NABC Chapter 13: The council’s decision(1)
Chapter 13: The council’s decision(1)
Chapter 13 - The council’s decision(1)Alex let out a slow breath, glancing around as if
Alyssa stepped closer without a word, her presence a quiet but steady force beside him.
She reached out and gently took hold of Alex's arm, her fingers pressing lightly against his skin.
It wasn't a comforting gesture, it was a subtle way to sense the truth in his words.
Alex felt the warmth of her touch, but it did little to ease the tight knot in his stomach.
He took a slow breath, glancing at her before turning his gaze back to Draven.
"I don't know," he admitted, his voice raw with uncertainty. "This is all new and confusing to me."
The room remained silent, the council members watching him with wary eyes.
Alyssa didn't speak either, but her grip remained firm, as if grounding him, or perhaps herself, in the moment.
Alyssa closed her eyes for a brief moment, her brow slightly furrowing in concentration.
Then, just as quickly, she exhaled and opened her eyes again.
She turned to Draven and the other council members, her voice calm but certain. "He's telling the truth," she said with a quiet sigh. "He's confused and scared, but he's not lying."
A murmur rippled through the room as the tension shifted.
Some council members exchanged glances, their rigid expressions softening just a fraction, though suspicion still lingered in their eyes.
Draven studied Alex for a long moment before giving a slow nod, but his piercing gaze didn't waver.
Thalorin and the other council members, except for Lucan, exhaled in near unison.
The weight of uncertainty still hung in the air, but Alyssa's confirmation had given them something solid, at least for now.
"Very well," Draven said, his deep voice breaking the tense silence.
His sharp eyes swept over Alex before he turned to address the others. "Now that we've seen what he is capable of... to an extent, it's time to discuss his fate."
As Thalorin spoke, he lifted a hand and pressed a single finger to his temple, his eyes drifting shut.
A solemn hush fell over the room, heavy with the weight of unspoken deliberation.
One by one, the other council members mirrored his gesture, their fingers touching their temples as they, too, closed their eyes.
Their breathing slowed, their bodies unnaturally still, as if they had stepped beyond the physical world into something unseen.
Alex's pulse quickened. He had no idea what they were doing, but the air around them seemed to shift, thickening with an unseen force.
Alex turned toward Sylra and Thalorin, his unease growing with every passing second. His voice was hushed but urgent. "What are they doing?"
Sylra barely glanced at him, her eyes still on the council members as she answered. "They are discussing telepathically," she said in a calm, matter-of-fact tone. "So that their conversation will be private."
Alex felt his stomach twist. Private. That meant whatever they were saying about him, whatever decision they were making, he wouldn't be able to hear it.
He clenched his fists at his sides, frustration bubbling beneath his fear.
"They're deciding my fate," he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. The weight of those words settled deep in his chest. He had never felt so powerless.
"We've reached a decision". Draven said suddenly, interrupting their conversation.