The chamber was sealed the moment Edarea Avinaris stepped inside.
The room itself was circular and impossibly vast. The floor beneath her feet was radiating with Soul Energy constantly shifting to maintain stable communication across realms that did not obey the same rules of space or causality.
In front of her, massive holograms emerged.
They were not visual projections in the ordinary sense. These were audio-holograms. Edarea Avinaris stood at the center.
"The Reniatsus of Ledatic Siliportem, the Last Hybridspawn, is present. Communication is clear."
One by one, the holograms responded.
"The Reniatsus of the Central Station of the Hidden Citadel is present. Communication is stable."
"The Reniatsus of the Sinking Void is present. Communication has been permitted."
"The Reniatsus of the Graveyard of Bones is present. Communication acknowledged."
"The Reniatsus of Technographia is present. Systems synchronized."
"The Renaistus of the Meadows of Asphodelia is present. Communication flows freely."
"The Renaistus of Era Incinerati is present. Communication is intact."
"The Reniatsus of Convergence is present. Communication established."
This was not a council convened lightly. The presence of all eight realms of the Hidden Citadel meant one thing and one thing only.
The Second Epoch Cycle had made escalation unavoidable.
Edarea Avinaris remained still with her hands folded behind her back. Though she was the Last Hybridspawn and one of the most unconventional Renaistus among them, none questioned her right to call them. Ledatic Siliportem might have been the smallest realm but it was also the most mobile, the most adaptable, and—under her rule—the most disciplined.
"This assembly is has begun."
No one spoke during her presentation.
"There has been a breach. Beings have been transmigrated into our realms. They were not born here. They were not summoned by our systems. They were sent by ■■■■."
The name—or what remained of it—did not echo. It refused to propagate, turning into static the moment it attempted to exist beyond Edarea's lips. Several of the holograms reacted instantly.
"These beings call themselves the Dynasties. They originate from the world, Spheraphase. They are the most powerful collective of entities in that world. We do not know them. We have no records of them either. Their objective is the destruction of the Hidden Citadel."
Silence followed. Each Renaistus present ruled a realm where annihilation was a logistical problem, not a hypothetical one. What unsettled them was not the threat itself, but the unknown scale of it. Edarea clasped her hands behind her back once again and kept walking around.
"This assembly has been called under emergency authority, We have, based on current intelligence, three possible courses of action. If we choose retaliation, we identify the Dynasties as hostile forces and respond accordingly. We mobilize our realms, deploy assets beyond standard defensive doctrine and then engage them wherever they manifest. This option assumes that the Dynasties can be defeated through force. Early encounters suggest they operate under power that do not align with our own."
She was silent for a while before she presented the second option.
"Collaboration is already self-explanatory. We attempt communication and determine whether the task imposed upon them is immutable or conditional. We assess whether the Dynasties are acting under coercion or manipulation. This path assumes that they are capable of negotiation. It also assumes that revealing ourselves further will not accelerate their mission."
Then came the third.
"In neutrality, we do nothing. We fortify our realms and allow events to unfold without interference. This option minimizes immediate loss."
She let them process the options before she continued.
"These are the options available to us. We must decide with incomplete information against an enemy we did not provoke and sent by a force that does not wish to be named."
The chamber did not turn into arguments when the votes were cast. Edarea Avinaris remained silent as the first declaration was made by. The hologram representing the Reniatsus of the Central Station was first.
"The Central Station will remain neutral."
Edarea inclined her head once. She understood why they did this.
"Ledatic Siliportem votes to retaliate."
A lot of the holograms were shocked.
"The Dynasties are an unknown variable introduced with hostile intent. Allowing them freedom of action invites erosion of our defenses over time. We will not allow an external force to decide whether we deserve to exist."
The Reniatsus of the Sucking Void manifested next.
"We choose collaboration."
The Reniatsus of the Graveyard of Bones spoke.
"We will retaliate."
The Reniatsus of Technographia spoke next.
"Technographia votes to retaliate."
The Reniatsus of the Meadows of Asphodelia gave their verdict.
"We choose collaboration."
The Reniatsus of Era Incinerati made their declaration next.
"We remain neutral."
Last came Convergence. Its hologram was fragmented with multiple realities overlapping but unified.
"Neutrality."
Edarea Avinaris let the silence stretch after the last vote settled.
"It has been decided. The Hidden Citadel will not act as one body. Those who have chosen retaliation may proceed. Those who have chosen collaboration may initiate contact. Those who remain neutral will observe and prepare. However, before any of you act, there are warnings that must be issued. There are Divines among the Dynasties you should not underestimate. Some of them operate at lower Enlightenments than any of us present here, yet their threat does not come from rank alone. They possess anomalous authority. Their power expression does not follow standard escalation laws. They are… efficient."
That was the most dangerous word she could have chosen.
"Several of them are capable of dismantling large-scale forces without triggering observable buildup. For those who have chosen retaliation, do not engage assuming parity."
The Reniatsus of the Sucking Void spoke. Her voice was full of genuine surprise.
"I did not expect to hear the Hybridspawn issuing cautions. You speak as one who has already seen them."
Edarea did not deny it.
"I have. One of them, to be precise. I realized very quickly that they are not ordinary beings. They are monsters."
"..."
"I will proceed with my realm's decision. I, the Reniatsus of Ledatic Siliportem will initiate a controlled strike within by the following night cycle. For now, do not underestimate the Dynasties. Overconfidence will cost you realms."
Some of the Reniatsus responded immediately.
"We have it covered," said Technographia.
"The Graveyard is prepared. They will break like all others."
Edarea did not argue. She merely nodded.
"Then we will reconvene once consequences present themselves."
With a precise gesture, she terminated the communication. The holograms vanished one by one, leaving the chamber dim, quiet, and suddenly very small. Edarea exhaled. She reached up and scratched behind her ears. It was a small, almost human gesture that did nothing to relieve the tension she felt.
"Great," she muttered to the empty room. "Just great."
Her gaze drifted toward the far wall, where tactical projections of her realm's outer territories hovered faintly.
"The Dynasty of Elves is what landed in my place, huh..."
Whoever their leader was, she was extremely strong. She had not come to that conclusion lightly. For an entire month, she had sent Scavenger Rank Krepsunas toward the elven territory. They never reached their target. Every single one of them died.
Each kill was instant. Whoever she was, (she assumed it was a woman because she saw glimpses of a woman from the Krepsunas' eyes) she used one arrow per Krepsuna. The shots came from so far away that even Edarea could not pinpoint the origin.
Whatever was watching her forces was not normal.
"I have tested enough. It is time to stop sending Scavengers."
The Reniatsus of Ledatic Siliportem turned toward the projection of the elven domain. Her black mist beginning to shift once more.
"Whoever you are, you have had your warning."
This time she would come herself to finish the job.