The council gathered in the Mission Hall.
No orders from the League.
No maps.
No guarantees.
Only Kael, the Witch Clan, and the ever-thickening mist of the unknown.
—
Helena spoke first.
— If we wait, we lose our strength.
— If we attack without knowing what we face, we'll be destroyed, — Nikita countered.
Elizabeth analyzed the broken panel.
— The visitor knew our names.
— And our fears, — Patricia added.
Kael remained silent until all had spoken.
Then, he rose.
His eyes were darker than ever.
— We didn't come this far to wait.
— We didn't train to retreat.
He touched the base's unstable holographic map.
— There's a point of origin.
— A location deep within the core, where the anomalous frequencies are strongest.
Helena stepped forward.
— But that's an area sealed since the founding.
— If we descend there, — Claudia said, — we might not return.
Kael looked at each of them.
— Perhaps.
He paused, letting the weight of the choice settle over them.
— Whoever wishes to stay, stay.
— Whoever wishes to walk into the place where the sands touch the heart of the base... come with me.
—
None hesitated.
Nine witches stepped forward.
And Kael felt something tighten in his chest.
Not fear.
Pride.
—
Before they left, Kael looked up toward the ceiling.
— League... if you abandon us now, we will forge our own light.
And so, they entered the mist, where time and reality were beginning to forget their own names.
—
End of Chapter.
---
The journey has begun. Strengthen Stone and Mist with Power Stones!
Now, every step is a choice against forgetting.