Ace stood gobsmacked in front of a pitch-black building loomed amidst the volcanic landscape, stark defiance of its fiery surroundings.
Although fifty meters in diameter, this building seemed to have been constructed from a material that seemed to absorb all light. Its surface, smooth as obsidian, reflected only the faintest glimmers of the ever-present heat haze.
The design, however, was far from ordinary. The building resembled a monolithic, squat Goliath castle. A single, imposing doorway served as the entrance, framed by a massive archway that resembled a grinning maw.
But the most striking feature wasn't the imposing architecture. Above the entrance, a magnificent devil horn owl symbol spread its wings in a gesture of silent power. Carved from a material that seemed to faintly glow with an inner light, the owl's piercing gaze seemed to follow anyone who approached.
