Alex could feel it pressing against his senses a density of law essence that made the fragments on the Beast God staircase seem like children's puzzles. The space here was folded in patterns that his mind could barely trace. The time here flowed in currents that shifted and eddied like water around invisible stones. And beneath both, woven through the fabric of reality itself, was something else. Something that he couldn't quite name."Much higher," Seraphina confirmed. Her expression grew serious, the warmth in her eyes tempered by something deeper. "The hidden floor is calibrated to the God realms. The fragments here are designed for cultivators who have already mastered the fusion of space and time, who have already started trying to push their divine body to its limits, who are preparing for the final steps toward transcendence. The fact that you can even perceive them let alone stand here without being overwhelmed is remarkable."Alex stared at her.God realm. The realm beyond Un

Alex stood alone in the hidden chamber long after Seraphina's presence had faded, the floating crystals drifting overhead like silent witnesses to the weight of his thoughts. The law essence on this floor still pressed against his senses, dense, ancient, calibrated for a level of comprehension that he could barely grasp the edges of. But his mind was not on the fragments. It was on the path that had brought him here.He thought about the boy he had been. A young prince exiled, isolated and uncertain, his cultivation stunted by circumstances he didn't understand. He had awakened the Primordial Chaos Harvester and thought that his journey was beginning, that from that moment forward, he would rise through the realms through sheer determination and the power of his bloodline. And he had risen. He had killed monsters and broken through bottlenecks and climbed a staircase for three thousand years. He had reached the summit of the Beast God trial and spoken with the remnant of an ancient b

The walk from the law tower to the palace was quiet, but Alex's mind was anything but. The morning sun had climbed higher in the artificial sky of Starlight Base, casting long shadows across the white stone paths that wound through the royal gardens. Soldiers saluted as he passed. Servants bowed. But Alex barely noticed them. His thoughts were still in the hidden chamber, still turning over Seraphina's words about foundations and body art and the egg waiting in its pocket dimension.The sound of laughter broke through his reverie.It came from the family wing of the palace, the private quarters where the Roshars gathered when they weren't commanding sectors or running empires or fighting wars. The windows were open, and the morning breeze carried the scent of fresh bread and brewing tea. Alex could hear his mother's voice, warm and animated, punctuated by the higher tones of his sisters and the deeper rumble of his brothers.He smiled despite himself. The weight of the past few days

Alex rose from his seat instinctively. The rest of the family fell silent."Grand-Aunt," Roy said, his voice carrying a note of surprise. "We weren't expecting you. You rarely leave Blue Star.""I rarely have reason to." The woman's voice was dry, cool, the voice of someone who had seen too much to be impressed by anything. Her pale eyes swept across the room and settled on Alex. "But I heard that my great grand-nephew has returned from the Beast God trial. And that he has proposed to the Aurelian girl. Those seemed like sufficient reasons to make the journey."Alex bowed his head respectfully. He had met his great grand-aunt only a handful of times in his life; she was a recluse, a mystery, a figure who appeared at family gatherings once every few centuries and then vanished back to whatever solitude she preferred. He had always assumed she was a non-cultivator, someone who had chosen a quiet life away from the politics and warfare of the Stargate. But looking at her now, feeling th

"Where's Diana?" Alex asked. "I thought she would be here.""She went back to her inner zone base," Miara said. "She left early this morning, after we entered the meeting hall. She said she needed to prepare things on her end, inform her father, speak with her great-grandmother, and make arrangements for the proposal visit.""She went back to her frontline base?""The war is over, Alex. At least for now. Her base is in cleanup mode cataloging resources, repairing defenses, sending the wounded home. She'll be back before the proposal to her main base." Miara smiled. "She also said to tell you that you'd better bring a proper gift. Her exact words were, 'Tell Alex if he shows up with a bouquet of flowers and a smile, I'm sending him back.'"The room erupted in laughter. Alex shook his head, a tired smile crossing his weathered face. "I'll bring proper gifts. My great-grandfather is adding pieces from his personal collection. Ancient weapons. Armor. Artifacts that date back to the foundi