Chapter 107

A violent tremor swept through Starfall’s council archives.

The shelves shook, sending ancient manuscripts and loose documents crashing to the floor. Several candles toppled, their flames spreading across scattered parchment before the guards hurried to extinguish them.

Serath remained seated at the table, staring at the glowing mark on his wrist.

Three chains had broken.

He could feel their destruction through the ancient connection.

And now the fourth was beginning to weaken.

"What’s happening?" one of the guards demanded.

Serath did not answer.

His attention remained fixed upon the crimson symbol.

The First Witness had withdrawn its power from the outer boundaries. Without that support, the mechanisms maintaining the Chamber of Judgment were beginning to fail.

But something was wrong.

The chains should not have deteriorated this quickly.

Even without the First Witness’s energy, the original formation had been designed to preserve its integrity for a considerable period.

Unless someone was deliberately accelerating the process.

Serath’s expression changed.

"No..."

He suddenly understood.

The mark on his wrist was not merely transmitting information.

It was drawing energy.

Someone had turned his connection to the sixth seal into a conduit.

"Get away from me!" he shouted.

The guards exchanged startled glances.

"What?"

"Move away! Now!"

Before either could react, crimson light erupted from Serath’s wrist.

A powerful wave of energy swept across the archive, overturning the table and throwing both guards backward.

Serath screamed.

The mark burned against his skin, sending waves of pain through his arm.

He tried to suppress it using his own spiritual energy.

The effort accomplished nothing.

The connection had been activated through an authority greater than his own.

And whoever controlled it had no intention of allowing him to interfere.

Another tremor shook the chamber.

Then footsteps echoed from the corridor.

Ethan appeared at the entrance.

His gaze immediately settled upon Serath.

"What have you done?"

Serath looked up, his face twisted with pain.

"I didn’t activate it!"

Ethan’s expression hardened.

"Then explain why the foundation is collapsing."

"Someone is using my seal. They’re drawing power through the guardian network!"

Ethan approached.

The crimson light surrounding Serath’s arm grew stronger.

His system immediately reacted.

[Ancient Guardian Connection Detected.]

[Hostile Energy Transfer in Progress.]

[Source: Sixth Guardian Authority.]

[Destination: Chamber of Judgment.]

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

The energy was flowing directly toward the seventh guardian’s prison.

And the rate of transfer was increasing.

"Kaelan!" Ethan called.

The scholar emerged from an adjoining archive room, carrying several manuscripts.

His expression changed when he saw Serath.

"What’s happening?"

"His guardian mark has been activated remotely. Someone is using it to weaken the prison."

Kaelan stared at the glowing symbol.

"Can you stop it?"

Ethan extended his perception.

The connection was deeply embedded within Serath’s spiritual energy. Severing it through brute force could damage the man’s consciousness, possibly killing him.

That would eliminate a valuable source of information.

More importantly, it might not stop the ritual.

The order could have other conduits prepared.

"I can interrupt it," Ethan said. "But first, I need to understand where the energy is coming from."

Serath gritted his teeth.

"The six keepers carry fragments of the original covenant. Our marks connect us to the foundation’s network."

"And someone can activate those marks without your permission?"

"Not normally."

Ethan looked at him.

"Then how?"

Serath hesitated.

"Only someone possessing the original sovereign’s authority could override a keeper’s control."

Kaelan’s expression changed.

"The sovereign?"

Serath nodded painfully.

"Maelius."

Silence settled over the damaged archive.

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"Maelius has been gone for centuries."

"His authority may not have disappeared with him."

Before Ethan could question him further, the crimson mark flashed.

Serath collapsed against the table.

Another surge of energy passed through his body.

Ethan immediately placed two fingers against his wrist.

"Don’t resist."

Serath looked at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"Your resistance is making the connection unstable."

Ethan circulated his cultivation power, forming a thin barrier around the ancient mark.

The system began analyzing its structure.

[Guardian Mark Structure Identified.]

[External Command Override Confirmed.]

[Attempting Energy Isolation.]

The crimson light flickered.

Serath gasped as the pressure upon his consciousness weakened.

Ethan carefully separated the energy flowing through the mark from Serath’s own spiritual power.

The procedure required considerable precision.

If he severed the wrong connection, the backlash could destroy the keeper’s spiritual foundation.

After several moments, the flow finally weakened.

The mark dimmed.

Serath collapsed into his chair, breathing heavily.

