The Conclave

Prologue: Execution

Love. It weakens the strongest warriors. Turns the wisest scholars to foolish ones. Darkens the purest hearts. Love is the harbinger of death and a destroyer of worlds...

or could it be a SALVATION.

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The night was shrouded in darkness, a tapestry of moonless shadows that concealed the sinister intentions of those who moved within. In the heart of Valeria, the ancient city that held its secrets as tightly as a death grip, the Conclave convened.

Alistair, the 13th member of the Conclave, stood before the council he had sworn his loyalty to. His gaze was unwavering, his spine straight, but within him churned a tempest of emotions. He had uncovered a truth that struck at the very heart of the Conclave's power, a conspiracy so deep and dark that it threatened to tear the council apart.

The Conclave's members, their identities hidden behind masks and cloaks, regarded Alistair with cold detachment. Their voices were hushed whispers in the dimly lit chamber, and their eyes betrayed no hint of sympathy. The council had made their decision.

Alistair's cousin, Aric, watched from the shadows, his heart heavy with foreboding. He had been Alistair's closest friend, his confidant in the treacherous world of the Conclave. He knew the risks of Alistair's revelation, but loyalty to family had driven him to stand by his side.

Elara, Alistair's daughter, hidden behind a concealed alcove, observed the proceedings with wide, fearful eyes. She was but a child, innocent and unknowing of the gravity of her father's actions. She clutched a pendant he had given her, a last token of his love.

The Conclave's judgment was swift and unforgiving. Alistair was declared a traitor, a threat to the fragile balance of power that had kept Valeria under their control for centuries. The sentence was execution, a punishment carried out without hesitation.

The cloaked enforcers, loyal only to the Conclave's will, descended upon Alistair with ruthless efficiency. His protests fell on deaf ears as they dragged him away, his voice pleading for mercy, his eyes locked on Elara one final time.

Aric, unable to bear the sight, knew that escape was their only chance. He had trusted members within the Conclave, those who had seen the truth in Alistair's words and were willing to help. Together, they had devised a plan, a daring escape into the darkness.

As Alistair's life was extinguished by the cold, unfeeling hand of the Conclave, Aric and Elara fled for their lives. The city's shadows concealed their desperate flight, but the Conclave's reach was long and unforgiving.

Their trusted members who had aided in their escape paid a brutal price. The Conclave's retribution was swift and merciless, a massacre that stained Valeria's cobblestone streets with the blood of those who had dared defy its power.

In the wake of the execution, as the city's secrets continued to whisper through its narrow alleyways, Aric and Elara were left with a burning resolve. They would uncover the truth behind the Conclave's betrayal, no matter how deep the conspiracy ran or how high the price of justice. Their journey had only just begun, and Valeria's shadows held both danger and salvation in equal measure.