The council hall was colder than usual.
A fire crackled weakly at the far end of the chamber, but it did little to fight off the damp that crept through the walls. The five council members sat at their curved table, positioned beneath the crest of the rebellion: a symbol of a cracked chain laid over a split branch.
Two humans, three elves. All older. All quiet.
One of the elves, Master Tharel, sat forward with his hands folded before him. His voice broke the silence first.
"So it's confirmed. Ro raised a weapon against Zane. Not in sparring. But intent to kill."
"Attempted murder," one of the human councilors said, tapping a finger against the polished wood. "Of our military head. And in his own office."
"He disappeared after. We don't know where. We lost three guards. Two more in critical condition," added Councilor Rynel, another elf. Her tone was clipped and controlled.
"He fled using his Mark," said the older human man beside her. His name was Elric. "Shadow-step or something like it. We still don't know the extent of it, but he is surely much better at using it than before."
Tharel turned toward Zane, who sat at the side of the room, hand bandaged and eyes cold.
"And your assessment?"
Zane's response was slow, even. "He knew something. Or thought he did. He mentioned things that don't make sense, connections he shouldn't have drawn. Then he tried to kill me."
Silence followed.
Then the third elf, Councilor Varis, spoke.
"We must discuss our next step. But first, the one who brought word of this before it happened."
"Aiden," Elric said. "He warned the guard. Entered the tavern while it was already escalating. He fought to stop Ro."
"A recruit," Rynel added, almost distantly.
"And a useful one. He is responsible for the successes of the prison escape," Tharel said.
"Bring him in," Varis ordered. "He needs to speak for himself."
A runner left the room.
The fire cracked again.
Aiden would arrive soon.
The door creaked open not long after.
He stepped inside, slower than usual. Bandages wrapped his side beneath his coat, and his steps carried the weight of exhaustion. But his voice was sharp as ever.
"Am I on the list this time?" Aiden asked, eyes sliding toward Zane.
Zane didn't respond.
The council turned their attention to him.
Aiden walked to the center of the chamber and stood still.
"I was the one who warned the guards. But more importantly, I heard what Ro said before the fight started. He accused Zane. Called him a traitor. Said he was hiding something."
He glanced briefly at Zane again, then back to the council.
"I believe this all traces back to the mission Ro and his brother were sent on a few days ago. Maybe it was the loss of his brother that pushed him over the edge, or maybe something about the mission itself broke him. But before we go any further, there's something I need to understand. How exactly did Ro end up captured in the first place?"
It is probably the only time I have a chance of asking.
Zane didn't respond.
Several seconds passed in silence.
Then the doors opened again.
A man entered.
He wore a long black coat that cloaked his entire body and a white, featureless mask that gave away nothing of his face. Aiden recognized him instantly. It was only the second time he'd seen him, but the impression was unforgettable.
The first had been during the mission briefing to rescue Ro. Back then, he'd only been introduced as a 'helper.'
The man moved silently across the chamber, towering above the seated council and even Zane. When he reached Zane's side, he leaned down and whispered something into his ear.
Zane's expression didn't change.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"After the mission in which his brother passed away, Ro acted on his own. We later found out he was investigating someone higher in the hierarchy of the Silver Watch. He was captured during that effort. We received a report that he had been taken. Given the value of the intel he may have acquired... we launched the rescue mission. As you know, you were part of it."
Aiden didn't wait. "And what exactly was that mission? Because Ro, before the attack, looked like someone who had figured something out. Something that made him snap. That mission... it wasn't scouting for an outpost, was it."
He looked around the chamber, letting the silence stretch.
"I think he realized it was more than what we were told."
For a moment, no one responded.
Then Councilor Rynel frowned. "Zane, I was under the impression the mission was standard recon."
"It was vague from the start," Varis added. "Even the deployment notes were missing."
"Were we not briefed because there was nothing to share? Or because it was never meant to be shared?" Elric asked pointedly.
Zane's jaw tensed.
