After making sure there wasn't an imminent danger, his heart hammered in his chest as he sprinted towards the closing crystal door. With a satisfying hiss, the doorway sealed shut just as he slipped through. The air shimmered, and he found himself bathed in the ethereal golden light that filled the temple's interior.
Gazing upwards, the vast chamber stretched before him, seemingly endless in its height. The spiraling walkway of the ziggurat dominated the central axis, each step wide enough to accommodate a large carriage. Platforms jutted out at intervals, adorned with intricate murals depicting fantastical creatures and celestial events in a kaleidoscope of colors that shimmered with inner light.
Ace felt a wave of awe wash over him. After a moment of wonder, his gaze fell on the spiraling walkway that snaked upwards towards an unseen peak. It was his only path forward. He also felt hurried since he didn't know when the Heavenly Mortal Emperor would appear.
