Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Chapter 29: Whispers of Fate_1

The desk lamp gave Aiden’s office a soft glow as he worked through a pile of reports and logistical notes. The only sounds in the room were his pen scratching and his chair creaking now and again as he straightened his posture.

His brow was furrowed in deep concentration determined to finish the remaining paperwork before they left the capital.

The door swung opened without a knock and Tommy strolled in uninvited. He flopped into the chair opposite Aiden while crossing his arms and staring at him with an amused grin.

Aiden didn’t look up at first, but instead finished the sentence he was writing before closing the file. Putting down his pen carefully, he finally looked at Tommy..

“What is it?” Aiden asked with a sigh of exhaustion. “Just spit out what you want to say and don’t stare at me like that—it’s unsettling.”

But Tommy’s smile grew as he said. “I know it’s unsettling, that’s why I do it.”

He laughed a little before his face became more serious. “But seriously… I need to ask you something.”

Aiden leaned back in his chair with folding his arms, “Go ahead.” he said.

Tommy took a breath. “How in the world did you manage to convince the elders to vote in your favor? And… why did you even take that route in the first place? I have my guesses, but I want to hear it from you.”

Aiden’s weary eyes softened as he agreed because he knew his friend needed to be clear. “Alright,” he said, “do you remember when I told you about that dream—the one where we were branded traitors and ambushed on the road?”

Tommy creased his brow as he thought about what they had said. “Yeah, you said it was just a nightmare—a bad one.”

Aiden slowly let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. “It wasn’t just one nightmare. I’ve been having that same dream for the past week and every time I close my eyes, it’s the same sequence of events. But I didn’t tell you everything before.”

Tommy moved his back up. “What didn’t you tell me?”

Aiden’s eyes briefly went to the window, as if he were looking for something in the sky at night. Then he turned around and looked at Tommy again. His voice was calm, but had a chill to it.

“In that nightmare,” Aiden continued, “everything was almost identical to what’s happening now—the council’s ruling, the assignment to restrict other provinces, even the political maneuvering but in that dream… only the members during the escort mission were killed and not the massacre we saw this time at the camp.”

Tommy said as he become tensed. “That’s… unsettling.”

Aiden’s face got serious. “It gets worse—I didn’t go to the elder council in the dream.”

“So the Federal council were made in charge of us after the verdict, and we had to do what they said. It seemed manageable at first, but after a few weeks, everything changed. Instead of sending help to the provinces, they reinforced the barricades around the central region stronger.”

Tommy said with expression of shock in his face. “So did we were ordered to keep people entering into the central province?”

Aiden nodded grimly. “Exactly, they were scared that an influx of refugees from other provinces would strain the food supply and destabilize their sense of safety so they tasked us to became their gatekeepers to turn people away—families, children… people who needed protection.”

Tommy’s expression darkened as the weight of Aiden’s words settled. “And you think… that’s where everything started to go wrong?”

Aiden’s fists clenched. “We couldn’t live with ourselves like that. So we abandoned our post and went to help the provinces ourselves. And because of that, they branded us traitors. They hunted us down like criminals.”

The room fell into a heavy silence, the air thick with unspoken emotions. Tommy finally broke the stillness, his voice quieter but resolute. “So… you went to the elders to change the outcome of that nightmare?”

Aiden nodded again. “I couldn’t make the same mistake twice. After what happened to our team… I knew that many among the Federation council wouldn’t let the verdict to help anyone outside the central province pass due to their own selfish nature. If we stayed here under their command, our team’s sacrifice would’ve been for nothing. The elder’s vote was our only way out.”

Tommy stared at him for a long moment before leaning back in his chair and rubbing his face. “Damn, Aiden… I don’t know what’s more terrifying—the fact that your dreams seem to predict this… or that they’re coming true.”

Aiden’s lips twitched into a faint, humorless smile. “Tell me about it.”

Tommy let out a shaky laugh. “You’ve always been the practical one, Aiden. But now… you’re sounding a little like a prophet.”

Aiden shrugged, his smile fading. “I don’t care what it sounds like. I just know that we can’t sit by and watch the Federation prioritize its own survival over innocent lives.”

Tommy sat in silence for a moment, then stood and placed a hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. We can’t dismiss something like this until we figure out what’s causing it. And… you’re right. The council’s decisions have only ever served themselves, I just wish…” He trailed off but soon a flicker of concern crossing his face. “But I’ve got to ask—how did you manage to pull off the elder vote? You’ve told me bits and pieces before, but I need the whole picture as last I checked your relationship with your old man isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows.”

Aiden gave a weary smile. “You’re right—getting my grandfather’s approval wasn’t difficult, but it was far from affectionate. The real challenge was dealing with everyone else.”

Aiden straightened in his chair, folding his arms. “There are five members on the elder council. My grandfather is the head. Then there’s a representative from the Rienfeld family, my aunt—who was the previous head of the Phoenix Unit—the former captain of our Dragon Unit, and the previous Chancellor.”