Ep 17. Fractured Past, Uncertain Future

The soft glow of candlelight danced across the ancient shelves of the royal library, illuminating the rows of scrolls and tomes that whispered of EaYu's history. Aaminata sat in her usual corner, a heavy tome spread open before her. Her fingers absently traced the worn edges of the pages as her mind wandered.

The earlier meeting between her father and the council lingered in her thoughts. Whatever news the messenger had brought, it had shaken King Fula enough to summon the council in haste. He hadn't offered her a single explanation before retreating into the throne room with the advisors, leaving her with nothing but questions.

The library, usually a sanctuary of calm, felt heavy with unspoken tension. She leaned over the table, a map of the continent spread before her. It was old, its edges frayed, and the ink slightly faded, but it held the weight of centuries. Her gray eyes lingered on the jagged borders of Xetas, the fractured center of the continent, as though trying to divine its secrets.

Her thoughts drifted to the stories she'd been told as a child, tales of the continent's turbulent past. The Great Collapse—Year 0—had reset the world, shattering its civilizations and scattering survivors across the land; Barely anyone survived. For centuries, humanity clawed its way back, rediscovering knowledge left buried in ruins. By Year 553, the continent had stabilized enough to see the rise of great kingdoms: EaYu in the east, West Yu in the west, and Central Yuesai at the heart of the continent.

Her finger traced the borders of Central Yuesai, the kingdom that had once ruled the continent. Its fall, in Year 1310, had been inevitable. King Hazekhan III, paranoid and power-hungry, had hoarded relics, using them to dominate the smaller city-states under his rule. The rebellion that followed tore the kingdom apart, leaving behind 23 independent states. They called themselves Xetas, united not by monarchy but by necessity.

For over 400 years, Xetas thrived under the Governing Alliance, a fragile coalition that maintained peace and trade while safeguarding the resources scattered across their lands. EaYu and West Yu, recognizing the importance of Xetas as a buffer between them, entered alliances that preserved peace across the continent.

Her brow furrowed as she thought of how quickly it had all unraveled. By Year 1712, a charismatic leader from Orsai, one of Xetas's strongest city-states, rose to power. King Veylun spoke of unity, of restoring Yuesai's glory to protect against rising threats from kingdoms to the far west. His words had seduced nine other city-states, breaking Xetas apart.

She paused, her finger hovering over the new borders of Yuesai, now a powerful kingdom of ten states. By Year 1715, Veylun's Yuesai declared war on its neighbors. Xetas was shattered, EaYu and West Yu forced to take up arms to protect their lands. Over the next 15 years, Yuesai expanded its influence, creeping into ruins across the continent, searching for something.

Aaminata sighed, her fingers tightening around the edges of the map. "What are they looking for?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. The ruins were dangerous enough, relics capable of reshaping the world buried beneath them. To uncover more, especially powerful relics like those rumored in Yuesai's possession, could tip the fragile balance of the continent irreversibly.

"Still trying to make sense of it all?"

Aaminata looked up sharply as Brianna entered the library, her light armor reflecting the flickering candlelight.

"You're quiet tonight," Aaminata replied, gesturing for Brianna to join her.

Brianna crossed the room, her movements purposeful and silent, her gaze shifting to the map. "It's been quiet everywhere. Too quiet."

Aaminata leaned back, her eyes scanning the map again. "It feels like we're on the edge of something, doesn't it? Like the air's too still, waiting for a storm to break."

Brianna tilted her head, her sharp eyes studying Aaminata. "You're not wrong. The frontlines have been quiet, and that's what worries me. Yuesai doesn't stay still for long."

"They're after something in the ruins," Aaminata said, her voice low.

Brianna nodded. "And not just any relics. The reports we've gotten from the ruins near Xetas suggest they're targeting specific sites. Sites tied to the Great Collapse."

Aaminata's breath hitched. "The Collapse?"

Brianna hesitated before speaking. "There's talk among the scholars. Ruins left untouched for centuries suddenly activating. Energy signatures unlike anything we've seen before. If Yuesai is looking for something tied to the Collapse, it's not just about power. It's about reshaping the world."

Aaminata stared at her, the weight of those words sinking in. Reshaping the world. The very thought chilled her to the core.

"And the S-Tier relics?" she asked, though she wasn't sure she wanted the answer.

"They're real," Brianna said grimly. "The King saw one of their wielders on the battlefield—a hybrid, part human, part Mercha. Immortal."

Aaminata swallowed hard, her grip tightening on the edge of the map. "Immortal…"

Before either could speak further, the doors to the library creaked open. A palace advisor entered, his face pale and his breathing shallow.

"Princess Aaminata," he said, bowing quickly. "Your father requests your presence in the council chamber."

Aaminata rose to her feet, her heart quickening. "What's happened?"

The advisor hesitated, his gaze flicking to the floor. "I'm not at liberty to say, Your Highness. But the king insisted you come immediately."

Aaminata shot a glance at Brianna, her unease growing. "Let's go."

Brianna nodded, her expression unreadable as she followed Aaminata out of the library.

As they walked through the dimly lit halls, the distant murmurs of the council grew louder. The heavy doors of the chamber loomed ahead, their carved surface glinting faintly in the torchlight.

Aaminata paused for a moment, her hand resting on the door handle. She glanced at Brianna, who gave her a small nod of encouragement.

Steeling herself, Aaminata pushed the doors open and stepped inside, her gaze sweeping over the room. The tension was palpable, the air thick with unspoken fears.

King Fula stood at the head of the table, his expression grim as he turned to face her. In his hand, he held a scroll, its edges frayed as though it had been clutched too tightly.

"Father," Aaminata said, her voice steady despite the knot tightening in her stomach. "What's happening?"

King Fula's gaze softened for a moment before hardening again. He held out the scroll. "You need to see this."

Aaminata took the scroll, her hands trembling slightly as she unrolled it. The words written there sent a chill down her spine, the weight of their meaning sinking into her like a stone.

Her eyes flicked back to her father, and for the first time, she saw the fear he was trying so hard to mask.

"It's begun," he said simply.