"The details were restricted. High security. For the safety of the mission and everyone involved."
"We're the council," Tharel said. "If there's information you're keeping from us, that's not just operational secrecy. That's undermining authority."
The air in the chamber had shifted. Cooler. More focused.
Zane said nothing.
The silence dragged on. The weight of the council's gaze grew heavier.
Then finally, he spoke.
"It was not a recon mission. I sent Ro and Po to the prison of Mongold. It's an abandoned place, forgotten in most records. On paper, they were tasked with scouting it for potential use as an outpost. But that wasn't the real reason."
He paused, scanning the room.
"A few days earlier, I received a tip about an important figure being present inside the prison. I didn't know if that meant a prisoner, unlikely considering the place was supposedly sealed decades ago, or someone else. But the source was credible."
He folded his hands in front of him.
"This figure... they were said to have influence in the higher spheres. Political or otherwise. Someone worth noticing. I needed to confirm any sign of presence inside. That was their true mission. Ro and Po were never told the full truth."
A cold silence followed.
Rynel was the first to speak again. "You kept this from us. You risked Ro and Po, on a classified lead without council review."
Elric's voice sharpened. "You know how this works, Zane. We do not launch covert missions under the guise of routine ones. Not without oversight."
"And certainly not when the outcome is a man dead and another one missing," Varis added.
Tharel's tone was calm, but weighty. "You've always had authority over operations, but this... this was not a command decision. It was deception."
Zane didn't flinch. "It was handled as it needed to be."
"Handled poorly," Rynel said.
Zane said nothing.
The council chamber filled with the sharp snap of the fire.
The tension was thick now, and the air no longer just cold.
Aiden watched, silent.
The masked man stood unmoving behind Zane, like a statue of bone and shadow.
Aiden's thoughts swirled.
A figure inside the prison. I'm pretty sure no one else was present, except for that... golem. But they didn't search him, right? He wouldn't have sent them if he knew such a fight awaited.
Who else would explore such a place?
Something stuck in Aiden's mind.
Was it me?
Was I the target?
No... I don't have influence in higher spheres. But Zane knows so much about me... why would he?
Influence in higher spheres... he meant...
Aiden's mind stopped for a second.
He is a god... the blue window, right? That is pretty high influence...
Aiden cleared his throat, stepping forward slightly.
"Now that we have a view of the whole situation... what comes next? We've still received the intel, even if Ro is now gone. So may I ask, what are we doing with it?"
His tone was calm, but it carried weight.
The council turned their eyes toward him again.
Councilor Varis exchanged a look with Tharel, then turned his gaze toward Zane. "The report Ro recovered does contain something of importance. We reviewed what could be salvaged."
"It confirms a formal decree," Rynel added. "The Silver Watch has been granted full recognition by the Emperor himself. Their mission is no longer containment. It's annihilation. Of us. Of the rebellion."
Aiden's expression hardened.
Elric continued, his voice slower. "There was also mention of a delivery. Some form of utility. Something designed to assist them in wiping us out. It's in one of the Silver Watch's supply stores, apparently awaiting deployment."
"We don't know what it is," Rynel said. "But given the scale of the order, it must be significant."
"And with trust in Zane fractured..." Tharel added, his words deliberate, "we are now left with two problems. The threat and our own chain of command."
Aiden stepped forward again.
"Then let me take care of it."
The council turned to him.
"I was part of the mission that brought Ro back. I'm the reason it succeeded. I fought to stop him from killing Zane, and I lived through it."
He paused. "I can lead a scouting mission. Quietly. If something dangerous is waiting for us in that supply store, I can find out before they have time to use it."
There was a long silence as the council considered.
Tharel leaned slightly toward the others. Quiet murmurs passed between them.
Finally, Rynel spoke. "You'll take a small team. No more than four. Minimal visibility. Stealth first. If you're discovered, we deny involvement."
"You leave in three days," Elric added. "Rest until then. Prepare what you need."
Aiden nodded.
The weight of the room shifted again, this time with a direction.