The Imperial Council Chamber was rarely silent.
Normally, that was a good sign.
It meant someone was arguing about taxes, trade, borders, laws, or any other matter that could become a problem if ignored for too long.
That day, however, the silence was absolute.
Far too absolute.
The seven members of the Imperial Council sat around the enormous dark-wood table that occupied the center of the chamber.
And not a single one of them looked particularly happy to be there.
At the head of the table sat Emperor Leonard Valeborn.
To his right sat the Empress.
She had not spoken yet.
She simply watched.
Across from them, the council members waited.
The first was Duke Aldric Veyr, Imperial Grand Chancellor.
He was a calm-looking man with dark hair touched with gray and an expression that seemed specifically designed to hide whatever he was actually thinking.
In front of him sat a mountain of documents.
Probably enough to suffocate someone to death.
Beside him sat Duchess Seraphine Valcrest, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Her expression was considerably kinder than Aldric's.
Which, strangely enough, made her look even more dangerous.
She was smiling.
But no one in that room had the slightest doubt that she could destroy an international negotiation without ever raising her voice.
Next was Duke Cassian Draven, Supreme Imperial Commander.
He sat with his back perfectly straight, his arms crossed over his chest, and an expression that made it quite clear he would rather be on a battlefield than sitting through a meeting.
Beside him sat Countess Elara Wyncrest, Minister of Finance.
Several reports were spread open in front of her, along with an expression of absolute exhaustion.
Probably because the Empire's economy had the indecency of continuing to exist whenever she wanted to sleep.
The fifth member was Marquis Theron Blackmere, Minister of Imperial Security.
No one knew exactly how much he talked.
And that was precisely what made him concerning.
Theron had the unpleasant habit of looking at people as though he already knew something they had not yet said.
The sixth was Duchess Isolde Arvane, Imperial High Magistrate.
Serious, precise, and extremely intolerant of stupidity.
Finally, there was Count Lucien Everhart, Minister of Infrastructure.
He was probably the least intimidating member at first glance.
That did not mean he was any less important.
Roads, bridges, transportation systems, reconstruction, and supply lines all fell under the decisions he made.
All seven had been summoned.
And they all knew why.
Aldric was the first to break the silence.
—Ten days.
Leonard raised his eyes.
—I know.
—Ten days since Prince Leopold disappeared from the capital.
Cassian immediately corrected him.
—The prince did not disappear. His whereabouts are unknown.
Aldric looked at him.
—Thank you for the clarification.
—It is important.
—Not at the moment.
Cassian narrowed his eyes.
—It is to me.
Seraphine sighed.
—Please.
—We're only getting started —Elara muttered.
Lucien raised an eyebrow.
—Does that mean we can still pretend this meeting is going to be pleasant?
No one answered.
Lucien nodded slowly.
—Understood.
Theron remained silent.
Isolde was the one who spoke this time.
—Ten days since the prince was admitted, and nine since it was confirmed that he remains unconscious.
The Empress finally raised her eyes.
—He remains stable.
Isolde nodded.
—Stable, yes.
She paused.
—But unconscious.
The room fell silent again.
Leonard folded his hands on the table.
—The prince's condition has not worsened.
—That does not mean he has improved —Isolde replied.
Cassian looked at her.
—Are you suggesting we do something differently?
—I'm saying we cannot build our policy around hope.
Leonard's gaze hardened slightly.
—I'm not building anything around hope.
—Then around what?
Before Leonard could answer, Aldric intervened.
—Around a decision that none of us fully understands.
That caught everyone's attention.
Aldric picked up one of the documents.
—The search was called off.
Leonard said nothing.
—The teams that were deployed have been withdrawn —Aldric continued. —Investigations in the border regions have been suspended. The orders concerning the capture of the creature have been canceled.
Seraphine folded her hands on the table.
—And that is already generating rumors.
—Among the nobles? —Leonard asked.
—Among the nobles, merchants, regional rulers, and certain members of foreign institutions.
Elara added:
—And among the general population.
Leonard looked at her.
—What kind of rumors?
Elara let out a small, humorless laugh.
—The usual ones.
She picked up one of the reports.
—That the prince is dying.
Cassian frowned.
—That's false.
—I know.
—Then deny it.
—It's not that simple.
Elara placed the document back on the table.
—If we announce that the prince is perfectly stable, people will ask why he remains unconscious. If we say his condition is critical, we'll cause panic. If we say nothing...
—People will invent the answer for us —Seraphine finished.
—Exactly.
Theron finally spoke.
—They already are.
Everyone looked at him.
—How serious?
—Not yet.
A pause.
—But it could become serious.
Leonard leaned back slightly in his chair.
—Then we've reached the real problem.
Aldric nodded.
—The creature.
Theron shook his head.
—No.
Everyone looked at him.
—The problem —Theron said— is that we don't know what it is.
For the first time, no one had an immediate answer.
Seraphine was the one who broke the silence.
—We have records of unidentified magical creatures.
—Yes.
—We have reports of magical mutations.
