Chapter 454: Throne IX
The meeting room wasn’t large. Leon had kept it that way on purpose. Fewer walls. Fewer distractions. Everyone gathered here stood because they had earned their place—not just through power, but through belief in what they were building.
Naval leaned over a glowing projection table, shifting the map of upper Tower sectors.
"These are the responses we’ve tracked since you claimed the Throne of Enduring Will," he began. "Three Architect Zones have re-aligned their Watch Paths toward us. Two Sovereign Seats reactivated... but neither sent messages."
Roselia studied the glowing zones. "Are they waiting for us? Or testing us?"
Kael answered without looking up. "Both. The Tower doesn’t offer you a seat and then ignore you. It gives you the chance... to stumble."
Leon stood still, arms folded, as the holographic image shifted. The projection now showed a shimmering corridor of shifting runes—twisting with golden light and old energy.
"This is the path to the next tier?" he asked.
Naval nodded. "It’s not part of the Throne Halls. This one’s deeper. Closer to the Tower’s core lattice. The Tower calls it The Apex Vault."
Milim raised an eyebrow. "Sounds dramatic."
"It’s worse than that," Roman muttered. "I checked with some of the older data threads left by fallen Sovereigns. The Apex Vault is where failed rulers were judged—and locked."
Leon didn’t flinch.
"Then it’s time we go where others feared to."