Chapter 5: The Unveiling

THE REVELATION

Every stride Elias took towards the Council chamber carried the weight of decades of dishonesty, echoing across the marble halls. His palms were clammy against the journal, its worn-out pages bearing atrocities he had spent restless nights confirming. The journal was bound in leather. The familiar smells of old paper and ink had little effect on slowing his racing pulse. His heart thumped against his ribs, the sound resonating through his bones as the giant doors slid open with a menacing groan.

The light streaming from the stained glass windows above illuminated the jewelled regalia of the heir, and the semicircle of nobles sitting on their raised seats resembled vultures in their golden roosts.

"You dare cut off a Council session?" The voice of a nobleman exploded over the hall, laden with centuries of presumed power. Though Elias did not flinch, the words struck him like a physical force.

Elias lifted his chin, relying on his years of academic grace, which now seemed tenuous. "I bring the truth that no longer remains buried." Emotionally charged, he held out the diary, its binding worn from his many hours of study. The weight of the diary, he knew, tied him to his destiny. "Your divine Architect—he was among us. A scientist turned away from humanity."

Laughter reverberated throughout the chamber, causing his skin to tingle. Leaning forward in crimson robes, a nobleman caught the light in a way Elias could relate to—that of fresh blood. "Blasphemy."

"Look through these pages." Elias opened the notebook to sections he had memorized over many restless nights. The words burned in his memory like brands, and his hands shook. "These are his words. He constructed Ethereon by gathering the Vaelari's life power; he did not discover it. His own people."

The laughter died. A heavy silence fell over the chamber, pressing down like a tangible weight. In the corner of his vision, Seraphine moved, her fingers clutching the armrests until her knuckles turned white. Her discomfort wrenched something in his chest, but he willed himself to go on.

"The destruction tore thousands of young people from their homes. The destruction tore apart entire colonies." Each syllable tasted like ash on Elias's tongue. His voice grew weak with barely controlled fury. "This was all done in an attempt to overcome death. Every setback drove him further into anarchy until he considered his people as nothing more than tools for his research."

"You expect us to believe—" a noble started, but his voice faltered with hesitation, the fissure in his composure as clear as a crack in marble.

"I've seen their spirits!" Elias struck his palm on the podium. The harsh sound resonated off the vaulted ceiling, sending pain through his hand. "They are caught between dimensions, suffering beyond the grave! And you sit here in your robes, pretending not to hear their cries. While you feast at your banquets, they writhe in ceaseless suffering. Every waking moment, I see their faces haunting me."

The chamber erupted in murmurs that quickly spread, igniting pockets of urgent whispers. Some nobles exchanged worried glances; others fixed their attention on the floor, unwilling to meet his intense stare. The air thickened with strain, making it difficult to breathe.

Though Seraphine remained still, her face had turned pale as stone. Their eyes locked across the room, and in that instant, Elias felt something inside him ache, despite his fury. He witnessed the burden of complicity descending upon her. Her gaze suggested treachery, but he couldn't determine whether she was aiming it at the truth he had exposed—or at him.

"Your 'god' is a murderer," Elias said, each syllable bearing the weight of his revelation. His words sliced through the whispering like a knife across silk. "And you honor the death of innocents every day, sustaining his lies. Every ceremony, every prayer, every drop of Ethereon you drink—it all rests on the bones of children. Their blood marks every golden ornament in this room."

THE DENOUNCEMENT

The atmosphere in the chamber altered like a developing storm. The council members leaned towards each other, their silk robes rustling as they exchanged meaningful glances. Gripping the diary tightly, Elias's knuckles turned white due to the leather binding.

As Elias rose from his chair, the golden office chains of Councillor Thaddeus glinted in the sunlight.

"This young man is engaging in a conversation about treachery. Guards, seize this heretic."

The term "heretic" caused others in the crowd to mutter in agreement. Elias saw the guards advancing, their boots ringing on the stone close to the chamber doors.

"You would silence the truth just as you silenced the Vaelari?" Despite his racing heart, Elias's voice remained crisp.

Lord Constantin, Seraphine's father, came next. Like his daughter, he was striking, with rugged features.