Ethan withdrew his hand.

"That should stop the transfer for now."

Kaelan approached.

"Did you break the connection?"

"No. I isolated it."

"Why not destroy it?"

"Because whoever activated the mark might attempt the same thing through another keeper. I want to understand the command before we remove the evidence."

Serath looked toward Ethan.

For the first time, his expression held something approaching gratitude.

"You saved me."

Ethan gave him a cold glance.

"Don’t misunderstand. You’re still responsible for what your order has done."

Serath lowered his head.

"I know."

"Good. Then make yourself useful."

Deep beneath the First Foundation, the crimson-eyed prisoner watched the ancient chains tremble.

Three had shattered.

The fourth was covered in spreading cracks.

He slowly raised his bound arm.

For the first time in centuries, the restraints allowed him several inches of movement.

A faint smile appeared upon his face.

"So the keepers have finally begun their work."

His voice echoed through the sealed chamber.

The sudden interruption of energy from the sixth seal caused the crimson light to weaken.

The prisoner paused.

Then his expression darkened.

"Ethan..."

He recognized the unfamiliar spiritual signature interfering with the formation.

The young king had blocked the transfer.

The prisoner slowly lowered his hand.

"You’re becoming troublesome."

A faint pulse passed through the chamber.

He closed his eyes, extending his consciousness toward the distant Heart.

But the connection did not respond as he expected.

Something was preventing him from reaching the artifact directly.

The prisoner’s expression grew colder.

"You can delay the inevitable."

He looked toward the fourth chain.

"But you cannot restore what has already been broken."

The three shattered restraints lay scattered around the platform.

Their ancient inscriptions had gone dark.

Even if the remaining chains stabilized, the prison would never return to its original condition without considerable intervention.

And the prisoner had waited far too long to allow that to happen.

Ethan returned to the great hall shortly afterward.

Kaelan accompanied him, carrying the manuscripts recovered from the archives.

Serath followed under guard, his wrist wrapped in a cloth inscribed with a temporary suppression formation.

Lysander was already waiting near the entrance.

"The administrative quarter felt another tremor," he reported. "Several buildings have developed cracks."

"Any injuries?" Ethan asked.

"Nothing serious so far. Mira has begun moving residents away from the most heavily affected streets."

"Good."

Lysander glanced toward Serath.

"I heard his seal activated."

"Someone used it to transfer energy into the Chamber of Judgment."

"Someone inside the order?"

"We don’t know."

Ethan approached Maelius’s Heart.

The artifact rested upon its pedestal, surrounded by six faint points of blue-white light.

The seventh marking remained crimson.

But something had changed.

Thin lines now extended from the crimson point toward the other six.

Kaelan noticed them immediately.

"Those weren’t there before."

"No."

Ethan extended his perception.

The system responded.

[Ancient Foundation Network Detected.]

[Outer Boundary Connections: Six.]

[Seventh Guardian Containment: Critical.]

[Remaining Active Restraints: Four.]

Ethan’s expression darkened.

Only four chains remained.

And their stability was deteriorating.

He examined the energy flowing through the Heart.

The original formation was still functioning, but its balance had been severely disturbed.

Power from the outer anchors was being redirected toward the seventh connection.

Someone had altered the network to transfer energy into the prison.

But instead of reinforcing the chains, that energy was accelerating their destruction.

Ethan frowned.

"Kaelan, bring me the diagram of the original covenant."

The scholar immediately unfolded one of the manuscripts.

It depicted six outer pillars surrounding a central structure.

Seven lines connected the pillars to the Heart.

But the seventh line was different.

Unlike the others, it formed a closed circle around the central chamber.

Ethan studied the drawing.

"The seventh connection wasn’t designed to receive energy from the other six."

Kaelan leaned closer.

"What do you mean?"

"It was designed to regulate them."

He pointed toward the circular inscription.

"The outer anchors maintained the First Witness’s boundaries. The seventh connection controlled how much power passed between those boundaries and the Chamber of Judgment."

Serath’s eyes widened.

"Then the sovereign’s authority..."

"Allowed someone to redirect the entire network," Ethan finished.

Lysander frowned.

"Which means whoever controls that authority can destroy the chains without entering the prison."

"Exactly."

Kaelan examined the markings.

"Can we reverse the transfer?"

Ethan considered the question.

The system was already calculating possible methods of stabilizing the formation.

But there was a complication.

The original network had been damaged for centuries.

