⸻
The Hall of Stars was not built for mercy.
It towered like the spine of a dead titan, carved from compressed stardust. Constellations spiraled along its ceiling—mapping every world Eldoria claimed dominion over. And the air… the air thrummed with power older than memory.
Samuel entered without hesitation.
Behind him:
Tristan — upright but shaking with pain
Daniel — heart pounding loud enough to be heard
Zephira, Ignara, Nysara & Velyd — ready for a fight if peace failed
And above them, floating like a celestial judge, stood the Triad of Eldoria's Tribunal:
• High Lord Kaelen — Justice of Stars
• Queen Solene — Voice of Light
• General Dracos — Blade of the Realm
Their gazes pinned Samuel like a specimen.
Dracos spoke first:
"Samuel Herindor. Bearer of Void. Threat to all existence. Step forward and be judged."
Samuel did.
Kaelen's voice echoed like stars cracking:
"You stand accused of—
• Invoking forbidden forces
• Disrupting cosmic balances
• Harboring the traitor Femi
• Bringing chaos to every realm touched by you"
Ignara scoffed loudly.
"Oh please—maybe interrogate the actual villain?"
A dozen spears shifted toward her throat.
Velyd calmly lifted a hand and the illusions of the guards flickered—revealing half were phantoms.
"Ignore them," she whispered. "They enjoy overcompensation."
Dracos snarled. "Control your mongrel witches."
Samuel's hand clenched into a fist—void vibrating.
Tristan touched his arm lightly. "Not yet."
The touch steadied him.
Daniel stepped forward, voice trembling but solid:
"If you're gonna accuse Samuel of everything that's gone wrong— maybe also thank him for everything that didn't? He saved lives. Including mine."
Kaelen regarded Daniel like a curiosity.
"And what are you, human?"
Daniel swallowed.
"I don't know yet. But when I learn, I'll use it to help people… like Sam taught me."
That struck something. Even if Kaelen refused to show it.
⸻
The Trial Begins
Solene raised a sphere of living starlight.
It projected visions into the air — holograms of destruction, void, and worlds trembling.
Every scene depicted Samuel as a cataclysm.
Even moments where he'd saved others.
Dracos twisted each memory into a weapon:
"Here — Bahllon. Your power erased part of the planet's atmosphere."
"It was already collapsing!" Samuel growled.
"And Sariem — you tore a rift in their core."
"To prevent a cosmic implosion!"
"Then Eldoria's border — you unleashed untamed void."
"To shield Tristan from Femi!" Samuel's voice shook. "Void reacts to threat!"
Kaelen slammed his staff.
"Yet destruction followed. Each and every time."
Samuel's voice rose, fierce and unfiltered:
"I was born into war I didn't start. I was hunted from my first breath. I am not your apocalypse — YOU are creating it through fear!"
Silence. Sharp as a blade.
⸻
Tristan Takes the Stand
Tristan stepped forward — still weak, but defiant.
"The only reason I'm alive is because Samuel fought Femi's corruption. Ask yourself — why would the Void save an Eldorian if it only seeks ruin?"
Dracos scoffed. "You are blinded by sentiment."
Tristan flinched but his voice sharpened:
"I am guided by truth. Samuel is balance. And if you kill him because of what he might be — then you are the true threat."
Kaelen's jaw clenched.
Solene's eyes softened.
Dracos sneered deeper.
⸻
The Turn
Kaelen extended a hand to Samuel:
"Then prove your claim. Prove you can control the void without consuming."
"In what way?" Samuel asked warily.
General Dracos snapped his fingers — and a prisoner was dragged into view.
Wrapped in chains.
Broken.
Bleeding.
Femi's mark carved into his skin.
Samuel's eyes widened.
It was Tristan's younger brother, Orion.
The already fragile Tristan crumbled, collapsing to his knees.
"No… Or-Orion? Orion!"
The boy lifted his head, barely conscious, whispering:
"T…Tris?.. help…"
Samuel rushed forward — guards blocked him with spears.
Kaelen's voice was ice:
"He is infected with the same curse as Tristan. But more lethal. More… hungry."
Dracos' tone dripped with cruelty.
"Save him, Void Prince.
If you can."
Samuel's heart hammered.
Void surged, eager and wild —
Save him Save him Save him
⸻
The Test
Samuel held out his hands — void spiraled in gentle threads instead of storms.
He approached Orion slowly.
Tristan watched, breath shattered.
Daniel whispered, "You can do this…"
Samuel laid his hand over the spreading corruption.
The void sank in.
The curse fought back.
