The transition through the gateway was instantaneous. One moment, they were standing in the dusty square of Galaxy City; the next, they were standing on a floor of polished obsidian that seemed to stretch into infinity.
"Wow! So huge!!" Philip exclaimed, his voice echoing off the distant walls. He stood frozen, staring at the colossal hall that felt as vast as a football field. High above, a massive chandelier encrusted with glowing gemstones hung like a captured sun, bathing the entire chamber in a warm, amber light that caught the glint of gold embroidery on every pillar.
At the center of the hall, elevated on a two-meter-tall stage, stood three imposing figures. Lord Hayatobi remained at the center, flanked by two elders draped in flowing black robes that seemed to absorb the light around them.
However, it wasn't just the architecture that stunned the two hundred new recruits. Standing to the left of the stage was a separate group—the elite fifty.
