The night grew quieter—but not calmer.
If anything, the silence that settled over the All-Clan Gathering carried more weight than the chaos that had come before it. The fires burned lower now, their light dimmer, their warmth failing to push back the unease that lingered across the plateau. Most warriors had retreated to their clan territories, yet very few slept. Conversations were hushed, movements were cautious, and eyes constantly drifted toward one place.
Toward Nyx.
Though he was no longer standing at the center, his presence still pressed faintly against the senses of everyone present, like the distant rumble of a storm that had not yet passed.
But away from the open grounds of the gathering, hidden beyond the reach of most eyes, a different kind of meeting had begun.
A large stone chamber, carved directly into the mountain's inner face, stood illuminated by a circle of low-burning flames. Ancient symbols were etched into the walls, their faint glow pulsing in rhythm with the energy of the land itself. This was not a place meant for ordinary discussion.
This was where decisions were made.
Final ones.
One by one, the leaders of the major clans entered.
The Hoshin leader arrived first, his expression unreadable as he took his place at the center of the chamber. He said nothing, his presence alone enough to command silence.
The Tsukiyomi leader followed, her steps quiet, her gaze sharp as it swept across the room before settling into calm observation.
Next came the Raizen leader, his posture firm, his eyes already carrying the weight of what needed to be discussed.
The Hiyori leader entered last, his expression dark, irritation barely concealed beneath forced composure.
Others followed—leaders of lesser clans, elders, advisors—but none held the same influence as the four.
Once all were present, the chamber sealed itself.
Silence fell.
It was the Hiyori leader who spoke first.
"We cannot allow that thing to live."
His voice cut through the chamber without hesitation.
Several of the lesser leaders shifted uncomfortably, but none immediately disagreed.
"That is not a warrior," he continued. "That is a disaster waiting to happen."
The Raizen leader exhaled slowly. "And yet, it is a disaster that just absorbed something none of us could even touch."
The Hiyori leader's eyes narrowed. "Which is exactly why it must be eliminated now, before it grows beyond control."
A murmur spread through the room.
Some agreed.
Others hesitated.
The Tsukiyomi leader raised her hand slightly, silencing the room without effort.
"Rushing into action would be a mistake," she said calmly. "You all felt it. That power does not behave like anything we understand."
She paused briefly, her gaze shifting slightly toward the Hoshin leader.
"If we attack and fail, we don't just lose—we accelerate whatever he is becoming."
The chamber grew quiet again.
Because that—
Was the real fear.
Finally, the Hoshin leader spoke.
"Then we do not rush."
His voice was steady, controlled, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
The Hiyori leader turned sharply. "You would let him walk freely after what we witnessed?"
"I would observe," the Hoshin leader replied.
A faint tension filled the air.
"Because unlike all of you," he continued, "I know what he is."
That shifted everything.
The Tsukiyomi leader's eyes sharpened. "Then speak."
The Hoshin leader didn't hesitate.
"He is not simply using that power," he said. "He is compatible with it."
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
"That's impossible," one of the lesser leaders muttered.
The Hoshin leader's gaze flicked toward him briefly.
"And yet you saw it."
No one argued after that.
The Raizen leader leaned forward slightly. "Then what exactly are we dealing with?"
The Hoshin leader paused.
Not out of uncertainty.
But calculation.
"A vessel," he said finally.
The word echoed through the chamber.
The same word Nyx had heard earlier.
But here—
It carried far more weight.
The Hiyori leader scoffed. "Then that confirms it. If he is a vessel, then whatever he holds can be removed."
The Tsukiyomi leader shook her head slightly. "You're assuming the power is separate from him."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice quieter now.
"But what if it isn't?"
That question—
Changed the tone of the room completely.
The Raizen leader spoke next. "Then we're not dealing with a host…"
"…we're dealing with a transformation."
Silence followed.
Because that possibility—
Was far worse.
The Hoshin leader didn't deny it.
"He has already begun to change," he said.
Images of Nyx standing in the storm of Eclipse energy, controlling what should have consumed him, lingered in every mind present.
"If he continues," the Hoshin leader added, "he will reach a point where stopping him will no longer be an option."
"So we kill him now," the Hiyori leader said immediately.
"No."
The word came instantly.
Firm.
Final.
All eyes turned back to the Hoshin leader.
"You will not act against him without understanding the consequences," he said.
The Hiyori leader's aura flared slightly. "And you would risk all of us for one unstable anomaly?"
The Hoshin leader's gaze hardened slightly.
"I would prevent you from making a mistake you cannot undo."
The tension in the chamber rose sharply.
For a moment, it felt like the gathering might fracture right there.
Then—
The Tsukiyomi leader spoke again.
"There is another option."
All attention shifted to her.
"We do not attack him," she said. "And we do not ignore him."
She paused.
"We watch him."
The Raizen leader nodded slowly. "And prepare."
The Hiyori leader frowned. "Prepare for what?"
Her answer came without hesitation.
"For the moment he loses control."
Silence.
Agreement.
Reluctant.
But real.
The Hoshin leader finally gave a slight nod.
"Then it is decided."
But even as the meeting reached its conclusion—
No one truly relaxed.
Because deep down—
They all understood the truth.
They were not deciding Nyx's fate.
They were preparing for it.
And outside…
Unaware of the full extent of the decisions being made in the dark—
Nyx stood beneath the open sky.
Silent.
Watching the horizon.
Because somewhere far beyond the mountains—
He could feel it again.
Another fragment.
Stronger than the last.
Waiting.