Samuel gritted his teeth — sweat dripping — absorbing the darkness like venom.
Orion gasped — the corruption retreating…
The void flared too fast — too hungry —
Samuel trembled, losing control—
Tristan grabbed his wrist:
"Samuel. With me."
Their eyes locked.
Two heartbeats syncing.
The void obeyed.
The darkness shattered — dissolving into starlight.
Orion was healed.
Completely.
Tristan broke into tears — clinging to his brother.
A miracle.
A sign.
Silence swept the Tribunal.
⸻
Verdict?
Kaelen stared — shaken in spite of himself.
Solene whispered:
"Light and Void… in harmony…"
Dracos snarled:
"This proves NOTHING. He could turn at any time. The threat remains!"
Samuel finally snapped — power cracking the marble beneath his boots.
"Of course the threat remains — your fear is the threat!
Your arrogance is the threat!
If Balance is what you seek — then TRUST ME to protect it!"
Void burst from his skin — not destructive — majestic.
A cosmic storm shaped into wings.
Every star in the ceiling flickered.
Kaelen raised a hand — signaling guards to stand down.
The High Lord spoke, voice trembling with reluctant respect:
"You… may not be the end."
Samuel stepped forward, voice blazing:
"I will not be the end.
I will be the REASON the end never wins."
⸻
The Closing Blow
Before Kaelen could speak further —
every star in Eldoria dimmed to black.
A chilling laugh slithered through the chamber —
Femi's voice.
"So many powerful beings…
All in one place…"
A pillar of crimson fire erupted in the sky — spreading across Eldoria's horizon.
The walls vibrated. The cosmos itself recoiled.
Femi's voice boomed:
"Thank you, Samuel,
for gathering my enemies where I can burn them all at once."
Daniel grabbed Samuel's arm.
Tristan shielded Orion despite the pain.
Kaelen stared in horror:
"He's… already inside the realm—
How did we not see—"
Samuel's eyes hardened — void igniting like war.
"We don't have time for your fear anymore."
He turned to the Five — to Daniel — to Tristan.
"Stand with me."
They did.
The hall shuddered as Femi's forces breached the realm.
Samuel's voice echoed through the stars:
"If he wants war — we give him hell."
⸻
Velyd looked into the future to see how the trial would turn out,she tried different possibilities but it all resulted in the same outcome
Now they have to experience it all over again ⸻
The Hall of Stars was not built for mercy.
It towered like the spine of a dead titan, carved from compressed stardust. Constellations spiraled along its ceiling—mapping every world Eldoria claimed dominion over. And the air… the air thrummed with power older than memory.
Samuel entered without hesitation.
Behind him:
Tristan — upright but shaking with pain
Daniel — heart pounding loud enough to be heard
Zephira, Ignara, Nysara & Velyd — ready for a fight if peace failed
And above them, floating like a celestial judge, stood the Triad of Eldoria's Tribunal:
• High Lord Kaelen — Justice of Stars
• Queen Solene — Voice of Light
• General Dracos — Blade of the Realm
Their gazes pinned Samuel like a specimen.
Dracos spoke first:
"Samuel Herindor. Bearer of Void. Threat to all existence. Step forward and be judged."
Samuel did.
Kaelen's voice echoed like stars cracking:
"You stand accused of—
• Invoking forbidden forces
• Disrupting cosmic balances
• Harboring the traitor Femi
• Bringing chaos to every realm touched by you"
Ignara scoffed loudly.
"Oh please—maybe interrogate the actual villain?"
A dozen spears shifted toward her throat.
Velyd calmly lifted a hand and the illusions of the guards flickered—revealing half were phantoms.
"Ignore them," she whispered. "They enjoy overcompensation."
Dracos snarled. "Control your mongrel witches."
Samuel's hand clenched into a fist—void vibrating.
Tristan touched his arm lightly. "Not yet."
The touch steadied him.
Daniel stepped forward, voice trembling but solid:
"If you're gonna accuse Samuel of everything that's gone wrong— maybe also thank him for everything that didn't? He saved lives. Including mine."
Kaelen regarded Daniel like a curiosity.
"And what are you, human?"
Daniel swallowed.
"I don't know yet. But when I learn, I'll use it to help people… like Sam taught me."
That struck something. Even if Kaelen refused to show it.
⸻
The Trial Begins
Solene raised a sphere of living starlight.
It projected visions into the air — holograms of destruction, void, and worlds trembling.
Every scene depicted Samuel as a cataclysm.
Even moments where he'd saved others.
