— The group had already reached the eighth day and still hadn't found any sign of civilization; they were the only group in the forest, which made Oberon wonder about their arrival —
"Aren't we lost?"
"Why do you say that?"
— Elena answered Obi's question with another question —
"I haven't seen anything that indicates the past presence of an intelligent being"
"Where we're going is different from the places you're used to seeing."
"Can you at least describe it to me?"
"No, that would ruin the surprise. Trust me, everyone who appears in the tower is surprised when they see it for the first time."
— Obi stopped pressing for an answer; it was obvious Elena wasn't going to tell him. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Kaelen, he had gradually changed over the days; his forearms had returned to a more normal, more human size, the same with his legs and hair—though he'd lost much of it, it still covered his eyes. Kaelen had stopped looking like a beast and now looked like a man, except for his eyes, which were the only thing that never changed—
"We should give him a shirt or something to cover his torso; we're not going to let him in like that."
Kaelen is undoubtedly the one who has contributed the most on this journey; if it weren't for his instincts, I don't know how many dangers we would have faced. Even so, his biological changes are something that interests me greatly.
— They continued their journey calmly, walking in silence until the sun, which had been at its highest point, descended to the point where it was above the mountains —
"We're almost there,"
— Elena said as she looked at Oberon, who was still in pain from his injuries —
"Great, we'll be able to take a real break from all this,"
— Oberon replied, continuing to walk. They continued like this for ten minutes, until Elena stopped abruptly —
"What's going on?"
— Krax said, confused, to which Elena replied: —
"We're here. Look at the view."
"What?"
— Oberon exclaimed, somewhat confused. At first glance, there was nothing in front of him, until, at Elena's invitation, he decided to step forward. His eyes widened, his eyebrows rose, and his gaze seemed mesmerized by what he saw below him: a city built inside a colossal cavern. It was a work of architectural fantasy that combined elements of untamed nature with the refinement of the classical Renaissance. It was a visually dense scene, where the monumental scale made Oberon feel small and awestruck at the same time. The most striking feature was the enormous oculus at the top where they stood—a circular opening revealing a blue sky and the vegetation outside, functioning as a natural spotlight illuminating the city center. Hundreds of thin roots, vines, and small waterfalls hung from the rock ceiling, looking like silver silk threads falling toward the water. —
"I told you you'd be surprised; everyone is the first time they see it."
"The city where the sky drips into the sea—that title best describes what I see."
"Come on, let's go down; the view will be even better."
— Guided by Elena, the group walked along the top, coming to a stop in front of two people in armor —
"Stop! Do you have identification?"
"Of course."
— Elena said, showing them an ID card; Krax followed her example, doing the same —
"These two behind us are unbound; they just appeared in the tower."
— The two guards exchanged glances for a moment before letting the group pass. They stepped onto a wooden platform twenty meters above the ground; beneath it were yellow spheres that glowed as soon as they began to descend, as if it were an elevator, which surprised Oberon and Kaelen —
"I'm surprised you have an elevator."
"Oh, this? It just uses anti-gravity stones, which make it levitate or descend slowly depending on the weight of the person using it and the number of spheres."
— Elena said, talking to Oberon —
"Wow, you're more advanced than I thought."
"I'm not going to ask about the image you had of us."
— They descended to the ground, where Oberon was once again enchanted by what he saw: monumental Corinthian columns that seemed to support the weight of the mountain itself.
Palaces with domes and white stone balconies emerging directly from the cave walls.
Structures carved into the living rock, suggesting that the city was not merely built there, but "grew" from the geology itself.
And the contrast in the color palette only served to enhance everything. The earth tones and dark browns of the cave walls framed the scene, while the beam of white light streaming down from the ceiling created a "chiaroscuro" effect, highlighting the whiteness of the marble buildings and the greenish glow of the water —
"You look like a child"
"Don't ruin the moment"
"Well, in any case, I have to go prepare a few things. Krax, I'm leaving your two companions in your care"
— That was the last thing Elena said before heading in the opposite direction from Obi. He was thrilled, seeing such a fantastic scene for the first time; the fact that he was finally in a city with people gave him a sense of peace. He began to walk down, looking at the faces of all the strangers passing by him, until he saw shops along the canal that shimmered like an emerald —
"Krax, Kaelen, look, there are shops; maybe we'll find something useful."
"Well, we can go check it out,"
— Kaelen said as he looked at Krax. They descended from where they were to approach the canal, the center of the scene: a canal of emerald and turquoise waters, so crystal-clear that flashes could be seen at the bottom, while particles of light hung suspended in the air and on the water, giving it a magical atmosphere, almost as if the air were charged with fairy dust or luminescent pollen. The canal was bustling with activity; long, dark boats, similar to Venetian gondolas but with a more fantastical design, carried the inhabitants.
The shops also seemed quite busy, with people going about their daily shopping; everything seemed so normal.
It was a magnificent sight that finally gave Oberon a beautiful view of the world where he had struggled so hard to survive—