"Previously, you were welcomed into my home, Elias Astren. I treated you like a son." His words cut more accurately than any knife. "You are now lying here, misrepresenting our divine leader? You humiliated everyone who trusted you, as well as yourself."

Elias directed his gaze towards Seraphine. She sat rigidly in her chair, a mask of confused emotions covering her face. Their eyes met across the room; they were filled with a mixture of fear and recognition. Her fingers squeezed around her armrests as though they were the only thing keeping her tethered to her chair.

With a faltering voice, Seraphine called out, "Father. Maybe we should—"

"Silence!" Constantin's order cracked like a splinter. "Daughter, affection has blinded you. He's a dangerous individual."

Elias saw activity in the gallery. Among the gathered authorities and nobility, identifiable faces emerged in the throng. Maya Voss had a cowl covering half of her silver-white hair while she was standing beside a pillar. Her violet eyes locked on his, and a silence emerged.

He noticed more people moving in the corner of his eye—resistance fighters positioned all around the space.

"Dangerous?" Elias laughed, but his laughter lacked humor. "What's damaging is the lie you've used to acquire authority. You paid the cost in blood for your investigation into immortality."

"Enough!" Thaddeus pointed at the guards. "Bring him to the holding cells. We will handle this heresy appropriately."

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The sentries pushed ahead. Elias stood his ground, counting beats. Maya's hand went to her side, and he could tell she had a weapon there. The resistance fighters tensed, ready.

From her chair, Seraphine stood halfway. "Wait—"

Her father's palm pressed down on her shoulder.

"Remember your place," Constantin shouted. "Remember your responsibility to the Council."

Elias watched the truth collide with years of instruction as Seraphine's face collapsed. As she sank back into her seat, something shattered within him.

Now, it was just a few steps to the guards. Thaddeus smiled fiercely, his confidence unwavering.

"You, young man, ought to have stayed in your lab. Some truths are best kept secret."

THE UPRISING BEGINS

Elias' heart pounded against his chest as the guards closed in. Their boots boomed across the chamber floor, and weapons were pulled.

Behind him, a tiny movement drew his attention: Maya's hand signal slashing through the air.

Violet light erupted through the chamber's windows. The crystalline windows smashed inward, showering the council members with multicolored bits. Maya's rebels broke through the gaps, ethereal energy crackling from their guns.

"Down!" Maya's voice boomed out.

Elias fell as smoke canisters clattered on the marble floor. Dense purple fog billowed out, filling the chamber. Guards stumbled blindly, coughing and yelling. Elias crawled through the turmoil to the nearest pillar.

A guard's boot appeared in the smoke. Elias rolled left when the blade impacted the stone. His attacker's shape appeared—a young sentinel with terror in his eyes. Their gazes met for a brief moment before Maya emerged behind him, striking precise spots that knocked him unconscious.

"Your research wasn't meant for this." Maya extended her hand. "But here we are."

Elias clutched it and rose to his feet as energy bolts illuminated the haze like lightning. Council members fled through side doors, while revolutionaries confronted the remaining guards. The chamber turned into chaos.

"Father, stop!" Seraphine's voice broke through the din.

Elias saw her wrestling with Constantin near the council chairs through the smoke. Her father grabbed her arm and tried to drag her toward an escape. But Seraphine planted her feet and twisted loose.

"You knew!" She backed away from Constantin. "About the Vaelari, about all of it!"

"Everything I did was to protect you." Constantin's face twisted. "The Architect gave us power and life! Without the sacrifices—"

A stray energy shot hit the wall behind them. Constantin pushed Seraphine back as rubble showered down. But the blast had also loosened something else: a pendant around Constantin's neck. It skittered across the floor and landed at Elias' feet.

The pendant used the same symbol as the Architect's Journal. As Constantin lunged for it, Elias grabbed it. The metal felt strange in his hand, resonating at an unusual frequency.

"Give that back!" Constantin's composed façade cracked. "You don't understand what you're holding!"

"I understand perfectly." Elias held up the pendant. "This contains Ethereon collected during the Vaelari massacre. You have been wearing their deaths around your neck."