Dracos twisted each memory into a weapon:
"Here — Bahllon. Your power erased part of the planet's atmosphere."
"It was already collapsing!" Samuel growled.
"And Sariem — you tore a rift in their core."
"To prevent a cosmic implosion!"
"Then Eldoria's border — you unleashed untamed void."
"To shield Tristan from Femi!" Samuel's voice shook. "Void reacts to threat!"
Kaelen slammed his staff.
"Yet destruction followed. Each and every time."
Samuel's voice rose, fierce and unfiltered:
"I was born into war I didn't start. I was hunted from my first breath. I am not your apocalypse — YOU are creating it through fear!"
Silence. Sharp as a blade.
⸻
Tristan Takes the Stand
Tristan stepped forward — still weak, but defiant.
"The only reason I'm alive is because Samuel fought Femi's corruption. Ask yourself — why would the Void save an Eldorian if it only seeks ruin?"
Dracos scoffed. "You are blinded by sentiment."
Tristan flinched but his voice sharpened:
"I am guided by truth. Samuel is balance. And if you kill him because of what he might be — then you are the true threat."
Kaelen's jaw clenched.
Solene's eyes softened.
Dracos sneered deeper.
⸻
The Turn
Kaelen extended a hand to Samuel:
"Then prove your claim. Prove you can control the void without consuming."
"In what way?" Samuel asked warily.
General Dracos snapped his fingers — and a prisoner was dragged into view.
Wrapped in chains.
Broken.
Bleeding.
Femi's mark carved into his skin.
Samuel's eyes widened.
It was Tristan's younger brother, Orion.
The already fragile Tristan crumbled, collapsing to his knees.
"No… Or-Orion? Orion!"
The boy lifted his head, barely conscious, whispering:
"T…Tris?.. help…"
Samuel rushed forward — guards blocked him with spears.
Kaelen's voice was ice:
"He is infected with the same curse as Tristan. But more lethal. More… hungry."
Dracos' tone dripped with cruelty.
"Save him, Void Prince.
If you can."
Samuel's heart hammered.
Void surged, eager and wild —
Save him Save him Save him
⸻
The Test
Samuel held out his hands — void spiraled in gentle threads instead of storms.
He approached Orion slowly.
Tristan watched, breath shattered.
Daniel whispered, "You can do this…"
Samuel laid his hand over the spreading corruption.
The void sank in.
The curse fought back.
Samuel gritted his teeth — sweat dripping — absorbing the darkness like venom.
Orion gasped — the corruption retreating…
The void flared too fast — too hungry —
Samuel trembled, losing control—
Tristan grabbed his wrist:
"Samuel. With me."
Their eyes locked.
Two heartbeats syncing.
The void obeyed.
The darkness shattered — dissolving into starlight.
Orion was healed.
Completely.
Tristan broke into tears — clinging to his brother.
A miracle.
A sign.
Silence swept the Tribunal.
⸻
Verdict?
Kaelen stared — shaken in spite of himself.
Solene whispered:
"Light and Void… in harmony…"
Dracos snarled:
"This proves NOTHING. He could turn at any time. The threat remains!"
Samuel finally snapped — power cracking the marble beneath his boots.
"Of course the threat remains — your fear is the threat!
Your arrogance is the threat!
If Balance is what you seek — then TRUST ME to protect it!"
Void burst from his skin — not destructive — majestic.
A cosmic storm shaped into wings.
Every star in the ceiling flickered.
Kaelen raised a hand — signaling guards to stand down.
The High Lord spoke, voice trembling with reluctant respect:
"You… may not be the end."
Samuel stepped forward, voice blazing:
"I will not be the end.
I will be the REASON the end never wins."
⸻
The Closing Blow
Before Kaelen could speak further —
every star in Eldoria dimmed to black.
A chilling laugh slithered through the chamber —
Femi's voice.
"So many powerful beings…
All in one place…"
A pillar of crimson fire erupted in the sky — spreading across Eldoria's horizon.
The walls vibrated. The cosmos itself recoiled.
Femi's voice boomed:
"Thank you, Samuel,
for gathering my enemies where I can burn them all at once."
Daniel grabbed Samuel's arm.
Tristan shielded Orion despite the pain.
Kaelen stared in horror:
"He's… already inside the realm—
How did we not see—"
Samuel's eyes hardened — void igniting like war.
"We don't have time for your fear anymore."
He turned to the Five — to Daniel — to Tristan.
"Stand with me."
They did.
The hall shuddered as Femi's forces breached the realm.
Samuel's voice echoed through the stars:
"If he wants war — we give him hell."
⸻