Chapter 31: The Council of Seven
—Narrated by Eli Whitmore.
---
I held the seal with both hands.
It pulsed again. Not with pain this time, but with purpose.
We stood at the edge of the Realm of Shadows—me, Thorne, Felix, Ryker, Luna, and Draven. The shadows behind us slowly faded, like a bad dream slipping into the distance. But we all knew… this wasn't over.
We had found Thorne.
But now… we had to return.
To warn them.
To prepare them.
I closed my eyes, focusing on the pulse in my chest. I imagined the Arcane Institute of Mystical Sciences—its towers, the glowing lake, the ancient doors. The place where it all began.
The seal burned.
I whispered, "Gate Way, show me the path."
Then, before us, space shimmered. Threads of light wove themselves into an arch, swirling with golden runes and violet shadow symbols.
The gate opened.
A door home.
---
Return to the Academy
The Academy had changed.
When we stepped out of the gate, the sky above was still soft blue—but a thin web of cracks glowed in the distance, like the realms were bleeding into each other.
Headmaster Alaric stood in front of the main tower, surrounded by the senior professors. His long silver cloak billowed in the wind, and his eyes—normally calm—were alert.
He saw me first. Then Thorne.
Then the rest.
He stepped forward. "You're alive."
I nodded. "Barely. But yes."
His gaze sharpened as he looked at the gate behind us. "That magic… Eli, that's not just a portal. That's a realm-way."
"Yes," I said. "And it's how we'll survive this war."
---
The Meeting in the Crystal Hall
We gathered in the Crystal Hall—its tall stained glass windows casting light on the round table in the center.
The professors sat behind us. Alaric stood at the head of the table.
I explained everything.
From the moment the Final Gate opened.
To Nyxar's release.
To the Fractured Realms.
And finally… to finding Thorne.
When I finished, the room was silent.
Luna broke it first. "We don't have time to doubt. Nyxar is watching. Waiting."
Draven added, "The seal might've held him… but now he's loose. And the realms are breaking because of it."
Felix nodded. "We saw them all—broken pieces, overlapping each other. If we don't act now, the magic that keeps our worlds alive will collapse."
Ryker stood and looked around the room. "We need to call on every realm. Every leader. Anyone who still believes in balance."
Alaric turned toward me. "Eli, you've opened the realm-way. That means your power as Gate Keeper is fully awakened."
I took a deep breath. "Then let me use it."
---
The Council of Seven
Alaric raised his staff. "It is time, then. To summon the Council of Seven."
Everyone around us reacted with shock.
Felix whispered to Ryker, "Wait… that's real?"
Ryker replied, "I thought it was just a legend."
Alaric's voice was calm. "The Council was formed ages ago. One leader from each realm. Seven voices to maintain balance when darkness rises."
Luna frowned slightly. "Then we must find them. Before Nyxar does."
Thorne finally spoke, his voice quiet but steady. "He's already searching for them. He wants to consume their magic. If we delay… he'll find them first."
I nodded. "Then we go. Realm by realm."
Draven leaned forward, hands folded. "Do we know who they are?"
Alaric lifted his hand. One by one, glowing symbols appeared in the air:
1. Astra Arcana – High Councilor of the Celestial Order
2. Ignis Vael – Flame Lord of the Infernal Peaks
3. Selene Myrrh – Priestess of the Sacred Springs
4. Maelstrom Kairos – Guardian of the Eternal Sea
5. Thistle Heldbrooke – Druid of the Enchanted Forest
6. Zarek Voss – Alpha King of the Lunar Wilds
7. Eli Whitmore – Gate Keeper of the Mortal Gate
Everyone turned to me when the seventh symbol glowed.
Me?
"The Mortal Gate is not just a passage," Alaric said. "It's a realm of its own—between. And you, Eli, are its chosen protector."
I stood frozen.
"I… I don't know if I'm ready for this."
Thorne stepped beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to be perfect. You just have to be willing."
I looked at all of them.
My friends. My family.
They were all looking at me with hope.
And I nodded.
"I'll do it."
---
Preparations Begin
That night, we made plans.
Felix studied star charts, mapping realm coordinates. Ryker strengthen his muscles defense armor and Draven sharpened his senses, mobility, and they both training to preparing for every possible ambush. Luna meditated under the Moon Tree, channeling visions of the future. Thorne and I stood at the highest tower, watching the threads of magic between the stars.
"You alright?" he asked.
"I will be," I said softly. "As long as you're here."
He smiled—tired, but real. "Always."
We watched the sky.
And far beyond it… Nyxar waited.
---
An Omen from the Stars
At midnight, a crack shot across the sky like lightning.
Everyone ran to the courtyard.
The stars rearranged themselves—forming a symbol none of us had seen before.
A burning gate.
And a black hand reaching through it.
Luna gasped. "It's not just Nyxar anymore. Something else is coming through."
Alaric's expression darkened. "He's calling something… older. Stronger."
Felix looked at me. "Then we better move fast."
I nodded and raised my hand.
The next Gate Way opened—this time, leading to the Celestial Order.
It shimmered with golden light and distant choir whispers.
I turned to the others. "We start with Astra Arcana. Let's gather the Council."
And we stepped through—together.
---
The war hasn't begun.
But the armies are gathering.
And the realms will rise…
Or fall.
Together.
---
To be continued…