Chapter 61: Jurisdiction of the Archives

  A moment passed, and no one dared to speak.

  The Custodian's words settled over the chamber like a burial cloth. Silence followed, dense and unyielding, broken only by the faint crackle of torches as their flames fought against the dark.

  Then Serenya spoke, and the room shifted to her words.

  "You mentioned an Aspect's alignment can change. The thread states they must all be in alignment for the Archives to offer a choice. Who bears these alignments? Is it every wielder of a Primordial Aspect?"

  "No," the Custodian replied. "Not everyone. The Empyrean Wyrmkin are the bearers of the Aspects that remain tied to the balance of this world. It is their allegiance that matters."

  Serenya's gaze did not falter.

  "If that is the case, then why are there eight Aspects aligned to oppose the stasis? We only have seven Empyrean Wyrmkin who have taken our side."

  A member of one of the five major houses stepped forward.

  "Vaelkar bears Death. Naeysar, Light. Morvaketh, Darkness. Zorvaketh, Authority. Vertharos, Depth. Saelvinar, Horizon. And Serathos, Entropy."

  He paused, then continued more carefully.

  "Time remains unaccounted for. Is this the doing of Kalvaxus?"

  "That is correct," the Custodian said. "The Aspect of Time is aligned to oppose the stasis because Kalvaxus wills it."

  Confusion flickered through the gathering.

  "As stated," the Custodian continued, "the Empyrean Wyrmkin were the original bearers of these Aspects. Some still carry them, such as Morvaketh and Naeysar. But not all do."

  Her tone did not change, even as the air in the chamber seemed to thicken.

  "All Aspects aligned with the First Solenar are now under his direct jurisdiction. Likewise, two Aspects aligned with your cause are no longer governed by their former Empyrean bearers. Kalvaxus presently holds jurisdiction over the Aspect of Time."

  Aeor's thoughts surged.

  How did Kalvaxus even manage that? Did he—

  The question barely formed before Serenya cut through it.

  "Two Aspects on our side?" she asked. "Who wields the other?"

  The Custodian did not answer at once.

  She turned.

  Turned toward the bearer of the Primordial Aspect.

  Aeor.

  As her attention settled on him, every gaze in the chamber followed. Aeor felt the shift ripple outward, the collective weight of minds trying to reconcile what they had heard with what stood in front of them. Confusion giving way to something colder.

  He had never recalled taking Vaelkar's Essence. If anything, it had been Vaelkar who had...

  The realization struck hard enough that he almost flinched.

  "Vaelkar was sustaining himself and the dead through the Edict of Death," the Custodian spoke. "An edict without which this thread could not exist."

  She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle.

  "Without that edict, control over the lost Aspects would not be possible. Their original bearers perished during the Forgotten Wars, and only through the edict's verdict could their jurisdiction persist."

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  Her gaze remained fixed on Aeor.

  "The emergence of the Scion of Death introduced a new parameter into the equation. His Aspect of Primeval Death represents the true manifestation of death itself. And what is an edict, when placed before its own truth?"

  Silence returned, sharper than before.

  "When the Scion and Vaelkar fought, the Edict of Death was consumed by the violet of Primeval Death. It is accurate to state that Vaelkar still bears the Primordial Aspect. However, he is no longer bound to the edict he once wielded."

  She concluded without emphasis.

  "He now sustains himself, and the dead, through the Scion's Primeval Death."

  The chamber turned inward as faces tightened.

  Zoey spoke before the silence could harden again, her voice threaded with nerves.

  "Is it true that Kalvaxus is reliving this Initiation over and over again?"

  Many in the room had heard her theory already. Some had offered alternatives, their own versions of what might be happening. Most had doubted it, Aeor included. But after hearing the Custodian's words, doubt had begun to erode.

  "I cannot comment on individual motives or actions," the Custodian replied. "I, as all Custodians, am bound to neutrality."

  A human voice cut in from the gathered ranks, too sharp to be polite. "Does the Archives not wish to integrate this world into its fold? Would it not be more efficient to assist us?"

  The Custodian's gaze settled on the speaker, unreadable.

  "I am not privy to the Archives' deliberations," she said. "I know only what has been disclosed to me. Understand this. If the Archives has sanctioned this Initiation, then all imaginable outcomes are already within its purview."

  Her tone never sharpened, yet the words landed all the same.

  "And that is precisely why I cannot answer how the First Solenar persists, nor what he intends to obtain from this Initiation."

  Another voice followed, a dragon rider from Kar'Sariel. "What does this mean for the thread? Or the purpose of the Initiation itself?"

  "It matters little to the Archives who bears an Aspect, provided balance is achieved," the Custodian said, turning to address the chamber as a whole.

