Chapter 11: The Shadow Council

The workshop fell silent as Finn's words hung in the air. Cedric's grip on the boy's arm loosened, but his mind raced. *The Shadow Council.* The name sent a chill down his spine, though he had never heard it before.

"What are you talking about?" Cedric demanded, his voice low but sharp. "Who are they?"

Finn glanced around nervously, his eyes darting to the shadows as if expecting someone to emerge. "I… I can't say much. They'll kill me if they find out I told you."

Seraphina stepped forward, her expression calm but her eyes piercing. "You're already in danger, Finn. The only way out is to trust us."

Finn hesitated, his hands trembling. "They're a secret group within the court. Nobles, advisors, maybe even some of the professors here. They control everything—trade, laws, even the king's decisions. And they don't like people who threaten their power."

Cedric exchanged a glance with his allies. This was bigger than he had imagined. "Why are they targeting us?"

Finn swallowed hard. "Because of your mother. Her inventions… they were too dangerous. They threatened the balance of power. The Shadow Council had her silenced, and now they're watching you. They think you'll follow in her footsteps."

Cedric's chest tightened. "And you? Why are you working for them?"

Finn's voice broke. "They have my family. They said if I didn't spy on you, they'd hurt them. I didn't have a choice."

The room fell silent, the weight of Finn's confession pressing down on them all. Cedric released his grip, his anger giving way to pity. "You should have come to us sooner."

"I was scared," Finn whispered. "I still am."

---

Cedric turned to his allies, his mind racing. "We need to act fast. If the Shadow Council knows about the workshop, they'll try to destroy it—and us."

Lysandra crossed her arms, her expression grim. "We need to secure the blueprints and move them somewhere safe. If they get their hands on them, it's over."

Tristan nodded, his hand resting on the hilt of his dagger. "I'll set up a perimeter around the workshop. If anyone tries to get in, they'll regret it."

Garrett, who had been unusually quiet, spoke up. "What about Finn? We can't just let him go. They'll know he talked."

Cedric looked at Finn, who was pale and shaking. "He stays with us. We'll protect him—and his family."

Seraphina stepped forward, her gaze steady. "There's more to this. The Shadow Council doesn't just want to stop us. They want to control us. If we're going to fight back, we need to know who we're up against."

Cedric nodded, his resolve hardening. "Then we'll find out. We'll uncover their secrets, just like they've tried to uncover ours."

---

Over the next few days, Cedric and his allies worked tirelessly to secure the workshop and protect their work. They moved the most critical blueprints to a hidden vault beneath the academy, guarded by traps and locks only they could bypass. Tristan trained a small group of trusted students to act as sentries, while Lysandra used her connections to gather information about the Shadow Council.

But the threat loomed larger with each passing day.

One evening, as Cedric was reviewing the blueprints, a knock sounded at the workshop door. He tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for a dagger. "Who is it?"

"It's me," came Seraphina's voice, calm but urgent.

Cedric opened the door to find her standing there, her expression grave. "We have a problem."

"What is it?" he asked, stepping aside to let her in.

Seraphina handed him a folded piece of parchment. "I found this in my chambers. It was slipped under the door."

Cedric unfolded the note, his heart sinking as he read the words:

*"The past has claws. The future has teeth. Choose your next move carefully."*

Beneath the message was a symbol—a serpent coiled around a crown.

"The Shadow Council," Seraphina said, her voice low. "They're warning us."

Cedric clenched his fists, his mind racing. "This isn't a warning. It's a challenge."

---

That night, Cedric gathered his allies in the workshop. The air was thick with tension as he laid out the note and explained what it meant.

"They're not just watching us," he said, his voice steady. "They're testing us. Trying to see how far we'll go."

Lysandra frowned. "So what do we do? If we back down, they win. If we push forward, they'll strike."

"We push forward," Cedric said, his tone resolute. "But we do it smart. We'll expose them—turn their own secrets against them."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Cedric's lips curved into a faint smile. "By giving them exactly what they want."

---

The next morning, Cedric made a show of abandoning the workshop. He and his allies packed up their tools and blueprints, their movements slow and deliberate. They left the door unlocked, the workshop seemingly empty and unprotected.

But it was a ruse.

Hidden in the shadows, Cedric and Tristan waited, their eyes fixed on the workshop door. Hours passed, the tension mounting with each moment.

Then, just as the sun began to set, the door creaked open.

A figure slipped inside, their movements cautious but confident. They moved to the worktable, their hands reaching for the blueprints left as bait.

Cedric stepped out of the shadows, his voice cold. "Looking for something?"

The figure froze, then turned to face him. It was **Professor Alden**, the stern instructor from Cedric's governance class.

"Prince Cedric," Alden said, his tone calm but his eyes sharp. "I didn't expect to find you here."

"Funny," Cedric replied, his grip tightening on the dagger in his hand. "I was about to say the same thing."

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