Inside Aethelgard, the city felt very, very wrong. Lights went on and off in homes. The big towers that gave the city power flashed strange colors instead of their usual calm glow. People ran into the streets, looking up at the Spire, which usually felt so strong but now looked like it was sick.
In his fancy control room, Lord Solaris looked shocked and very angry. His wife, Lady Solaris, was much calmer, but her eyes burned with a cold, scary anger. "He did this," she whispered, her voice like ice. "My son. Tayo." She could feel the wild energy that had burst out, and she knew it came from him. She remembered seeing this special energy in him when he was a baby.
Up in the Energy Spire, Commander Valerius was yelling orders. Broken glass was on his face from an exploding screen. "Find out where that power came from! Find who did this! Send all Watchers! No one can stop them!" He felt very angry and ashamed. His city, his perfect system, was broken. He would not show any mercy.
Lady Solaris was already moving. "The power came from deep down," she told her guards. "Under the Spire. It is the Living Key." She knew what that meant. It was Tayo, and he had woken up a power they had kept locked away.
The city's Watchers, strong fighters with energy suits, moved quickly. Their machines showed them exactly where the huge burst of power had come from. It was in the very old tunnels, far below the city. They didn't even use the normal doors. They used big tools to smash through the old rock, going straight for the source.
Commander Valerius watched his screens. "They're going straight to the Nexus," he said, his voice hard. "They want to get that power, no matter what it takes." He knew this was a huge threat. This wasn't just a small problem; it was war.
Lady Solaris stood straight, her eyes fixed on the map of the tunnels. "He has brought this on himself," she said, thinking of Tayo. "He has chosen his path." Her loyalty was to the city's order, and anyone who threatened that, even her own son, would be stopped.
The Watchers broke through the last wall. The old, dark chamber was now open to them. They were ready to find the power, to capture the one who dared to challenge the Ascendant Dynasty. The fight for Aethelgard's future was about to begin.