The accusation lingered without needing to be pointed out. "Not enough for someone who’s been missed terribly," Vaeron said, words like salted butter.

Lord Aurelion cleared his throat, attempting to reclaim the room, but the tension had already shifted, drawn tight between the two of them like a wire ready to snap. "Given circumstances, your timing is about right. Though perhaps, if you acknowledged the weight of your absence over the past decades, we might have reached this discussion far sooner."

The words settled like frost over stone when he concluded. Several gazes flicked toward Vaeron. It was measured, waiting in quiet curiosity and an obvious disdain by a point well made. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

His expression remained carved from ice, blatantly unbothered by the unwelcoming gesture he was receiving. "If this summons was meant to revisit old grievances, then I suggest you continue without me."

His brother gave a soft, amused laugh.

"Oh, come now. Must everything sound like a death sentence when it leaves your mouth?"

Vaeron’s hazel eyes shifted toward him, colder than the northern wind beyond the walls. "Only when you insist on speaking."

A few lords exchanged glances at his words. Lord Lucerion’s pale gaze narrowed slightly, while Lord Zorathiel seemed almost entertained by the hostility thickening the room.

"We’ve got more pressing matters to attend to. Exchanging words with your brother clearly indicates your intentional refusal over the past decades," One of the Elders interjected. With a bald head and sharp eyes, he carried the unmistakable aura of royalty and power.

Vaeron’s eyes never left his brother who grinned in return.

Before he could respond, "That is enough." A familiar voice cut through as all eyes shifted.

Rheonara stood near the far side of the chamber, partially obscured until now by the gathered lords.

She stepped forward into the torchlight, her silver hair braided tightly back from her face, the hard lines of her posture making it clear she had no intention of remaining silent.

Her expression was composed, but there was steel in it. "We are not here to tear at one another’s throats," Her eyes moved first to the amber-eyed Sin, then to Vaeron himself. "Not when half of Regharon still smolders. We have wounded in the infirmary. Half the eastern quarter of Blackvale is in ruins. Creatures crossed protected wards, breached an entire district, and nearly killed one of our own,"

Her gaze swept over the gathered lords and then settled, briefly, on Vaeron. Rheonara stepped closer to the table, placing both palms against the rough oak. "So unless either of you intends to explain that, save your rivalry for another hour."

For a brief moment, the chamber seemed to still, her words settling in their mind like cold water splashed on one’s skin. Even Vaeron’s brother tilted his head, the playful dagger still between his fingers.

The sudden shift was immediate, yet it was far from being less tense.

At the far end of the chamber, another figure finally stirred. He had been silent until now, standing half in shadow where the torchlight barely touched him. His hair, a striking dark-silver glistened like snow and charcoal against the gloom, and his expression was as cold as the winter cliffs beyond the castle walls.

When he spoke, his voice was low and clipped,

"She is right." and the room turned, meeting his eyes. "An entire district was nearly lost overnight with failed wards. Civilians were caught in the chaos—mothers and children, fathers and sons. Some left as widows, others widowers, and a few orphans," The intensity of his words was enough to pass as a blizzard. "Something breached our borders and vanished before dawn."

A heavy silence followed suit. Then he stepped forward, the movement alone enough to still the room. His robes whispered against the stone as he placed both hands upon the table, leaning slightly.

It wasn’t the kind that showed weakness, but rather one with authority long established. His gaze swept across the room, a look that was enough to shut further complaints. "The last thing we need is debating attendance, especially at a time like this," he cleared. "Since he is still under trial, it does not mean we strip him of his right to stand among us."

A beat passed as slow collective breaths reacted in response. Then, turning fully to Vaeron, "Welcome... Lust," he said, an expression framing nothing more and less than power.

The title settled into the room like something deliberate and weighted. It was a kind that didn’t seem like an acceptance or accusation, but something that acknowledged both.

Vaeron inclined his head, barely enough to be considered a courtesy. "Elder."

The moment passed, but not entirely, coiled beneath the surface as the council shifted back to its purpose. Torchlight flickered across the room as a gentle breeze swept by.

Lord Lucerion exhaled sharply, dragging a hand across the nearest map. "We are losing time," he started. "Whatever happened yesterday was not an isolated incident. It has become a consistent report, however this time, they decided to strike from within."

Vaeloria who had been leaning against one of the stone pillars, arms folded neatly across her chest, straightened at once. Her hair spilled over one shoulder in a polished wave, eyes cool and calculating, moved from the Lord to Vaeron and back again. "We’ve gathered information and reports across the southern and eastern districts. From the analytics gathered, the wards were not merely broken. They were bypassed."

Breached? Vaeron’s brow creased at the knowledge.

That single statement changed the room as shocked and unbelievable gazes was being was being exchanged.

Lord Zorathiel’s brows drew together, finally muttering enough courage to utter, "Impossible."

The Elder—who welcomed Vaeron—eyes flicked toward him. "And yet it happened. The wards are designed with all fourteen of the Dragon’s flame. A thousand or millions of Phantoms do not possess such an ability to break a power great enough to create triple of them. Instead, they avoid what would kill them in search of what could strengthen them," he explained and stepped closer to the table. His gloved fingers pressed lightly against one of the marked maps. "The breach began in the southern district where three layers of warding failed in sequence. No alarms were triggered until the creatures were already inside. What more could be deduced?"

His observations made sense.

"That means someone either knew the ward paths or possessed power capable of masking movement through them." One of the Sins added, his eyes a cool luminous shade and a sharper jawline.

"Or both," Rheonara added, and a murmur broke out at once. The council room once tensed with stillness went sharp with urgency.

"No outsider should know the inner ward routes—" One started, a visible trace of disbelief marred those features.

"Unless there’s a traitor—"

"Mind your tongue—"

The Elder struck the butt of his staff once against the stone floor, and the crack echoed like thunder. "Enough."

At the command, every voice died at once. His gaze swept across them, severe enough to send a shiver down one spine, and commanding to avoid more talks. "This council will not descend into chaos."

But Vaeloria tilted her head, slyness returning. "Chaos already descended, Elder. We’re simply discussing who opened the door,"

That earned a sharp look from Lord Aurelion.

"Lady Vaeloria."

Her smile only widened.

"The reports are becoming consistent that the dead are not... remaining dead. They’re reforming, adapting, and even growing stronger," A tight voice interceded, returning the room to purpose. The silence that followed was a different kind, more serious

The amber-eyed Sin let out a soft, humorless breath. "Charming."

"Regharon was only the beginning," he observed. "Our scouts had confirmed movement beyond the outer ridges, organized movement that left untraceable tracks before the attack,"

"Organized?" someone repeated. "By what? No rogue necromancer commands that scale,"

"Exactly. What could’ve been that powerful to lead those creatures, breach the ward, and control our accessibility?"