The Grand Elder felt a pounding headache. His nausea worsened, and his heart felt like it was about to give out. Every beat felt heavier, as if the weight of the entire sect's downfall pressed upon his chest.
'I should have retired long ago… I should have entered seclusion… At least the position of an Ancestor would have been far more peaceful than this nightmare,' he lamented, closing his eyes as exhaustion washed over him.
As the other high elders turned to him for guidance, their faces filled with fear and desperation, the Grand Elder could only sigh deeply. The fate of the sect now rested upon his shoulders, and yet, for the first time in centuries, he felt powerless.
"What do we do now, Grand Elder?" one of them finally asked, his voice barely holding together.
