Kael instantly stopped laughing.
"…Okay," he said slowly.
"That's new."
"This isn't part of the illusion sequence, you dumb shit!" Tyrian's smile vanished instantly as he looked around, his eyes narrowing sharply.
Aestrea didn't say anything.
He was already scanning the space, his body relaxing into a familiar state of focus.
The ruined city illusion collapsed in on itself, the buildings melting into streams of light that were violently pulled upward.
The sky shattered like glass, fragments spiraling away into darkness. In less than two seconds, the entire environment was replaced.
They now stood on a vast circular platform floating in an endless void.
Below them, nothing but black.
Above them, the same.
Strange symbols rotated slowly beneath their feet, far more complex than the usual arcade runes.
"What kind of budget increase did this place get?" Kael muttered, trying to joke, but his voice lacked confidence.
"Kael… the pain dampener." Tyrian swallowed.
