Chapter 50. The Reckoning Begins

The Council Fortress was the ultimate symbol of the old world: two thousand years of law, tyranny, and silver-plated authority. Now, it was dissolving into smoke.

The diamond fire that Neriah unleashed from the courtyard, fueled by the sacrifice and stabilized by the soul of Caius, was not merely fire—it was spiritual combustion. It did not burn the stone; it targeted the spiritual weakness within the architecture. The anti-magic wards, designed to protect the Council, were the first to collapse, turning the stone into unstable dust.

The massive main gate CRACKED and fell inward with the sound of a mountain splitting.

Thalia, scrambling to rally the scattered Blackguards, watched the catastrophic structural failure with dawning horror. Her political victory, purchased with the grievous wounding of the Alpha, had evaporated in a heartbeat.

“Retreat! Retreat to the hidden sanctuary!” Thalia shrieked, shoving the terrified Elder Borin toward a concealed passage.