But before the argument could build—a different chair moved. This particular sound alone was enough to silence the room.
The Sovereign Flame himself, rose.
For a moment no one spoke.
Not even Kailorien.
Shu’Khan stepped forward from the shadowed dais where he had sat in silence throughout the debate.
Auryn’s thoughts scattered.
No living Councilor had ever heard Shu’Khan speak during a session.
Not once.
His voice, when it came, was calm.
Measured.
“Krystopolis has grown comfortable.” The words were quiet, yet they filled the hall. “For centuries this city has prospered. In excess, prosperity breeds stability. Stability breeds complacency.”
His gaze moved slowly across the chamber.
“And complacency breeds decay.”
No one dared interrupt.
“The Void does not tolerate stagnation.”
His eyes turned toward Auryn.
“Sometimes it sends fire to scald the earth, to destroy what once was so that new seeds can build again.”
Auryn held his gaze.
Unmoving.
“The Sokâr has brought disruption,” Shu’Khan continued. “Such things are rarely welcomed. Yet history shows that renewal often arrives wearing such a face.”
He turned toward the glowing data still hovering above the Circle of Rule.
“This Mandate will require careful examination. But the Sokâr’s conclusions cannot be dismissed simply because they are inconvenient.”
A pause.
“In the interim, the cessation of Estár will be extended for another year. If the Sokâr’s conclusions prove correct, the Mandate will stand.”
No one spoke.
No one dared.
The decree settled over the chamber like an executioner’s blade. Kailorien’s relief brushed the edges of the Bond like a quiet exhale.
I will stop it,she swore once more through the Bond.I told you I would.
Using the momentum, Auryn pressed on. She explained her plan for the Companions. A century of comfort, enough to live out their natural life span in comfort and grace. Predictably, many protested the cutting of their stipend. Too many of those present had ties to the Eight, arrangements in place involving Gleams and resources.
“The Han is not yet whole,” Kailorien decreed. “The city is limping at its foundations, and you would speak of the towers above it? If the base falls, Councilors, your shining luxuries will topple with it.”
