The group didn’t take long to leave the room. When the door opened again, the contrast between the private setting and the silent palace corridor was immediate, almost like crossing an invisible line between two completely different worlds. Mythra was already waiting for them a few steps ahead, standing with impeccable posture and hands behind her back, as if she hadn’t even considered for a second the possibility of them being late.

"This way," she said, turning unceremoniously and starting to walk.

Strax went first, maintaining a calm pace, unhurried but also without hesitation. Scarlett walked beside him, her curious gaze sweeping the room without any attempt to hide her interest. Tiamat walked close behind, more silently, observing with almost technical attention every structural detail. Ouroboros stayed closer to Strax, not out of necessity, but by choice, her gaze alternating between the path and the surrounding environment.

The corridor they were in was wide, but not excessively so. The walls weren’t excessively decorated, but there was a complexity to them that made it clear this wasn’t merely aesthetic. Thin lines of energy ran along the surface, almost imperceptible at first glance, forming patterns that slowly rearranged themselves as they passed.

"This isn’t just decoration, is it?" Tiamat commented, without looking directly at Mythra.

"No," Mythra replied, without slowing down. "These are energy containment and distribution circuits. The palace doesn’t depend on a single core."

Scarlett tilted her head slightly.

"So if someone tries to destroy this... it won’t do much good," she said.

"It depends on who," Mythra replied directly. "But overall... no, it won’t do any good."

Strax didn’t comment, but his gaze now scanned the walls more attentively, registering the density of the energy there. It wasn’t something crude, but extremely well distributed, without obvious weak points.

They turned into another corridor, and the space opened up to a larger area, almost like a transitional hall. There, the ceiling was higher, and from the side it was possible to see beyond the palace structure. The upper city stretched out around, floating platforms connected by bridges of solid energy, with constant movement of people and structures at different levels.

Ouroboros slowed her pace slightly, looking out.

"This... doesn’t follow any common gravitational logic," she said.

"It doesn’t," replied Mythra. "The upper city was built on a stabilized field. Gravity here is controlled, not imposed."

Tiamat crossed her arms.

"This consumes an absurd amount of energy."

"It does," confirmed Mythra. "That’s why the palace functions as a secondary core. It sustains part of the city."

Strax looked out for a few seconds before continuing to walk.

"And the lower city?" he asked.

Mythra continued guiding, but answered without hesitation.

"It functions conventionally. Commerce, common population, basic production. The upper city is administration, military power, and strategic control."

Scarlett made a small sound.

"Very clear separation," she commented.

"It avoids problems," replied Mythra.

They proceeded across one of the internal bridges, crossing into another wing of the palace. The atmosphere there was more enclosed, with less circulation of people, but the presence of guards was more evident. None of them intervened, but all recognized Mythra immediately, maintaining a rigid posture as she passed.

"Does this whole place answer directly to the Emperor?" asked Strax.

"Yes," said Mythra. "But there are layers. Generals, regional monarchs, councils. The Empire isn’t centralized in just one person, even if he has the final say."

Tiamat glanced at her sideways.

"And where do you fit in?"

Mythra didn’t hesitate to answer.

"Execution."

Scarlett smiled slightly.

"Straight to the point. I like that."

They continued walking for a few more minutes, passing through areas that varied between open and closed, always with the same structural consistency. Nothing seemed improvised, but it wasn’t too rigid either. There was adaptation, growth, but all within a very well-maintained control.

Ouroboros looked at one of the side structures, where a series of more complex inscriptions were engraved.

"This... is ancient," she said.

Mythra nodded.

"Part of the original core. The Empire didn’t begin here, but it consolidated here."

Strax looked at her.

"And before that?"

Mythra continued walking.

"Constant war," she replied. "Monarchs vying for territory, resources, power. The Emperor unified the continent."

Scarlett chuckled softly.

"Judging by the way you talk, it wasn’t a peaceful conversation."

Mythra looked ahead.

"It wasn’t."

The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable, but it made the weight of it clear.

Strax didn’t comment, but he took note.

They finally reached a more refined area, clearly separated from the rest. The doors there were larger, more detailed, and the energy presence was denser, but controlled.

Mythra stopped in front of one of them.

"We’re here," she said.

She placed her hand on the surface, and the inscriptions reacted immediately, opening a passage.

Before entering, she glanced slightly behind her.

"Behave yourselves," she said, without irony.

Scarlett chuckled softly.

"No promises."

Tiamat simply crossed her arms.

