The Legacy of the Uncharted

~ Chapter 66~ The Gathering of the Crowns and the Navy Summit

The Gathering of the High Seas

The storm over Crown Capital had finally settled, but inside the Hall of Dominion, tension pressed against the walls like a second atmosphere. The hall was vast, lit by towering blue lanterns reflecting on polished marble floors, banners of the Crown hanging from the pillars.

Today was not a normal meeting.

The Navy had summoned every major authority from across the world.

The five highest-ranking naval figures entered first, escorted by Royal Guards. Their steps were heavy with the weight of nations.

Grand Fleet Admiral Rae Sterling walked at the front, the authority of an entire ocean in his presence. His uniform was dark navy embroidered with silver waves, his hair streaked with white. His expression was unreadable, but everyone in the room straightened the moment he approached.

Behind him came Admiral Seraphine, promoted after the Aetherfront conflict. Her coat swept behind her like a blade cutting through air. Commander Lira and Commander Kira followed, both elevated to higher ranks and wearing new insignias.

From the outer kingdoms, the rest of the great officers arrived:

General Magnus of the Northern Walls, shoulders broad as fortress gates.
Commander Alara, representative of the Leviathan Watch.
Captain Moriah, intelligence master of the Eastern Fleet.
Commander Aveline of Solara City Command, sharp-eyed and feared.
Admiral Quinn, calm, strategic, voice of balance.
Captain Barron, a hardliner who despised pirates more than storms.

Representatives of the allied kingdoms filed in next. Kings, princes, war barons, royal advisors, all gathered with their own guards, their own banners, their own fears.

The room became a battlefield before a war even started.

Rae Sterling stepped forward.

"Begin the session."

Every voice fell silent.

Commander Aveline placed a crystal projector in the center of the table. It lit up with blue light, revealing the map of the world. Multiple regions glowed red.

"We have confirmation," she announced. "More than a dozen major pirate factions have resurfaced in the last seventy-two hours. Three of them captured ports under Code Purple enforcement."

Captain Barron slammed his fist on the table.

"Impossible! Code Purple is absolute."

"Code Purple," General Magnus growled, "means nothing to pirates willing to die for glory."

Lira stepped forward with a scroll of reports.

"We have confirmed pirate activity at the Crimson Docks, Frostlight Reef, the Sunken Maw, and the Ash Isles. None from Galen's fleet yet. None from Elara. None from Eli."

Seraphine's eyes narrowed.

"And Mordeclai?"

Silence followed.

Captain Moriah spoke carefully.

"No sightings. No signals. No destruction paths. No bodies. Nothing."

Sterling's voice cut through the tension.

"Ships do not vanish. Not his."

Admiral Quinn folded his arms.

"The absence of signs is a sign. Either he left our waters completely, or he reached a territory we cannot track."

"It's not the sea," Lira said. "We've checked every route."