This time, for Atticus, the disorientation that came with teleportation was magnified many times over. He could feel his stomach churn, threatening to empty itself.
The bright light dimmed as the portal closed behind them, and Atticus, along with the others, found themselves in a vast room.
It was like stepping into another dimension—everything felt slightly out of place, distorted, as though the very air was unreal.
The room was tall, stretching far in every direction, with walls made of a mix of dark stone and translucent material, constantly warping and shifting as if the room itself were alive.
The light was faint, dimly illuminating the area and giving the entire space an eerie, unsettling atmosphere.
'We're in another domain,' Atticus deduced immediately. He could feel it in the air. This was far from the familiar atmosphere of the human domain.
They were in another place entirely.
As they began to adjust to their new surroundings, two figures suddenly materialized before them, each bowing in respect toward the paragons.
'The Dimensari race,' Atticus recognized them.
Both grandmasters bore the unmistakable features of the Dimensari—metallic skin with a sheen of silver and violet, and faintly glowing eyes.
Their expressions were calm but unnerving, as though they saw far more than they let on.
One of them stepped forward to greet the group. "Welcome, honored guests, to the Dimensari domain," he said, bowing his head slightly in respect. "It is an honor to host the apex candidate and paragons."
Without wasting time, the second grandmaster gestured toward the corridors behind him. "You will each be led to your respective destinations. Apex Atticus will come with me."
Just as Atticus was about to glance at Magnus, he suddenly felt a surge of anger in the air. He turned and saw deep frowns on the faces of both Luminous and Thorne. Although they didn't show it outwardly, he could tell from their narrowed gazes that they were angry.
It took a moment for him to realize why.
'Four paragons were received by grandmasters.'
It was simple but complicated. In Earth terms, it was akin to a foreign president visiting a country and being received by a mere secretary.
Atticus didn't care about this matter; it was their choice how they chose to receive their guests. It seemed Magnus shared this sentiment.
Before the matter could escalate, Magnus stepped forward, giving Atticus a reassuring nod.
"Lead the way," Magnus said.
The two grandmasters exchanged a glance before nodding. One of them turned to Atticus.
"Apex Atticus, this way, please."
As the first grandmaster led the paragons away, their figures soon disappeared into the dimly lit hallway, leaving Atticus with the second grandmaster.
The grandmaster gestured for Atticus to follow, and Atticus did so, observing him closely as they walked.
'He's humanoid, but he doesn't feel human. The aura around him is different, and I can sense how much stronger he is compared to other grandmasters I've met,' Atticus thought.
As they walked, the grandmaster also studied Atticus, making observations of his own, ones that shocked him to the core.
'Even the humans apex too,' the grandmaster thought, narrowing his eyes though keeping his gaze forward.
Soon, they reached a door at the end of the hallway. The grandmaster stopped and gestured for Atticus to enter.
He stepped forward, placing his palm on the door, and it creaked open...
…
The second Dimensari grandmaster led Magnus and the others through another hallway until they reached a door.
He suddenly moved to the side and gestured toward the door. "Just up ahead, honored guests," he said.
Luminous and Thorne had worn frowns throughout the walk, while Seraphina maintained a neutral expression.
With those words, the grandmaster bowed respectfully before quietly excusing himself.
Once he was gone, Luminous's irritation became palpable. He glanced at Magnus and then at the others before finally speaking, his voice filled with displeasure. "I don't like this. We're being treated like dirt."
Thorne nodded in agreement. He wasn't one to care much about such things, but it still stung.
Before the tension could grow, Seraphina spoke up with a calm but firm tone. "Behave yourselves. We're here for a reason, and that reason isn't respect."
Magnus, still silent, moved forward. The others trailed behind him as they opened the door and stepped into the room.
The door opened onto an expansive balcony, and before they could even take in their surroundings, a thunderous, world-shaking cheer erupted, the sound echoing through the room like a tidal wave.
The walls themselves seemed to tremble under the force of it, and the air vibrated with intensity.
They instinctively approached the edge of the balcony and were greeted with a grand sight.
Millions—no, tens of millions—of beings from all races were packed together, seated in a colossal coliseum. Their cheers echoed into a chaotic roar that seemed to shake the earth.
Every single eye in that massive crowd was focused on the enormous screens being broadcast all over the arena, each one of the onlookers' excitement uncontainable.
Magnus and the others stood at a higher elevation, looking down upon the sea of people.
They quickly noticed that despite the overwhelming number of the crowd, no one was looking at them.
Not even a glance.
All around the coliseum, the other races had already filled their own balconies, each of their paragons seated in utter silence with their eyes fixed on the screens, completely ignoring the humans' presence.
But as Magnus and the others raised their gazes, they each noticed something else.
High above in the sky, separated from the coliseum itself, were nine figures.
They sat on floating thrones, each one exuding a presence so oppressive that even from this distance, the air around them felt suffocating. Each figure represented one of the superior races of Eldoralth, their expressions neutral and unreadable.
Their elaborate thrones floated effortlessly in the sky, and their demeanor spoke volumes.
They didn't even acknowledge the existence of those below, and their superiority was apparent in every breath they took, as though they were on an entirely different level of existence.
Many of the lower and mid-level races in the coliseum seethed with anger, their dissatisfaction with the current situation clear.
But not a single one dared to raise their voice in protest. They knew better.
Instead, they would let their Apexes do the talking.