Shards of Aether and Shadow

Sereven, High Aether Council

The heavy doors of the High Aether Council creaked open, echoing beneath the glow of the crystals suspended in mid-air. A freezing wind swept down from the distant mountains, seeping through the enchanted windows. The Council members were already assembled, their gazes steeped in suspicion — relics of an age when magic reigned unchallenged. But the world had changed. And so had the stakes.

Lady Veora, mage of the Seal of Sky, stood. Her robe, a flawless white, stood in stark contrast to the weighty atmosphere of the chamber. All eyes turned to her — a commanding figure at the heart of the round table.

— Alrian of Evrel, she began, her voice laced with authority. He was murdered. Or at least, that is what the people will believe. But the killer… the true culprit… is not what he seems.

A ripple of tension spread through the hall. Murmurs stirred like wind through dry leaves.

— He wasn’t slain by an assassin, Veora continued. The magical trace left on Alrian’s body… it’s black Aether. The work of those who lurk in shadow.

She paused, letting her words settle into the minds of her peers.

Silence.
The only sound: the heavy, deliberate breaths of the counselors.

Another mage stood — Master Tharmis. His face was etched with age, unreadable. His silver eyes swept the room.

— Black Aether… he murmured, shaking his head slightly. You mean… the old rites? What they abandoned after the Great Purge? Forbidden magic?

Veora nodded slowly.

— Yes. Which means something far greater is in motion. Someone used those forgotten powers to bring down Alrian. And they left a trace — one we must erase before it becomes a burden.

A younger councilor, silver-haired and slight of frame, spoke up, voice tentative.

— And this… boy, the commoner seen near him — how much does he know? Why did he survive?

Veora turned toward him, gaze piercing through his uncertainty.

— It’s too late to erase everything. He saw what cannot be seen. He touched what only the ancients once knew. If we don’t stop him… he could expose everything we’ve built.

Tharmis studied Veora, uncertain.

— Then we find him. Before he unravels what remains of the balance.

Veora placed a hand on the table. The flame of the orbicrystal at its center crackled softly, casting a flickering green light across her features.

— We also need to understand why Alrian was targeted. He stood atop the Seal of Knowledge. His role went far beyond what he ever imagined. And if he was only the first victim in a greater purge… then we may all be next.

The Council members exchanged silent, knowing looks.
The war they thought long buried was beginning to rise again.

⸻

Outside Sereven, along the mountain paths

Liora stopped, scanning the horizon. Morning wind kissed her skin, and the scent of damp mist filled her lungs. The hunt had begun.
But she was not like the other trackers.

With a swift motion, she pulled a small crystal from the pouch at her belt. A tracking stone, infused with pure Aether. The glow of magic pulsed faintly in her fingers. She closed her eyes and focused.

She knew Kael was near.
But he wasn’t really her target.

Not truly.

No — he was a pawn, a piece on a board far too large for him to see.
But if that boy truly understood what he had witnessed…

Then he was more than a fugitive.
He might be the key to something far greater.
Something she had long hoped for.

Her gaze hardened. Caerion, her partner on this mission, watched her. His features were carved by age, judgment cold and precise. He was older than her. Sharper in his choices. But even he could feel the weight growing.

— If you find him, Liora… you’ll have to tell him the truth. Not just what we’re told to say.

Liora shrugged, her eyes still fixed on the dusty road ahead.

— We’ll see if the boy’s ready to hear everything. But I’ll follow him. For a reason… of my own.

She set off again, resolute.
Caerion followed — just as silent.