The Council of Elders were the highest authority within the Shadow Society; four influential figures who had guided its laws, politics, and bloodlines for centuries. They ruled not through popularity, but through tradition, fear, and control, overseeing the three great clans and deciding what knowledge was allowed to exist.
Though their influence barely stretched beyond the Hashido Estate, their word within it was absolute. When news reached them about the power that Kato had awakened, the council was thrown into total uproar.
Whispers of lost power, shifting balance, and a forgotten prophecy spread through their chamber like fire. By the next day, their patience had snapped. Ervin Hashido was summoned at once to their chambers to discuss their next course of action.
The chamber of the Council of Elders was carved from black stone and lit by pale flame. Four figures sat in a half-circle, their presence making the room feel heavy
After a few moments, the doors of the chambers opened and Ervin Hashido stepped inside and stood at the center of the four elders.
The four elders were three men and a woman and they all looked like they were in their 70s. The four elders were Randar, Kiba, Akami and Kuyomi, the only woman among them.
The room stayed quiet until Randar leaned forward.
Randar: You were summoned, Ervin Hashido. Do you know why?
Ervin’s eyes narrowed.
Ervin: It's about Kato Hamura right?
Randar: When were you going to tell us that he possessed the god eye?
Ervin rolled his eyes.
Ervin: I didn't know. I only learned of it myself, the same time you all did.
A murmur passed between them and then Akami spoke.
Akami: So it’s true. The God Eye has awakened.
Ervin didn’t answer at first as he still struggled to understand it himself.
Ervin: It seems so.
The elders gasped in amazement and then Kuyomi spoke.
Kuyomi: The god eye hasn't appeared in over eight hundred years because the Hamorabi clan were annihilated all those years ago. So I didn’t think it was even possible anymore. It shouldn't be possible.
The central Elder straightened.
Kiba: Which is exactly why this matter no longer belongs to you alone, Ervin Hashido.
The air tightened as Ervin raised an eyebrow.
Elder: By the authority of the Shadow Council, Kato Hamura is to be brought here and placed under the protection of the Imperial Guard.
Ervin’s gaze hardened.
Ervin: Protection?
He let out a quiet, humorless breath.
Ervin: That’s what you call turning him into a weapon?
Akami raised a hand.
Kuyomi: You misunderstand. The boy is dangerous to himself and others. We only wish to—
Ervin: Use him? Like the way you tried to use me? Because he's an Heir like me?
Over a thousand years ago, a primordial force which was believed to have been what created the world, was found in a cave on a small island. Different scholars were sent to study the discovery and named it Nexus Energy.
But then one day, something happened. All of a sudden, the Nexus energy split up and spread amongst all the scholars that were sent to that island and they were 87 in number. But the way the energy registered in some, differed from how it registered in others.
In time, those energies were classified in two and were called Shadow and light energy. A hypothesis was carried out after the two energies were identified and it revealed that the energies had picked people based on their philosophies.
The light energy had manifested in those who expressed fear in things they didn't know and believed that they should be protected from those things thereby ensuring stabilization, structure, resistance and clarity. They were called Clarions.
The Shadow energy had manifested in those who accepted things they didn't know as part of their lives and adapted to it thereby promoting evolution, transformation, survival and reflection amongst themselves. It was also the explanation as to why the shadows had elf-like ears. They were called Shadows.
But amongst the Shadows and Clarions, there were those who were born with a body part which could connect to the pure form of Nexus energy energy before it was split apart.
These body parts were always the eyes, arms and the heart which served as a protective cage for the core. Each individual had only one body part which could do this and those who were born or awakened these parts were called HEIRS OF THE FRACTURE.
The Heirs will then go on to become the heads of their clans and those clans would then go on to be the prestigious clans amongst the Shadows and Clarions.
But as time went on, their respective philosophies began to clash as Clarions and the regular humans began to fear the Shadows and theorized that one day, they would destroy the world.
The shadows believed that it was absurd but then the emergence of Sorin Hashido changed everything. Sorin Hashido believed that those who feared change were weak and should be uprooted. A belief that no one supported.
So he went to enforce his ideals and it led to the mass genocide of Clarions, humans and even Shadows. Along with this came the emergence of Shadow monsters who were Clarions and humans who had Shadow energy forced into them.
Sorin Hashido had long passed away but the effect his ideals caused, forced both sides to go to war with each other and it has been the same for the last 800 years.
The council of Elders was formed shortly after and the three prestigious clans were now to answer to them, especially the Hashido Clan for creating the monster that was Sorin Hashido.
That was the position Ervin found himself in as the current head of the Clan and a current Heir of the Fracture.
Ervin: Don’t insult me by pretending you care about his safety. You all just want to use him for your agenda.
He took a step forward.
Ervin: I won’t allow you to turn him into a tool. He's a kid for crying out loud.
Kiba’s eyes narrowed at Ervin.
Kiba: You seem to have forgotten your place, Ervin Hashido.
Ervin smirked as the memory of an older figure flashed in his mind.
Ervin: No, you’ve forgotten yours. Don't forget that the reason all of you are still alive is because I didn't kill you back then.
He looked each of them in the eye.
Ervin: As long as I am the head of the Hashido Clan, Kato Hamura does not belong to you. And if you make any attempt to do anything to him, I'll kill all of you.
The room was immediately filled with tension, but before anyone could respond, the doors burst open and a guard rushed in, breathing heavily.
Guard: Mr Hashido… Elders… The intruder that we took in yesterday, we found him dead in his cell this morning.
The room froze in shock.
Ervin: How did he die?
Guard: He bit off his own tongue and bled to death.
Ervin closed his eyes for a moment and then he spoke.
Ervin: He did it so he wouldn’t talk.
The Elders exchanged uneasy looks.
Ervin: Which means someone sent him. And whoever it was, didn’t want us to know who they were.
He sighed and his gaze slowly lifted back to the Council.
Ervin: This meeting is over.
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