Several pathways no longer functioned correctly.

And the Seventh Star had deliberately modified others.

Restoring the entire formation would require time they did not possess.

However, Ethan had already repaired one of the outer anchors.

The eastern anchor remained intact.

If he could redirect a portion of its energy through the Heart, he might temporarily reinforce the surviving restraints.

He looked toward the artifact.

"I may be able to stabilize the prison."

Lysander immediately asked, "What do you need?"

"Everyone away from the pedestal."

Kaelan hesitated.

"Ethan, are you certain?"

"No."

The answer caught him off guard.

Ethan continued.

"But if we do nothing, the remaining chains may break before the assembly even begins."

Mira entered the hall at that moment.

She stopped when she saw the others gathering around the Heart.

"What’s happening?"

Ethan briefly explained the situation.

Her expression grew serious.

"Then we should evacuate the surrounding district."

"Continue the precautions you’ve already begun. Move residents away from the oldest foundations, and keep the roads clear."

Mira nodded.

"And you?"

Ethan turned toward the Heart.

"I’m going to prevent another disaster."

She watched him for a moment.

"Try not to cause one in the process."

Ethan gave a faint smile.

"I’ll do my best."

The guards withdrew toward the entrance.

Kaelan remained nearby with his manuscripts, while Lysander positioned himself between the pedestal and the others.

Ethan placed his palm against the protective barrier surrounding the Heart.

His cultivation energy spread slowly.

The artifact responded immediately.

A faint golden light emerged from its surface.

[Ancient Foundation Connection Established.]

[Energy Pathway Analysis Initiated.]

[Warning: Seventh Guardian Interference Detected.]

Ethan ignored the warning and concentrated.

His perception descended through the network, following the connection toward the eastern anchor.

The formation he had repaired remained stable.

Its energy flowed steadily through the ancient foundations.

He carefully redirected a portion of that flow toward the central network.

The Heart brightened.

Kaelan stepped forward.

"It’s responding."

Ethan did not answer.

The process was more difficult than expected.

The seventh connection repeatedly attempted to absorb the redirected energy, forcing him to establish additional barriers around the unstable pathways.

A mistake could allow the prisoner to draw even more power into his restraints.

Ethan gritted his teeth.

His system displayed the changing conditions.

[Energy Redistribution: 18%.]

[Seventh Guardian Interference Increasing.]

[Formation Stability: Improving.]

The Heart pulsed.

A powerful vibration spread through the hall.

Several guards stumbled.

Lysander raised his arm to shield his face from the sudden burst of light.

"Ethan!"

"Stay back!"

Ethan increased his cultivation output.

The golden light surrounding the Heart expanded, forming six narrow streams that stretched toward the ancient foundations.

For a moment, the entire hall seemed to tremble.

Then the energy began flowing smoothly.

[Energy Redistribution: 43%.]

[External Interference Suppressed.]

[Remaining Restraint Stability: Temporarily Restored.]

Ethan slowly withdrew his hand.

The golden light faded.

The Heart returned to its pedestal.

A heavy silence settled over the chamber.

Kaelan approached cautiously.

"Did it work?"

Ethan examined the system’s latest assessment.

"The remaining chains have stabilized."

Lysander exhaled.

"Finally, some good news."

"Temporary good news," Ethan corrected.

The commander sighed.

"Naturally."

Ethan looked toward the artifact.

The seventh marking remained crimson.

The three broken chains had not been restored.

And whoever possessed the sovereign’s authority could attempt another activation.

They had delayed the prisoner’s release.

They had not prevented it.

Kaelan examined the manuscript again.

"If someone possesses Maelius’s authority, we need to discover how they acquired it."

Ethan nodded.

"And whether that authority can be revoked."

Serath suddenly stepped forward.

"There’s something you should know."

Everyone turned toward him.

The keeper looked at the Heart with visible unease.

"The original sovereign’s commands were recorded through a unique spiritual signature. Each instruction carried a mark that ordinary guardians could not reproduce."

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"Meaning?"

"If the command that activated my seal is still present within the network, we may be able to identify its origin."

Kaelan immediately looked toward Ethan.

"Can your abilities trace it?"

Ethan considered the possibility.

His system had already isolated the energy that activated Serath’s mark.

If the command retained enough of its original structure, he might be able to compare it with the ancient records.

"Bring me the oldest descriptions of Maelius’s sovereign seal."

