The war council assembled within the hour.Marcus stood at the head of the table. Maps spread before him showing the three keystone sites under attack. Fourth realm. Eleventh realm. Thirteenth realm.Vex, Diana, Brutus, Lydia, Mira, Alexander, Sora, and the three loyal divine beings. Everyone who mattered. Everyone who could help make this decision."Situation report," Marcus said.Vex pointed to the fourth realm. "Mining complex. Two hundred soldiers. Extraction began four hours ago. Current corruption is forty-five percent. Eleven days until critical failure."The eleventh realm. "Coastal fortress. Three hundred soldiers. Corruption is fifty-two percent. Eight days until failure."The thirteenth realm. "Agricultural region. One hundred fifty soldiers. Corruption is forty-three percent. Thirteen days until failure."Marcus studied the numbers. "The eleventh realm fails first at eight days. Fourth realm at eleven days. Thirteenth realm at thirteen days.""Correct," Vex confirmed."Whi

The evacuation took eight hours. Not six.Marcus stood in the central processing chamber watching Mira prepare explosives. The last worker had been located an hour ago. Trapped in a collapsed tunnel. It took two hours to dig him out.Two hours longer than planned. Two hours Carven used to prepare his response."Charges are set," Mira reported. "When I detonate, the backup power source will be destroyed. Eastern tunnels will collapse.""The eastern tunnels are clear?" Marcus asked."Confirmed.""Then detonate."Mira triggered the charges. The explosion was muffled. Deep underground. The mining complex shuddered. Dust fell. Somewhere in the eastern section, tunnels collapsed.And the backup power source stopped extracting."Keystone corruption has stabilized," Mira confirmed. "Forty-seven percent. No longer getting worse."Marcus felt the change. The keystone beneath the complex was damaged but stable. No longer being actively destroyed."How long until it can be repaired?" Marcus asked

"I reject both offers," Marcus said.Silence."You reject saving four keystone sites?" Vex asked. "That is madness.""I reject dying to save four sites when there is a third option.""What third option?" Diana demanded.Marcus looked at Lydia. Through the bond, he felt her understanding."We do not trade anchors for sites," Marcus said. "We trade something Carven wants even more than dimensional energy.""Nothing is worth more to Carven than energy," Alexander said."No. He needs energy to power the device once it is built. But the device is not finished." Marcus pulled out the documents Thalia had brought. Schematics of the Unification Engine. "Look at the construction timeline. The device requires components not yet assembled."Sora studied the documents. Her expression changed. "You are right. The device is seventy percent complete. Carven has been stockpiling energy while continuing construction.""Which means he has a supply chain," Marcus said. "Sources for components. Craftsmen

The first construction site was in a pocket dimension Marcus had never heard of.Sora guided him through the dimensional rift. They emerged in what looked like empty space. No ground. No sky. Just void with structures suspended in nothing.Massive structures. Crystalline frameworks stretching for miles."These are the replacement barriers?" Marcus asked.A figure approached. "I am Keeper Darius. Zara told us to expect observers."Marcus studied the structures. "How long have you been building these?""This particular section? Forty years. The entire network? Two hundred twelve years. We are seventy percent complete.""And these will replace the convergence structure?""Supplement initially. Then gradually transition as the convergence fails naturally. Five years from initiation to completion."Sora moved closer to examine the framework. Marcus felt her examining the structure."The design is fundamentally different," Sora said. "These do not separate realms. They create flexible bound

Phase one began at dawn.Marcus stood in the central processing chamber surrounded by maps, force deployment charts, and dimensional stability readings. Vex coordinated with Crimson Empire forces. Diana organized defensive perimeters. Brutus managed logistics.And Captain Loris served as the communication link between Marcus's forces and Carven's forces."Carven has deployed his resources to five sites as agreed," Loris reported. "The second realm. The seventh realm. The ninth realm. The twelfth realm. And the fourteenth realm. All sites are now under joint Waykeeper observation.""Confirmed," Sora said. She was monitoring dimensional readings from all nine critical sites. "Carven's forces are in position. No deviations from the agreed deployment."Marcus studied the map. His four sites: the river, the fourth realm mining complex, the tenth realm observatory, and the sixth realm agricultural region. Carven's five sites distributed across realms Marcus had never directly fought in.The