CHAPTER 17: THE COUNCIL VERDICT

[The Council Room —]

The Council Chamber was never a place of laughter or idle talk. Its high domed ceiling, inlaid with glowing sigils, gave the room an air of sacred permanence, as though the stones themselves remembered every decision made within its walls.

Long banners hung on either side— one in radiant silver embroidered with angelic runes, the other in deep crimson threaded with devil glyphs— both fluttering faintly though no wind stirred the chamber.

At the center, the round obsidian table gleamed like polished night, its surface reflecting the flickering torchlight. Seven chairs encircled it, heavy and tall-backed, each carved with insignias of the multiverse. Six were occupied; the seventh, at the far end, bore only a faint shimmer, as though it was awaiting its absent member.

Principal Camila sat poised in her white cloak, her eyes were sharp yet weary, strands of golden hair pinned neatly behind her crown-like headpiece. Beside her loomed Principal Darren, robed in black and crimson, his presence was radiating authority, his voice always a fraction louder than the rest. Between them, they anchored the council.

To their right sat Councilor Marcellus, the eldest angel on the council, with his silver beard cascading down his chest. Next to him was Lady Avern, a devil with jet-black hair and piercing green eyes, draped in velvet. On Darren’s other side, the stoic Lord Kael, a broad-shouldered devil with scars lining his face, and beside him, Selene, a quiet yet sharp-minded angel whose pale hair almost blended with her cloak.

Seven in total. Seven to decide the fate of the academy, and perhaps more.

The air was heavy when Camila opened the meeting.

"Thank you all for assembling on such short notice," she began, her tone was clipped but steady. "You have all heard the whispers, but now I confirm it before this table: Venom has escaped the inner prison."

A murmur spread instantly, chairs shifting as tension rippled across the council.

Lady Avern leaned forward. "Impossible. The chains you placed on him were absolute. No entity has broken such bindings in centuries."

"They have not broken," Camila corrected firmly. "The chains remain. They keep him tethered to the underground, bound from entering the mortal or celestial realms. But the truth is undeniable— he has slipped free of the chamber walls. He is loose within his prison."

Kael’s fist slammed the table, the sound echoed like a drum. "A serpent uncoiled is still a serpent. How long before those walls are no longer enough?"

Darren’s deep voice cut through. "That is precisely why we are here. Venom was contained for over a century, and yet now he stirs. We must ask: why? And why now?"

Marcellus stroked his beard thoughtfully. "The mortal realm has grown unstable. Reports of shadows devouring entire villages, storms appearing where skies were clear, sicknesses without cause... It is unlike anything we have seen in generations. If Venom has influence in the mortal world, it would explain much."

Selene’s usual soft voice spilled with sharp weight. "But he cannot touch the mortal realm without aid. Someone must be feeding him. Someone within these walls, perhaps."

That statement drew a chilling silence.

Camila’s gaze hardened in thought, she hasn’t thought about that yet, she scanned around the table before speaking calmly. "We cannot allow suspicion to fracture us. But Selene is correct in one regard— Venom’s chains prevent him from acting alone. He has help."

Lady Avern tilted her head, her smile was dark. "You mean... a traitor among us."

"No names," Darren barked, his tone sounded final yet suspicious. "We gain nothing from paranoia. Whoever aids him will reveal themselves soon enough."

The silence stretched out for a hot minute. The only sound was the faint hum of the runes carved into the table, resonating with the weight of their discussion.

Marcellus broke it with a sigh. "I still ask myself— how did we keep him bound for one hundred years, and why do the bindings falter now?"

Camila’s hands tightened against the table. "Because his hatred has had time to grow. Because he adapts. And because the multiverse itself shifts. You know as well as I do, when the balance of realms tips, powers stir— which should not in the first place."

Kael’s voice was low but sharp. "Then he targets the mortals first. Why them?"

"Because they are the weakest link," Darren replied, with his crimson eyes narrowing. "Because striking the mortals is the fastest way to destabilize everything. If the human world falls into despair, the barriers between realms weaken. Most of the angles and devils have mortal relatives. And Venom knows this."

Selene frowned again. "And mortals cannot defend themselves against such power."

"Which is why," Darren said firmly, "the time has come to act. Angels and devils alike must prepare to defend not just the academy, but the multiverse itself."

Immediately, Marcellus objected. "They are children Darren! Half-trained, They’re still discovering their powers. To throw them against Venom’s schemes is reckless."

Lady Avern smirked. "Spoken like an angel who coddles. The devils are born ready. Trials sharpen us. If danger is upon us, better they learn now than too late."

"That is not training, that is slaughter," Selene countered, her calm demeanor breaking for a moment.

The debate threatened to unravel, voices rising, but Camila raised her hand, silencing them all.

Her voice was quieter than Darren’s, yet it carried undeniable weight. "I share Marcellus’s concern. But Darren is not wrong. If we wait, Venom’s influence will spread unchecked. Already shadows creep into the mortal world. If we do not act, mortals will die by the thousands. And if despair spreads..." She paused, with her jaw tightening then continued. "We cannot afford hesitation."

Reluctantly, the chamber stilled again.

It was then that Selene raised a cautious point. "There is one more matter. The Girl...Valkyrie."

Every gaze turned toward her.

Selene continued slowly but carefully. "Her display at the temple revealed powers unlike any recorded in centuries. Light— pure, radiant and unshackled by the normal constraints of angelic power. Even Mr. Waltz and Miss Vivian admitted they had never seen such a manifestation. If Venom learns of this..."

Marcellus tapped his staff against the floor. "He would seek her. The light has always been the bane of the shadow."

Lady Avern’s smile widened knowingly. "Perhaps that is why she shines so brightly now. Perhaps fate prepares its champion."

Camila’s lips pressed into a thin line. "She is not ready. She does not even know the full extent of her powers."

Darren’s voice rumbled. "Then we make her ready. The devils are not afraid of hard truths. Perhaps it is time the angels learned the same."

Camila’s gaze flicked to him, sharp but resigned. For once, she did not argue. "As much as it pains me, I cannot deny it. If we do not act now, more will suffer. Perhaps it is time."

The tension held, then slowly settled into grim resolve.

Finally, Darren rose up, his cloak sweeping behind him. "Enough words. Let us decide. Do we unleash the students into the mortal realm, to defend the multiverse alongside us— or do we keep them caged, waiting for the storm to break?"

The council straightened up, the weight of their decision was thick in the air. One by one, the votes were cast.

Marcellus: "Nay. They are unready."

Selene: "Nay. To send them so soon is to risk lives."

Kael: "Aye. The devils are ready."

Lady Avern: "Aye. Better battle than chains."

Darren: "Aye. It must be done."

Camila hesitated, her blue eyes flickering with unspoken doubt

"Camila?" Marcellus called out in anticipation.

Camila looked up to him, hesitated for a minute before lowering her hand. "Aye."

The shimmering chair of the absent member glowed faintly, casting its silent vote in the balance of fate. It tipped the scale.

"Five in favor," Darren announced. "Two against. The decision is made."

Then silence followed, It was heavy and final.

Camila’s voice softened, almost like a prayer. "So be it. The students shall take their first step into the mortal world. May the light and shadows alike protect them."

And with that, the council’s verdict was sealed. The torches dimmed, as though the chamber itself mourned the choice.