The council chamber was sealed.
No guards.
No servants.
Only ancient stone walls layered with runes meant to block even spiritual observation.
Kaelith stood at the center.
His presence alone bent the mana in the room—not violently, but with quiet authority.
His sword rested naturally at his side, as if the space itself accepted it there.
The Fairy King sat upon the throne, fingers intertwined, gaze unreadable.
Lunareth stood to the right, wings hidden, her expression calm but alert.
Yuzora leaned against a pillar, eyes sharp, watching Kaelith without blinking.
Kaelith exhaled.
"The Hollowspire has become active again."
The temperature dropped.
The Fairy King leaned forward.
"Explain."
With a slow motion of his hand, Kaelith condensed mana into a floating projection.
A tower—twisted, hollow, its interior crawling with distorted shadows.
"They were seen walking there," Kaelith said.
"Not demons. Not fairies."
"Watchers."
Yuzora straightened.
"Watchers don't move unless something draws their attention."
Kaelith nodded.
"Exactly."
He dismissed the projection.
"This world now contains an individual carrying a dragon bloodline."
The Fairy King's breath caught.
"…Impossible."
"Rare," Kaelith corrected. "Not impossible."
Lunareth's eyes widened.
"All confirmed lines were erased after the old wars."
Kaelith turned toward her.
"One escaped notice."
Silence pressed down.
Then—
"You trained him."
Lunareth did not deny it.
"I met Reeve in the jungle," she said.
"At first, I treated him like a normal human—basic mana flow, circulation control, reaction discipline."
Yuzora tilted her head.
"And?"
"He adapted too quickly."
Kaelith's eyes sharpened.
"So I increased the difficulty," Lunareth continued.
"I trained him the way I was trained."
"And his mana?" Kaelith asked.
Lunareth paused.
"It began to rise on its own."
The Fairy King frowned.
"Unstable?"
"No," she replied. "Expanding."
Kaelith folded his arms.
"You used a seal."
"Yes," Lunareth said.
"A high-grade control seal. Its purpose is to regulate mana flow and prevent uncontrolled gate formation."
The Fairy King nodded.
"A necessary safeguard."
"But his flow kept increasing," Lunareth added.
"I had to reinforce it to Level 10."
For the first time—
Kaelith showed clear surprise.
"Level 10?"
Yuzora muttered,
"That seal is normally reserved for beings capable of warping regions."
Kaelith fell silent.
Not shocked.
Thinking.
After a long moment, he spoke.
"He is not dangerous because of what he can do now."
Everyone listened.
"He is dangerous because he doesn't resist growth."
The Fairy King narrowed his eyes.
"What are you suggesting?"
Kaelith turned toward the chamber doors.
"Potential."
Yuzora crossed her arms.
"You think he could become a Demon Lord."
Kaelith did not answer immediately.
Then—
"Possibly," he said.
"Or something that stands adjacent to that role."
Lunareth frowned.
"And if he loses control?"
Kaelith's voice lowered, steady and absolute.
"Then the world will respond to him."
He turned slightly, gaze distant.
"And if he walks that path without restraint—"
"He will force every power in this realm to acknowledge his existence."
The Fairy King stood.
"And your decision?"
Kaelith faced him fully.
"I will not interfere."
Yuzora snapped,
"You're just going to watch?"
"Yes," Kaelith replied.
"Because interference would decide his fate prematurely."
He took a step forward.
"If he stabilizes, he becomes an asset."
"If he destabilizes—others will move before I do."
The chamber fell silent.
At the threshold, Kaelith paused.
"But understand this," he said without turning.
"If Reeve ever chooses a path that threatens balance—"
"I will not hesitate to act."
The doors closed.
Far away—
Reeve felt nothing.
Which, somehow, was more unsettling.