Ouroboros remained silent.

Strax gave a slight, wry smile. "Let’s see what happens."

And then—

They entered.

Mythra maintained a steady pace through the wide corridors, without looking back to check if they were keeping up, as if she simply assumed that no one there would have difficulty following her. And, in fact, there wasn’t. Strax walked close behind, hands in his pockets, a neutral expression, while Scarlett observed everything with restrained curiosity, Tiamat analyzed every detail with a critical eye, and Ouroboros remained more silent, absorbing the surroundings with unusual attention.

The palace wasn’t just large—it was... out of place.

Not in the sense of excessive luxury, but in the way it seemed to ignore certain basic rules of the world. Corridors that should have been straight presented slight curves that were impossible when viewed from certain angles, windows showed landscapes that didn’t exactly match the building’s position, and the lighting itself didn’t come from torches or visible crystals, but from a diffuse glow that seemed to exist in the air.

"This doesn’t make any sense," Tiamat commented quietly, still walking.

Mythra replied without turning her face. "It does. It’s just not the same logic you’re used to."

Strax let out a light puff through his nose, almost a suppressed laugh.

"Folded space?" he asked.

"Partially," Mythra replied. "The palace was built on a stable dimensional core. It exists on more than one plane at the same time."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "So we’re... inside and outside at the same time?"

"In simple terms, yes."

Ouroboros discreetly glanced at one of the windows as they passed. Outside, the high city could be seen floating, with structures connected by suspension bridges and platforms that moved slowly in the air, as if anchored to something invisible.

"And that?" she asked.

Mythra finally glanced sideways, following her gaze. "The Upper City. The political and military heart of the Celestial Empire."

Strax tilted his head slightly. "And the lower one?"

"Commercial. Civil. Where most of the population lives."

Tiamat crossed her arms. "Classic separation."

"Functional," corrected Mythra. "It’s not a class division. It’s a division of purpose."

Scarlett gave a slight, wry smile. "They always say that."

Mythra didn’t answer.

They continued advancing, passing guards positioned at strategic points. None of them intervened, but all observed—and not discreetly. The presence of Strax and his companions was clearly unusual, and even without direct comments, the level of attention was evident.

"You don’t receive many guests, I imagine," commented Strax.

"We do," replied Mythra. "But not of this kind."

"What kind?"

She looked directly at him this time. "The kind that shifts the balance of the continent without warning."

Tiamat chuckled softly through her nose. "At least she’s honest."

"I try not to waste time," said Mythra.

They turned into a wider corridor, where the ceiling rose even higher, revealing suspended structures that resembled artificial constellations, small points of light connected by thin lines of energy. Ouroboros slowed her pace slightly, looking up for a few seconds.

"This... is it decorative?" she asked.

"No," Mythra replied. "It’s monitoring."

Strax raised an eyebrow. "Of what?"

"Of everything."

There was a brief silence after that.

"Reassuring," Scarlett murmured, clearly not finding it reassuring.

Mythra ignored the comment and continued guiding the group until they finally reached a more open area, where large double doors stood out at the end of the corridor. Unlike the rest of the palace, which seemed almost organically integrated into the space, these doors were... direct. Solid. Intentional.

Two guards stood there, motionless.

Mythra stopped.

"Before we go in," she said, turning to them, "a few things need to be clear."

Strax inclined his head slightly. "I imagine."

"The dinner is not just a formality," she continued. "Some members of the court will be present. Not all, but enough that any interaction here will carry weight."

Tiamat sighed. "Politics."

"Yes."

Scarlett crossed her arms. "And the Emperor?"

"He won’t be present."

Strax didn’t seem surprised. "Still at the conference."

"Yes."

He nodded once. "So this is an assessment."

Mythra didn’t directly confirm.

But she didn’t deny it either.

"It’s an introduction," she said.

Strax gave a slight, wry smile. "Of course it is."

Ouroboros glanced quickly at him, then at Mythra, clearly understanding the subtext, but without commenting.

"And what about problems?" Scarlett asked. "Should we expect more... warm receptions?"

Mythra held her gaze for a second before answering. "No."

A short pause.

"But don’t expect immediate acceptance either."

Tiamat shrugged. "We never did."

Strax stepped forward, stopping beside Mythra.

"Then let’s get this over with," he said.

Mythra nodded slightly to the guards.

The doors began to open.

And, as the space beyond them was slowly revealed, one thing became clear to everyone there—

This was no longer just dinner.

It was the beginning of something bigger.