Elsewhere, far from Maelstrom City, in a sealed grand chamber lined with top-tier mana crystals, twelve figures sat around an intricately carved table. They remained in absolute silence, their presence indistinguishable from normal mortals at first glance, yet the monstrous aura leaking from their figures shattered that illusion.
The walls buzzed faintly with incandescent light, straining to contain their overwhelming presences without collapsing under the sheer weight of their strength.
"Let the ten-thousandth Grand Ancestral Council meeting begin!" A booming voice echoed, rolling across the chamber in waves of power. The air rippled faintly, the chamber walls lighting up in resistance, struggling to contain the force behind his words.
Sigh* Orren exhaled, his icy-blue eyes scanning the figures before him. His gaze lingered momentarily on an emerald-eyed girl before he shook his head helplessly.
