The air in the Sorcerer's Council chamber was thick with the scent of old parchment and the faint, metallic tang of mana residue. High-backed chairs of polished darkwood sat in a half-circle around a raised dais, where the Grand Sorcerer, Elara, held court. On one side, the High Congress, a group of stern-faced politicians in velvet robes, observed with thinly veiled impatience. On the other, the Sorcerer's Council, robed in the colors of their respective schools of magic, looked on with a mixture of academic curiosity and detached skepticism.
Light Sabre stood at the center of the dais, the glowing lines of his runic tattoos pulsing faintly under the collar of his uniform. The detailed, holographic projection of his report shimmered before him, displaying a stark, grim reality.
Light: "Grand Sorcerer Elara, esteemed members of the Council, and honored High Congress. I have been investigating the recent Maiju incursions. The data is clear and alarming."
He gestured to the projection. The names of the cities, ALVEUNZLA, TEIVAC, and KLARK, flared in crimson letters, followed by a horrifying tally of Maiju appearances.
Light: "For months, we've treated these as isolated incidents. But as you can see, they are happening simultaneously, and with increasing frequency. In the last week alone, Alveunzla reported fifteen Maiju incursions. Teivac, twenty-five. And most recently, Klark, thirty. This is not a coincidence."
A snort came from the High Congress side of the chamber. Lord Varrick, a man with a face like a crumpled map, leaned forward.
Lord Varrick: "Simultaneous, Sorcerer Sabre? The Maiju are creatures of the wild. They appear where the mana is thinnest. You're trying to weave a conspiracy from simple statistical variance. The people are already nervous; we don't need fear-mongering."
Light: "With all due respect, Lord Varrick, the data suggests otherwise. The mana barricade, which has protected Limana Kingdom for centuries, is not failing naturally. My research indicates that it is being manipulated. Breached. There are patterns in these attacks that defy normal Maiju behavior. They are appearing in strategic locations, at the same moments."
A whisper of discontent rippled through the Council. A wizened Sorcerer of the Abjuration school, Master Lorien, spoke up.
Master Lorien: "Manipulation? That would require a degree of arcane knowledge we haven't seen in generations. Are you suggesting an enemy with power rivaling our own?"
Light: "I am suggesting a concerted effort. An intelligence behind the attacks. I believe there is an organization with the ability to weaken our defenses and coordinate these breaches."
Lord Varrick: "Or perhaps a young sorcerer is desperate for a bigger budget for his pet project. The kingdom's funds are stretched thin enough without funding your fantastical ghost hunt, Sabre. We have infrastructure to maintain, trade routes to secure, and a harvest to manage. We cannot afford to chase shadows."
Another member of the High Congress nodded in agreement.
Councilor Serra: "The populace trusts in the barricade. Your report, if it were to become public, would cause widespread panic and undermine our authority. We must project an image of stability."
Light: "Stability? We are teetering on the edge of a precipice! Ignoring this problem will not make it go away. It will make us vulnerable. Limana Kingdom is the heart of our world; if it falls, everything falls."
Grand Sorcerer Elara, who had remained silent, finally raised a hand. The room fell quiet.
Grand Sorcerer Elara: "Sorcerer Sabre, your dedication is admirable. However, the Council has reviewed your preliminary findings. We have determined that the current Maiju incursions, while unfortunate, are within acceptable historical parameters. The mana barricade is sound. We will, of course, increase patrols in the affected areas, but no further action is deemed necessary at this time."
Light's jaw tightened. He looked from Elara's placid, unreadable face to the dismissive expressions of the Council and Congress. He was being shut down. The truth, right there in his report, was being dismissed as a political inconvenience.
Light: "You're making a grave mistake. These are not 'acceptable parameters.' The Maiju are at our doorstep. They are not mindless beasts; they are being directed. I've tracked the mana signatures. They lead back to an ancient, forbidden artifact… the Heart of Obsidian. This is a deliberate, coordinated attack by the—"
Grand Sorcerer Elara: "That is enough, Sorcerer. The meeting is concluded. You are dismissed."
The Grand Sorcerer's words were not a request but a final, absolute command. Light was left standing alone, his holographic report flickering and fading into nothingness as the Council and Congress members rose from their seats, their backs to him as they left the chamber, their footsteps echoing in the silence.
[A DAY LATER]
The quiet of Limana Kingdom was shattered. The sky, once a familiar expanse of serene blue, was now a swirling vortex of sickening green and black. Panic erupted in the streets. The mana barricade, the ancient shield that had protected the capital for centuries, shimmered and then collapsed, not with a bang, but with a horrifying, silent implosion.
From the forests and mountains surrounding the city, they came. Not in small groups, but in swarms. Maiju of every shape and size—from the hulking, stone-skinned Goliaths to the screeching, winged Harpies. They poured toward the undefended kingdom.
On a hill overlooking the chaos, a figure stood, a dark cloak swirling in the unnatural wind. Beside him, a second figure, shorter and wrapped in the tattered robes of a Maiju Shaman.
Acolyte: "The plan is a success, Master. The Number One Sorcerer's foolish warnings fell on deaf ears. They've paid the price for their arrogance."
Maiju Shaman: "He's just one Sorcerer, my dear boy. They called him Light Sabre, a fool who clings to the old ways. Their arrogance is a disease, and now, the Pact of Obsidians will be their cure."
The robed figure raised a hand, and a massive, crystalline spear of pure obsidian materialized in his grasp.
Maiju Shaman: "The mana barricade is no more. Limana Kingdom is ours. Let the feast begin."
The ground trembled as the Maiju legions surged forward, their roars drowning out the screams of the city. The Fall of the Number One Sorcerer was not a personal defeat; it was the failure of an entire Council, a kingdom that refused to heed the light, until the darkness was already upon them.