CHAPTER 150: KEEPER COUNCIL

"What the hell is an Earth Seed?" Baran asked.

The room had gone quiet. Every eye was fixed on the glowing object in Marcus's hands. The metal hummed faintly. Green light pulsed within its intricate patterns.

Xi Xuan approached the modern relic. Her skepticism had given way to scientific curiosity. She leaned close, examining the surface without touching.

"It is so beautiful. The metal inside.... it is not anything I have ever seen. What is this material?"

Marcus took a deep breath. This was the moment. Either they would believe him or they wouldn't.

"The Seed is considered a world's DNA. It is a catalyst for creating life." He paused, organizing his thoughts. "I am not sure of everything but I heard there are three types. Air seeds. Water seeds. Earth seeds. I believe the trio first programs a planet to be habitable and then they birth life. And...."

"When there is a problem they pull people to fix it." Hasan said, enlightened. His eyes went wide. "That makes so much sense. All those stories. All those legends."

"This is new information, right?" Baran looked around at the other Keepers. "This theory. I am hearing it for the first time."

Marcus took another deep breath. "I have been asked by an entity to copy Ephus's Earth seed."

"Entity?" Xi Xuan asked. Her voice had lost its hostile edge.

"Yes. She claims she is not human. And she can travel between planets in an instant. She tasked me with copying the seed in exchange for a defense against Malachar."

He saw puzzled faces around the council room. Confusion. Disbelief. But also curiosity.

"She fears the God or creators of these planets. She said there are millions of planets with life, all structured by the same beings." Marcus continued, watching their reactions. "And when they arrived in this universe, she and her kind I mean, one of them became fascinated by sentient life. Tried to take over. Was annihilated by an unknown power."

The room was dead silent.

"She said they didn't know life before. Didn't have it where they came from. So she wants to start her own planet. But she is afraid to meddle too much and be punished. So she helped me with the machine designs. But..."

"But Malachar's portal sent you here." Hasan said, scratching his beard thoughtfully.

"Yes. And I tried to force Celestine to send me back. To give her the seed. She said she can't do that. Asked me to find descendants of two-worlders instead."

"That is how you found Professor Lawson?" Numan asked.

"Correct. He directed me to your grandpa. And now I am here."

"But what do you want from us?" Van Bastian asked. His tone was not hostile anymore. Just practical.

"To help me return."

"How?" The question came from multiple voices around the council.

Heinrich Schulz, a German businessman with wire-rimmed glasses and a neat gray beard, spoke up. "We have knowledge passed down through generations. But creating a portal? That requires power we don't possess."

"Malachar formed his portal on top of the Earth seed of Ephus." Marcus said. "This means very little but it is a start. Let me review everything you possess. Every note. Every artifact. Every theory. Maybe together we can find a way."

The council members exchanged glances. Silent communication passed between them. Years of trust and shared purpose allowing them to reach consensus without words.

"I suggest we let him into the common library." Hasan said finally. He turned to Marcus. "Most of us have family heirlooms we possess. I cannot ask them to show you everything. But you can look at my family notes. And I am sure Baran will open his house as well."

Baran nodded slowly. "My grandmother kept detailed journals. You are welcome to them."

"Thank you all." Marcus bowed his head. The relief washing over him was almost overwhelming. "I know this is difficult to accept. A stranger showing up with impossible stories."

"No, thank you." Xi Xuan said. Her earlier hostility was completely gone now. "I am going to need you to tell me all these crazy stories again so I can note them down." She pulled out a small notebook. "And of course you can check my family notes. My great-aunt was obsessed with dimensional theory."

Van Bastian stood and stretched. "I have some old engineering documents. From a relative who worked on strange projects in the 1800s. Might be relevant."

One by one the Keepers offered what they had. Old books. Family journals. Artifacts passed down through generations. The collective knowledge of people who had spent centuries guarding secrets they didn't fully understand.

Numan got up and walked to Marcus, looking at his phone. His face had shifted from the uncertainty Marcus had seen earlier to something like excitement.

"The Aguillons are also on their way. They should arrive tomorrow."

"Aguillons?" Marcus asked.

"French-American family. They had one of the most recent two-worlders. Their great-great-grandfather Victor Aguillon. Lived in Paris in the 1800s." Numan pocketed his phone. "They probably have the best notes of anyone. Victor was apparently a scientist. Kept detailed records of everything."

Marcus nodded. More information. More pieces of the puzzle.

Somewhere out there was an answer. A way to build a portal. A way home.

He just had to find it before Malachar destroyed everything he was trying to save.

The meeting broke up slowly. Keepers approached Marcus individually to shake his hand, to offer encouragement, to share small pieces of information that might be relevant.

Through the window Marcus could see the Turkish sunset painting the sky in oranges and reds. Beautiful. Ancient. A sky that had watched over Göbeklitepe for twelve thousand years.

Tomorrow he would dive into the archives. Study every note. Follow every lead.

Tonight he would rest. And dream his counterpart's day. See through Chen's eyes as he navigated the complexities of Earth life.

Two bodies. One mind. Two worlds depending on him.

Marcus smiled despite the weight of it all.

At least now he wasn't alone.