Soon, the darkness around them began to change.
At first, it was subtle. A faint distortion appeared beyond the transparent bubble, like ripples spreading through ink. Then light appeared.
The soldiers barely had time to react before the black void surrounding them folded inward, and the bubble vanished.
Their surroundings changed completely.
For several seconds, none of the nine moved.
The first thing they saw was a massive black pillar rising into the sky. It stood not far from them, tall and unnaturally smooth, its dark surface carrying faint patterns that seemed to shift whenever they looked at them too closely.
Beyond it, further into the territory, stood an enormous temple. Calling it magnificent almost felt insufficient. Its architecture was unlike anything the soldiers had seen in the empire.
The structure towered over the surrounding land, ancient and imposing, with countless intricate designs covering its walls and pillars.
