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Chapter 4 – The Council of Fractals
The forest was quiet now, but Kael's mind raced. Riftstorms, collapsing worlds, the strange powers he had tapped into—this wasn't a game. This was reality. A reality that wanted to kill him.
"Tethys, how far can I push this?" Kael muttered, brushing sweat from his brow. The creature flickered, tail twitching.
"As far as you can imagine. But imagination alone won't save you from what's coming."
Lyra stepped closer, her silver eyes scanning the dim forest. "I can take you to the Council of Fractals. They'll explain… some of what's happening. But I warn you: they aren't your friends. Not really. Everyone there wants something from you."
Kael froze. "Wait—so you're not my ally?"
Lyra shrugged. "I'm an observer, mostly. Sometimes an ally. Sometimes… something else." She didn't elaborate.
The path forward opened as she moved, the forest itself bending to let them pass. Kael followed, wary but curious. Eventually, they reached a place that defied logic: a massive floating platform suspended in a void, surrounded by countless shimmering portals. Each portal flickered with images of different worlds—oceans made of glass, forests with upside-down trees, cities floating on the backs of colossal beasts.
"This is… incredible," Kael breathed. "Where exactly are we?"
Lyra gestured. "This is the heart of the multiverse… or at least one version of it. The Council monitors and maintains balance. They can teach you… if they think you're worth it."
From the portals, figures emerged: humanoid and otherwise, each radiating power that made Kael's hair stand on end. They watched him with expressions ranging from curiosity to disdain.
"Kael Ardent," intoned a voice that echoed in every corner of the void. A tall figure stepped forward, cloaked in shifting fractal patterns. Its face was obscured, but its presence was overwhelming. "You've survived your first trial. That is… impressive. But trials are endless. The multiverse is in peril, and you are now a part of its web."
Kael swallowed. "Web? What do you mean?"
"The being known as Vorath seeks to collapse all worlds into a singular nightmare," the figure said. "You have power—power rare among mortals. The ability to bend reality, manipulate rules, survive the impossible. This is why you were summoned."
Tethys growled softly, tail flicking. Kael glanced down. "So… I'm like… a multiversal fixer?"
"Precisely," said Lyra. "But fixers often die. Or worse… become tools of the very chaos they fight."
The Council's leader extended a hand. "We will teach you, Kael Ardent. Teach you to navigate worlds, to bend rules, to survive… and perhaps, to fight Vorath. But know this: your choices will ripple across realities. One wrong move, and countless worlds will fall."
Kael felt a thrill of fear—and excitement. He was no longer just surviving. He was shaping reality itself.
He looked at Tethys and then at Lyra. "Alright," he said, determination hardening in his chest. "I'm in. Teach me everything."
Lyra's lips curved into a faint smile. "Good. Because the multiverse isn't going to wait for you to catch up."
The Council nodded. A portal opened, glowing with fractal energy. Kael took a deep breath and stepped forward, leaving behind the ruins of the forest and stepping into a new reality of knowledge, power, and danger.
And above, the eclipses pulsed ominously. Vorath's presence was growing, and Kael could feel it, like a shadow stretching across infinite worlds.
This was only the beginning.