I. Silence in Devastation
Dawn never came to the north of Edenfall.
A thick black fog covered the streets, as if the void had swallowed the light itself. Among the ruins, the flames were dying, and the sounds of war had completely faded away.
The air was heavy, thick with ash and distorted energy.
In the midst of that absolute silence, a figure slowly emerged from the rubble: Akihiko Sora .
His coat was torn, his katana snapped in two, and his gaze… empty, as if he were still trapped in the barrier he had conjured.
Draven Kroll 's body was nowhere to be seen. Only fragments of molten metal, remnants of burning steel, scattered across the ground.
Akihiko advanced with difficulty. Each step left a black mark on the pavement.
The Void had protected him… but at a price.
The power he had unleashed had not only devoured the flames, it had also drained part of his own essence.
A faint buzzing sounded in his ear—the communicator was still active.
" Akihiko… can you hear me? " It was Sael's voice, broken.
"Yes…" he replied hoarsely. "The north is… in ruins."
Silence. Then Sael spoke again:
"Kaede and I are coming towards you. Don't move. There's something else you need to know... there are traitors within the council."
Akihiko gripped the communicator, staring at the dark sky.
"I figured as much." His voice hardened. "No one touches the council without me."
II. The Council Chamber
In the central tower of Edenfall, the tension was unbearable.
The monitors showed the north shrouded in perpetual shadow. Some council members were arguing about the loss of the district, others were calling for the city to be evacuated.
Councilor Varren remained silent, observing the images with an almost inhuman calm.
The hooded figure beside him whispered, "The plan worked. The North is destroyed. The Wolves will retreat... and when they do, we will control the Void."
Varren nodded slowly.
"Perfect. Akihiko will become a symbol... but under our command."
A young counselor, with white hair and a tired face, watched them from the other end of the table.
"What... are you saying?" she asked incredulously. "You knew about the attack?"
Varren looked at her.
"I knew it was inevitable. And I knew someone had to take advantage of it."
She jumped up.
"This is treason! Edenfall is bleeding, and you're planning your coronation!"
Before she could say anything else, the hooded figure moved. A flash, a thud.
The woman fell to the ground, unconscious.
Varren smiled.
"Let no one else question the new order."
III. Under the Ruins
Kaede and Sael advanced through the northern ruins.
The energy of the void caused compasses to malfunction, and gravity fluctuated erratically. They found Akihiko leaning against a ruined wall, his gaze still fixed on the horizon.
Kaede ran towards him.
"Akihiko! You're hurt..." "I'm alive," he replied, without taking his eyes off the darkening sky.
Sael examined the terrain.
"There are no traces of the enemy commander."
Akihiko nodded.
"Draven Kroll... he didn't die. I didn't feel his presence disappear. He just... withdrew."
Kaede crossed her arms.
"Then he'll come back. And this time he won't be alone."
There was a silence. Then Akihiko spoke in a lower voice:
"Sael, what did you want to say about the council?"
The analyst handed him a device with intercepted recordings.
— Encrypted communications with the Wolves. From inside the council building.
Kaede looked at him in disbelief.
"It can't be..."
Akihiko clenched his fist.
"Yes, he can. There's always someone who'll sell their soul for a new throne."
His gaze hardened.
"Let's go to the center. If Edenfall bleeds from within, the wound is sealed with fire."
IV. Echoes in the Darkness
In an underground laboratory, far below the surface, Draven Kroll observed a holographic map of Edenfall. His armor was partially destroyed, but his body remained intact.
A soldier approached him.
— General… we've lost our way, but the council is honoring the agreement.
Draven adjusted his mask.
"I know. This was all part of the agreement. Akihiko did what we expected: he showed his power to the world." "And now, sir?"
The general smiled.
"Now... we'll let them devour each other. And when chaos consumes them... the Wolves will take the rest."
V. March to the Center
Kaede, Sael, and Akihiko crossed the silent streets toward the center.
Edenfall was wounded, but alive. Smoke still rose, and the echo of war lingered on every corner.
Kaede looked up at the sky.
"What if the council has already fallen under its influence?"
Akihiko answered without hesitation,
"Then we'll drag them in from within." "And if they wait for us?" Sael asked. "Let them wait." Akihiko raised his broken katana, the blade still vibrating with the energy of the void. "This time... the void will not protect. This time... it will devour."
🕯️ End of Chapter 283
Edenfall teeters on the brink of anarchy.
The external enemy retreats, but the internal enemy begins to act. Akihiko, Kaede, and Sael march toward the heart of power, where the true face of betrayal awaits them.
The external war is over… but the internal war of Edenfall has just begun.