One week had passed since the declaration of the prophecy, and many people were searching for the prophesied 'Abyssal Sovereign'.
Some were searching in the hope that he would bring peace to the universe, while others were searching to kill the Tyrant, hoping their ruling power would not be taken from them. Some were searching for their own selfish reasons to take his power as their own.
After the prophecy, the whole world of Akumia was in a state of chaos. Kings of various races be it Elves, Dwarf, Dragons, and others sent their people to search for the boy.
If one were to search for a talented boy in the human kingdom, where better to look than the best academy in the Human Kingdom— "Starlight Academy"
**
Human Council
Kaelric Thornsteel, Head of the Human Council, was one of the seven SSS-ranked hunters in the Human domain. After reaching the SSS rank, a person could live for up to a thousand years. Although Kaelric appeared to be 30 years old, in reality, he was 300 years old.
Kaelric was one of the most talented mages of his time. He reached the SSS rank in a record time of 200 years and was famous as the best Battlemage in history. Thanks to his affinity for the Space and Lightning elements, he was one of the most powerful SSS-ranked hunters in the Human domain.
The rest of the SSS rank hunter in the Human domain are –
Lucan Flamecrest—SSS Rank Archmage—Tower Master of Mage Tower.
Lydia Frostveil— SSS Rank Nature Mage —Head of Alchemist Guild.
Taven Ashwood—SSS Rank Sword master—Principal of Starlight Academy.
Sylwen Shadowvine—SSS Rank Assassin — Head of Adventurer Guild.
Myra Emberfrost— SSS Rank Healer—Head of Healers Guild.
Maelis Earthrend—SSS Rank Berserker—Head of Blacksmith Guild.
All 7 SSS rank hunter were sitting together with Kaelric in the Center and discussing about the Prophecy declared by the Voice of the Cosmos.
Sylwen Shadowvine leaned back in her chair, arms folded and lips curved into the kind of smirk that could cut glass.
Her emerald eyes gleamed as she surveyed the tense chamber, her voice slicing through the air like a finely honed dagger. "My adventurers are already spread thinner than a whisper in the wind. Every wannabe hero with a shiny sword thinks they'll be the one to find this 'Abyssal Sovereign' and claim their fifteen minutes of glory. Tell me, Kaelric—do you really understand how badly this is messing with our operations?"
Kaelric Thornsteel, seated like a stone sentinel at the head of the sleek obsidian table, steepled his fingers and leaned forward. His piercing gaze locked onto Sylwen' s like a predator stalking prey. "You think I called this meeting for fun, Sylwen? The prophecy has tossed the world into chaos. It's not even Sure that he is present in our world, and he can be anywhere."
From the corner of the room came a deep, humourless chuckle. Taven Ashwood, the towering headmaster of Starlight Academy, rubbed his temples as if warding off an incoming headache.
"A united front? You're dreaming if you think that's possible," he said, his voice laced with frustration. "The Mage Tower has been pulling in every prodigy they can, leaving the academy struggling to retain talent. And don't even get me started—" his sharp glare landed on Lucan Flamecrest, "—on their blatant favouritism."
Lucan Flamecrest, draped in golden robes that shimmered like woven sunlight, merely arched a brow. "Taven, you know as well as I do that students choose to join the Mage Tower after graduation. We don't steal them—they come to us for higher studies in magic. If your academy provided better advanced training, maybe more of them would stay."
Taven exhaled sharply, his fingers pressing harder against his temples. "That's exactly the problem, Lucan. The academy nurtures them, but before they can contribute anything back, they're off to the Tower. We're losing our best minds before they can make a difference here."
Lucan's gaze softened slightly. "Then perhaps it's time to strengthen collaboration between the academy and the Tower, rather than treating it as a competition."
Taven' s expression remained grim, but he didn't dismiss the idea outright.
The air practically sizzled with tension, thick enough to cut with a dagger, until Lydia Frostveil raised a hand. Her voice, calm but firm, blanketed the room in authority. "Enough. Both of you. The prophecy impacts all of us, and squabbling like children wastes precious time. While we're bickering, others are moving faster. If the Tyrant emerges while we're still playing politics, all of Akumia will burn."
Sylwen tilted her head slightly, a faint glimmer of amusement flickering in her eyes. "You're not seriously suggesting he could be anywhere, are you?" she asked, her voice like a blade scraping against stone.
