Broadcasting The Heartbeat

The decision to publicly demonstrate my connection to the Pillar felt like stepping onto a brightly lit stage after dwelling in shadows. It was necessary to counter Krell's burgeoning rebellion and reassure the panicked citizens of K'tharr, but it also meant fully embracing the role of Pillar-Singer, with all the attention and danger that entailed.Thalassa, Elara, and a contingent of loyal Choir Guards escorted me from the Sanctum's depths towards the city's central plaza. The journey upwards was less physically taxing than the descent, thanks to the ongoing effects of the bio-compounds and my improved resonance acclimatization, but the psychic tension was palpable. News of Krell's escape and his inflammatory rhetoric had clearly spread; the Krakenborn we passed regarded me with open fear and suspicion, their usual stoicism replaced by unease.The central plaza was a vast, open space carved from the cavern roof, dominated by intricate sculptures of coral and obsidian depicting scenes from Krakenborn history – mostly involving the Leviathan. In the center stood the resonance conduit Thalassa had mentioned: a towering spire of polished, black stone, similar to the material of the Sanctum, humming faintly with latent energy. It pulsed in time with the distant Heartbeat Altar, a visible manifestation of the Pillar's presence in the heart of the city.A crowd had gathered, drawn by the rumors and the unusual activity. Krakenborn citizens, warriors, artisans, even some cloaked non-Krakenborn figures, watched with apprehension. I could feel their collective fear, their uncertainty, their desperate hope for reassurance.Krell was also present, standing defiantly on the far side of the plaza with a group of heavily armed supporters – remnants of Vorlag's faction. He pointed dramatically towards me as we approached."There!" Krell's voice, amplified by pressure tech, boomed across the plaza. "The outsider! The anomaly who disturbed the Great Dreamer, who draws the attention of dark powers from the Void! Thalassa and her weak Choir coddle this threat, blind to the danger it represents! They claim it stabilized the Pillar? Lies! It is the source of the imbalance!"His words resonated with the crowd's fear, causing murmurs and shifts of unease. The Choir Guards accompanying us tensed, readying their pressure tridents.Thalassa ignored Krell, gliding towards the base of the conduit. "Pillar-Singer," her mental voice was calm but firm, projecting confidence. *"The conduit awaits. Show them the truth. Let them feel the Pillar's strength, renewed by your harmony."I nodded, pushing down my own apprehension. This wasn't about fighting Krell directly; it was about winning the hearts and minds of the city, about replacing fear with the tangible feeling of stability.Approaching the black spire, I placed my hands upon its cool surface. The Pillar's resonance surged through it, stronger and clearer than anywhere else outside the Sanctum. It felt like touching the city's soul.Closing my eyes, I reached out with my resonance sense, connecting with the conduit, and through it, tracing the pathway back down to the Heartbeat Altar deep below. I focused on the steady, powerful rhythm I had helped restore, the core frequency now largely free of the most jarring dissonances.My task was to amplify that rhythm, to broadcast it through the conduit across the entire plaza, perhaps even the entire city. It required a different kind of control than the delicate harmonization at the Altar. This needed strength, projection, clarity.I gathered my will, shaping my resonance into a match for the Heartbeat's core frequency. Then, carefully, I began to channel, pushing the stable, powerful rhythm outwards through the conduit.The black spire began to glow, not with bioluminescence, but with the deep, resonant light I had seen at the Altar. A low, powerful hum filled the plaza, perfectly synchronized with the Pillar's Heartbeat. It wasn't just a sound; it was a vibration, felt deep within the bones, within the soul.The effect on the crowd was immediate. The murmuring ceased. The palpable fear lessened, replaced by awe and a dawning sense of calm. They could feel it – the stability, the strength, the reassurance emanating from the Pillar's core. It was a truth more profound than any rhetoric.Krell looked stunned, his tirade cut short. His supporters shifted uneasily, feeling the undeniable power flowing from the conduit, directly contradicting their leader's claims.I maintained the broadcast, pouring my energy into the conduit, letting the Pillar's steady rhythm wash over the plaza. It was draining, requiring constant focus to maintain the purity of the frequency, but the sense of calm spreading through the crowd fueled my resolve."He lies!" Krell finally roared, recovering his voice, though it now sounded strained against the backdrop of the Pillar's hum. "It's a trick! An illusion created by the outsider! Do not be fooled! The Leviathan demands purity!"He gestured to his supporters. "Seize the conduit! Destroy the anomaly! For the true strength of K'tharr!"His most fanatical followers, perhaps less susceptible to the Pillar's calming influence or simply too invested in Krell's ambition, charged forward, pressure weapons raised.The Choir Guards moved to intercept, forming a defensive line around the conduit and me. Thalassa raised her hand, ready to unleash her own power.But before the clash could occur, the Pillar's resonance itself seemed to react. The conduit flared brightly. The hum intensified, and a wave of pure, stabilizing energy pulsed outwards – not an attack, but an overwhelming assertion of presence, of order.Krell's charging supporters faltered, their pressure fields flickering erratically as the Pillar's stabilizing frequency interfered with the chaotic energy they wielded. They stumbled, disoriented, their aggression momentarily neutralized.Krell himself staggered back, clutching his head as if struck by a physical blow. The Pillar's resonance, amplified through the conduit by my efforts, was actively rejecting the dissonance he represented.The crowd watched, silent, witnessing the Pillar itself seemingly defend the Pillar-Singer and reject the rebellion. Krell's credibility shattered in that moment.Seeing his support evaporate, his attack neutralized by the very foundation he claimed to protect, Krell snarled, his eyes filled with hatred. He knew he was defeated here. With a final glare at me, he activated some kind of personal cloaking device, his form shimmering and vanishing from sight, along with the few supporters who remained loyal and mobile enough to follow.The immediate threat was gone. The Choir Guards secured the disoriented attackers. The crowd began to murmur again, but this time with awe, relief, and a newfound respect directed towards me.I slowly released my connection to the conduit, the glow fading, the intense hum lessening, though the Pillar's steady rhythm remained a palpable presence. Exhaustion hit me like a physical blow, and I swayed, catching myself on the spire.Thalassa was instantly beside me, her presence supportive. *"Well done, Pillar-Singer. You have shown them the truth. You have calmed the city.""Krell escaped,"* I projected weakly."He has," Thalassa acknowledged grimly. "He is a persistent weed. But his power base is broken. He cannot challenge the Choir's authority openly now. He will retreat to the shadows, but we will hunt him." She surveyed the now-calm plaza. *"You have earned the city's trust, or at least, quieted its fear. But you have also confirmed your power, drawn more attention. The Weaver saw. Others, undoubtedly, also observed. Your path does not grow easier."Looking out at the faces of the Krakenborn, their fear replaced by a tentative hope, I knew she was right. I had stepped into the light, and there was no turning back. The Pillar-Singer had a role to play, and the stakes were only getting higher.