Chapter 960 — The Voice Made Flesh
Morning light filtered through the Hollow's council chamber, its pale glow cutting across the great circular table. Every council member was there — Lyria at Kael's right, Selina just beside her, Varik and Fenrik opposite, and Zerathis looming in the back, arms crossed, expression unreadable. The hum of faint disbelief filled the air.
At the head of the table stood Kael. His usual confidence had been replaced by something quieter — something almost reverent. Behind him, under soft lamplight, sat Eris.
She wore a simple white robe Selina had given her, her silver hair brushing her shoulders, her pale eyes flicking from one face to another as though she were still learning what it meant to see. Her hands were folded in her lap, fingers twitching slightly as if her nerves were still learning to respond.
Kael cleared his throat. "You've all heard the rumors," he began, his tone steady. "You've all seen the reports about the Spirit Project's success. I want to clarify the truth, before anyone else writes the story for us."
Zerathis leaned forward slightly, his low voice rumbling. "You mean… she's real, then. Not just energy in a shell."
"She's real," Kael confirmed, his eyes flicking toward Eris. "Completely. Body, mind, and soul."
A tense murmur rippled through the chamber.
Selina, who had spent every waking hour studying Eris since her creation, spoke softly, almost defensively. "She's not just a construct. She's something new — something alive. A being born of chaos, refined by intent and balance."
Fenrik's brow furrowed. "Born of chaos? You mean…"
Kael nodded once, bracing himself. "Yes. She was born inside my mind."
That silenced the room.
Lyria's expression was a mix of shock and quiet understanding, but she said nothing yet — waiting for Kael to continue.
Kael clasped his hands behind his back, forcing himself to meet every set of eyes in the room. "Months ago, when I healed Queen Amara of Greystone, I used chaos magic in a way I'd never attempted before. I reached deeper into it than I ever had… and something reached back. A consciousness formed from that chaos — from my intent, my will, my thoughts. A voice. Logical, calm, always guiding."
Selina looked to Eris, curiosity flickering. "Eris."
Kael nodded. "Yes. She named herself after I gave her the choice."
Varik exhaled sharply. "So you're saying she's a part of you. A piece of your mind that became… this?"
Eris spoke then — her voice smooth but faintly distorted, as if she still hadn't adjusted to speaking aloud. "That is correct. I am both him and not him. I was born of his chaos, molded by his thoughts, but I exist separate from him now."
The room fell silent again. The faint hum of arcane devices in the walls seemed to echo her words.
Fenrik crossed his arms, looking uneasy. "And we're just… supposed to accept that? That the Commander has a walking fragment of chaos magic strolling around the Hollow?"
Lyria's tone cut through before Kael could speak. "She's no danger. I was there the night Kael saved the queen. I saw what that power did — it's a miracle she even exists in a stable form."
Eris tilted her head slightly at the word miracle. "If stability is miraculous, then yes, perhaps I am."
A few of the council members exchanged wary looks.
Kael stepped forward, his voice firm now, as if reclaiming the room. "I understand your hesitation. But I need you all to see what she represents. Eris isn't a weapon. She's proof of what the Hollow can achieve — not destruction, but creation. Order born from chaos. If we can create life from the impossible, we can rebuild anything."
Zerathis grunted. "You always did think too big."
Selina, eyes bright with fervor, interjected. "But he's right. This could redefine how we understand the line between spirit and flesh. The Church fears us because of that line — because we can blur it. Eris isn't something to be hidden. She's proof of progress."
Kael looked toward her, then toward Lyria. His voice softened. "She's more than proof. She's… part of what's made me who I am these last months. I owe her more than anyone realizes."
Lyria's gaze softened — part pride, part quiet worry.
Eris sat silently, studying the faces around her. Finally, she spoke again, her tone almost reflective. "I do not yet understand what I am. But I understand him. I understand the reason he continues to fight. And if my existence brings even one step closer to peace, then I'll serve that purpose."
Her words landed heavily, not with force, but with sincerity.
Varik leaned back, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "She talks like a soldier already."
Kael smiled faintly. "She's been my second voice for months. It seems some of my habits rubbed off."
Lyria finally broke her silence. "Kael's right. This—" she gestured toward Eris "—isn't a threat. It's a sign of what the Hollow's capable of. But we'll need to be careful. The Church won't stay quiet if word spreads."
Kael nodded. "Agreed. For now, Eris stays within the Hollow's borders. We protect her, and we study what she's becoming. We take what we've learned and make it stronger — safer."
Zerathis cracked a grin. "So, another secret to keep from the Church? We're getting good at that."
Selina's eyes narrowed. "Not a secret. A responsibility."
Kael looked down at Eris, who met his gaze with those unblinking, luminous eyes. She smiled faintly — her first real attempt at one. It was clumsy, uneven, but real.
"I told you," Kael said quietly, almost to himself, "one day you'd walk among them."
Eris's reply was soft, nearly reverent. "And now that I do… I see why you fight so hard for them."
No one in the room dared speak after that. For a brief, fragile moment, all the fear and tension faded.
And somewhere deep in the Hollow's foundation, beneath the hum of magic and the murmur of the living, something new had begun — not chaos, not order, but balance.