"The Voice of the Cosmos didn't just announce this in our realm. It was a message to all realms. That means this boy could be anywhere—across any of the universes in the cosmos, not just here in the world of Akumia."
Kaelric expression darkened as he processed the new layer of complexity. He stood up, pacing slowly as if the weight of the situation were growing heavier by the second. "You're right, Sylwen. The Voice wasn't just speaking to us—it spoke to everyone, across every world. That means our target could be in any realm, not just in this one. The prophecy extends far beyond our borders, But We have to operate under the assumption that he's here."
"We don't have to worry about the other realms, we just have to make sure if he is here, we have to find him but if he is not in this world that's not our problem."
Lydia Frostveil' s voice cut through the growing uncertainty like a sharp wind. "Perhaps we've been too focused on the obvious. This boy—if he truly is the one spoken of—he might not even know he's the one.
If his power is destined to manifest in such a way, we should be looking for anomalies. His magic, his abilities—they'll speak to us no matter where he is. If we focus on tracing those, we'll have a better chance of finding him."
Maelis Earthrend' s heavy gaze was unwavering as she considered the situation. "But how do we track him? And let's not forget, if he's truly this boy of prophecy, he might be aware of the danger and hiding even more carefully."
Kaelric gave a solemn nod, his tone a sharp contrast to the rising tempers. "Lydia's right. The Voice of the Cosmos didn't give us this warning so we could tear each other apart. This boy—this child—is either salvation or ruin. We find him, not for personal gain, but to ensure the survival of the Human Kingdom—and maybe the entire world."
From her seat, Maelis Earthrend, ever the pragmatist, crossed her massive arms and grunted. "And what do we do when we find him? Crown him our savior? Or strike him down before he can draw his first villainous breath?"
The silence that followed was so heavy it felt like the air itself was holding its breath. Kaelric' s response came like a chilling wind. "That depends on the boy. Whether he's the Abyssal Sovereign destined to save us, or the Tyrant set to destroy us all… we will decide his fate. But first, we find him."
The chamber sank into uneasy quiet, each leader retreating into their thoughts as the enormity of their task loomed over them like a storm cloud.
Breaking the silence, Myra Emberfrost, head of the Healers' Guild, spoke with soothing authority. "Arguing won't solve anything. If this boy is young and untrained, he'll seek out a place to grow his power. Somewhere he can learn. Somewhere he feels safe."
Taven straightened with a hint of pride. "Starlight Academy, of course. We're the crown jewel of education and training. If this boy seeks knowledge or refuge, he'll find his way to us."
Lucan, ever the contrarian, stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That assumes he's clueless about his destiny. If he knows what's coming, he might avoid obvious places. Still," he conceded with a glance toward Taven, "the Academy is the most logical place to start. Power like his doesn't stay hidden for long."
Sylwen let out a dry laugh, shadows playing at the edges of her form. "And if he doesn't come willingly? What's the plan? Interrogate every talented kid we come across? That'll win hearts and minds, for sure."
Kaelric silenced the growing murmurs with a single raised hand. "No one's suggesting anything that drastic. Our priority is identifying him. If he's tied to the prophecy, he'll stand out—whether through raw strength, unique abilities, or something we haven't seen before. We watch. We listen. We act only when, we're sure."
Lydia nodded. "Not just power. Uniqueness. If his mana signature or abilities are unlike anything we've encountered, that will be our clue. But how do we filter him out from the hundreds of prodigies out there?"
Kaelric rose from his seat, his presence filling the room like a storm rolling in. "Every instructor, every guild, every council member will keep their eyes open. Any outliers—those with extraordinary potential—are reported directly to this council. We'll sort fact from fiction. The one tied to this prophecy won't be able to hide forever."
Taven frowned; his voice tinged with concern. "And if we find him, and he's the Tyrant?"
Kaelric' s expression hardened. "We'll face that when the time comes. For now, we focus on finding him. His destiny will reveal itself soon enough."
The council exchanged reluctant nods, the gravity of the situation sinking in. As they rose to leave, Kaelric lingered, his steely resolve faltering for just a moment. In the shadows of the empty chamber, he whispered to himself, "Let's hope we're ready… for whatever comes next."
***