his flesh.

His clothing had long since decayed. His hair fell across his shoulders, concealing most of his face.

Only his eyes remained visible.

They glowed with a faint crimson light.

For centuries, he had remained motionless.

Now his fingers moved.

A chain rattled.

The figure slowly raised his head.

Above him, the distant heartbeat of the First Witness echoed through the foundations.

He listened.

Then a low, hoarse laugh escaped his lips.

"So..."

His voice sounded as though it had not been used in an eternity.

"The Heart has returned."

He struggled against the chains.

Crimson symbols flashed across the platform, and a powerful force immediately pressed him down.

The figure gritted his teeth.

Even after centuries, the restraints remained strong.

But something had changed.

One of the chains had developed a thin crack.

He stared at it for a long time.

Then his laughter returned.

"Maelius."

The name carried centuries of bitterness.

"You truly believed your prison would last forever?"

He remembered the day the chains had been placed upon him.

The final confrontation.

The shattered covenant.

And the face of the man he had once considered his closest companion.

Maelius had called his actions necessary.

He had spoken of sacrifice, preservation, and a future greater than any single life.

But those noble words had not prevented him from imprisoning the very person who had tried to stop him.

The prisoner’s crimson eyes brightened.

"Your empire is gone. Your descendants have forgotten your name. Yet your greatest mistake still sleeps beneath the earth."

Another heartbeat echoed.

The prisoner slowly turned his head toward the darkness beyond his chamber.

"And now someone is foolish enough to wake it."

He closed his eyes, following the unfamiliar spiritual signature that had briefly touched the seventh seal.

A young king.

A strange power.

And a consciousness that had resisted the ancient foundation’s attempt to bind it.

For the first time in centuries, the prisoner felt something resembling curiosity.

Morning arrived beneath a sky filled with dark clouds.

The emergency council assembled before sunrise.

Representatives entered the chamber carrying reports of damaged buildings, frightened citizens, and strange disturbances throughout the eastern district.

Rumors had already spread through Starfall.

Some claimed a buried dragon had awakened beneath the city. Others insisted the Heart had cursed the kingdom for refusing to use its power.

A few even believed Ethan himself had caused the tremors.

Lord Timos was among the first to speak.

"Three warehouses have reported foundation damage. Two merchant houses claim their cellars flooded after the tremors. And now I’m hearing rumors of some ancient creature beneath the capital!"

His voice rose.

"Are we governing a kingdom or sitting atop a disaster waiting to happen?"

Several delegates murmured in agreement.

Neria of Ironwood stood.

"Perhaps if you allowed the reports to be presented before shouting, we might discover the answer."

Timos glared at her.

"My family’s warehouses are at risk!"

"So are everyone else’s homes."

"And what do you propose? That we wait until the ground swallows the eastern district?"

Neria’s expression hardened.

"I propose that we listen before deciding whom to blame."

Ethan raised his hand.

The chamber gradually quieted.

"An ancient structure has been discovered beneath Starfall. It predates the kingdom and appears connected to Maelius’s Heart."

A border representative frowned.

"How dangerous is it?"

"We’re still determining that."

"Then why haven’t the surrounding districts been evacuated?"

"Because the structure has temporarily stabilized. An uncontrolled evacuation would create more danger than the current conditions justify."

Timos leaned forward.

"Temporarily?"

Ethan met his gaze.

"Yes."

"That’s hardly reassuring."

"It wasn’t intended to be."

The nobleman fell silent.

Ethan continued.

"We’ve placed guards around the affected underground passages. Engineers are inspecting damaged buildings, and temporary shelters have been prepared for anyone whose home is considered unsafe."

Mira rose beside him.

"Families displaced by the tremors will receive food and accommodation from the emergency stores. A public report on the damage will be issued by evening."

The announcement eased some of the tension.

But not all.

Kaelan stepped forward with several documents.

"We’ve also confirmed that the organization responsible for the Black Hollow disturbances is connected to the foundation."

He placed an illustration on the council table.

The broken circle surrounding a seven-pointed star.

Several delegates recognized it immediately.

"The Seventh Star," Mira explained. "An ancient order associated with Maelius’s final years."

A merchant representative looked confused.

"How does a forgotten order suddenly possess soldiers, money, and agents inside our capital?"

"Because it hasn’t been forgotten by everyone," Lysander answered.

He placed another document beside the illustration.

"Our investigations show that funds stolen from several merchant accounts were transferred through southern trading houses. Those funds were used to purchase weapons, supplies, and ritual materials."

Timos’s expression darkened.

"Some of those accounts belonged to my family."

"Yes," Ethan replied.

The nobleman straightened.

"And my missing administrator?"

"Still missing."

"Then find him! That man served my household for twelve years. If he’s responsible for this, I want him brought before the council."

"We’re already looking for him."

Timos hesitated.

"And if he wasn’t acting alone?"

Ethan’s gaze swept across the chamber.

"Then everyone involved will answer for their actions, regardless of family or position."

A murmur spread through the assembly.

The implication was clear.

No noble title would provide protection.

Ethan allowed the noise to settle before continuing.

"We have reason to believe members of the order have already entered Starfall. Until they’re identified, security around the Heart and the eastern district will be strengthened."

A border delegate stood.

"Will the spring assembly be canceled?"

"No."

Several councilors exchanged uneasy glances.

Timos looked incredulous.

"You intend to welcome thousands of visitors while enemies operate inside the city?"

"The assembly will proceed under increased security."

"And if the order attacks?"

Ethan’s expression remained calm.

"Then they will face the consequences."

Lysander glanced toward him.

The words were simple, but everyone in the chamber understood their meaning.

They had all heard what Ethan had done to the warlock who kidnapped Lysander.

For some, his strength was reassurance.

For others, it remained a source of fear.

Mira rose.

"The assembly is an opportunity for every province to participate in governing the realm. Canceling it would undermine the Winter Compact when unity is most important."

Neria nodded.

"Then we should strengthen the compact rather than abandon it."

The debate continued.

Some representatives demanded additional soldiers. Others argued that increased inspections would damage trade and provoke unrest.

Ethan listened to both sides before issuing his decision.

The city gates would remain open, but all incoming caravans would undergo additional verification. The military would reinforce important locations, while independent observers recorded the use of emergency powers.

Most importantly, the spring assembly would proceed.

Eventually, the council approved the measures.

The decisions were imperfect.

But they were decisions.

As the delegates departed, Kaelan approached Ethan.

"Do you think that will be enough?"

"No."

Kaelan looked at him.

"Then why..."

"Because we need time."

Ethan glanced toward the darkened windows.

"The Seventh Star has spent months preparing something beneath our feet. We cannot undo those preparations through a single council session."

"What do you intend to do?"

Ethan turned toward the archives.

"Find out what Maelius was truly trying to protect."

And this time, he intended to uncover the truth before the order made its next move.