Lucien rose to his feet.
For the first time since the breakthrough, excitement broke through his composure.
He had crossed the threshold. Now he wanted to feel it.
Lucien lifted his hand, then paused. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he crossed two fingers together, half in jest and half in anticipation.
"Domain Expansion," he said.
The response was immediate.
Reality folded.
A dome of authority unfurled outward from Lucien. It expanded in a smooth, unstoppable wave.
The Obsidian Tower's interior vanished from perception, replaced by a boundless radiance.
Golden light filled everything.
It was not blinding. The light did not shine from any single source. It existed everywhere at once as if the concept of illumination itself had been granted form.
Lucien inhaled sharply.
He recognized this place.
It was reminiscent of the realm where he had first encountered the Will of the World in the small world long ago.
"This is…" Lucien murmured.
Then he felt it.
