Ep 18. Disaster

The council chamber was silent except for the faint crackle of the torches lining the walls. Aaminata stood still, clutching the scroll her father had handed her moments before. She had been summoned here directly from the library, her curiosity about the sudden council meeting giving way to confusion and unease. The room was filled with the most powerful figures in EaYu—military commanders, political advisors, and scholars—their faces grim as they awaited her reaction.

Her eyes scanned the parchment, and with every line, the weight of its contents pressed harder on her chest.

"Yuesai has taken control of two additional Xetas states," it read.

Her grip on the scroll tightened. The inked words seemed to pulse, her mind barely able to comprehend their full implications. It was one thing to hear about Yuesai's gradual encroachments; it was another to see their conquests laid out so plainly.

But it wasn't the acquisitions alone that left her shaken. Halfway down the scroll, a passage stopped her cold:

"Our spies report Yuesai has unearthed an artifact capable of identifying S-Tier relics."

The room felt smaller suddenly, as if the walls were closing in. Aaminata looked up from the scroll, her gray eyes wide. "This... This can't be real."

"It is," said General Kasim, EaYu's head of defense, his voice rough from years of battle. His scarred face remained stoic, but his clenched fists betrayed his concern. "And if it's true, it changes the entire nature of this war."

"It's not just true," King Fula interjected, his tone sharp but weary. "Our spies have confirmed it."

The council members exchanged uneasy glances. One of them, Advisor Maran—a seasoned diplomat known for her pragmatism—leaned forward. "If Yuesai has such an artifact, it explains their sudden confidence. Their forces have become increasingly bold, not just in Xetas but along our western border as well. It's as if they know what they're looking for."

Mina's hands trembled slightly as she lowered the scroll. "You've seen what they're capable of, haven't you, Baba?" she asked softly, her voice breaking the quiet.

The king's gaze flickered, his jaw tightening. "Yes."

The room went still as King Fula stood, his presence commanding. For a moment, all eyes turned to him.

"I didn't believe it myself," he admitted, his voice low but steady. "For years, we thought S-Tier relics were nothing more than myths. Stories passed down to inspire loyalty—or fear. But I faced one in battle."

The council stirred, murmurs spreading through the chamber like ripples in a pond.

"Your Majesty," Maran said, her voice tinged with skepticism. "You've mentioned this before, but… can you elaborate? What exactly did you see?"

Fula's face darkened, his voice growing heavier with each word. "It wasn't just the relic. It was a being. A hybrid. Part human, part Mercha. Immortal, or near enough. It moved faster than anything I'd ever seen. It withstood blows that would shatter steel. And the worst part?" He paused, his gaze sweeping over the room. "It wasn't fighting at full strength."

A hushed silence fell over the council, broken only by the faint crackle of the torches. Aaminata felt her pulse quicken. "And its relic?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Fula's expression hardened. "It granted its user mastery over magnetism. It could control metal with terrifying precision, and the iron in human blood was no exception—as some of our soldiers discovered, in the most horrifying way imaginable."

The room erupted into voices of disbelief and dread.

"We cannot face such power with conventional means!" General Kasim bellowed, slamming his fist onto the table.

"Control of magnetism?" Maran echoed, her brow furrowing. "If they possess such power, it's no wonder they've been so confident."

"It's not just about that being," Fula continued, raising his voice above the din. "It's about what they're after. This artifact—this 'relic finder'—changes everything. Relics don't announce themselves. Most lie dormant for centuries, invisible to the unworthy. We've likely walked past dozens, even hundreds, without knowing what they were."

Aaminata nodded, her thoughts aligning with his words. Relics were mysterious by design. Their tiers—Low, Mid, High, and S-Tier—were impossible to determine at a glance. Power was judged by the wielder's actions, not the relic's appearance. A low-tier relic might have many worthy users, but the higher the tier, the rarer the connection. S-Tier relics allowed only one worthy owner at a time—alive or dead.

"Relics choose their wielders," Fula continued. "They don't reveal themselves to just anyone. That's why so many remain hidden, their potential untapped. But if Yuesai has a way to bypass that..."

"They'll find relics we didn't even know existed," Aaminata finished, her voice heavy with realization. "And they'll turn them against us."

General Kasim straightened, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Your Majesty, if this is true, we must act immediately. We cannot allow them to consolidate their power further."

"I agree," Maran added. "But we must tread carefully. If Yuesai is actively searching for S-Tier relics, they're not just consolidating power—they're preparing for domination."

Fula nodded, his gaze piercing. "Yuesai's ambitions aren't just about uniting the continent. They're about controlling it. And with relics like this, they won't just control Xetas. They'll overrun EaYu, West Yu, and beyond."

Brianna, standing silently to the side, stepped forward. "What's the plan, Your Majesty? How do we counter this?"

Fula exhaled slowly, his composure momentarily faltering. "We monitor the ruins in our territory. We send scouts to the border regions. And we prepare for war."

Aaminata clenched her fists. "War won't stop them if they can find relics faster than we can. We need more information. We need to know exactly what this artifact does—and where it is."

"I agree," Fula said, his voice sharp. "Which is why I'm sending the Five Hands, with Brianna leading them, to investigate any traces of this artifact."

Before anyone could respond, the air in the chamber shifted. A faint hum filled the room, growing louder with each passing second. Aaminata's head snapped up, her gaze darting around the space.

"What's happening?" Maran shouted, her voice cutting through the tension.

The light began as a faint glow near the center of the room, but it expanded rapidly, enveloping Aaminata in its brilliance. She felt the warmth first, a comforting presence that contrasted sharply with the cold fear rising in her chest.

"Mina!" Fula's voice was sharp, but it sounded distant, like he was speaking through a veil.

She reached out instinctively, but the light flared, blinding her. The hum grew into a deafening roar, and then, just as suddenly, it stopped.

When the light faded, Aaminata was gone.

The room was deathly silent. For a moment, no one moved, their gazes fixed on the now-empty space where the princess had stood. Then, chaos erupted.

"Where is she?!" Fula roared, his voice echoing off the chamber walls. He turned to Brianna, his eyes blazing. "Find her! Summon the other Hands and ready the scouts. I want my daughter found!"

Brianna didn't hesitate. She bowed sharply before rushing from the room, her heart pounding. Wherever Aaminata had gone, she would not face it alone.