The tower stood in the center of the villa's courtyard, its black stone absorbing the morning light. It looked unchanged from the day Seraphina had given it to him—a simple pagoda, beautifully designed, unremarkable to casual observers.But Alex knew its importance.He placed his hand on the cold surface, and the door opened.Inside, the tower was vast, far larger than its exterior suggested. The swirling motes of light welcomed him, each one representing a fragment of law. They danced around him like fireflies, some golden, some silver, some the color of deep space. At the center, the statues waited, their carved patterns glowing with ancient knowledge.Alex walked to the statue of space law and sat before it.The statue depicted a figure half-human, half-geometry, its limbs formed from intersecting planes, its face a spiral of endless depth. The longer Alex looked at it, the more it seemed to move, shifting through dimensions that shouldn't exist.He crossed his legs, closed his eye

Dinner was a quiet affair just Alex, his father, and his mother. The Roshar king sat at the head of the table, reviewing reports on a data slate, his forehead creased with the weight of ruling a kingdom. Reina sat across from Alex, her grey eyes so like his own studying his face with an intensity that made him want to look away.But he didn't."You've been training continuously for the whole week," she said, her voice soft but not accusatory."All week.""You should rest.""I rested last night." Alex took a bite of bread, chewing slowly. "I need to be ready for the Beast God trial."Reina's expression softened. The lines around her eyes seemed deeper in the candlelight, reminders of years spent hiding, years spent watching from a distance."Four and a half years is a long time, Alex. You don't need to rush.""I'm not rushing. I'm preparing." He set down the bread. "There's a difference."The Roshar king looked up from his data slate, his stern face softening almost imperceptibly. "He'

The days bled into weeks, the weeks into months, and the months into a year and a half of relentless dedication. Alex's body had become a weapon honed, sharp, deadly. His space law had grown from twelve percent to twenty-eight, his fire law from twenty-six to forty-five. The law tower had become his second home, its swirling motes of light greeting him each morning like old friends.But it was the hunting that truly changed him.Every morning, before the sun rose over the Stargate's sky, Alex was already in the wilderness zone. He had memorized the territories of every monster within a hundred kilometers of Starlight Base, their migration patterns, their hunting grounds, their weaknesses. He knew which creatures would flee and which would fight. He knew which kills would yield the most attribute points and which were not worth the effort.“This is what dedication looks like,” he thought, standing over the corpse of a late Law realm beast. “Not only talent and bloodline. Even if you

And at night, they sat in the garden, talking about everything and nothing.The nightmares came for her visions of the outpost, of her comrades falling, of the Eclipse Hand's leader laughing as he destroyed everything she loved.Alex held her through each one."I'm weak," she whispered one night, tears streaming down her face. They sat on the stone bench by the fountain, the water murmuring beside them. "I should have been able to stop them.""You're not weak." Alex's voice was firm. "You're human.""That's not an excuse.""It's the truth." He took her hand. "You were outnumbered. Outmatched. That's not weakness, that's reality."Diana buried her face in his chest. "How do you do it? How do you keep going?"Alex was silent for a moment. The fountain murmured. The stars shone."Because if I stop, they win," he said finally. "And I refuse to let them win."She looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "That's not an answer.""It's the only one I have."She stayed for a month. By the time s

The next morning, the portal to Starlight Base opened at dawn.Alex led Eva, David, and Smith through the silver light. The transition was smooth. One moment they were in the grey stone corridors of Star Base, the next they stood in the familiar halls of the Roshar family's territory.The palace was quiet, the hour too early for most of the court. But the family was already gathered.The Roshar king stood at the front, his stern face softened with pride. Reina stood beside him, her grey eyes bright. Alena and Mia were there, along with Cedric and Kaela.And Miara.She was twenty now, a woman grown, her face a younger mirror of Reina's. Her grey eyes held the same fire as Alex's, and her silver hair inherited from their mother flowed down her back like a banner."Brother," she said, hugging him tightly."Sister." He hugged her back. "Ready?""Terrified.""You'll do fine. What's there to be afraid of? You will awaken your bloodline, I'm sure of it."He turned to Eva, David, and Smith. "