The Choir had convened.
Far above the clouds of Vel Talem, in a floating sanctum suspended by crystalline anchors and temporal locks, thirteen figures sat in silence. They were the stewards of balance, the architects of the leyline network, and self-proclaimed guardians of the world.
Today, their unity trembled.
A woman clad in robes of silverlight leaned forward. Her voice was calm, but the undertone of fear rippled through the air.
"He's awakened another one. And this one… was unbound."
Across the table, an older man with one mechanical eye responded coldly.
"Unacceptable. We agreed the next generation of Vessels would be monitored—channeled, not weaponized."
A third figure, hooded, said nothing—only turned his gaze to the central projection above the table. It displayed Kael, exhausted but standing. Nex, unconscious in stasis. The sky above Vel Talem, still bleeding with residual gravity scars.
"He's becoming a variable we can't contain," the old man said. "If he continues to absorb or influence other Vessels—"
"You mean if he continues to resist your leash," the silver-robed woman interrupted.
Tension pulsed through the room like a blade unsheathed.
"You speak of balance," she continued. "But you fear what you cannot control. Kael is not the threat. The ones awakening prematurely are."
The hooded man finally spoke.
"Then find the source. If it's internal... sever it. If it's external—"
He paused. Then:
"Unleash a Choirbreaker."
Gasps. Even among the cold-hearted, the word held weight.
"That hasn't been sanctioned in decades," the woman said, eyes narrowing.
"Then maybe it's time we updated our hymnal," the hooded man replied.
Elsewhere – Nexus Prison: Core Zero
Deep underground, far from any map, Nex stirred.
His cell was constructed from paradox alloys—materials that didn't technically exist in this timeline, stolen from collapsing realities. They pulsed gently, keeping his fractured power in check.
He smiled, eyes still closed.
"You heard them, didn't you, Kael? They fear you more than me now."
The shadows in the corner of the cell shifted.
Someone else was there.
"Did you enjoy your freedom?" the voice asked, feminine but distorted. "Was the chaos everything you hoped?"
Nex grinned wider.
"You're the one who lit the first match, aren't you?"
A chuckle echoed.
"No, sweet child. I only provided the flame. You are the one who chose to burn."
Meanwhile – Kael's Rest
Kael sat beneath a dying star tree in the courtyard of a floating monastery, bandaged and silent. The healing salves numbed the pain, but not the weight in his chest.
Aeris walked up behind him and sat, knees pulled to her chest.
"You saved the city," she said.
Kael didn't respond.
"You saved him, too. Even if he doesn't realize it."
Still nothing.
"You're not him, Kael."
He finally looked up
"But what if I was supposed to be?"
The breeze whispered between the branches, heavy with unspoken questions.