Chapter 108

Deep beneath the First Foundation, the crimson-eyed prisoner stared into the darkness.

He had heard that voice before.

Centuries had passed since their last confrontation, yet he recognized it immediately.

Maelius.

The artisan-king who had created the Heart, established the covenant, and condemned him to an eternity beneath the earth.

For several moments, the prisoner remained silent.

Then his expression twisted.

"You’re still here?"

The voice answered from somewhere beyond the ancient chamber.

"Only what was necessary."

A faint golden light appeared along the walls.

Ancient inscriptions that had remained dormant for centuries began illuminating one after another.

The prisoner pulled against his restraints.

"Show yourself!"

"There is nothing left for you to see."

The answer made him hesitate.

Then he laughed.

"So that’s what happened. You couldn’t preserve yourself after all."

The golden light brightened.

"My death was inevitable. Yours should have been as well."

The prisoner’s expression darkened.

"Yet you chose to imprison me instead."

"You left me no other choice."

"I tried to save this world!"

"You tried to become its master."

The words echoed through the chamber.

For a moment, the prisoner looked genuinely furious.

"You always believed your judgment was superior to everyone else’s."

"And you believed power would make judgment unnecessary."

The prisoner clenched his fists.

One of the remaining chains tightened around his arm.

He winced, but refused to lower his gaze.

"Your empire is gone, Maelius. Your laws are forgotten, and your precious covenant is falling apart."

"I know."

"Then why interfere? Let the new king decide what becomes of your failure."

A long silence followed.

Finally, the voice answered.

"That is precisely what I intend."

The golden light faded.

The prisoner stared into the darkness.

For the first time since his awakening, uncertainty crossed his face.

"Maelius?"

No answer came.

He struggled against his chains again.

But the ancient restraints remained firm.

And somewhere far above him, the Heart of Maelius began to glow.

Ethan noticed the change immediately.

The artifact’s golden light spread across the pedestal, illuminating the seven markings beneath its crystal surface.

The six outer points remained blue-white.

The seventh was crimson.

But a new symbol had appeared at the center.

A crown surrounded by seven intersecting lines.

Kaelan leaned forward.

"That’s the sovereign seal."

Ethan nodded.

The symbol matched the illustration recovered from the ancient manuscript.

His system responded.

[Original Sovereign Authority Detected.]

[Ancient Spiritual Imprint Identified.]

[Consciousness Preservation Method: Unknown.]

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

A spiritual imprint.

That was different from a living consciousness.

Powerful practitioners could preserve fragments of their thoughts or memories within artifacts. Some could even leave behind instructions that activated under particular conditions.

But such imprints were limited.

They could not normally make independent decisions centuries after their creators had died.

Yet the energy emerging from the Heart appeared unusually complex.

Ethan approached the pedestal.

"Kaelan, move everyone away."

The scholar looked up.

"What are you planning?"

"I want to determine whether this is Maelius himself or something he left behind."

Lysander immediately frowned.

"Is that wise?"

"Probably not."

"Wonderful."

Ethan extended his hand.

A thin stream of spiritual energy entered the artifact.

The Heart responded with a soft pulse.

Then the golden symbol began rotating.

For an instant, the surrounding hall seemed to disappear from Ethan’s perception.

He found himself standing within an unfamiliar chamber.

Golden inscriptions covered the walls. Seven pillars surrounded a circular platform, and at its center stood a figure dressed in pale robes.

The man’s appearance was indistinct.

His features shifted whenever Ethan attempted to examine them.

But the crown upon his head remained clear.

"Maelius?" Ethan asked.

The figure slowly turned.

"So the foundation has finally found another candidate."

Ethan remained cautious.

"Candidate for what?"

"The final judgment."

Ethan frowned.

"You’re the artisan-king?"

"What remains of him."

The figure glanced toward the surrounding pillars.

"My body disappeared long ago. This consciousness was preserved within the covenant to awaken if the original safeguards began failing."

"A spiritual imprint?"

"Something similar."

Ethan studied him.

"Then you’ve been monitoring the foundation all this time?"

"No. I have been dormant. Only the collapse of the seventh boundary could restore this imprint."

Ethan considered the explanation.

It was plausible.

But the command that activated Serath’s mark had carried Maelius’s sovereign signature.

"Did you issue an order through the sixth guardian’s seal?"

The figure remained silent.

Ethan continued.

"Someone used your authority to weaken the chains surrounding the Chamber of Judgment."

Maelius slowly raised his head.

"Then the corruption has reached the sovereign network."

"Corruption?"

"The authority I left behind was divided between the Heart and the foundation. Neither should function independently."

Ethan frowned.

"Yet someone used it."

"Then someone has discovered how to reproduce my commands."

The answer troubled him.

"Who?"

Maelius looked toward the seventh pillar.

"There was only one person who understood the covenant well enough to imitate my authority."