Seraphine's eyes widened as she focused on her father. "Is it true?"

Constantin's silence doomed him more than words could. Seraphine pulled away from him, tears running down her face.

"I trusted you," she muttered.

A guard emerged from the smoke behind her. Elias shouted a caution, but Constantin moved quickly. He pushed Seraphine clear—right into the line of another guard's energy bolt.

The bolt hit her shoulder. She shouted out, collapsing to the floor as violet light crackled across her body. Constantin and Elias hurried to her side.

"Don't touch her!" Maya appeared with a weapon trained on Constantin. "That is Ethereon-enhanced ammo. One wrong move, and the resonance will tear her apart."

Elias knelt by Seraphine, his research mind whirling. The violet energy surging through her matched the frequency he had seen in his lab. Her breath came in harsh gasps as the power surged through her.

"Help her," Constantin begged, his aristocratic façade finally shattered. "Please."

Around them, the combat raged. But in that moment, watching Seraphine battle against forces he had helped unleash, Elias knew there was no turning back.

The Council's lies, the Architect's horrors, had all contributed to this point.

ESCAPE & FORESHADOWING

Elias' hands trembled as he inspected the violet energy flowing through Seraphine's body. The crystalline structure matched his Alpha-7 studies; perhaps this was the key.

"Maya, cover me." He removed a vial from his coat pocket. "I need two minutes."

Maya positioned herself between them and the approaching guards, her weapon humming with ethereal energy. "Make it one."

Constantin's pendant still pulsed in Elias' hands. He placed it next to Seraphine and watched the frequencies interact. The violet light diminished where the two energies converged.

"What are you doing to my daughter?" Constantin lurched forward.

Maya's boot smacked him in the chest and sent him backward. "Stay where you are."

While Elias worked, blood seeped from Seraphine's shoulder. He removed a drop of Alpha-7 with studied precision and allowed it to drip upon the wound. The violent energy rippled, and then it began to stabilize.

"Elias..." Seraphine's eyes flickered open. "Go."

"I can't leave you here."

"You have to." She grabbed his wrist. "They will not hurt me. But if you stay..."

An explosion rattled the chamber. Through the haze, Elias noticed council members chatting over communication devices. Their looks were not frantic; they were coordinated and prepared.

"Elias, we need to move!" Maya fired another blast at the approaching guards.

He paused, but Seraphine pulled him aside. "I'll find you as soon as I can. Now, run!"

Maya grabbed his collar and yanked him towards the damaged glass. Three rebels supplied cover fire as they approached the ledge. More resistance fighters had established an escape route across the garden terraces.

They dropped rapidly, energy bolts blazing past. One struck a young rebel in the leg. The man shouted as he fell, slamming through the ornamental bushes. Elias and Maya dragged him behind a stone fountain.

"Leave me," the rebel exclaimed. "I'll slow you down."

"We don't abandon our own." Maya activated her communication unit. "Team 2, we need to evacuate. Garden level, west fountain."

More guards emerged from the building. But their actions were too precise and measured. They had trained for this circumstance, so their behavior was not spontaneous.

"They knew we'd come." Elias ducked as another bolt hit the fountain. "They were ready."

"Of course they were." Maya's violet eyes narrowed. "The Council consistently employs a strategic approach. We need to adapt our strategies accordingly."

A resistance transport arrived over them, hovering only long enough for them to carry the injured fighter. Elias turned back to look at the Council chamber.

Through the smashed glass, he noticed Seraphine standing with Constantin's hand on her shoulder. Their gazes met across the distance.

Would she betray them to prove her loyalty? Or had the truth about her father's crimes broken those ties forever? Elias couldn't see her expression as guards surrounded her.

The transport moved away from the grounds. Smoke billowed from the council chamber, and emergency sirens sounded throughout the city.

The council members he saw through the windows, on the other hand, weren't running away in fear. The fires of insurrection lit their faces as they gathered and plotted.

Maya touched his arm. "This was just the first strike."

Elias nodded, his body sore from the escape. But as he watched the flames bounce off the chamber's remaining windows, he realized the real war was just beginning.