The chamber had not been opened like this in over six centuries.
Not since the first Sovereign fell.
Seven thrones formed a circle of white stone, each carved from relic marble that drank power instead of reflecting it. Normally, they glowed softly, passive and ceremonial.
Now they bled light.
Runes ignited along the floor in concentric rings, burning through suppression wards that had not been touched since they were laid by hands now dust. The chamber trembled as ancient seals cracked open, one by one, releasing pressure that had been held for generations.
“The Alpha line is destabilizing,” one Councilor hissed. “The shadow fragment is active.”
Another rose abruptly. “Not fragment. Host.”
Silence slammed down.
“The bond has aligned,” a third said quietly. “The convergence has be
