Chapter 61: Risking Everything
It was the end of the day at Celestia Academy. The skies were completely red, like everything was bathed in glowing blood. It felt like the perfect prelude.
Inside the Celestia Academy, everything was drowned in silence. In the central plaza, that day, a dozen Mannaz were chained at the center of a stage, bound by hundreds of runic chains.
All around them, nearly every Summoner who had taken part in the abyssal nest mission was gathered. They watched as High Elder Vahnu stepped onto the stage and activated a golden, pulsing rune.
The ones chained up felt the bindings heat up like burning metal. Within seconds, the chains shifted and pierced into their bodies. Their eyes bulged, and all of them roared in pain and agony.
A minute later, a black mark appeared on each of their chests — right in front of everyone's eyes.
"There it is. That's the mark of a Risen Lord. That proves everything!" Vahnu roared, filled with hatred.
She had figured it out inside the nest, with Darian's help — who the traitors were. As soon as everyone returned to the academy, she had them captured.
It took two days to convince the other High Elders to use the inscription that powered the academy's core. That inscription was connected to all the planets, to the whole galaxy — it was the same one that created the barrier stopping powerful Risen from entering the galaxy.
Only one person knew exactly how it worked and could manipulate its full power. That inscription had the ability to repel the densest and purest form of corruption — the enemy's power.
Just one single rune from that inscription had been activated and used. That was only possible if all the High Elders joined forces. Once it was used, it identified the corrupted mark in them and purified it in front of everyone.
After that confirmation, they were all sentenced to death — and executed on the spot.