The celebration continued long after the last of the invited races had arrived.
The Dragons naturally claimed one corner of the hall, where booming laughter erupted every few minutes as Kaelra challenged anyone willing to match her drink for drink. Unsurprisingly, several Griffons accepted the challenge.
Not far away, the Astrals conversed quietly with the Essari, their discussion drifting between philosophy, ancient history and strange theories regarding the nature of Soul Force. I caught fragments of their conversation every now and then.
The Elves, meanwhile, seemed content simply observing everyone else. Aelion spoke little, preferring to listen as leaders from different races exchanged stories that stretched back tens of thousands of years. Every now and then he would add a few words, usually correcting an event everyone else had remembered incorrectly before returning to silence with the same gentle smile.
Even the Noctari had blended surprisingly well into the gathering.
Shade rarely initiated conversations, yet people somehow found themselves speaking with him regardless. By the time they realized it, they had spent several minutes discussing matters ranging from politics to combat without ever noticing how naturally he guided the conversation.
Watching him was strangely unsettling. The man possessed an almost frightening ability to make everyone lower their guard without ever appearing threatening.
Perhaps that was exactly why Gerald still refused to take his eyes off him.
I found myself smiling.
Humans, Dragons, Elves, Astrals, Essari, Demons, Nagas, Griffons and countless others had spent most of recorded history keeping their distance from one another. Some had fought wars. Others had simply chosen isolation.
Yet tonight they laughed together.
Shared stories together.
Argued over trivial matters together.
For a brief moment, it almost felt like the Prime Territory had already been saved.
Unfortunately...peace was usually the calm before an even greater storm.
A clear chime echoed throughout the banquet hall.
The sound wasn’t loud, yet every conversation gradually came to a halt.
Standing near the center of the hall, Evelyn lowered the crystal glass she had lightly tapped with her ring before allowing her gaze to sweep across the gathering.
"I hope everyone has enjoyed the hospitality of the Ironhearts."
A chorus of nods and smiles answered her.
"The purpose of today’s banquet was simple. Many of you have not met in centuries, while others have never spoken face to face despite sharing the same enemy. Before discussing our future, I wanted everyone to remember that we stand here not as separate races, but as allies."
She allowed the words to settle before continuing.
"Now, however, it is time for us to begin the real reason you answered my invitation."
The atmosphere immediately shifted.
The warmth that had filled the hall only moments ago gradually gave way to solemn anticipation.
"I ask that only the leaders of each delegation accompany me. The rest of our honored guests are welcome to remain here and continue enjoying the celebration."
No one questioned the request.
One after another, the leaders rose from their seats.
The leaders of the Griffons, Nagas, Demonic Dominion and every other major race soon followed, each leaving their companions behind.
Gerald naturally joined us without waiting for an invitation.
Marcus, Samuel and Dean also stood.
Finally, Evelyn looked toward me.
"Billion."
I simply nodded before falling into step behind her.
Without another word, she led us through a pair of massive doors behind the banquet hall and into one of the oldest sections of the Ironheart Settlement.
The laughter gradually faded behind us.
Stone corridors stretched ahead, illuminated by softly glowing crystals embedded within the walls. Ancient murals lined both sides of the passage, depicting battles fought long before human civilization had even begun to record its own history. Dragons soared through burning skies alongside Griffons. Elven archers stood shoulder to shoulder with Human Saints. Nagas battled monstrous sea creatures beneath endless oceans while Astrals watched countless stars rotate above them.
The murals didn’t celebrate victories. They remembered sacrifices.
None of us spoke during the walk.
Even Kaelra remained unusually quiet.
After several minutes, Evelyn stopped before an enormous circular door carved entirely from silver-gray stone.
She placed her palm against its center.
A deep vibration spread through the walls as countless runes awakened one after another before the massive door slowly swung inward.
A circular stone table dominated the center of the chamber, nearly thirty meters across. Instead of being smooth, its surface had been carved into an astonishingly detailed three-dimensional map of the Prime Territory.
Mountain ranges rose from the stone, oceans shimmered beneath layers of translucent blue crystals and thousands of tiny markings represented civilizations scattered throughout the galaxy. Suspended above the center of the table floated another projection entirely, depicting the distorted landscape of the Null Realm.
Even at first glance, I could tell the map had been updated countless times over thousands of years.
This wasn’t merely artwork.
It was history.
As everyone took their seats around the table, Evelyn remained standing near the map.
For several moments, she simply looked around the room.
When she finally spoke, her voice carried none of the warmth she had shown during the banquet.
It carried the weight of what was to come.
"Thousands of years ago," she began, "our ancestors reached a conclusion that every civilization believed impossible."
Her eyes slowly swept across every leader present.
"They realized that fighting each other had become a luxury they could no longer afford."
Her hand rested lightly upon the stone map.
"The Eternals did not conquer the Prime Universe overnight. They advanced one civilization at a time. Kingdoms disappeared. Entire races vanished without leaving descendants behind. Worlds that had flourished for millions of years became silent graveyards."
The room remained perfectly still.
"Faced with extinction even in the null realm, our predecessors made a choice. They abandoned ancient grudges, withdrew into the hidden regions of the Prime Territory. It was never intended to become our home."
Her fingers slowly traced the floating projection above the table.
"It was meant to become our shelter."
A bitter smile appeared on her face.
"Unfortunately... shelters have a way of becoming prisons."
No one interrupted. Every person in the room understood exactly what she meant.
"For thousands of years, we have survived."
She deliberately emphasized the final word.
"Everything changed the moment an Eternal died."
I immediately felt dozens of eyes turn in my direction.
Her voice grew firm once more.
"That is why all of you are here today. We are no longer planning how to survive another thousand years."
She looked around the circular table, meeting the eyes of every leader in turn.
"We are planning how to end the war."