Chapter 35 – The Chains of Power

  The Grand Elder's words echoed in the chamber.

  > "You are something dangerous."

  Akari remained kneeling, her breath still uneven. The weight of their gazes pressed down on her, but she refused to lower her head.

  The power she had absorbed in the trial still burned inside her—raw, unrefined, and dangerously alive.

  She clenched her fists.

  > Did I control it? Or did it control me?

  She wasn’t sure.

  And that uncertainty unsettled her.

  The Grand Elder's violet eyes narrowed. “You will be watched from now on.”

  A wave of cold authority settled over the room. The robed figures murmured, their whispers weaving unseen decisions into reality.

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  > Watched.

  Akari understood the unspoken words.

  They feared her.

  And fear led to control.

  She exhaled slowly. “Am I a prisoner now?”

  A flicker of amusement crossed the Grand Elder’s face. “No.”

  The word carried weight.

  “But your path is no longer your own.”

  A binding seal materialized in the air before her—an ancient formation glowing with shifting gold and black runes.

  Akari’s chest tightened.

  A contract.

  A chain wrapped in obligation.

  The Elders were giving her a choice. Accept the seal and remain within the sect’s authority—or refuse, and be declared a rogue cultivator.

  A danger to be hunted.

  Tsubaki stiffened beside her, fur bristling. "Master, if you take this—"

  “I know,” Akari muttered.

  If she accepted, she would lose freedom.

  If she refused, she would lose everything.

  She closed her eyes.

  And made her choice.

  ---

  A Path Chosen

  The chamber was deathly silent.

  Akari lifted her hand—and touched the seal.

  It flared, its runes surging toward her skin like burning ink.

  A sharp sting ran through her veins, as if unseen chains had wrapped around her very soul.

  Then, the pressure faded.

  The Grand Elder nodded. “It is done.”

  The other Elders watched her, unreadable.

  “You may leave,” he said. “For now.”

  Akari stood, her steps steady despite the weight of the new seal binding her fate.

  She turned, not sparing them another glance.

  But as she reached the massive stone doors, the Grand Elder’s voice followed her—

  > “You made the right choice.”

  Akari didn’t respond.

  Because she wasn’t sure she had.

  ---

  The Burden of Chains

  Outside, the air was cold.

  She inhaled deeply, steadying herself. The sun was dipping below the mountains, painting the sky in hues of deep red and gold.

  Tsubaki trotted beside her, tail flicking in agitation.

  “You accepted it.”

  “I did.”

  The fox spirit sighed, golden eyes narrowing. “You know what this means, right?”

  Akari looked up at the sky.

  A storm was coming.

  She could feel it.

  And whether she wanted it or not—

  She was already in the center.