When the initial screening ended, the crowd that had gathered made their way in front of the tower.
Lucia had to remain outside with other non-participants and those who hadn't passed the test but hoped to gain inspiration or see the gap between themselves and the successful candidates.
As she stood among the crowd, her gaze drifted toward the base of the towering stone structure. It loomed silently with no visible entrance.
Then, without warning, the ground rumbled.
A low, deep tremor spread through the earth. With a slow, grinding sound, the stone walls began to part, revealing the dark interior of the tower.
The gap widened, and a massive opening—easily thirty feet tall—appeared in front of them.
'This thing is wide enough to fit thirty people at once,' he thought, impressed by how big the entrance was.
He focused on the darkness inside, curious to see what was beyond, but to his surprise, his vision was blocked.
