"Are there any objections?" Oberon's voice cut through the room. Every paragon wore a serious expression, and the silence in the room was heavy.
The weight of his suggestion hung in the air, and the paragons couldn't help but exchange glances, each lost in thought.
It seemed like the most obvious choice to take. The future of the human domain was at stake, and only by banding together could they hope to survive this crisis. In Eldoralth, humans were often called cockroaches. They were one of the weakest races, and yet they had managed to survive countless tribulations for generations.
But even now, they doubted if survival was possible this time. Nurturing Atticus seemed like the best option.
Still, pooling their resources into a single person? A Ravenstein?
They hesitated.
He could be their hope, the one to save them from this crisis. But the paragons, who had lived for more than a century, knew humanity too well.
Humans could never fully be trusted.
What if he became an oppressor? What if he forced them all to sign a slave contract? The situation was dire, but the future was uncertain. If they agreed, would they be digging their own graves?
As the silence stretched, Thorne's sharp voice broke through.
"I second it," he said firmly, his gaze sweeping the room, locking onto the hesitant faces of the other paragons. "I've thought this through. Let me be blunt, stop overthinking it. You all have functioning brains, so I don't need to spell it out."
The room remained quiet, but his words cut deep.
"You all felt the Spirit King's power. Every single one of us. We couldn't even move under his gaze. Think about that for a moment. We don't stand a chance. None."
"Focusing on someone who might stand a chance, someone who has already shown the potential, makes far more sense than sitting here debating our pride."
The room fell silent again, his words sinking in.
Then, a deep, rumbling voice echoed. "The Frostbane are already supporting our apex," Aerelius Frostbane said, his massive frame seeming to grow even larger as he spoke.
Every gaze turned toward him.
Aerelius continued, "We gave him a soulkin."
The eyes of the paragons widened in shock. His words carried profound weight.
"A soulkin?" Zephyrion Nebulon muttered, disbelief evident on his face.
Soulkins were incredibly rare. Only one in every generation of the Frostbane family was permitted to bond with one. Every paragon in the room had tried to acquire one at some point, but their efforts had always failed. The Frostbanes guarded them fiercely.
"Yes," Aerelius said simply. "We Frostbanes value strength and honor above all else. And our apex has proven himself in both, time and time again. I agree with Oberon's suggestion, and I suggest the rest of you do the same."
Aerelius rarely spoke in meetings, but when he did, his words were final. There was no room for debate, no chance of swaying him.
The paragons exchanged uneasy glances, each lost in thought. The Frostbanes' decision was a clear statement: Atticus was humanity's best chance. And now, with a soulkin, a beast that grew stronger alongside its bond, many couldn't help but shudder at the thought of two Atticuses.
Seconds passed, and the inevitable happened. One by one, murmurs of agreement began to spread through the room. Reluctantly but surely, each paragon voiced their support.
Oberon nodded faintly, a small smile on his lips. He had anticipated this outcome. Not because of his intellect, but because there was simply no other choice.
As silence settled once more, Oberon opened his mouth to speak, but another voice cut him off.
"I think we're all forgetting something important."
All eyes turned to Octavius, whose cold gaze was fixed on Seraphina.
"What about the Starhaven?"
The room instantly tensed.
"I'm sure you've all noticed it," Octavius continued. "Most of them worship the Spirit King. Can we count on your family to side with humanity when it matters?"
A heavy silence followed.
Seraphina's icy gaze narrowed as she met Octavius's eyes. "You're right to ask. I won't lie, I can't guarantee that my people will choose humanity when the time comes."
The tension grew thicker.
"But I also know what you're all thinking," Seraphina continued, her voice turning colder as the temperature in the room plummeted. "Eradicating my lineage is not the smart choice."
A dangerous glint flickered in the eyes of the other paragons. She wasn't surprised, they had all considered it.
Eradicating the Starhaven lineage, humanity's closest tie to the spirits, seemed logical. They were a ticking time bomb.
