Chapter 11: The Floating Council

Above the emerald canopies and shimmering reefs of Rebirth Shore, the Floating Hub Domes took flight. Suspended by sky-tethers woven with mana-thread and anti-gravity alloys, each dome functioned as a living node—balancing weather, logistics, and biome recalibration across neighboring zones. From below, they looked like celestial lanterns drifting in the breeze, each with a purpose as vast as the sky it touched.

Within the largest dome—Council Dome Aria—June convened a meeting that would define the Resort's governance. Delegates from the Hollow Root Clan arrived in living bark-suits, their hair braided with moss and memory leaves. From the sea portals, Mer-Folk emissaries swam upward through aquaspires, their fins adorned with shells that echoed their ancestral stories.

Tensions flared early. The Hollow Root representative, Elder Vensai, spoke in slow, resonant tones: "The land speaks in cycles. Why invite fire that dances only in destruction?"

She referred, of course, to the Flame Nomads—still uninvited.

The Mer-Folk delegate, Coral Wren, countered, "If Rebirth Shore is to protect all legacies, it must include even those scorched by war."

June remained calm but focused. "This council isn't about agreeing. It's about understanding."

Just then, Sapphire's avatar flickered. Her voice, usually clear, grew fragmented. "June… anomaly detected. There's… encrypted resistance in the Domain's sublayer. Foreign protocols weaving beneath standard code."

The Council fell silent.

"Sabotage?" Coral Wren asked sharply.

"Possibly," June said, his tone steel. "It's buried deep… almost like it knew this council would happen."

A new visual emerged on the dome's sky-glass—a swirling black pattern threading itself into the energy grid.

June stepped toward the central interface, eyes narrowing. "We build this place for harmony. But someone's betting on division. We'll answer with unity… and truth."

Below, the Flame Nomads waited for an invitation. Above, the skies shimmered with encoded warnings. The Resort wasn't just healing—it was being tested.

And June would not let it fracture.