Ethan’s expression hardened.

"The seventh guardian."

"Yes."

"But he’s still imprisoned."

"His body is."

Ethan fell silent.

Maelius continued.

"The seventh guardian was not an ordinary practitioner. He possessed an extraordinary talent for understanding consciousness and spiritual formations. His knowledge eventually surpassed that of every other guardian."

"And yours?"

"For a time."

The admission surprised Ethan.

Maelius looked toward the circular platform.

"He believed the First Witness’s consciousness could be separated from its power. If he succeeded, he intended to inherit that power himself."

"Why?"

"He claimed mankind could no longer afford to depend upon ancient beings. He believed a human ruler should possess the authority to determine the world’s future."

Ethan recalled the prisoner’s earlier words.

He had claimed Maelius was sacrificing human freedom to preserve the covenant.

Perhaps that conviction had been genuine.

But it did not necessarily justify his methods.

"What happened when he attempted it?" Ethan asked.

"The foundation nearly collapsed."

Maelius’s voice grew heavier.

"The Witness resisted. The six guardians struggled to maintain the boundaries, and the seventh tried to force the transfer."

"Did he succeed?"

"No."

Maelius paused.

"But he acquired something before we stopped him."

"What?"

"A fragment of the Witness’s authority."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

That explained why the prisoner could communicate through the foundation despite his restraints.

It also explained why the ancient chains required their own system of containment.

"Then the seven chains aren’t merely restraining his body."

"Correct."

"They’re preventing him from using that authority."

Maelius nodded.

"And if they all break?"

The figure turned toward Ethan.

"Then he will be free to finish what he began."

The illusion trembled.

Golden light flickered along the pillars.

Ethan immediately sensed the instability.

The spiritual imprint was losing energy.

"How do I stop him?" Ethan asked.

Maelius looked toward the central platform.

"Restore the six outer boundaries. Prevent the seventh guardian from establishing another sovereign command."

"And the broken chains?"

"They cannot be restored through ordinary means."

Ethan frowned.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"The Heart possesses an original authority that predates the division of the guardians. It can renew the covenant if someone compatible accepts its responsibility."

Ethan’s expression hardened.

"Another spiritual covenant?"

Maelius did not immediately answer.

"Not necessarily the same one."

"Explain."

"The original covenant required the guardian to share consciousness with the Witness. But after witnessing its dangers, I modified the Heart."

Ethan looked toward him.

"Modified it how?"

"I created another method. One that allowed the bearer to regulate the foundation without surrendering control of their consciousness."

"Then why didn’t you use it?"

"Because the method remained incomplete."

Ethan stared at him.

Maelius continued.

"I lacked the strength to separate my authority from the Witness entirely. By the time I understood what was required, the foundation had already begun collapsing."

"And now you expect me to finish it?"

"I expect you to decide whether it should be finished."

Ethan remained silent.

The words resembled the prophecy recorded beneath the foundation.

The seventh decides.

Perhaps the final position had never been intended for someone who blindly obeyed Maelius’s instructions.

Perhaps the covenant required someone capable of questioning its creator.

"Why did the Heart recognize me?" Ethan asked.

Maelius studied him.

"Because your spiritual power does not originate from the covenant."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

The figure continued.

"The ancient network cannot completely interpret your energy. That makes you resistant to the influence that consumed the original guardians."

Ethan immediately thought of his system.

He had concealed its existence from everyone, including his closest allies.

Even now, he had no intention of revealing it to a consciousness preserved within an ancient artifact.

"Resistance doesn’t mean immunity," Ethan replied.

"No."

Maelius’s expression remained indistinct.

"But it gives you a choice that none of us possessed."

The chamber began dissolving.

Golden inscriptions faded from the walls.

Ethan stepped forward.

"Wait. Where can I find the method you created?"

Maelius raised his hand.

A small golden symbol appeared above the circular platform.

"The final instructions remain beneath the Chamber of Judgment."

Ethan frowned.

"Inside the prison?"

"Below it."

"And how do I reach them?"

Maelius’s form began fading.

"Find the chamber that was sealed before the seventh guardian’s imprisonment."

"Which chamber?"

The answer came faintly.

"The Sovereign’s Rest."

Then the illusion disappeared.

Ethan opened his eyes.

He stood before the Heart once again.

Kaelan, Mira, and Lysander were watching him.

Only a few moments appeared to have passed.

Mira approached.

"What happened?"

"I encountered a preserved consciousness belonging to Maelius."

Kaelan’s eyes widened.

"Maelius himself?"

"An imprint of him. His body has been dead for centuries."

Ethan explained what he had learned.

He described the seventh guardian’s attempt to inherit the First Witness’s power, the fragment of authority he had acquired, and the purpose of the seven chains.

Kaelan listened without interruption.

When Ethan finished, the scholar looked troubled.

