The transition from the blinding Sahara sun to the interior of the Trial Ground was not a physical movement, but a fundamental shift in existence.
As the iridescent light faded, the five thousand Federation students and the two thousand Ancient scions found themselves standing upon a vast obsidian plain that stretched into infinity.
The sky above was not blue or silver, but a swirling nebula of deep violets and burning ambers, where stars seemed to pulse like beating hearts.
In the center of this infinite expanse stood the Tower of Aetherion.
It was a structure that defied the laws of three dimensional space. It was a spire of white jade and pulsating geometric light that ascended until it pierced the nebula ceiling, its width so vast it could have housed entire cities. The sheer presence of the tower radiated an aura of ancient, unhurried authority.
Suddenly, the space in front of the tower's massive archway warped.
