A surge of heat suddenly swept through the hall, as though a powerful sunbeam had penetrated the roof, moving above the crowd. Accompanying the appearance of this intangible heat, all the gas lamps and candelabra in the hall seemed to be subjected to some inexplicable disturbance and suppression, swiftly dimming, as if sinking into shadow.
However, the Believers of Annihilation present in the hall showed scant reaction to the onslaught of heat, merely looking up at the dome above after a brief rustle of motion.
Richard also looked up. His gaze swept over the opulent draperies, chandeliers, and painted ceiling of the assembly hall—each seemed to be bathed in an invisible sunlight, with a slow play of light and shadow moving across the surface of the dome. In time, the "sunlight" finally converged at the center of the dome, revealing its presence—
