Chapter 58: Grand Citadel Chamber

The night skyline of the capital glowed like a field of fallen stars outside the penthouse windows.

Inside the living lounge, the atmosphere was quiet and calm. A warm pot of roasted barley tea sat on the low mahogany table, filling the room with a comforting aroma.

Evren sat back against the plush leather cushions of the sectional sofa, carefully turning the pages of the thick leather folder Caleb had delivered earlier that afternoon.

Beside him, Amber leaned close against his arm. Her eyes followed along the paragraphs of official text, frowning slightly as she recognized the legal language.

"National Awakener Code Section Fourteen," Amber murmured, pointing her finger at a highlighted clause. "They’re attempting to classify our Sector Four clear as an ’unmonitored regional incident.’ Under Federation bylaws, that gives the High Council the legal pretext to demand our complete combat telemetry, inspect our artifacts, and audit our guild."

"They don’t care about safety protocols," Evren said calmly, turning another page. "They saw a brand-new provincial guild take down an S-Rank rift in two hours without Federation authorization or casualties. It makes their entire national bureaucracy look slow and incompetent."

Across the table, Zephyra sat quietly in her comfortable new traveling coat with her hands resting gently over a soft velvet cushion.

Beside her, the white RX-9 medical droid emitted a soft green glow as its slender robotic arms gently massaged her wrist and fingertips. A low, soothing pulse from the droid steadily calmed the nerve static in her veins.

"The Grand Citadel Chamber is where they hold emergency tribunals," Zephyra spoke up. "When I was competing in the capital dueling circuit, I saw them bring two independent guildmasters into that chamber. Both guilds were forced into bankruptcy within a week because they refused to hand over their dungeon rights to the Council’s inner circle."

Amber nodded in agreement. "It’s an intimidation theater. They place you in the centre of the room surrounded by containment arrays, while a hundred council delegates and senior guildmasters look down from the balconies like judges. If you show even a hint of hesitation, they pick you apart with administrative fines."

Evren smiled faintly, closing the folder with a dry snap. "Let them try."

Just then, Evren’s phone on the glass table vibrated with an incoming call.

The screen lit up with the caller ID: Mikay.

Evren answered and tapped the speakerphone button. "Evening, Mikay."

"Evening, Boss! Evening, Vice-Chairman," Mikay’s voice echoed into the room. "Just calling to check in. How is the Presidential Penthouse at The Grand Pavilion? Is the reservation to your liking?"

"The place is top-notch," Evren said. "How are things running back home in Veridia?"

"Better every single hour, Boss," Mikay reported with clear pride. "Garon called me two hours ago. Daily ore extraction in Sector One is already up twenty-two percent. The miners are thrilled with the new eight-hour shifts and wage bumps. Over in Sector Four, our engineering contractors have already started retooling the blast furnaces at Iron-Spire Smelting."

"Excellent work," Evren nodded. "We received our hearing dossier today. The Council moved our review from the standard committee room to the Grand Citadel Chamber tomorrow at ten. The capital’s top three guildmasters have been invited to sit in the galleries."

There was a brief pause on the line before Mikay let out a low whistle. "The Citadel Chamber? That’s not an inquiry, Boss. That’s a full political ambush."

"If I’m right, that’s their angle," Amber chipped in thoughtfully. "They’re probably planning to claim Apex deployed in Sector Four without proper municipal authorization. We need to cut off that argument before they even make it. Mikay, contact Director Bennett Keller at the Veridia Commerce and Emergency Bureau tonight."

"What do you need from Director Keller?" Mikay asked.

"Have him pull the official emergency broadcast log from that night," Amber instructed. "We need the timestamp showing Prescott Guild locking their gates and refusing to help, along with the defense charter Keller gave us. Tell Keller to stamp his official seal on the files and send them straight to my tablet."

"Consider it done, Vice-Chairman," Mikay replied instantly. "I’ll have Director Keller sign off on the records and send the files straight to your tablet within the hour."

"Thanks, Mikay," Evren said. "Keep our perimeter tight in Veridia."

"Always, Boss. Good luck tomorrow."

Evren ended the call and looked across the table at Zephyra.

"Tomorrow morning, you’re staying here in the penthouse, Z. The suite has its own private biometric locks, and our security detail will remain posted outside the elevator doors. The RX-9 will stay with you."

Zephyra looked into Evren’s eyes, nodding with complete understanding. "I understand, Evren. The Citadel will be crawling with High Council enforcers and underworld eyes. If Lord Varek’s people see me walking into that chamber, it will only create unnecessary complications."

"You don’t need to worry about being a complication," Amber replied. "You’re family here. We handle the politicians; you focus on recovering your strength."

Zephyra’s violet eyes softened, and a faint, grateful smile touched her lips. "Thank you, Amber."

—

At nine-thirty the next morning, the sun shone brightly on the tall stone pillars of the High Council Citadel.

The Citadel was a massive fortress of white granite and dark mana-steel that towered over the central plaza. Outside, hundreds of reporters, awakeners, and guild scouts crowded the security barricades. Their cameras flashed as armored cars pulled up to the grand staircase.

A black-and-gold SUV bearing the Apex Sovereign crest pulled smoothly to the curb.

The driver stepped out and opened the rear door for Evren and Amber.

Evren wore a dark trench coat over a clean charcoal suit. His broad shoulders and presence drew immediate whispers from the crowd. Beside him, Amber walked with a graceful posture in a white suit and silver heels. She carried a slim, encrypted tablet under her arm.

The two of them walked up the steps, completely ignoring the shouted questions and flashing lenses around them.

At the top of the stairs, two towering stone guards in runic armor pushed open the doors, granting them entry into the Grand Citadel Chamber.

The chamber inside was breathtaking in its scale.

Circular benches rose four stories high under a glass dome. They were packed with over a hundred delegates, inspectors, and scribes. The air was thick with the hum of defensive runes hidden in the stone floor.

High above the floor, in the private golden viewing galleries, sat the elite leadership of the Capital’s Top Three Guilds: The Solar Crown Guild, The Silverfang Guild, and The Tempest Peak Guild.

The guildmasters leaned back in their velvet chairs. With cold, smug smiles, they watched the central floor, eager to see the Council dismantle the new guild.

In the center of the vast floor stood a solitary marble podium surrounded by glowing blue containment runes.

Evren and Amber walked calmly down the central aisle till they got to the central podium, standing side by side directly before the high tribunal bench.

At the center of the elevated bench sat five senior High Council Elders draped in deep red robes.

The lead judge, a gray-haired man with sharp, hawk-like eyes and a severe expression, picked up a heavy silver gavel.

BANG!

The crack of the gavel echoed through the vaulted dome, instantly silencing the delegates’murmurs.

"The extraordinary inquiry of the National High Council regarding Apex Sovereign Conglomerate and the Sector Four S-Rank rift anomaly is now officially in session," Elder Brandon Caldwell announced.

Elder Caldwell leaned forward over the bench, glaring coldly at Evren.

"Chairman Evren Crawford... Vice-Chairman Amber Sterling... step forward and account for your actions."