Prologue
300 Years Ago
The familiar smell of scorched parchment and polished wood immediately has my guard up. I’ve been on countless battlefields, but nothing prepares me for the verbal war that happens inside this Council Room.
Looking around the semi-circle at the seven seats for the seven Councilors of Vail, I see seven self-important egos, including my own. This room is where the most important decisions of our nation take place. The loudest voices, and yet, none of the other Councilors seem capable of seeing the danger staring the continent in the face.
I flex my fingers against the cold stone of my chair. As Wrath’s Councilor, I carry more than my own power—I carry the weight of a territory bred for combat, for survival. My citizens have been forged in fire and blood. We are soldiers first, people second, battle hardened by our harsh environment.
“Another missed harvest, another border skirmish,” I say, letting my voice carry across the chamber. “And our power ratings continue to diminish across all factions. If we do not act, our people will starve, and our soldiers will bleed for nothing.”
Regalia, the blood born Councilor of Pride reclines in her gilded chair, a self-satisfied smirk tugging at her lips. “Perhaps your soldiersneed better training, then,” she says, as if swords alone could solve hunger.I preferred her father…
The current Gluttony Councilor, a known thug from what I’ve heard, mutters about “resource shortages” in his faction, while Sloth remains quiet... observing everything and contributing nothing in that calculated way of his.
The other councilors weigh their words, but their motives are clear: preservation of their own power, no matter the cost.
“We’ve tried faction collaboration before. It’s always ended in war. Always ended in betrayal,” Regalia sneers.
“And now, here we are, the continent of Vail teetering between decay and conflict—power levels dwindling, economies failing, factions falling to ruin.” Councilor Drake of Greed responds.
I rise from my seat, letting the cold authority of Wrath settle over the room. “I’ve been a Councilor longer than anyone here and twice as long as some sitting on these thrones of power. I’ve seen the rise and fall of individual factions as we scrap over things like power and resources. We need a solution. A permanent one. Something concrete. Something long-term.”
Letting silence fill the room, no one offers up a solution. So, I continue.
“I propose a school—a place of learning and collaboration for the strongest students from each faction.”
The chamber erupts at the word “school”. Regalia’s laugh was sharp, dismissive. “You propose we send our best into the same room? Madness!”
I continue talking over the critical voices. “They will hone their powers, learn to cooperate, and become citizens capable of leadershipwithout constant bloodshed. They will learn how to trade resources and lead their people in a fair and just manner."
The critics start to quiet, eager to hear how they could benefit from this proposal. "We will have the top instructors of each faction present to help them grow and develop their powers. Integrating the strongest minds and bodies. This is how we reverse the power decline. It won’t happen overnight, but we need to be making steps to save our future.”
“And you believe they’ll cooperate?” Councilor Drake drawls, rolling his eyes.
“They must, our power levels diminish every year. All our citizens are weakening. The lack of resources, training and frankly leadership is contributing heavily to our mutual decline. Without action, the continent will collapse. We are tearing each other apart. This collaboration and training is needed to save Vail.”
After a few hours of convincing, we finally begin to plan. Of course, each leader has their own opinion on how this school should be structured but rules began to form, slowly, through debate and grudging agreement:
All students will be evaluated for the academy in the summer after they turn 20
Only the most powerful and elite will be allowed to attend
Any student who evades testing or attending will be exiled
