The survivors fled into the night, their breaths ragged, their bodies trembling. Fear clung to them like a second skin. Vaelin Drex—one of the Council's most feared executioners—had been slain. And not by an army, not by an archmage, but by a boy. A mere amateur warlock.
Their teleportation sigils flared as they arrived at the hidden sanctum of the Council of Shadows. The moment they stepped inside, the air grew heavier. They had failed. And failure was not tolerated.
The chamber was dark, lit only by a circle of floating blue flames. A dozen shadowy figures sat on stone thrones, their faces concealed by hoods. The Masters of the Council.
One of the fleeing warlocks, still trembling, fell to his knees. "Vaelin Drex is dead."
Silence.
Then, a low chuckle.
A man leaned forward from his throne, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. Oren Mercutio. Vaelin's long-time rival in the Council. He was ranked 16th, just behind Vaelin.
He smirked. "Let me get this straight… The great Vaelin Drex, the so-called 'Shadow Executioner'… was killed by a mere boy?" His laugh echoed through the chamber, sharp and mocking. "Oh, how the mighty fall."
Another voice, cold and devoid of amusement, cut through the laughter. "This is no time for mockery, Oren."
A new figure spoke. The Third Seat, one of the tenth most powerful warlocks in existence. He sat at the center of the Council, his voice carrying the weight of centuries.
"This boy… Kalen Zeroth… if he could awaken such power, then he is a threat beyond measure."
The First Seat, the Supreme Master of the Council, finally spoke. His voice was ancient, hollow. "We must act. Now."
The top ten of the Council had gathered.
One of the older warlocks clenched his fists. His fingers dug into his stone throne. He remembered.
The Warlock Zeroth. A man who single-handedly almost wiped them out long ago. His power had been monstrous, beyond reason, beyond the laws of magic itself.
They had thrown everything at him.
Armies. Spells of mass destruction. Assassins. Forbidden magic.
Yet he remained standing. A walking calamity.
The only reason the Council still existed today was because Zeroth had vanished.
And now… his son had awakened.
Kalen in Deep Sleep
Far away from the Council's plotting, Kalen lay unmoving. His body burned with residual energy from his awakened bloodline. He had no idea what he had become. No idea what storm he had unleashed.
But the world would soon find out.