Alex had noticed it throughout the ceremony the way the delegates' eyes kept drifting toward him, the way they whispered among themselves when they thought he wasn't looking. They were curiously looking toward him.“They know I found the secret realm,” he thought. “They know I'm the one who scouted the base location. They know I'm the one who's been hunting in the deep inner zone for the past year. They want to know what else I've found. Hey, I am overthinking again. If there is something I will know soon.”He didn't react. He simply stood there, his expression neutral, his grey eyes meeting theirs without flinching. Let them wonder and speculate. He had nothing to hide, nothing they could prove, anyway.The ceremony continued. Marcus Blackwood spoke next, the ancient Immortal King's voice strong and steady. He spoke of the alliance between the Roshar family and the Blackwood family, of the bond that had been forged over a thousand years. He spoke of the future: the children who would

Alex returned to the base and found James and Marcus waiting for him.He explained what he had found in the valley, the resources, and the secret realm. He explained how the valley was defensible, how the resources were abundant, how the secret realm was stable and intact.James and Marcus listened in silence. When Alex finished, they exchanged glances."You found exactly what we needed," James said quietly. "A location for the Council's base. And a secret realm nearby.""The secret realm is small," Alex said. "And empty. There's nothing valuable inside.""That's perfect," Marcus said. "We didn't want anything valuable. We just wanted a secret realm."Alex frowned. "Why? Why is a secret realm so important?"James leaned forward, his pale eyes intense. "Because, Alex, the secret realms are not just pockets of space. They are anchors. Points where the fabric of reality is thinner where the barriers between dimensions are weaker. And when the Stargate core reaches its next level of stabi

Alex smiled a tired, knowing expression. "You'll see. But first we need to be careful. Not everyone can enter the sanctuary. If too many people know about it, the secret will spread. And I don't want to attract other people right now..""Yes this should be best as there are a lot of people in the base at present time," Alena finished. "I understand. So who do we take?""Just our family member," Alex said. "You, Diana, Aegar, Cedric, Asher. Mother and Father. Great-Grandfather James and Great-Grandfather Marcus. The children Martin, Anna, Kiara, and the others can come too. They deserve to see where their future lies.""And the Council?" Diana asked. "They'll notice if we all disappear.""We won't be gone long. It will be just like how we enter the room. And we'll have cover. After all, the gate of the secret realm is just inside my villa's secret room so we don’t have to worry. They won't even know and if they ask anything then we can just say that I am training you guys in my villa."