  "As for the purpose of the Initiation, it is simple, regardless of what you might believe. In the integrated segments of the universe, the Archives retains jurisdiction over both Elemental and Primordial Aspects. The Primordial Aspects in particular are constrained to ensure a relative order is maintained. A state in which Aspects do not unravel reality as you are witnessing now."

  Her gaze moved again, methodical.

  To Aeor. "Realities altered."

  To Kayneth. "Consequences vanished."

  To Zoey. "Memories forgotten."

  And at last, to Vaireth. "Life and death compelled into a strange dance."

  "Chaos of this magnitude is rarely permitted beneath the Archives' oversight," she continued. "And so its demand of Sol'Karenth is plain. Align and Decide."

  Her voice carried across the chamber.

  "Align all Aspects to end the stasis, and accept integration so the Archives may exert jurisdiction over this world. Or maintain the stasis and reject it."

  Zoey swallowed, still staring at the Custodian.

  "Is it because of these Aspects that the Initiation is this difficult?" she asked.

  "Precisely," the Custodian replied. "The mere presence of beings capable of influencing Primordial Aspects does not, by itself, invoke a higher-tier Initiation. It is the concentration and presence of these Aspects within Sol'Karenth that has triggered a Woven-tier trial."

  Velora stepped into the moment without hesitation.

  "You said the Archives holds jurisdiction over Primordial Aspects in initiated regions. What does that mean for beings like me, who rely upon primordial concepts such as death?"

  The Custodian inclined her head slightly.

  "Individuals capable of wielding Primordial Aspects also exist within initiated regions. However, their interactions are constrained. They wield such concepts in a manner comparable to Elemental application."

  Her gaze remained on Velora.

  "Death remains bound to your existence, enabling you to manifest shields and daggers shaped through Essence."

  Her attention then turned to Aeor.

  "Concepts such as those the Scion exercises, including the negation of death itself, are not achievable under ordinary conditions."

  Zoey frowned. "I am trying to wrap my head around this. Gravity affects time, right? So why isn't it a Primordial Aspect? What actually makes the difference?"

  The Custodian answered without pause.

  "In your world, gravity and time are often discussed in tandem. It is therefore understandable that such an assumption would arise. But that perspective does not persist at greater scales."

  She continued, unhurried.

  "Gravity is a physical force. Within the Archives' framework, it is categorized as Elemental. Consider the following. Fire may burn a creature, cause its death, and thereby influence life and death as outcomes. Yet that influence does not elevate fire into a Primordial Aspect. Life, Death, Time, and their counterparts remain abstract in nature. They are not forces. They are conditions."

  Questions came faster after that.

  For nearly half an hour voices rose and fell across the chamber as those gathered sought understanding, probing the structure of the Archives, the nature of Threads, and the laws that governed the Initiation.

  One matter, however, remained untouched. And it weighed on everyone present.

  As the questions began to thin, Serenya spoke.

  "What should our course of action be?"

  The words were open-ended, yet their direction was clear. Eyes drifted toward the Custodian.

  She did not answer at once.

  "The path you choose must be your own," the Custodian replied.

  It was not the guidance they had hoped for, but voices rose all the same as discussion resumed, plans proposed and dismantled in equal measure. Some argued for mobilizing every capable hand and pressing into the deep waters. Others spoke of scouting operations, layered contingencies, and the need to gather what little certainty remained before committing to battle.

  But the moment to solidify any plan never came.

  The glow in Serenya's eyes brightened suddenly, her gaze slipping out of focus.

  The chamber fell silent at once. Everyone present recognized the sign. A direct communion with her bond.

  Yet the glow did not fade after a few seconds, as it should have.

  It lingered.

  Serenya slowly lifted her head.

  When she spoke, the voice was not entirely her own. The cadence was altered, the weight behind each word unmistakable.

  Many bowed their heads as recognition set in.

  Naeysar spoke through her.

  "There is no merit in confronting the First Solenar without understanding the nature of his abilities," she said. "Yet we cannot afford endless delay. His reach continues to expand, altering reality from settlement to settlement, reshaping Sol'Karenth with every waking breath until all Aspects fall under his control."

  The voice did not waver.

  "Scouting parties will be dispatched into the deep waters to locate the First Solenar. Vaelkar believes there must exist a cradle for the Thirteenth. Not the First Solenar, but the Empyrean Wyrmkin whose power was taken. That cradle must be found."

  A brief pause followed.

  "And lastly, a small squad will enter the forgotten city of Sar'Vareth to uncover what transpired there."

  Without ceremony, the glow in Serenya's eyes dimmed. Her focus returned, and the presence withdrew.

  The direction had been given.

  No one objected.

  No one could.

  Aeor exhaled slowly, his gaze dropping to his hands as torchlight washed over them in a dull, flickering glow.

  He knew what the coming days would demand.

  And he knew there would be no turning back.

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