Kaelan hurried toward the archive documents.

Serath remained beside the pedestal, watching the seventh marking.

His expression was troubled.

He had spent years serving the Seventh Star, believing its leaders intended to restore Maelius’s greatest achievement.

But the events of the past few days had exposed serious contradictions in those teachings.

And now someone was using powers supposedly lost centuries ago.

He looked toward Ethan.

"If that command truly carries the sovereign’s authority..."

Ethan glanced at him.

"Then?"

Serath swallowed.

"Then our order may not be following the instructions of its current leaders."

Ethan’s gaze sharpened.

"What are you suggesting?"

"That someone has been directing us through the covenant itself."

Silence followed.

Ethan slowly looked back toward the Heart.

For months, the Seventh Star had coordinated its activities through ancient communication marks.

They had received instructions, prepared rituals, and moved resources according to commands transmitted across the foundation’s network.

But what if those commands had never originated from the people they believed were leading the order?

What if someone had been using the ancient formation to manipulate them?

The possibility was disturbing.

And it would explain why even Serath seemed unaware of the true purpose behind certain preparations.

Kaelan returned with a narrow manuscript.

"I found it."

He placed the document beside the Heart.

A circular symbol had been drawn across its final page.

At its center stood a crown surrounded by seven intersecting lines.

"This was Maelius’s sovereign seal," Kaelan explained. "According to the records, commands issued through the original covenant carried this pattern."

Ethan examined the illustration.

Then he closed his eyes.

His system began reconstructing the command that had activated Serath’s mark.

[Residual Command Signature Detected.]

[Reconstruction Initiated.]

[Signature Comparison in Progress.]

A faint pattern appeared within Ethan’s perception.

Seven intersecting lines.

A central mark.

And a surrounding ring of ancient characters.

The resemblance was immediate.

His eyes opened.

"It’s the same."

Kaelan’s expression changed.

"The sovereign seal?"

"Yes."

Serath stared at him.

"Then..."

Ethan raised his hand.

"Not yet. A matching signature doesn’t prove who issued the command."

He examined the reconstructed pattern more carefully.

There was something unusual about it.

The central mark matched the historical illustration.

But the surrounding characters contained an additional sequence.

The system separated it from the original command.

[Secondary Authorization Detected.]

[Authority Classification: Sovereign.]

[Origin Identification: Incomplete.]

Ethan frowned.

A second authorization.

Someone had used Maelius’s authority, but the command had passed through another source before reaching Serath.

He concentrated.

The system followed the remaining traces.

The signal descended through the ancient network, bypassed the outer anchors, and entered the Chamber of Judgment.

Then it continued deeper.

Beyond the prison.

Beyond the First Witness’s boundaries.

Into an area that did not appear on any map they possessed.

Ethan’s expression changed.

The command had not originated from the Seventh Star’s agents.

Nor had it come directly from the seventh guardian.

It had come from somewhere beneath both prisons.

The system attempted to identify the source.

[Unknown Ancient Authority Detected.]

[Historical Signature Match Confirmed.]

[Designation: Maelius.]

For several seconds, Ethan remained completely still.

Kaelan noticed his expression.

"What did you find?"

Ethan slowly looked toward the ancient manuscript.

The answer seemed impossible.

Maelius had supposedly died centuries ago.

His empire had collapsed.

His followers had scattered.

Yet the command that nearly destroyed the seventh guardian’s prison carried his own authority.

Ethan spoke quietly.

"Someone issued the command using Maelius’s original sovereign signature."

Serath’s face drained of color.

Kaelan stared at him.

"Then whoever controls the formation..."

"Possesses the authority of the man who created it."

Lysander frowned.

"Are you suggesting Maelius is still alive?"

Ethan looked toward the Heart.

"I don’t know."

Deep beneath Starfall, the crimson-eyed prisoner suddenly raised his head.

The ancient chains surrounding him had stopped deteriorating.

He could sense the young king’s interference.

But something else had caught his attention.

A familiar presence had stirred far below the foundation.

For the first time in centuries, the prisoner’s expression changed from arrogance to unmistakable fear.

"No..."

His voice trembled.

"That isn’t possible."

The darkness beyond his chamber remained silent.

Then a faint vibration passed through the ancient stone.

The prisoner stared toward the depths.

"Maelius?"

And from somewhere beneath the First Foundation, a voice answered.

"Did you truly believe I would leave my greatest mistake unguarded?"