The door opened not onto a world, but into a single, vast room. They stood on a small, stone platform at the entrance of a library that stretched up and out into an impossible, infinite darkness. Shelves, carved from a pale, luminous wood, reached up for miles, each one packed with millions of leather-bound books. Floating staircases and bridges of pure, golden light connected the different sections. The air was still and smelled of old paper, dust, and a quiet, ancient magic.
"Where are we?" Serian whispered, her voice a small sound in the immense silence.
"The Guild's main office, I think," Nox replied.
A figure appeared on a bridge of light above them. It was the traveler, his kind, tired face breaking into a warm smile.
"Welcome, Guardians," he said, his voice a gentle, welcoming hum. "You have completed your first assignments with… a surprising amount of grace. The council is pleased."
