Chapter 74 – The Council of Chains

In the capital, the great spires of the Dominion towered like spears piercing the heavens. Within their marble walls, torches flickered against gold-veined stone, casting long shadows over the High Council chamber.

The air was heavy, not with incense or ceremony, but with unease.

“Reports confirm it,” said Lord Verdan, his voice sharp as steel. He dropped a bloodstained banner onto the table. “The abyss was forced back… not by divine wards. Not by prophecy. By him.”

The chamber erupted in murmurs. Some scoffed in disbelief; others shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet each other’s eyes.

“He wields shadows,” spat Lady Irielle, her rings glinting in the firelight. “The very essence of the abyss. You would have us call such a creature a savior?”

“A savior, or a curse, makes no difference,” countered General Kaelor, his scarred fists slamming against the table. “Our armies return alive. Cities still stand. Without him, you would have no walls to cower behind.”

The debate spiraled, voices colliding like storm winds, until the High Seer raised her hand. The chamber stilled. Her veiled face revealed nothing, but her words cut deeper than any blade.

“The prophecy spoke of a hero born of light. Yet this Kael rises from erasure, cloaked in shadow. Either the prophecy lies… or he does.”

Silence. The possibility itself was heresy.

Lord Verdan leaned forward, eyes gleaming with ambition. “If he is not written in the scrolls, then he is not bound by them. Such power must be chained—or struck down—before it unravels the world.”

Some nodded grimly. Others hesitated. The decision carried more weight than war itself.

Finally, the Seer spoke again, her voice echoing like judgment.
“Prepare the Chains of Origin.”

Gasps filled the chamber. The Chains—artifacts said to bind even gods. Weapons of last resort, hidden for centuries.

“If Kael is ally, they will hold him harmless. If he is foe…” The Seer’s veil tilted slightly, as though she smiled beneath. “Then the abyss itself will drag him into silence.”

Outside, bells tolled midnight. And somewhere far beyond the Council’s reach, Kael stood in the ruins of the battlefield, unaware that the world he just saved had already begun sharpening its knives against him.