Far above Aetherion's atmosphere, beyond the reach of light and Ether, a fortress of obsidian floated in the void.
No stars shone here. Only the pulse of ancient runes kept the darkness at bay.
Within that floating citadel sat twelve figures cloaked in translucent veils — the Council of Shards, remnants of the first civilization that had shaped the world.
The air hummed with their voices.
> "Another Rift has opened in the Western Skylands."
"Unregistered signature — resonance pattern: Void."
"Impossible. The Void Lineage was sealed millennia ago."
A circle of light appeared above the central dais, showing Kael's arrival — the brief surge of energy when he destroyed the Aetherborn. The projection flickered violently, distorting even the Council's protective field.
> "He wields both Void and Space," murmured one. "That combination hasn't appeared since—"
"Since the Collapse," another finished. "The day the heavens cracked."
The tallest among them — a figure crowned with floating shards of black crystal — spoke in a voice that sounded like time itself.
> "He is not of this world. His Ether signature carries echoes of a dead civilization — one not recorded in any archive."
A pause filled the chamber. Then the crowned figure turned toward the others.
> "Activate the Watchers. If he survives the Academy, bring him to me."
A ripple of unease passed through the Council.
> "And if he becomes a threat?"
The crowned one's eyes glowed faintly.
> "Then we remind the Void who its masters are."
The projection faded, leaving only darkness. Yet somewhere, deep within that same void, something laughed quietly — a sound that made even the Council's runes flicker.
> [Observation Log #002: The Heir has been detected.]
[Cycle One — in motion.]