The Council Convenes
The morning after Kairo's ship disappeared beyond the horizon, Hei Long summoned the council to the Temple of Sparks. The silver walls glimmered, streams ran clear, and the glyph-stones above the square pulsed in rhythm with the city's heartbeat. But there was a new weight in the air — the weight of a city that had just survived its first encounter with a living power from beyond the sea.
Hei Long stood at the center of the square. Qingxue, Yexin, and Yuran flanked him, three flames steady at his side. The First Guard lined the perimeter, sparks glowing faintly in their palms.
"It's time," Hei Long said quietly. "A hearth without a law is only a fire waiting to burn."
Founding the First Law
He placed his palm on the central glyph-stone. The Origin's light spilled out, forming a circle of faint fire at his feet. "We build. We teach. We keep. This must be written, not in words but in rhythm."