—Yes.
—We have species capable of developing abilities outside the common classifications.
—Yes.
Theron placed both hands on the table.
—But none of them match what we know about her.
Isolde frowned.
—We don't have confirmation that she is a creature.
Theron looked at her.
—We don't have confirmation that she isn't.
—Then we cannot officially use that word.
—I agree.
Cassian let out a sigh.
—Are we seriously going to argue about terminology while the prince is still unconscious?
—Words matter —Isolde replied.
—Not when there are soldiers waiting for orders.
—Precisely because there are soldiers waiting for orders.
Cassian tapped one finger lightly against the table.
—My soldiers were sent to find her.
—And they were withdrawn —Leonard replied.
Cassian looked directly at him.
—By your order.
—Yes.
—Why?
The question fell over the chamber like a stone.
Leonard did not look away.
—Because we do not have enough information.
Cassian remained silent for several seconds.
—We have an unknown person.
—We don't know if it's a person.
—Then a creature.
—We don't know that either.
—An entity.
Leonard sighed.
—Cassian.
—Something —the commander insisted. —We have something that appeared out of nowhere, possesses abilities we do not understand, was directly involved with the prince, and then disappeared.
—She was also accompanied by Yeana Seraphiel.
The name caused the expressions of several council members to change.
Aldric was the first.
—That is precisely what concerns me.
Seraphine slowly nodded.
—The Seraphiel family.
Elara looked up from her documents.
—I thought that matter was closed.
Isolde answered:
—The sentence was. The history wasn't.
Lucien looked from one person to another.
—Do we really have to talk about this now?
—Yes —Isolde and Aldric said at the exact same time.
Lucien blinked.
—Perfect.
Aldric placed another document on the table.
—Yeana Seraphiel belongs to a family whose noble bloodline was condemned centuries ago for treason against the Empire.
Leonard remained motionless.
—Her family was given a specific sentence —Isolde continued. —To serve the imperial bloodline directly.
—And she has done so for years —Seraphine said.
—Until now.
Cassian crossed his arms.
—Now she ran away.
The Empress spoke for the first time, her voice calm.
—She did not run away alone.
Everyone fell silent.
—That means the situation cannot be reduced to a simple act of treason.
Leonard looked at his wife.
She continued:
—If Yeana had wanted to abandon the Empire, she would have had far easier opportunities to do so.
Theron watched her.
—Then you believe she is protecting the other person.
—I believe we still don't know what she is doing.
Aldric lowered his gaze toward the documents.
—And that brings us back to the same point.
The Empress looked at him.
—Yes.
Aldric took a deep breath.
—We don't know what it is.
—No.
—We don't know where it is.
—No.
—We don't know what connection it has to the plague.
—No.
—And we don't know why the prince reacted that way upon coming into contact with it.
Leonard's jaw tightened slightly.
—No.
Aldric closed the file.
—Then, Your Majesty...
He raised his eyes.
—Why stop the search?
Leonard did not answer immediately.
The chamber fell silent.
Then he said:
—Because I will not sacrifice soldiers chasing something that could be completely unknown.
Cassian leaned slightly forward.
—And what do you propose we do in the meantime?
Leonard looked at him.
—Wait.
Cassian let out a dry laugh.
—That's not a strategy.
—It's a decision.
—A decision that could cost us lives.
Elara intervened.
—It's already costing us lives.
Everyone looked at her.
The countess slowly closed the report in front of her.
—The plague continues.
There was no humor in her voice anymore.
—And while we argue about a vanished creature, more people are becoming sick every day.
No one said anything.
Elara looked directly at Leonard.
—Nobles can survive an economic crisis.
—Merchants can lose money.
—Regions can reduce their production.
She paused.
—But commoners are dying.
Leonard's expression hardened.
Elara continued:
—And they are the majority of the population.
Aldric closed his eyes for a moment.
Seraphine lowered her gaze.
Even Cassian remained silent.
Because that was the truth none of them could ignore.
The plague was not striking the Empire at its peak.
It was striking from below.
And if it continued spreading...
Everything would eventually fall.
The Empress looked at each member of the council.
Then she said:
—Then stop arguing about who is right.
Everyone looked at her.
—And start asking yourselves what we are willing to lose to find an answer.
No one spoke again.
For a few seconds.
Until Lucien slowly raised one hand.
The Empress looked at him.
—Yes?
Lucien glanced at the others.
—May I ask a question?
—Go ahead.
Lucien looked around the table.
—Can we do all of that after lunch?
The silence was absolute.
Cassian closed his eyes.
Isolde pinched the bridge of her nose.
Seraphine let out a small laugh.
And, for the first time during the entire meeting, Leonard smiled.
—Five-minute break.
Lucien smiled in satisfaction.
—I knew His Majesty was a reasonable man.
Aldric glanced at the clock.
—Three minutes.
Lucien's shoulders dropped.
—I take that back.
The meeting continued.
And none of them knew that, very far from there...
The person they were searching for was sleeping peacefully on the ground.