But Seraphina wasn't done.
"As far as I know, the spirits have never been openly hostile to humanity. I'm not saying they're innocent, nor am I suggesting they won't invade or try to dominate us in the future. But are we really going to kill millions of people who haven't done anything yet? For a future that hasn't even happened?"
The paragons fell silent as they each contemplated her words.
If they went through with it, it would be nothing short of genocide.
Oberon broke the silence. "I agree with Seraphina," he said, drawing everyone's attention.
The others turned toward him, waiting for him to elaborate.
"We must move with caution," Oberon said. "The Spirit King is already more than we can handle. Angering him now is not a smart move. And eradicating the Starhaven lineage will do just that."
The room remained quiet, but the tension didn't ease.
"What about their enmity with our apex?" Thorne asked. "You said it yourself, he's our best option. Are we supposed to stand by when they try to kill him, just because we don't want to anger the Spirit King?"
Heads nodded in agreement. It was a valid and pressing concern. The spirits had already shown hostility toward Atticus. Could they afford to ignore it if it happened again?
Suddenly, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. All eyes turned toward Magnus's holographic projection, their gazes narrowing.
Even from thousands of miles away, the cold, dangerous aura radiating from Magnus was palpable.
He didn't speak, but his message was clear: if they threatened Atticus, he would unleash carnage, no matter the situation.
"Calm down, Magnus," Oberon interjected. "We won't allow that. As long as they remain docile, we'll treat them with caution. But if their stance changes…" Oberon's eyes glinted. "Ours will change too."
The chill in the room eased slightly, but the tension lingered.
"Is there any way to separate the bond between humans and spirits?" Thorne asked suddenly, glancing toward Seraphina.
Seraphina's gaze hardened. She had anticipated this.
"He's right," Octavius added. "Don't you people share your minds with your spirits? How can we trust you?"
Seraphina's lips pressed into a thin line. "We are bonded, yes, but they can't read my mind unless I allow it."
Octavius scoffed. "So we're just supposed to believe you?"
Seraphina's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What are you implying, Octavius?"
The tension spiked, the room teetering on the edge of chaos. But before it could erupt, Oberon interrupted.
"Enough, Octavius," he said sharply.
"Seraphina has proven herself more than necessary. Without her, we wouldn't even know about the Spirit King or the spirits' unclear goals. She's with us."
Octavius muttered something under his breath but didn't push further.
Oberon's sharp gaze swept across the room. "Now that we're on the same page, let's move to the next agenda: the incident at Sector 8."
The mention of Sector 8 brought a heavy silence. The destruction and chaos were still fresh in everyone's minds.
"We need to take the initiative," Oberon said. "We can't predict the spirits' next move, but we can control the narrative. The first to reach the public shapes the story. If we mold the news as we see fit, we maintain control."
Thorne nodded and added, "Agreed. But we'll need to tread carefully. The destruction is too large to fully conceal, and we can't trust the spirits to stay silent. News of this will spread. But we can redirect the blame, perhaps onto Blackgate."
Oberon nodded. "Precisely. The truth can be… adjusted. We paint Blackgate as the catalyst, an outsider who threatened humanity."
"We highlight Atticus's role in defending humanity. It will increase his fame. We make him the symbol of our efforts, not the cause of destruction."
As Oberon finished, the paragons nodded in agreement. They had all committed to supporting Atticus, and that included protecting his image.
The people had seen Atticus fight Blackgate. They had also seen him cause catastrophic destruction, taking countless lives. Finally, they had witnessed him cut the Eternal Canopy.
All of these events could be twisted to tarnish his reputation if the information wasn't controlled properly.
This was Oberon's main concern. If they allowed the spirits to spread the news, it would spell trouble, especially given their hatred for Atticus.
With that settled, they adjourned the meeting, deciding to observe for now.
Time passed quickly, and finally, the eyes of humanity's apex flickered open.