The Grand Hall of the Second Realm was a masterpiece of celestial architecture.
Its ceiling rose into an impossible void, etched with ancient runes that pulsed in shifting hues: fire-red, earth-gold, air-silver, and water-blue. Four massive pillars stood at the cardinal points, each carved with the crest of a House. At the center lay the Council Floor, a mirror-polished stone that had felt the weight of centuries of unspoken decisions.
Ember hated this place. To her, it didn't represent awe—it represented the eyes of power that were always watching.
The four leaders entered as one. Ember led the way, followed by Melissa, who walked with a visible, protective stiffness. Kai moved with a dominant aura that felt as sharp as a blade, while Felix's soft, bouncy steps provided the only rhythm in the oppressive silence.
Students lined the edges of the hall, their whispers dying out like snuffed candles as the Headmages took their seats.
Lady Laven, Headmage of Arson, stood first.
Clad in deep crimson robes trimmed with gold, her silver-streaked hair was braided neatly over one shoulder. Her presence was like a hearth—steady and warm. When her eyes fell on Ember, they softened.
Breathe, the look seemed to say. Ember felt the tension in her chest ease, just a fraction.
Beside her sat Lady Clementia of House Cynthia.
Her robes were the color of pale stone—flawless, severe, and cold. She didn't look at her students; she assessed them. When her gaze landed on Melissa, her lips thinned into a familiar, sharp line of disapproval.
Melissa's shoulders locked. She lowered her eyes instinctively.
"Still standing," Clementia said, her voice cutting through the hall like a winter wind. "How... persistent."
A few students snickered. Ember's jaw tightened, her fingers twitching with a dormant heat. But before she could snap back, a commanding voice intervened.
"Enough."
Lady Esmeralda, Headmage of House Nova, stepped forward. Tall and draped in violet and silver, she carried herself with the untouchable grace of a storm cloud. "This is a Council, Clementia. Not a theater for your personal grievances."
Clementia smiled faintly. "In Avalon, Esmeralda, everything is personal."
"Let us not begin with bitterness," a soft, melodic voice followed.
Lady Bluebern of Ronan approached last, her robes flowing around her feet like a calm tide. She offered Felix a warm smile as she passed. Felix grinned, giving a small, theatrical bow.
"Missed you too, Lady Bluebern."
She chuckled softly. "You never change, Felix."
The pleasantries ended as the Headmages took their seats. Silence returned, heavier than before. Lady Laven rose again, her expression turning solemn.
"The First Realm has sent word," she began. "His Majesty the Heavenly Monarch... his life is fading. The balance between our worlds is fracturing."
A collective gasp rippled through the hall.
"The next heir?" Lady Esmeralda asked sharply. "Has the star been located?"
"No," Clementia answered, her eyes glinting with a strange hunger. "Which is precisely the problem. Eighteen years lost in the Mortal World. Hidden. Untested. Weak."
Melissa flinched at the word.
Ember stepped forward, her voice low and dangerous.
"Watch your tone, Lady Clementia."
Clementia arched a brow. "Or what, Little Prodigy? Will you burn me for speaking the truth?"
"Enough," Laven commanded, her warmth now edged with steel. "The heir bears a star birthmark—distinct from all our elemental signs. That is how he will be identified. He is the key to our survival."
Felix tilted his head, his usual smirk softening into curiosity. "A star? Very dramatic. I like him already."
Kai finally spoke, his voice grounding the room. "Why summon us? If the heir is in the Third Realm, the scouts should find him."
"Because," Laven said, locking eyes with each of them, "the scouts are for recruitment. You four are being sent for a mission of state. You are to descend into the Mortal World immediately."
The hall erupted into frantic murmurs.
"No mortal recruitment this year," Esmeralda added. "This mission takes precedence over all tradition. Locate the heir. Protect him."
"And once found," Clementia added coldly, "he will be brought here and trained. Hard."
Melissa swallowed hard. She knew that world—the world of relentless training and crushed spirits. She felt a sudden, sharp pang of sympathy for a boy she hadn't even met.
Lady Bluebern looked at them with concern. "He will be afraid. To him, we are fairy tales. You must be careful."
Laven nodded. "You are not being sent as weapons this time. You are being sent as guides. As leaders."
Clementia scoffed, but Kai simply inclined his head.
"We will find him."
"And if destiny tries to kill us on the way," Felix added, his smile returning with a reckless edge, "we'll just have to improvise."
High above, the runes on the ceiling pulsed with a frantic, blinding light.
And in the world below, a sleeping boy clutched his burning wrist, unaware that the stars were finally burning coming down to claim him.