When Alter opened her eyes, she found herself inside a magnificent temple. There was no ceiling above her. Instead, dozens of colossal white stone pillars stretched endlessly toward the heavens, disappearing into the sea of clouds overhead.
She recognized the place immediately.
This was the home of her teacher, Azraphael.
It possessed neither luxury nor grandeur born of ornamentation. Perched atop the highest mountain in the Ventaria Kingdom, the immense temple stood completely open to the sky, its endless rows of pristine white pillars supporting nothing at all. There were no walls adorned with paintings, no furniture, and not a single servant to attend its master. For countless years, Azraphael had lived here alone, accompanied only by the endless wind and the clouds drifting through the heavens.