"Then both ancient beings were telling partial truths."

"Yes."

"The prisoner opposed the covenant because he believed humanity should control its own destiny. But he also attempted to seize the Witness’s power."

Ethan nodded.

"And Maelius imprisoned him to prevent the transfer from being completed."

Lysander folded his arms.

"That still doesn’t explain why the Seventh Star is helping him."

Serath, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, slowly raised his head.

"Because we were never taught the complete history."

Everyone turned toward him.

The keeper’s expression was grim.

"Our order believed the seventh guardian had been punished for rejecting Maelius’s authority. Some factions considered him a martyr."

"And yours?" Ethan asked.

"We were taught that restoring the seventh connection would allow the foundation to function again."

Kaelan frowned.

"Without knowing what that connection actually controlled?"

Serath lowered his gaze.

"Yes."

Ethan considered the admission.

The Seventh Star had been manipulated through its own incomplete understanding of history.

But ignorance did not absolve its members of their crimes.

"Your order still kidnapped Lysander, murdered soldiers, and stole supplies," he said.

"I know."

"Then help us prevent the consequences of those actions."

Serath slowly nodded.

"What do you need?"

Ethan approached the map.

"Everything you know about the Sovereign’s Rest."

The keeper’s expression changed.

"Where did you hear that name?"

"Maelius mentioned it."

Serath stared at him.

For several seconds, he seemed unable to speak.

Then he whispered, "That chamber was forbidden even to the original guardians."

Kaelan immediately leaned forward.

"Why?"

Serath looked toward the Heart.

"Because it contained the final authority over the covenant."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

"Do you know where it is?"

"Only approximately."

"Then show me."

Serath approached the map.

His finger moved toward the Chamber of Judgment.

Then farther down.

Beneath the seventh guardian’s prison, he marked a small circular area.

"The oldest records describe a passage leading from the judgment chamber into the sovereign’s private sanctuary."

Lysander frowned.

"Then we’ll need to pass through the prison."

"Not necessarily," Serath replied.

He pointed toward another passage.

"This route was sealed before the seventh guardian’s rebellion. If it still exists, it may provide another entrance."

Ethan examined the location.

The passage began near the central foundation, beyond the areas they had already explored.

But something else caught his attention.

The route passed directly beneath the council hall.

He looked toward Kaelan.

"Check the oldest construction records."

Kaelan immediately began searching through the manuscripts.

After several minutes, he found a faded diagram.

His expression changed.

"There is a sealed chamber beneath the council hall’s original foundation."

Ethan looked up.

"How far below?"

"According to this, several levels beneath the lower archives."

Lysander frowned.

"We’ve been walking above it this entire time?"

"Apparently," Kaelan answered.

Ethan studied the diagram.

The chamber was connected to a passage that did not appear on the current city maps.

And at its entrance was a familiar symbol.

A crown surrounded by seven intersecting lines.

The sovereign seal.

Ethan slowly straightened.

"Prepare a team. We’re going down there."

Lysander nodded.

"How many soldiers?"

"Six. The same trusted men who accompanied us before."

"And Serath?"

"He’s coming."

The keeper looked startled.

"Me?"

"You know the ancient formations. If there’s another trap, I’d rather have someone capable of recognizing it."

Serath hesitated.

Then nodded.

"I understand."

Ethan turned toward the Heart.

The golden symbol had already faded.

But the information Maelius left behind remained clear.

Somewhere beneath Starfall lay an unfinished method capable of controlling the foundation without surrendering one’s consciousness.

If Ethan could recover it, he might finally gain the means to stop the Seventh Star.

But if the prisoner reached it first...

He would possess the very authority Maelius had spent centuries preventing him from acquiring.

Far beneath the Chamber of Judgment, an ancient stone door began trembling.

Its surface was covered in golden inscriptions.

For centuries, the entrance to the Sovereign’s Rest had remained sealed.

Now a faint crimson line appeared across its center.

The prisoner sensed the disturbance immediately.

He slowly raised his head.

"So you told him."

His voice carried unmistakable anger.

"Even after death, you continue interfering."

A golden light flickered somewhere beyond the chamber.

But no answer came.

The prisoner laughed coldly.

"It doesn’t matter."

He looked toward the remaining chains.

Four still held him.

Yet the fragment of sovereign authority within his consciousness had grown stronger.

And he no longer needed to destroy every restraint to influence the foundation.

He only needed someone to open the path beneath his prison.

The young king was already searching for it.

The prisoner closed his eyes.

A faint crimson pulse traveled through the ancient network.

Then another.

Somewhere inside Starfall, an Echo Mark answered.

The prisoner smiled.

"Go on, Ethan."

His voice echoed through the darkness.

"Find the Sovereign’s Rest."

A thin crack appeared across the golden door.

"And when you open it, we shall finally discover which of us Maelius truly intended to succeed him."