Location: Vault of Knives, IskarraTime: Night, when shadows speak loudest
The chamber felt colder than before.The suspended blades whispered faintly — edges shimmering with barely contained power.
The five masters of the Twilight Accord sat in their cowls, statues carved from shadow and silence.
The scholar entered without hesitation, clutching the scorched journals tightly.
No words were spoken.No introductions.The pact table hummed softly, a silent judge.
The Scholar Speaks
"Thaleon's journals hold a truth you don't want told," the scholar began, voice steady but low.
They laid the journals open on the obsidian surface. The glyphs pulsed faintly, resisting the light.
"The Crown's seventh fragment is not lost. It rests where the leyline ceases — beneath the mountain spine north of the Cindermarch."
A hush fell.
"The final piece is guarded by a force older than any of us imagined."
"A force bound to the leyline itself. One that watches. Waits."
Councilor Senra's hand twitched.
"You bring grave news. What do you seek in exchange?"
The scholar's eyes gleamed with unnatural light — one blue, one green.
"Not what I seek… but what I can offer."
They extended a small, shimmering thread of ley-silk — folded and bound tight.
"This is a tether to the Silent Watcher.It is an ancient entity — neither friend nor foe.But it will listen. For a price."
The Accord's Price
The masters exchanged glances.
"The Watcher's price is well known," said the cold female voice — the same that had questioned Revan.
"A secret given is a secret taken.One soul's burden becomes another's chain."
"What do you offer to bind this price?" Councilor Maelor asked.
The scholar hesitated — then reached beneath their robe and withdrew a small, intricately carved box.
"The truth about the Hollow Crown itself.The original Circle of Seven was betrayed.Their final act was not to bind the leyline —but to imprison one of their own."
The room tightened.
"A traitor who lives still —feeding the Crown's hunger from the shadows."
The scholar's voice dropped to a whisper.
"If you want to stop the Crown from rising again, you must first find the Watcher's key —the traitor's name — and end the curse before it begins anew."
The Pact
The Council was silent.
Then, slowly, one by one, they placed their hands on the pact table.
The glowing sigil of alliance blossomed — sharp and cold.
"We accept your terms," Senra said.
"But beware: The Accord keeps no secrets for long.And no debt remains unpaid."
The scholar bowed.
"Then let the silence speak."
Aftermath
As the scholar departed, the chamber's shadows deepened.
The suspended blades hummed louder.
Above, the leyline lattice pulsed — seven points burning brighter than ever before.
The race had turned.